UK benefits system - what would you change?

[Galactico]

Just a bit of curiosity, really.

Many people agree that the benefits system isn’t fit for purpose now. Whether that be because they feel it’s too easy to get them and so there’s a lack of incentive to work for some people, or because people are subject to degrading assessments and the constant threat of being sanctioned/removed.

Any opinions?

Concentration camps and. Showers for the disabled!.Now.

If we ignore the fact that people wouldn’t have the money to rent their room.

So how would my friend with a severe brain injury for example buy food, clothing, toiletries or care if you want to ban him from being able to claim any benefits?

They would have £0, surely you can quite easily work that one out.

In England care leavers are able to access a leaving care grant, an education bursary, financial gifts on birthdays and certain religious festivals, council tax exemptions, assistance with certain utility bills and rent payments.

Section 2 of the children and social care act 2017 outlines the support that LAs are required to provide.

when my daughter moved away for work/postgrad she found that halls of residence style accommodation was a LOT more expensive than a room in a house share.

some people have no empathy whatsoever. It makes me sick to think how some of you want the most disadvantaged in society to be treated.

Yes, let's all become dependent upon the state.

Great idea.

Let's give them more powers of intrusion in to our lives by way of our dependency upon the nefarious horrors.

I think your post has some great ideas.

I agree with the sterilisation. At some point we have to put the rights of the babies (often born unwell, prematurely or addicted to drugs, then destined for a life in care) before the ‘bodily autonomy’ of the woman concerned.

Hardly !! If you can’t afford to live in a house share then it’s better than being homeless. Is it not ?
It’s not compulsory of course!

He could live in shared accommodation? I wouldn’t treat benefits for disabled the same
as able bodied .

Young able bodied people should have to earn their benefits.
Sweep the streets, paint garage doors,or sheds in estates, volunteer at the zoo, things to help the country with out being employed by someone.
Give back to the country what's giving them money. X

Something needs to change for those who have been able to work through their lives. They have contributed to the lives of others through the tax system. Then when they need long term residential care they are expected to pay through the nose for it, sell their home etc. At the same time as those 'less fortunate' get it paid for them!
Equally I am on ESA long term in the support group. Since I have an occupational pension all I get is £50 a week. This is based on contributions and therefore excludes me from any cost of living handouts received by other
disadvantaged groups.

@Thistlelass it doesn’t work like that, there’s no point at which you’ve ‘paid enough’ and then get everything for free - this is quite a British mindset and doesn’t work in practicality. The current older generation is much bigger than younger working ones (hence ‘boom’) so it isn’t feasible for all their care to be paid via current taxation. If they need permanent residential care and don’t have a dependant spouse then they no longer need the house anyway.

Where is this shared housing that has hoists, wet rooms, adapted kitchens, wider doorways and step fre access?

I'm not disagreeing as such but as these jobs are already done by people who are paid,what happens to them?

@SouthCountryGirl
We do not have enough people cleaning the streets and that ect as far as I'm concerned, everything is done quickly because they do not have enough time before they have to do the next street, if there were more people things would be done properly.
The estates around our area haven't had their garage doors or communal areas painted for years, all these jobs that aren't getting done or are getting done shoddily could be done properly the people who are already working should carry on doing what they're doing. X

I’d like to see reforms to PIP in terms of “length of award”. I’ve got MS and routinely am re-assessed after 2 years. Curiously, at not one of these meetings have I leapt from my chair and hollered “Hallelujah I’m cured”.

Yes this is a stupid one, my husband has a physical disability, unless he has a double arm transplant that gives him 100% use of them his access needs will never get better, only worse.

Properly funded state run nurseries with the staff on salaries similar to teachers. So not money making businesses that pay staff minimum wage. Affordable to enable people to work without a ridiculous cost.

Equitable payments for single parents - so take into account payments made by ex husband or partner. It's unfair that some people just get basic benefits and others get UC plus say £600/month on top. It's also unfair that single Mums lose money if ex moves in with a woman who already has children.

Don't keep increasing everything per child - so give an amount like a salary. Working people don't get more pay for each child.

Better before and after school provision.

More council housing & a cap on private rental costs.

It's difficult as those on low incomes often feel hard done by. They lose free school meals, support with school trips, free dental care, prescriptions, cost of living payments. So often can be worse off.

Also companies should pay a living wage. Currently tax payers are paying via UC payments to top up salaries of people working for companies with huge profits such as Amazon.

I think the bullshit argument was because some people got a indefinite award, their needs changed and they never reported them.

Adoption pay for self employed people, the same as maternity pay for self employed.
Child tax benefits not to be capped at £50k if one of the family is earning over that amount because two people in the partnership can earn £49k each and still get it but one over £50k then has it reduced and over £60k doesn't get it at all.

If those jobs need doing they should employ people to do them for a proper wage.

Glad you're not in charge!

The amount of households now entitled to UC seems to be driving the discourse towards household taxation rather than the current individual taxation.
It would be interesting to run the numbers on taxing households as a unit (as I think they do in the US), to see who would benefit most from taking joint incomes and thresholds into account.
It would probably come down to how children's tax status is treated as part of household situation.

I really do understand that - and, perhaps in my lifetime we in the UK with MS will get stem-cell therapy and we actually WILL be cured - although if that ever comes to fruition I’ll be feckin’ ancient anyway.

But just this morning I’ve read of someone whose daughter with Down’s syndrome is continuously reassessed… there needs to be some joined-up thinking there!

away from PIP I think it’s outrageous young people don’t get a full wage and I’d like to see child benefit for all.

As for those single mums taking in UC and “a grand a month child maintenance” - they will be few and far between - never met any in MY travels. Few men have the means - or step up to the plate - I get £60/week for my 2 - their father doesn’t take home £7k/month.