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The ‘unitary household’ lives on in policymakers’ assumptions about couples sharing their finances. Yet financial autonomy is seen as a key issue in gender relations, particularly for women. This article draws on evidence from semi-structured individual interviews with men and women in thirty low-/moderate-income couples in Britain. The interviews explored whether financial autonomy had any meaning to these individuals; and, if so, to what extent this was gendered in the sense of there being differences in men's and women's understanding of it. We develop a framework for the investigation of financial autonomy, involving several dimensions: achieving economic independence, having privacy in one's financial affairs and exercising agency in relation to household and/or personal spending. We argue that financial autonomy is a relevant issue for low-/moderate-income couples, and that women are more conscious of tensions between financial togetherness and autonomy due to their greater responsibility for managing togetherness and lower likelihood of achieving financial independence. Policymakers should therefore not discount the aspirations of women in particular for financial autonomy, even in low-/moderate-income couples where there remain significant obstacles to achieving this. Yet plans for welfare reform that rely on means testing and ignore intra-household dynamics in relation to family finances threaten to exacerbate these obstacles and reinforce a unitary family model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents digest of social policies issued in Great Britain from February to April 2002. The article covers contents in "Social Policy Digest," for the period February to April 2002, written by Fran Bennnett with Ken Jones. The topics covered were social security and income maintenance, health, education, housing and environment, personal social services, law and the treatment of the offender, unemployment and the labor market, race relations, the voluntary sector, government, gender and sexuality and demography. Statistics quoted relate to Great Britain as a whole, years referred to are either a calendar year or reporting year to March 31 and percentage changes are based on annual comparisons. Income support claimants totaled 3.95 million, up 1.9 per cent. An above-inflation increase was announced in funding for community care grants in the discretionary social fund. The government must overhaul the social fund if it is to meet its target of eradicating child poverty.

This article focuses on several issues related to social policy in Great Britain. The Cabinet Office published a report on rural life. A report suggests a nationwide focus on young people, not confined to deprived areas. A study showed the north-south divide widening in the 1990s. The government published revised proposals for assisted areas for European Union funding. Most national insurance benefits increased by 1.1 per cent from April, and most means-tested benefits by 1.6 per cent. In November 1999, there were 3.84 million income support claimants (means-tested jobseeker's allowance claimants shown separately), the same as in August. In August 1999, just over 6 million people of working age (17 per cent) claimed a key benefit, nearly a million fewer than in 1996. The Budget included a cut in the basic income tax rate by 1 penny, to 22 pence, significant increases in lower and upper earnings limits for national insurance contributions, and the extension of the 10 pence income tax rate to savings income.

The article presents information on various social policies in Great Britain. The government is consulting on criteria for regional European Union aid. A task force will examine the denial of financial services to low-income people. All payments from creditor insurance policies will be disregarded for means-tested benefits, if the income is used for the debt. The National Audit Office called for external checks on the Benefits Agency's performance. The pension provision group said the state has an inescapable role in ensuring pensions for people on low incomes. Another official group recommended government funding for pensions education. A European directive safeguards occupational pension rights for people working in different member states. A ministerial group on better government for older people' was created. Some independent financial advisers were disciplined in connection with the pensions mis-selling review. Two reports discuss issues arid options in reforming housing benefit. Benefit cuts for young people are reportedly causing difficulties for rent deposit schemes.

The article presents information related to social policy. The topics included are social security and income maintenance, health care, education, housing and environment, personal social services, law and the treatment of the offender, unemployment and the labor market, race relations, voluntary sector, local government, gender and demography. A review of new research finds that income inequality in Great Britain narrowed slightly in the early to mid 1990's, but was still much greater than in any. previous post-war decade. The Green Paper on public health replaces twenty-seven targets with four with a similar Green Paper for Scotland. The government is consulting on a new regulatory regime for education and lay care. An advisory panel on sustainable development throws doubt on forecasts of 4.4 million new homes needed by 2016. A Bill guaranteeing help with residential care costs for people with limited assets had a third reading. The government released additional funding for the record prison population. Employment Service performance targets emphasize helping people disadvantaged in the labor market move from welfare to work.

The article presents information on the developments in the social policy of Great Britain from November 1996 to January 1997. In the Budget, personal tax allowances were raised in real terms, the 20 pence tax band was extended, and the basic tax rate cut from 25 to 24 percent. Treasury figures show a tax burden of 35.1 per cent in 1997-98 for a married couple with two children and one earner on average male earn compared with 32.2 per cent in 1978-79. Plans were announced to align the rules on backdating for most benefits and place more responsibility on claimants of income support and jobseeker's allowance to produce evidence to verify claims. Changes to war pensions were modified after protests about their implications. But the Royal British Legion is still urging the government to withdraw restrictions on claims for deafness. Two reports on disability working allowance show that it has only helped about 1,000 people into employment, with most disabled people wanting full-time work paying proper wages. A National Consumer Council report assesses information about continuing care given by fifteen health authorities, and recommends some guidelines.

The article presents information on the social policy of Great Britain from February to April 1996. The main topics being social security and income maintenance, health care, education, housing and environment, personal social services, labor market and unemployment, law and the treatment of the offender, local government, voluntary sector, demography, race and gender. The government announced planned cuts in benefit administration costs of 25 percent over the next three years, including a review of the legal basis of decision- making and appeals. The new health authorities, amalgamating Family Health Services Authorities and District Health Authorities, started work on 1 April, 1995. The pilot scheme for parents of four-year-olds to apply for nursery education vouchers in four areas started in April, for implementation in the autumn. Management of the entire local authority housing stock has been handed over to a board of tenants for the first time. Press leaks suggest controversy within the Cabinet over plans to remove employment protection rights from employees of small firms. The government published a White Paper on new sentencing proposals.

The Social Policy Digest is a major online resource providing up-to-date listings of developments across the whole range of UK and pan-European social policy issues - including links to source materials and commentary. The Digest is published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Social Policy Association. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Social Policy Digest is a major online resource providing up-to-date listings of developments across the whole range of social policy issues - including links to source materials and related commentaries. The Digest is published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Social Policy Association. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents information about the availability of journal resources online. Particular attention is paid to the development of the online journal into a web-based resource on social policy issues in Great Britain. Details about the journal's web site design and improved functionality are provided.