The complex environment of benefits involves all sorts of perverse incentives, but here's one that is both stark & (up until now seemingly) under-recognised:

for 16-17 year olds living at home, an apprenticeship (which is part of Govt. attempts to get young people into work or training) results in their families losing a chunk of benefits as they become 'independent workers' not children for benefits purposes.... disincentivizing them from training!

#benefits #poverty

theguardian.com/education/2026…

Today the two-child benefit cap on universal credit ends (after nine years) allowing us to see (when data becomes available) what impact its imposition & now reversal had on child poverty.

Apart from anything else this will have been interesting opportunity to see clearly how state benefits impact poverty, and also (once again) give some indication of the skewed impact of the impact of austerity (which remains, while un-named, still at the centre of UK politics)

#benefits #poverty #austerity