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.

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

Food banks

[idiuntno57]

running

[butterfingerz]

I'm from one of those Cheshire towns though living in South now. It will be interesting to see as most of the town live in social housing and many will be entirely dependent on benefits. I know a lot are very worried about the bedroom tax, because the council houses are all 3 bedroom, theres hardly any two bedroom, so lots of people will be a suffering a reduction in HB unless they can get out under one of the clauses. Re the UC, I doubt any of them will know its being piloted there unless theres a letter thats gone out, it'll hit them like a ton of bricks.

[idiuntno57]

after UC I am most annoyed by predictive messaging

[butterfingerz]

I also wonder how my mum will be affected, she has a permanent lifelong disability but I've seen that even some with similar conditions have been told theyre no longer entitled.

[idiuntno57]

we all seem so focused on our own problems (understandably) that this huge issue is just going to slip by.


We are all responsible for the land we live in.

[MisForMumNotMaid]

Yet they haven't yet established how passport benefits will work like free school meals so no one yet knows if they'll be able to get them.

I'm worried for the children being fed and kept warm.

Moving from weekly to monthly budgeting is a big deal and people will dig themselves into big holes quickly then a percentage will turn to petty crime which has a knock on effect on everyone else.

We're in the process of moving to Warrington. Try googling universal credit Warrington to get any information on it. Its meant to be live in April (isn't that a week away?)

[RambleOn]

I've just found an online calculator, and it says I should be better off

linky

[ballstoit]

That 'minimum' amount that people need to live on is nose being taxed though isn't it, that's another thing that's quietly slipped in.

Because that Mum who struggles to feed her dd, is now going to be paying £14 a month council tax (the amount varies from area to area). She's taking entry level literacy lessons, and now has to travel into town fortnightly to sign on for JSA (another £10 a month to find for bus fares), to explain why she's not found work (being unable to read and write may have something to do with it). Society has clearly failed Mum, or she'd have left school able to cope with adult life, and now it's going to fail her daughter. She's not wilfully neglectful, she just can't manage what is now expected of her. And ironically, the family support worker who could perhaps have helped her manage, has had her post deleted in the latest round of cuts our labour council has been forced to make.

[RambleOn]

Ha ha, just recalculated and it's 30p a week

[Mandy2003]

SecondComing - can you outline the concerns raised at the meeting especially crime and disorder?

Speaking of drugs - I'm sure some people will decide that if you can get a whole month's money in one go you can buy a whole lot of drugs and deal for the rest of the month

[threebats]

brandy Lets look at your post:
if you can't budget your money for a week to cover food then you shouldn't have dc
So what do you propose is done? Forced abortions? Or do as the Aussies did and chain the woman to the bed and take the child away from her? Or perhaps every pregnant woman needs to undergo a test to see if she can financially support a child in a crisis or not in a crisis and if not? Just sterilise her. Its for her own good, she should not have children.
How about the women, for example, with Down's who have children? I suppose, going by your post, they should not have children - plenty of love to give a child but unable to manage their finances? What would you propose we do to those ladies?
Its NOT an ideal world. Women/couples with problems/disabilities have children. As a society we are duty bound to care for those more vulnerable and at risk and unable to manage than we are.
Think carefully before you make sweeping statements that women should not have children.


The real, actual poverty of this country is the lack of compassion shown to others by people who think they are somehow superior because 'they managed quite well when times got tough for them' - Its the way those in need, those struggling, those with problems are looked down upon, shoved aside and made to feel small because they can not cope well with managing money or cope well when having a crisis or they just, for whatever reason it is, can't cope.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I don't understand how any woman as a mother who would put drink/fags/drugs/anything above putting food into her dc mouths so I can't envisage myself in that situation I can't envisage the answer. I remember hearing about this lady who starved herself and ended up in hospital but her dd still ate. (think it was the netmums campaign thing they did a year or so ago)

Yes it's hard on JSA/IS yes all the bills have gone up but there is no reason why you can't at least do beans on toast/pasta and cheese/value crap. There is no reason why in this country your dc are starving apart from neglect this is not a third world country.

I'm not saying things are not fucked but UC isn't the problem and I know a lot of my friends and circle are happy that it's monthly and easy to manage if you get over time or your hours change it's sounding like it will be simple unlike tax credits.

[SneezingwakestheJesus]

I worry about that first month when it switches over. Some bills are bound to need paying before that first post dated payment where usually a weekly IS or JSA would pay it. That's where the payday loans people will get their claws into the vulnerable.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

TSC I can grasp it quite fine thank you, a few times I have switched from out of work IS to working and all your benefits stop apart from CB and your left high and dry. You manage because you have to.

Ok the first month will be hard if they're not paying the months money at the start of the month (does anyone know for sure thats how they are paying it?) but I'm not sure why no one else on this thread doesn't grasp that monthly money in a larger amount that you can make go further every month until you get a job is better?

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

InNeedOf- Cheese?! You have no fucking clue. Jam is a more likely sandwich filler.

[ilovesooty]

I work with offenders, most of whom struggle to budget now. UC will ensure that crime goes through the roof.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

Yes inneed, that's exactly how they are going to do it.

And your talking rubbish because when you go from out of work benefits to being in work at the moment most of your benefits run on in some form (100% of some of them)as if you were not in work for the first 4 weeks to account for monthly wages even if you are not paid monthly

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Or maybe it will make people learn the hard way to manage their money. I remember once my electric ran out the evening before I got paid, my electric never ever ran out again after that.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

By exactly how they are intending to do it I mean 1 weeks money then nothing for 5 weeks when you then get 4 weeks money.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

The only benefit that runs on is HB and council tax which isn't money in your pocket and CB which is fuck all really. IS and tax credits stop thats your shopping money, electric bills stopped. No not rubbish speaking from RL experience.

[SneezingwakestheJesus]

You can't manage money you don't have. Not everyone on benefits has a meter and can top as and when. My bill comes out every month the same day, the same amount. I can't just choose to try and conserve energy so I can delay topping it up. I could start saving now to try and get an amount ready to cover the bill in case it pops up in that no mans land month but then there's the gas bill, the phone etc. I can't save up enough to cover those. Then when the monthly amount is paid to me phew I can pay those bills late but what about the next month? Ill be behind forever unless they let me change it all around. Its not just the first month that will be affected by this.