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Sam Royston

Sam Royston

Sam Royston is Poverty and Early Years Policy Adviser to the Children’s Society, which runs children’s centres and young people’s projects across England, as well as campaigning to give young people a better chance in life.
He was formerly a Policy Officer for Family Action.

Web: http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk
  • Society & Welfare

    An uncertain future for Free School Meals

    20th April 2012 — Filed under: Society & Welfare

    Sam Royston Sam Royston

    Thousands of low income families rely on Free School Meals, but the means-testing rules can create a real disincentive to work; unfortunately, this is set to get even worse when the new Universal Credit is introduced in 2013. Currently, families that get means-tested out of work benefits like Jobseeker’s Allowance qualify for Free School Meals for any children they have in school.

    Low income working families can qualify, but only if they work under 16 hours per week (24 hours for couples) and earn less than £16,190 per year. This can create a substantial work disincentive since working families can lose the key benefit (worth around £370 per child per year) no matter how little they earn. In fact, of families in receipt of Free School Meals, who The Children’s Society surveyed for our report “Fair and Square: The future of Free School Meals” six out of ten said that the threat of the loss o f Free School Meals has a direct impact on their decisions about moving into work or taking on additional hours.

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  • Society & Welfare

    Don’t let disabled children pay the price for welfare reform

    9th August 2011 — Filed under: Society & Welfare

    Sam Royston Sam Royston
    ACTION: Sign the petition!

    25 national organisations including the Children’s Society, the TUC, Barnardo’s and Action for Children have come together to call for a change in the Government’s plans for a substantial cut to welfare support for disabled children under the new “Universal Credit”.

    The new system will result in many of these children losing up to £1400 per year (£27 per week) compared to the current system – by the time a disabled child reaches 16, this could cost the family £22,000. In total the Government estimates that 100,000 disabled children would lose out under this change – other estimates suggest the number could be considerably higher.

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  • Society & Welfare

    Support for disabled children cut in half under Universal Credit

    1st April 2011 — Filed under: Society & Welfare

    Sam Royston Sam Royston

    In a surprise announcement made in a DWP policy briefing note released at the end of last week, the Government has announced that support for all but the most disabled children, currently provided through the disability element of child tax credit, will be halved under the Universal Credit.  Calculations suggest that the loss could amount to substantially more than £20,000 across the childhood of a disabled child.

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  • Society & Welfare

    Hurting the working through 21 welfare cuts

    16th February 2011 — Filed under: Society & Welfare

    Sam Royston Sam Royston

    At the heart of the Government’s plans for welfare reform is the intention to improve the financial reward for moving into and progressing in work.  However, as Family Action’s new report “Pushed towards poverty: 21 welfare cuts for low income working households” shows, many of the reforms introduced in last year’s Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review do the reverse, reducing the incentives to work for many households.

    For instance, many of the families we work with are couples who work hard to balance their work and childcare responsibilities, and to stay in work of between 16-23 hours per week.  Changes to eligibility rules for Working Tax Credits could lead to some of these couples losing up to £3,810 per year in Tax Credit entitlement.  Indications suggest that the changes could leave them worse off in than out of work – and potentially push these families into poverty.

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  • Society & Welfare

    The welfare cap doesn’t fit

    19th October 2010 — Filed under: Society & Welfare

    Sam Royston Sam Royston

    Most of the noise and fury in the media over the Government’s announcements about welfare changes has been directed at the impact of unfair cuts to child benefit on higher earning families.  However, it is some of the poorest families on out of work benefits who will be most severely affected by welfare cuts effected through caps on welfare payments for out of work families.

    Last week the Chancellor announced that benefit payments would be capped at £26,000 per year (or £500 per week) for out of work households, with only families entitled to Disability Living Allowance, and War Widows Pension exempt. Treasury figures estimate that these caps would affect 50,000 families.  Family Action’s research report “The cap doesn’t fit”, shows that the caps would particularly affect large families and those living in London.  Contrary to Government intentions to promote stable relationships, the caps will also introduce a substantial couple penalty into the benefits system.

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