For those who have been affected by the roll-out of Universal Credit, January brought some welcome news. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Amber Rudd, announced that the roll-out of Universal Credit will be paused and some of its worst elements reviewed. Whilst this is a step in the right direction, it comes too late for areas like Barnsley where the roll-out is almost complete.

The WASPI campaign was set up in response to the Government’s proposed changes to the state pension age for women. Because of those changes, many women born in the 1950s will find themselves significantly worse off unless transitional arrangements are put in place to support them.

Last week the Chancellor, George Osborne, unveiled his eighth budget. It was a chance to show that, after nearly six hard years, his plan had worked. That all the cuts, the belt tightening, had been worth it.