AS WELL as ongoing cuts in schools budgets, Universities face a £550 million (12 per cent) cut in revenue funding over three years, with additional cuts in funding for research and equipment.
Further Education colleges face a real terms cut of 30 per cent by 1999. Funds for equipment and capital proyear, rising to two thirds in 1998/9.
Students are in the firing line with Welfare Rights "The studies in this pamphlet, edited by Duncan Chapel from Socialist Outlook's editorial board, explain the ideological offensive and economic crisis behind the welfare state — and outline how to win the fight to defend our rights"
Contributors include Richard Hatcher, Gill Lee, John Lister, Helen Shaw and Alan Thornett. Send 50 pence, plus 25 pence postage, to 'Socialist Outlook Fund", PO Box | 109, London N4 2UU. University Vice Chancellors and Principais nave ticatenco an emichaeney cash levy of 300 per new student tion of the colleges, and the danger that they will turn to attack the 'soft' target of the students rather than controat thie govemmeat Benefits Social security and other beneSocialist Outlook Books were replaced by scrapped the more restrictive Incapacity Allowance, cut benefits from tens of thousands of people.
• Housing benefit for the under25s has been brutally cut from Januагу 1.
•Single parent benefits are also to * From April 1, unemployment duration, and in October it will be scrapped, to be replaced by the tested benefits.
Benefits will he more dificult to obrain as a result of Lilley's draco. nian plans to slash El billion (23%) from the running costs of the DSS in inst three vears, implying larse-scale privatisation, thousands of jobs to be axed. and even less flexibility to re spond to the needs of individual help unless they can produce 'proof that they are eligible.
Pensions Attacks on pensions have been key to mobilisations across Europe, notably in France and Italy. In Britain, other than campaigning by pensioners themselves, it remains a sorely neglected subject.
Thatcher axed the link between pensions and average camings: with pensions linked only to prices there is no possible increase in the real val. cent to 15 per cent of average male camines By 2030 it is estimated it will have declined to just 9 per cent.
The Tory scheme was to persuade the high cost of doins so means that millions of workers are seriously under insured for their old asc Now it appears that the Tories and Labour leaders are moving towards a "consensus" that a decent state pension cannot be afforded, and that pension levels can only be topped up though an additional, compulsory 'second tier pension'.
Housing Tory attacks on council housebuilding have followed on the massive forced sale of council houses at giveaway prices under Thatcher. House building of all kinds has been reduced to an all-time low, with council programmes in many areas at a complete standstill, despite billions in unspent balances from house sales in the 1980s.
A new Tory bill now aims to strip the homeless of their pnonty or council housing lists, and speed up evictions of private sector tenants. would also extend the devastating "right to buy" policy so houses run by Housing Associations.
Socialist Outlook 99 • March 16, 1996.