When the then Archbishop Vincent Nichols spoke of the disgrace of the impact that welfare reforms are having on the poorest citizens, he touched a nerve. But as well as indicating a crisis for individuals, says one of the country’s leading authorities on poverty and social security, the problems with benefit reform reveal the need to think again about a safety net – and the entire systemBefore Archbishop Nichols left for Rome at the weekend to receive his red hat, he significantly changed the welfare debate in Britain. He began a new style of politics from the Catholic Church in Britain.Although the change is significant, it has surprisingly been overlooked. No British cardinal has previously weighed in on the politics of welfare reform in quite the same way. Vincent Nichols h