Policy work
Working to achieve systemic change is at the heart of everything we do. We bridge the gap between our clients who are living in poverty and the decision-makers who have the power to change this.
Universal Credit
Many of the people we support either face emotional or financial hardship as a result of being on Universal Credit (UC), or are at risk of adverse effects if they move onto it. UC’s inadequacies are only going to become more pressing as those on legacy benefits continue to be pushed onto UC. Many of these people will lose out financially and face harm as a result of the inadequate UC system.
Disability benefits
The government’s harsh policies on accessing disability benefits are preventing disabled and unwell people from getting the disability payments they are entitled to. Hundreds of thousands of claimants for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are being wrongly turned down. In order to get their payments reinstated, they have to go through a long, draining ordeal of Mandatory Reconsideration and appeal, putting them under severe financial and emotional pressure for sometimes over a year.
→ Response to the consultation on Work Capability Assessment criteria and descriptors (October 2023)
→ Response to Disability Action Plan consultation document (August 2023)
→ Briefing on the Health and Disability White Paper (March 2023)
→ Briefing on the Health and Disability Green Paper (February 2022)
→ Response to the Health and Disability Green Paper (October 2021)
→ Z2K’s Guide to Responding to the Health and Disability Green Paper (October 2021)
Benefit Cap
The benefit cap, imposed in 2013 and further restricted to an even lower rate in 2016, has reduced the income of tens of thousands of the country’s poorest people. Through our research and frontline services, we have seen the damaging effect this is having on individuals and families, with many people struggling to afford rent, heating and food as a result.
→ Z2K Submission to the Work & Pensions Select Committee Welfare Safety Net Inquiry, December 2018
→ Z2K gives oral evidence to Work & Pensions Select Committee Benefit Cap Inquiry, October 2018
→ Z2K Submission to the Work and Pensions Select Committee Benefit Cap Inquiry, October 2018
→ Z2K Submission to the Work and Pensions Select Committee Benefit Cap Inquiry, April 2017
→ Z2K Briefing on Welfare Reform & Work Bill – House of Lords Committee Stage, December 2015
→ Z2K Briefing on Welfare Reform & Work Bill – House of Lords Second Reading, November 2015
→ Z2K Briefing on Welfare Reform & Work Bill – Report Stage, October 2015
→ Z2K Briefing on Welfare Reform & Work Bill – Second Reading, July 2015
Housing and homelessness
Access to affordable housing has become a growing concern over recent years, with rising rents and welfare cuts pushing more and more people into homelessness. Our policy work includes all aspects of homelessness issues, including national and local housing strategy, homelessness policy, property conditions, improper use of temporary accommodation and tenant rights.
→ Z2K Response to Westminster City Council’s Draft Private Rented Sector Strategy 2020-2024
→ Z2K Response to Westminster City Council’s Draft Homelessness Strategy 2019-2024
→ Z2K Submission to the Shelter Housing Commission, June 2018
→ Z2K Response to the draft London Plan, March 2018
→Z2K Submission to the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into homelessness, November 2017
→ Z2K Response to the London Housing Strategy, December 2017
→ Z2K Submission to IPPR London Housing Commission, October 2015
→ Z2K Response to Westminster Housing Strategy Consultation, July 2015
→ Z2K Submission to the consultation on the Draft London Housing Strategy, February 2014
→ Z2K Briefing for the House of Commons Adjournment Debate ‘Housing in London,’ January 2014
→ Z2K Briefing for the ‘Abolition of the Bedroom Tax’ Opposition Day Debate, November 2013
Covid -19
While we welcomed the changes made to our social security system during the Covid-19 pandemic, we would have liked to see the Government go further to ensure that everyone is adequately supported both during, and in the aftermath of, this pandemic.
In 2020 we ran workshops with clients where we learnt how to talk about our experiences of Universal Credit, homelessness and living in insecure and poor-quality private rented sector accommodation, using four storytelling skills for digital campaigning: blogging, vlogging, audio recordings and photography. Most described their experiences publicly in audio recordings in a project called #LifeAfterLockdown.
Council Tax Support
In 2013 the Coalition Government abolished Council Tax Benefit, forcing local councils to carry the costs of support for their most vulnerable residents. This was made even more difficult by a 10 per cent cut in funding from national government. In addition, the ruling that pensioners be exempt from paying means that all cuts must be borne by working-age households. While eight London boroughs have maintained full support for claimants, the majority have introduced minimum payment schemes. This means people previously deemed too poor to pay are now expected to afford up to 30 per cent of the council tax bill.
→ Z2K’s response to Croydon’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme consultation, December 2021
→ Z2K’s response to Redbridge’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme consultation, November 2021
→ Z2K’s response to Ealing Council Tax Consultation, October 2019
→ Z2K consultation response to Brent Council Tax Support Scheme 2020/21
→ Z2K’s response to Camden’s proposed Council Tax Support Scheme 2020/21
→ Z2K Response to Hackney Council Tax Support Consultation, November 2017
→ Z2K Response to Richmond upon Thames Council Tax Support Consultation, December 2016
→ Z2K Response to Tower Hamlets Council Tax Support Consultation, November 2016
→ Z2K Response to Wandsworth Council Tax Support Consultation, December 2015
→ Z2K Response to Kingston upon Thames Council Tax Support Consultation, December 2015
→ Z2K Response to Hillingdon Council Tax Support Consultation, December 2015
→ Z2K Response to Bromley Council Tax Support Consultation, October 2015
→ Z2K Response to Bexley Council Tax Support Consultation, October 2015
→ Z2K Response to Ealing Council Tax Support Consultation, September 2015
→ Z2K Response to Barnet Council Tax Support Consultation, October 2014
→ Z2K Response to Waltham Forest Council Tax Support Consultation, September 2014
→ Still Too Poor to Pay: Council tax support in London 2018/19 briefing, March 2020
→ Z2K Submission to the Work & Pensions Select Committee Welfare Safety Net Inquiry, December 2018
→ Still Too Poor to Pay: update on council tax support in London 2017-18, September 2017
→ Taking Control: the need for fundamental bailiff reform, March 2017
→ Still Too Poor To Pay: three years of localised council tax support in London, September 2016
→ A new poll tax? The impact of the abolition of council tax benefit in London, July 2014
Local Welfare Provision
As part of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, the coalition government abolished the national Social Fund for crisis loans and community care grants for those in need. In doing so they shifted the burden of paying for and administering support – now called Local Welfare Provision – onto local councils.
Bailiff Reform
Tens of thousands of people are subject to enforcement action by bailiffs every year, with too many of them – including children – suffering intimidation, injustice and distress at the hands of an unregulated industry.