Debating the fair cap on welfare in Robin Hood country
Politicians often delude not only the public - but also themselves. They often imagine it is their charisma and oratory that get people voting. Usually, though, it is the issues that propel us towards the ballot box. There is no debate more polarising in the coming election than the one over welfare. So I went to take a closer look at the issue in a marginal constituency in Nottingham.
As I arrived in Nottingham the skyline shows it is the right place to start looking at the discussion on benefits. This city's giant glass Inland Revenue HQ is where much of the £214 billion welfare budget starts. The debate is about where it ends up. The story of taking money from the rich to give to the poor is not nearly so simple as it was during Robin Hood's time in the area.
Our survey (ITN/COMRES) showed 80% of people surveyed believe benefits should be cut for those fit to work, but not trying to get it. When I visited the Hope food bank I met two people who depend on welfare support but who were frank about their feelings. The first said he didn't want full time work because it pays more to stay on benefits. The second told me she didn't believe people should have to take jobs that make them unhappy. Both work hard - but as volunteers at the food bank. These two encounters raise a lot of difficult issues about what kind of activities society should regard as fair effort. Why shouldn't unpaid work also count?
I soon got the counter-argument when I visited Wollaton Park Preschool. Most of those using it are working parents. Many told me they are tired of hearing about claimants who prefer not to work. "Benefits aren't there so that people can pick and choose what work they want," said one. Another told me he was sick of people boasting about how much better life could be on the dole. It's interesting that 36% of people we surveyed support an upper cap on how much a household can earn each year from welfare.
My final stop was at a pensioner exercise class. I expected them to warmly welcome my news that 79% of people in our survey like the guaranteed increase of state pensions in line with inflation. Then they told me what they thought about younger people who claim Jobseeker's Allowance. One lady who started her working life in the 1930s said it was wrong that it can sometimes pay more to be on benefits than go to work. Another said she would still do a job today rather than claim - and she's 80!
Even here in Nottingham, the debate about wealth redistribution isn't nearly so clear cut as it seemed to Robin Hood.