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Politics

Just been on a course about new benefit system

540 replies

buggyRunner · 08/07/2012 21:33

Christ it's a big shake up.

I say this as someone who won't be personally affected- it is harsh.

Basically if you claim any benefits other than child benefit you're probably going to have a loss.

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buggyRunner · 08/07/2012 21:36

Housing benefit will drop if you have a spare room- no exception. Spare room defined as children under 16 same sex need to share or different sex under 9 need to share.
Irrespective of the siZe of spare room.

Dla will be changed and all will need reassessing- no exceptions. Of working age - even if they have a life time award.

It goes on and on.

I know the system was floored and needed to change but this is a major shift

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HaitchJay · 08/07/2012 21:39

I'd heard of the bedroom tax. Not sure if it's national rates but was told 16% of benefit will be lost for each room.

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buggyRunner · 08/07/2012 21:43

Yes that's correct but on top of the other cuts like if you have a adult living with you- another cut.
Council tax benefit is going to end and it will be up to individual councils (who have no idea at this stage)

Community care grant, crisis loans and budgeting loans all going.

Housing benefit paid not to landlord but individual which will lead to an increase of LLs saying no dss, high deposit etc

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buggyRunner · 08/07/2012 21:44

Nothing benefit wise for 4th children + so no benefit, tax credit, hb etc

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buggyRunner · 08/07/2012 21:46

I'm just in shock that all dla claimants will need to reapply- regardless of their disability. It will make my job really hard as the stress it will cause my clients.

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NiceViper · 08/07/2012 21:50

Who ran the course, and who was it aimed at?

I find it very strange that items can be promulgated as fact when eg Councils (as mentioned) and Parliament have not yet been informed.

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HaitchJay · 08/07/2012 21:51

No cb for fourth or just ctc etf

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SerialKipper · 08/07/2012 21:52

They're planning to cut the total DLA payout by 20%.

That decision was made a while back - it's not based on what they will find when they re-assess people. It's purely a financial decision.

The govt estimate DLA fraud at about 0.5%, so this cannot but remove mobility and care assistance from an enormous number of disabled people who do need it.

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NicholasTeakozy · 08/07/2012 21:52

I can't understand why the people aren't up in arms about this. These twats are ruining this country. Angry

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sunshine401 · 08/07/2012 22:00

Well maybe the Mps should not get such a big fat wage from the state in the first place Im sure that will saved LOADS of money hey :)

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sunshine401 · 08/07/2012 22:02

I also think I should point out its the third child not fourth child ben , Ct and LHA stops after 2nd child.

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sunshine401 · 08/07/2012 22:02

However they do not stop for non working families on the breadline

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pancakeboobies · 08/07/2012 22:03

Hi Buggy, they are more far reaching than I expected. I work in Benefits for my local authority and we have known about the changes to Council Tax Benefit for quite a while - the Head of Department has sent a rough draft around to us on how it will be assessed.
Seems the national government are trying to make the state as a whole unaccountable for anything that will negatively effect people - then the local council can be blamed rather than them, same with academies, NHS, etc.

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Itsjustafleshwound · 08/07/2012 22:04

What exactly can the poor and dispossessed do exactly?

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gallicgirl · 08/07/2012 22:06

I think the spare room reduction will only apply to registered social landlords initially.

Some councils are starting to consult over the new council tax benefit schemes but it will be late autumn before concrete decisions are made. It will be counted as a discount rather than benefit so appeals will go to the valuation tribunal who won't know what's hit them.

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PeggyCarter · 08/07/2012 22:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

niceguy2 · 08/07/2012 22:13

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought the spare bedroom rule was coming into housing benefit regardless of universal credit? For me it makes sense that in current times that we are not paying housing benefit to people whom have a place bigger than they 'need'. l

And wasn't there a big shift already to pay the tenant directly rather than the landlord? I know many landlords won't touch DSS anymore because all too often tenants fail to pay their rent from housing benefit. And if the council pay direct then they can claw back the money paid to the LL at a later date if it turns out the tenant wasn't entitled to part/all of it. Again this seems to happen fairly often.

I'm sure there will be a huge outcry once all the details are nailed down and the press start writing about it. If the IT system underpinning it is shite then the effects will probably give the coalition their 'poll tax' moment.

In principle I think the idea of having a Universal Credit is far better than a hodge podge of different benefits. But it is an ambitious move for the government. One I hope pays off.

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SerialKipper · 08/07/2012 22:22

There is definitely an element of shoving stuff off onto local councils.

I was reading an impact assessment of the cuts to Incapacity Benefit/ESA the other day, and it basically says, "We're removing National Insurance contribution-based ESA after 12 months. But that's OK, because although up to 490,000 disabled people will be made poorer by this, local councils will have to pick up part of the tab through HB."

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Rachel130690 · 08/07/2012 22:23

Okay so I'm a little confused. I'm due to move start of August, due my first child start of September. House I'm renting is bigger than I need but I was told id receive housing benefit on my circumstances not the house I'm moving into. That they would only pay what I'm entitled to regardless of how much the rent is and it's up to me to pay the rest.

Because I'm moving in start of August I'd only be entitled to single person rate plus rates, and then when baby born I'd receive a bigger amount for single and one child, I've saved for this so I'm not stressing about extra rent if have to pay.

The house is a 3 bedroom house, so how would that work? I'd get less money because I've a spare room?

I'm from northern Ireland (not sure it makes any difference). If you could just explain it again I'm not the brightest lol x

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sunshine401 · 08/07/2012 22:50

You will not lose money it is the same, you will get the Local housing rate of a two bed house in your area . It is like that now in most places anyway.
However if you are under 25 it is changing but not yet. However even then if your already getting your hb it will not effect you.

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sunshine401 · 08/07/2012 22:51

affect rather :)

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Lougle · 08/07/2012 22:51

Rachel, you are 'entitled' to help with 2 bedrooms. That is one for you, and one for the baby. Therefore they will only give you rent for a 2 bed house, and you'd have to make up the difference.

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MirandaWest · 08/07/2012 22:56

I rent a three bedroom house but am entitled to a two bedroom one, so make up the difference. Can't see how that is changing. Am sure I will be screwed anyway but at least that part won't change.

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buggyRunner · 09/07/2012 05:27

I was under the impression that having a spare room creates a penalty of loosing a % of hb you're entitled to/ in receipt of

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buggyRunner · 09/07/2012 05:27

Oh and it's coming in in April- regardless

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