BLOG: 'Enter the baddie'

"I sometimes feel like the baddie. Making £10M of savings wasn't a pin the tail on the donkey exercise."

And today, the baddie was in the dock.

The Social Security Minister giving evidence to a government Scrutiny panel looking at the impact of benefit changes (or cuts as most people know them).

Deputy Susie Pinel was grilled for an hour and a half on a range of issues.

Was she committed to supporting the most vulnerable? "Yes".

Would some changes leave different groups of people on different amounts of money while changes kick in? "Yes, but you've got to look at the bigger picture".

Today's hearing was more an exercise of heat rather than light, as the panel got to ask questions - which for the most part consisted of attacks and interruptions from Deputy Geoff Southern who clearly doesn't plan to invite Deputy Susie Pinel round for lunch any time soon.

That said, he was right on top of his subject and knew a lot of intricate detail of a range of aspects of the benefits system.

But what's the grand conclusion from today?

Well, not much really.

The benefits cuts have happened. People are affected. Life goes on.

That seems to be the blunt bottom line from Social Security who insist there are plans in place to support the island's poorest.

But, in an island where 26% of households are living in Relative Low Income (or poverty as most people know it), the wealthy tax haven image of Jersey that some would have you believe is far from reality for many, many people.

What's worth remembering is that this is just the start. We've yet to see other departments make their cuts.

£10million down, with another £135million to come. Expect them in June. Think it's painful already? You ain't seen nothing yet.