News
Cowdery calls for Tobin Tax
November 2008
Clive Cowdery, Chair of the Resolution Foundation argues that the “we´ll never get rid of booms and busts. But a Tobin tax on capital transfers would at least help us pay for the bad times”. Click here for the full article.
Foundation Welcomes Capability Clause
October 2008
The Resolution Foundation was delighted to welcome the Government's financial capability clause in the recent Treasury announcement. The statement on financial support to the banking industry said that those banks supported by the recapitalisation scheme had agreed a range of commitments including “support for schemes to help people struggling with mortgage payments to stay in their homes, and to support the expansion of financial capability initiatives”.
Clive Cowdery, Chairman of the Resolution Foundation, had prior to this, written to Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to call for formal commitments from the banks that could include:
- clarity on arrears policy, including all options for avoiding repossessions
- the availability of credit on an agreed basis to low income households which avoids heavy charges for non-arrangement
- actively engaging in directing consumers to take advice in their dealings with the bank and in resolving their financial difficulties.
The Foundation was keen to stress that the country's infrastructure for providing advice needs urgent support to meet the temporary surge in demand caused by the crisis. In the context of the substantive public support extended to the banks, the Resolution Foundation also believes that a sum as small as £50m should be committed by the banks and distributed between advice points such as Citizens Advice Bureaux, National Debtline and the Financial Services Authority helpline.
For the full Treasury Statement, please click here.
Financial Health Forum Begins Work
20 October 2008
Responding to current economic anxiety, a new body has been formed to improve individuals' financial health. The Financial Health Forum, made up of senior executives from financial and related fields met for the first time in October.
To find out more about the Financial Health Forum, click here.
New Hope for Social Care
The Resolution Foundation is delighted to welcome Phil Hope to his new appointment in the Department of Health with responsibility for social care.
Sue Regan, Chief Executive at the Foundation said:
“I am pleased that the Government has elevated the importance of social care for older people with the appointment of Phil Hope as Minister of State. Ivan Lewis worked hard to get long-term care up the agenda and Phil Hope will now be able to build on this with the expected Green Paper in early 2009.”
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Have Your Say on the Future of Care and Support
The Government's engagement period on the future of care and support in England will finish on 28 November. After five months of discussions and events across the country, this month provides the last opportunity for stakeholders and the public to get involved in the debate. To have your say on the future of the care and support system, visit www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk.
Research
The Foundation’s summer research programme, exploring a new vision and architecture of a future care system, is coming to a close. Our final report is due to be published on 8th December. Click here for more details.
Events
The Resolution Foundation Expert Groups II, 28/29 October 2008
The Resolution Foundation’s programme of work on redesigning social care for older people aims to develop a clear and practical vision for the future. In July, we organised a series of Expert Group meetings to help design the architecture of a new vision and to advise us on our research plans. Since then, we have completed a number of research projects. In October, we held our second round of Expert Groups to share our research findings and seek the views of our stakeholders.
Read the presentation here
Read the summary note here
COMMENT
The Resolution Foundation was delighted to have its work cited in the House of Commons during The Future of Care and Support debate on Thursday 5th June. Stephen O'Brien MP, Shadow Health Minister, said:
The Resolution Foundation, headed by the former special adviser to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett), has done some work on the
impact of care charges, particularly the means test, on low earners in the UK... The Resolution Foundation’s report says that 72 per cent. of low earners have levels of wealth that can exclude them from free care and argues that reform of the long-term care system is more important even than improving hospitals.
The Conservative Party has committed to completing the roll out of a national money advice service within 12 months of coming into power.
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