to be worried about Universal Credit

[idiuntno57]

I am in the lucky position of not needing to claim this but I am so worried about its implementation.

Its coming in in the Autumn and is going to be an online only, monthly, postdated payment. It will be paid to one adult in the family unit.

All well and did if you are god at managing your money, internet literate and in a stable relationship. But in the real world....

How are the most vulnerable in society going to have a chance with this?

Already the council tax changes are coming in and as far as I understand people are confused and shell shocked by it. UC is much bigger and no one is prepared.

see websites used to put people in touch with each other and share tips about budgeting/frutal living.

that website is MoneySavingExpert.com Debt Free Wannabes. it is full of practical advice. you post a Statement of Affairs listing you income and expenses and people who have turned around serious debts share their advice.

it is very different in tone than MN. its very much focused on the practical solution of where someone is and how to improve it.

I love moneysavingexpert. Didn't know the other one. Thank you.

And again.

Working people have high rents and high bills too.

But is that benefit claimants faults? Or the government, who could do something about it all but choose not to?

I see. It's the name of a forum on there. Good stuff.

nkf - debt free wannabe is a section on MSE.

I love MSE too. I don't like the fact Martin Lewis sold it to moneysupermarket.com but the information is still good at the moment.

night all. I am up at 5 to compete some work.

I don't think benefits are supposed to be there to pay of people's lavish holidays. This is the problem. People have such different ideas of what benefits are meant to be.

when tax credits were first introduced they depicted families on foreign holidays.

Our tax credits are certainly not paying for any type of holiday, i havent been for years, so i dont know how anyone manages that!

"booy - you don't want a sensible debate so I cannot be arsed to give you any information "

there you go again telling me what i am thinking!

you really need to rephrase that comment to "I cannot be arsed to give you any information " because that is the only reason you wont discuss it with me. you know very well what points i was making and you know very well that i do indeed have a point but you dont want to be seen to back down from your own comments. fine. up to you. but everyone here can see that.

Booy - you want to know how much i have in savings? just make sure you are sure.

stressy pretty sure I didn't say that but even I don't have the energy to recap 600+ messages most of which didn't respond to the original question

Right as a previous poster has asked.

First phase of changeover is a few pilot areas next week.

Actual start of uc oct this year everyone on any affected out of work benefit gets switched over,

Also anyone on the in work affected benefits who reports a change of circumstances gets switched over

The rest of the roll out starts April 2014 and certain claimant groups will be dealt with in blocks.

When you go onto uc you will instantly switch to monthly payments so 1 weeks money will have to last you 5 weeks, the only people who will be able to continue with weekly/ fortnightly payments are those judged to be significantly impacted by mental health issues or learning difficulties but even a higher rate care DLA award ( or pip as it will be) will not be enough to guarantee this the aim of the game is for everyone to eventually go monthly so even if they agree to payment frequency remaining as is it won't be anything other than temp.

A claimant instantly becomes a unit and you can only have 1 person in that unit paid the money and claiming but the behaviour of every adult in the unit impacts on the award.

The age of youngest child preventing 1 member of the unit from working is lowered to 1.

If one member of your unit earns enough to be the same or more than approx 2x ( or how ever many over 18's you have in your unit) 35 hours at nmw.
No matter how many hours they work.
Then you will get left alone even if they earn it all in only one hour.

Carers will be exempt from the working hour expectation.

If you are not exempt from the earn as much as 35x nmw pw even if in paid employment you can be sent on workfare or job centre meetings courses ect at 48 hours notice.

So far the gov has said they will try to avoid where ever possible sanctioning people who refuse to attend these meeting because they are ment to be in there paid employment at the same time as the thing they are being sent to do
But the words try and where ever possible don't give much hope.

Most of these services are being out sourced and it will be in the private companies interest to sanction claimants and they will be able to do so.

A sanction means stop your benefit money and sanctions are being extended to be able to be put in place for up to 3 years

Basically if you work less than 35 hours per week and earn less than 35x nmw you will be treated as if you are unemployed.

There is little or no protection from the zero hour contract.

At the same time as all of this from next month nobody will be able to get any legal aid to assist with benefit related problems so if a sanction or condition imposed is unlawful you will have no way of dealing with it.

The appeals process is diminishing as are nearly all dwp low interest loans/ grants ect.

Gov funding to org's whose main remit is benefit advice is also being slashed massively

And in order to continue operating food banks have to strictly enforce the only 3 food boxes in any 12 month rolling period rule

That's a very basic overview.

Oh I forgot pretty much everyone will be unable to have HB paid directly to landlord,

It will be paid to the claimant

no faster i dont and i specifically said in my post that you didn't have to answer that publicly which includes divulging it to me. i am asking you to look at how much you have in savings and work out how long that will last you should you become unemployed.

Booy multiple years

I thought you didn't have to work until your child was 5 even on the new UC. While the child is under 1, you are left alone but when your child turns 1 you start having regular visits down at the job centre to keep you in touch with the workplace (or whatever buzzwords they used) but you don't have to actively apply for work until your youngest is at school.

Ah, "work focused interviews".

My understanding is from 1-5 you can restrict your working hours ability but you can still be sent to anything they decide will I prove your employability inc work fair

I have read the thread OP and I want to reply to your original point. I am worried about the implementation of Universal Credit. I have been told that real time updating online will be required of employers but a significant proportion of small employers do not have a computer. It seem to be a whole recipe book of shambles so any possible advantage of a simplified system will be lost in an enormous mess of poll tax proportions.

It would be interesting to think about which sectors will need to grow in order to cope with the consequences of more desperate people. Is a good time to look at becoming a security guard or locksmith, a payday lender or a debt collector. Will there be a poverty chic clothing revival as people with anything valuable at all try to ensure they display inconspicuous wealth? Who will be the first fashion designer to showcase stabproof vests on the catwalk?

What is the most valuable thing I have to give to be part of the solution? Should I share my craft and practical skills, start a soup kitchen for the month zero famine, teach financial literacy, help people with their online claims or write a letter to the Times?

Do I dare try to be useful or am I too worried about my own financial well being?

Universal Credit - more questions than answers.

multiple years if you require no special equipment or therapies or extra care due to a serious illness or disability. what do you do after the multiple years and the pot is empty?

I don't think they will do that because of childcare, sock. The work fairs is part of the work preparation bit when they turn 5 I thought. Otherwise they'll have people taking children there with them. Unless they are allowed to take them maybe because they will definitely be dragged along to the interviews so yeah I could be wrong on that actually I wonder how many and how often and how far they will expect you to go with a toddler with you.

Or did you mean work fare and I've misunderstood?

No you will be expected to put your child in childcare to attend these things hence why the childcare element of TC is changing to remove the 16 h lone parent or 24 h couple claimant requirement.

The gov has already said lack of childcare will not be a reason to avoid sanction.

Any meeting ect they send you to can be up to 90 mins using your normal method of transportation each way but lone parents will be able to request that they are able to start traveling after drop off at school.