Media Round-up: January 2019

Prospect
The Uncivil War made for good drama—but where were the women?
Sian Norris, January 9th 2019

A report published by the Women’s Budget Group offered grave warnings about the impact on women’s financial stability in the result of Brexit. Their findings suggested Brexit could turn back the clock on women’s economic equality.

Manchester Evening News
Almost two-thirds of households affected by the Government’s benefit cap are single mothers
Annie Gouk, January 10th 2019

2,955 couples in Greater Manchester have had their benefits capped, as have 15 households where the relationship status and sex of the claimant is unknown, bringing the total number of households affected to 7,981. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of UK Women’s Budget Group, said the figures came as no surprise. She said: “The government was warned when it first introduced the benefit cap that it would hit women with dependent children hardest, but they continued.Social security should be based on need, not an arbitrary limit introduced to make the government look tough, with little regard to the impact on the lives of those pushed further into poverty.”

Examiner Live
Almost everyone hit by the benefit cap in Kirklees is a single mum
Nick Lavigueur & Annie Gouk, 11th January 2019

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of UK Women’s Budget Group, said the figures came as no surprise.  She said: “The government was warned when it first introduced the benefit cap that it would hit women with dependent children hardest, but they continued. “Social security should be based on need, not an arbitrary limit introduced to make the government look tough, with little regard to the impact on the lives of those pushed further into poverty.” 

Huffington Post
Exclusive: Benefit Cap Sees Lone Working Parents’ Income Plummet £624 This Year
Rachel Wearmouth, 11th January 2019

“Single mums are disproportionately impacted by poverty and shoulder most of the burden of the cap,” the Women’s Budget Group says.

Nottinghamshire Post Live
Nearly every individual in Nottingham affected by Government’s benefit cap is a single mum
Annie Gouk & Hannah Mitchell, 11th January 2019

Shocking figures have revealed that nearly every individual in Nottingham affected by the government’s benefit cap is a single mother. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of UK Women’s Budget Group, said the figures came as no surprise. She said: “The government was warned when it first introduced the benefit cap that it would hit women with dependent children hardest, 
but they continued.

Refinery29
All The Ways Brexit Will Affect Women In The UK
Natalie Gil, 14th January 2019

A report by the Women’s Budget Group, which analyses the gender impact of UK economic policy, and the Fawcett Society last year concluded that the overall impact of Brexit on UK GDP will be negative and that a no-deal Brexit would be the most detrimental. 

Huffington Post
Tulip Siddiq Postponing Her Caesarean For The Brexit Vote Is A Damning Indictment Of A System Created By Men, For Men
Harini Iyengar, 14th January 2019

Analysis by the Women’s Budget Group found that the lowest income Black and Asian households can expect to lose around 20 percent of their 2010 income by 2020. 

Scottish Housing News
MP seeks ‘crucial’ Universal Credit reforms over domestic abuse risk
22 January 2019

Dr Whitford’s amendments will be tabled at the Committee Stage of the Domestic Abuse Bill, with the backing of Scottish Women’s Aid, the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Surviving Economic Abuse and the Women’s Budget Group. Dr Whitford has written to the UK Government, urging them to back the amendments.

New Statesman
Four men’s rights activist myths, busted
Caroline Criado- Perez, 31st January 2019

Women being disproportionately hit by austerity doesn’t mean that men are all having a jolly old time of it (although actually some of them are – according to Women’s Budget Group analysis, men in the richest 50 per cent of households have benefited from tax and benefit changes since 2015).