Hard times: public services and the financial crisis News, analysis, comment and blogs. How the credit crunch will impact on public services and the voluntary sector
A tale of two eras: Dickens's resonance today Letters: What would Dickens have made of a 21st century with the Tories and Liberals smugly presiding over today's high streets filling up with pawnshops as the fastest growing sector of the retail economy?
Feeling anxious or distressed? Call the new NHS Stressline The NHS is launching a new freephone helpline to tackle the rising levels of anxiety and distress caused by unemployment and debt
One recession is serious – a second could be disastrous The inevitable future reduction in public services may trigger a second recession unique to deprived communities, says Karen Day
Don't get hypnotised by the recession We mustn't become entranced by images of chained-up factory gates and lengthening dole queues, but concentrate instead on recession-proofing vulnerable communities
Britain's real jobless total 'more than 3m' says new report Manufacturing 'badly hit' in industrial heartlands, creating a widening north-south divide in the labour market
Inside job Third sector minister, Angela Smith, tells Anna Bawden why talk of possible electoral defeat won't dent her enthusiasm for action
Get ready for the dawning of the age of austerity Larry Elliott Ballooning budget deficit will usher a prolonged period of belt-tightening over the next decade
Public sector cuts could lead second wave of jobs crisis Mounting redundancies in the public sector could delay a recovery in the jobs market in the second half of the year
Why Scandinavia can teach us a thing or two about surviving a recession Sweden, Denmark and Norway are coping better with the economic downturn than most countries, despite having an expensive welfare system
Brand new challenges Can the recession be seized on as a chance to simplify and improve public service delivery? Mark Smith reports
Survival of the fittest As the recession hits charities hard, do they have enough financial nous to ride out the slump? By Tony Levene
How Macmillan is dealing with the downturn Whatever is happening with the economy, more people are living with cancer than ever before and demand for Macmillan's breadth of services is ever increasing, writes Charles Byrne
Lottery fund pledges £43m to help recession-hit communities Charities welcome lottery's new strategy of giving 80% of its funds to voluntary organisations
Stronger, leaner, fitter ...
The public sector's got talent Yvonne Sell explains how organisations can make best use of their employees' skills during lean times
Under constant observation
No room at the homeless hostels
Recession's threat to vulnerable people Older and disabled people are at greater risk of abuse because of the recession, directors of adult social services are warning
Ignore the Tories. You can't cut your way out of a slump Seumas Milne Seumas Milne: An unholy alliance of Cameron, King and the CBI are trying to spook the public and the markets about debt
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