Luthori

[Ligbruderkrieg]

Parliament Passes "Welfare Optimization and Fiscal Responsibility Act", reducing some social welfare benefits.
December 5645

Fort William - The Government already secured a victory in Parliament tonight after the passage of the Welfare Optimization and Fiscal Responsibility Act, proposed to the Chamber of Representatives by Health Secretary Theodore MacOliver. The bill in question was aimed at reducing welfare expenditures to achieve a balanced budget, which is one of the Government's key objectives during this term. Prime Minister Windbury stated that the Bill was a "necessary evil" so as to reduce Luthori's expenditures to achieve a balanced budget in short timeframe. The Bill proposed cuts in children birth benefits, with a reduction of 20 % upon state-sponsored welfare benefits for the birth of children within low-paid households.

''The necessity of achieving a balanced budget passes by numerous cuts in certain welfare programs which are deemed as "unnecessary" by the government" said Chancellor Pottle in the Chamber of Representatives when defending the Cabinet's cuts in childcare benefits. Prime Minister Windbury promised that these cuts in social programs would be "compensated" by another action of the Cabinet, that would see first-born receive some form of benefits upon their birth, that would be vested upon their families, the Chancellor expressed the need for a "restraint" financial support towards low-paying households, stressing the need of "finding them well-paid jobs within their realm of qualification and avoid the Government playing a role of national feeder that it shouldn't necessarily play".

Health Secretary MacOliver addressed concerns that the Bill was merely the first step towards a widespread dismantlement of the welfare state, addressing critics with a statement that reassured nobody: "The Civil Service, under the Cabinet's guidance will be looking at the effectiveness of each social welfare program and to the Imperial Health Service and come up with means and ways to make them both more efficient, with the aim of providing helpful and necessary aid and care to the Luthorian populace", saying that the Government would look at each program and basically decides whether it is worth the hassle to focus towards reform or outright dismantlement. The Secretary's words towards the Imperial Health Service with a vow to make it "more efficient", made way towards rumours of dismantlement by the Cabinet, rumours that led to the Secretary to clarify its comments so to avoid heavy controversy, saying that the dismantlement of the Imperial Health Service was "out of the question" and the Windbury Government wouldn't "dare touch to such a prized national treasure but merely increase its efficiency".

The Bill, passed with a 262-172 vote in the lower house, also aimed at increasing the requirement for unemployed persons for reception of a new "National Insertion Income" which will replace the National Financial Security Income (NFSI) on January 1st. This new income will increase the necessity for receivers to actively search for a new employment for over 12 months, after that deadline, the benefits will begin to decrease. The Bill sets the amount of money to £1.000 per month for the first year, and the amount is expected to decrease steadily by £50 to £75 per year, until having reach the "critical financial survival stage" at £650 per month, where penalties would be decided for people at that stage and greater help for job employment will be unlocked for these people, with personalized help being increased and physiological help being proposed.

According to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, this Act will "be the first step towards a new, better Luthori, free from the breastfeeding that some people are doing to the government".