Tag: benefits

Councils’ “hidden algorithms” profile millions on benefits, Big Brother Watch investigation finds

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20 July 2021 — Big Brother Watch

Big Brother Watch Team

Big Brother Watch’s new report “Poverty Panopticon: the hidden algorithms shaping Britain’s welfare state”, published today, reveals:

  • 540,000 benefits applicants are secretly assigned fraud risk scores by councils’ algorithms before they can access housing benefit or council tax support.1
  • Personal data from 1.6 million people living in social housing is processed by commercial algorithms to predict rent non-payers.2
  • 250,000+ people’s data is processed by a range of secretive automated tools to predict the likelihood they’ll be abused, become homeless or out of work.3
  • Campaigners file complaint with data watchdog

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The Tories, as usual, punishing the poor simply because they are poor!

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1 October 2014 — 38 Degrees

A new campaign has just been launched to stop the Conservatives from changing the way benefits are paid if they win the next election. 38 Degrees member Llewelyn is demanding they scrap plans for benefits to be put onto prepaid cards, which could only be used to buy certain products in certain shops.

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Britain: Disabled widow commits suicide after benefits withdrawn By Mark Blackwood and Paul Mitchell

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11 December 2013 — WSWS

Despite being partially sighted, only able to walk with the aid of a cane and in constant pain due to slipped discs, Jacqueline Harris, a 53-year-old former nurse from Bristol, England, was pronounced fit for work in November 2012, following a government Work Capability Assessment (WCA).

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Video: Who Is Really Behind the Syrian War? y grtv

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2 September 2013 — grtv

Given that the pretext for attacking Syria is falling apart before the public’s eyes, why is the US preparing to wage war on that country? Who benefits from the ongoing destabilization of Assad’s government? What will the Middle East look like if the Sunnis take over Syria? What is Israel’s role in this? What do Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have to gain from a war in Syria? And what does Bandar Bush have to do with all of this? Join us today on The Corbett Report as we discuss these and other pressing issues as the world stands on the brink of yet another US-led Middle Eastern military adventure. 

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English charity sector lobbied Hunt to keep controversial NHS privatisation rules By Andrew Robertson

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14 August 2013 — OurNHS

Who benefits if charity leaders lobby for more competition in the NHS?

Charity boss Sir Stephen Bubb lobbied alongside the head of a private healthcare trade group to persuade Jeremy Hunt to not water down highly controversial “Section 75” privatisation regulations, according to new documents revealed today.

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BBC welfare reform show breached impartiality guidelines

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30 July 2013 — BBC

The Trust’s editorial standards committee said that while there was no evidence that Humphrys advocated the coalition government’s reforms, viewers were likely to have formed the impression that there was a “healthy supply of jobs overall” in the UK economy because no information was given on the ratio of jobs to applicants.

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UK government set on deeper cuts to welfare By Julie Hyland

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20 July 2013 — WSWS

Britain’s Conservative Party has set out plans to escalate the government’s assault on welfare.

Earlier this week, Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said unemployed parents should only receive benefit for their first two children, meaning entitlement to child benefit and/or income support and other financial aid could potentially be removed for any children above that number.

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FAIR TV: Boston Bombing, Defining Terrorism, Social Security 'Bravery' By Peter Hart

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20 April 2013 — FAIR Blog

bagmenThis week on FAIR TV we look at the media’s rush to misjudgment on the Boston Marathon attack. And we ask some questions about which acts of terrorism are called “terrorism”–and which have been largely forgotten. Plus PBS gives us both sides on the debate over Social Security: The right thinks Barack Obama is brave to propose cutting benefits, while the “left” says he’s…also brave. Continue reading →