The Hidden Welfare Scandal

Homelessness. Universal Credit. Austerity. "The Hidden Welfare Scandal" tells the stories behind the headlines, from the perspective of a front-line advice worker dealing day-to-day with the aftermath of official decisions and their devastating effects. These are tales not only of government policy itself, but also of local officials acting with too much power and too little accountability, imposing their own personal and political views on the powerless and disadvantaged. We are told in the media of a homelessness crisis fuelled by austerity, but how does this look in practice? And how does welfare reform function in reality? The media reports only tell us a small part of what the government doesn't want us to know. Cuts to legal aid and advice services are taking hold all over the country, and this book reminds us that this has to stop