To think that making the benefits system instant would help alleviate poverty?

[AndHarry]

Hands up, I have no experience of how the system works but as I've been reading the news and various threads on here, the same thing crops up again and again: JSA, housing and other benefit claims take so long to process that people are left destitute and once they are approved it takes so long to make changes that it's often not worth taking casual jobs.

So with the universal credit why can't job centres process claims electronically during appointments with claimants, with money paid using the 3 day payment system?

Is that totally naive?

[caroldecker]

The idea of universal credit, claims made on-line, is partially to remove a lot of these issues and make evrything faster

[sparechange]

wannabe Insurance companies work by looking at statistics.

Live in a postcode where there are loads of burglaries? Expect your house insurance to cost a fortune.
Work in the sort of job which marks you out as being a 'sensible' person? Expect to get cheap car insurance.

Of course there are houses in 'dodgy' postcodes that never get burgled and policemen who will speed and write their cars off, but that isn't how insurance companies work.

If a Landlord has the option of taking a HB tenant or a non-HB tenant, many of them will chose the latter. Others will be forced by their mortgage company and/or insurance to take a non-HB tenant, or have to pay extra charges to cover the increased risk of having an HB tenant. It doesn't mean the HB tenant will damage the house. It just means they are more likely to than a professional working person.

[mrsjay]

YANBU new claimants or different claims relationship break ups take so long people are waiting weeks meanwhile they have no money and turning to the likes of wonga or wherever I heard of a woman with a few children waiting 5 weeks for her tax credits to be sorted she couldn't afford to feed herself and was feeding her children on handouts

[PatoBanton]

I met a young woman in Aldi yesterday with a 2yo little boy who reminded me of my own ds1 at that age.

She put two cheese pasties and a loaf of bread on the checkout behind me, and got down and hugged her child saying 'Next time we come in we'll get you some bits and pieces, mummy's skint right now and we've got to get electric later somehow as well'.

She was so lovely to him and I paid for her shopping, well, I said to her grab a few more bits but she refused to, and anyway, I wanted to give her some cash but I didn't have any just my card.

She said she's on 20 quid a week at the moment as they have stopped her benefits and so on, not sure why, it's being sorted out.

She seemed totally genuine and looked about 23. I wanted to just buy her a massive load of shopping.

If anyone knows a woman like that in Margate then please tell her she is doing a fantastic job with her little boy.

[WooWooOwl]

I'm sure HB claimants to aren't the only ones that have damaged property or failed to pay, but it sometimes blunt tools have to be used unfortunately.

It's like the fact that children who get FSMs also get the pupil premium, whether or not they need it, because statistically they are more likely to under achieve. The fact that there are many many exceptions to the rule doesn't matter.

Neither is discrimination. Landlords make a private business transaction with their own private property, they can rent to who they want. If they don't want to rent to plumbers for whatever reason, that's their prerogative.

[HappyMummyOfOne]

YABU, it takes time to set up new claims and check things. Universal credit should speed things up as only one agency.

HB tennants are a higher risk and landlords should have the choice to accept or not. Some dont by choice and others cant simply because their insurer or mortgage provider forbids it. Having the payment direct makes little difference as if its found to be a fraudulant claim etc the landlord is then chased for the money if i recall correctly. Its not just about non payment, insurance stats show they damage etc is a far higher risk than a non HB tennant and wear and tear is much higher too.

[mrsjay]

Universal credit should speed things up as only one agency.

but it isnt being sped up it is taking ages and young women are having to explain to their toddlers that they are skint it isn't easier it is just the same

[Elfhame]

It used to be their prerogative not to let to black people and Asians before the race relations act. Didn't stop it from being discrimination.

[dancemom]

HB could be processed the same day but happens very rarely because tenants fail to provide all the correct information! For every 10 claims submitted only 1 will provide their ID, lease, landlord details, payment details and evidence of income at the initial point - most take several weeks to provide it and as a result the claim is delayed!

[WooWooOwl]

That's not the same elfhame. Black or Asian people don't have statistics to show that they are less likely to be bad tenants because they are black or Asian. HB claimants do.

You can't expect people to take big financial risks with their own property that could cost them and their family a substantial amount of money when they don't have to.

[WooWooOwl]

I think it's down to the government to take the risk on claimants, not individual landlords. If there was a scheme that HB claimants could join that would allow landlords to be insured without extra cost, and would guarantee payment of rent, then more landlords would be willing to let to them.

[caroldecker]

mrsjay

Universal credit hasn't started yet

[8dayweek]

Agree dancemom, I lose track of the amount of complaints I field where the person hasn't provided the information requested.

[KatieScarlett2833]

We have to check first of all the online claimants are real people.
Imagine being able to fill in a form online and instant cash. Fraudsters paradise.
Secondly we need to check details for potential sanctions, ie leaving your job without good cause or being sacked for gross misconduct, lying about where you live, who lives there, savings, part time work details, are you claiming the correct benefit, are you claiming everything you are entitled to, are you a benefits tourist, are you allowed to work in the uk,
Then there is the meeting to agree what you are going to do to look for work in return for JSA.
Additional paper evidence has to go with the claim paperwork which had to be copied and sent.
In our place we have very strict targets re benefit processing, currently 12 days. If you need an upfront payment, you can get a same day/next day payment through short term benefit advance.

[Elfhame]

I agree it's down to the government to take the risk. It's not fair that landlords don't get their rent, or that responsible HB claimants be punished for the actions of others.

I do think it is a form of discrimination as individuals are not statistics. And nor should people be judged as poor tenants purely because of the actions of other others.

I don't see why they just can't pay the rent direct to landlords. If money that is meant to be for rent is being spent on other things, it is a waste of government money.

The learn to budget personal responsibility stuff means responsible tenants are being punished for the actions of others. Due to the shortage of social housing and the amount of landlords refusing HB, we have families in hostels and bed and breakfasts which cost more per week than private rents. Again, what a waste of money!

So much for the government taking personal responsibility for tax payers money!

[Elfhame]

In addition, they did have a system for dealing with the wait to establish entitlement. Crisis loans. Which were deducted straight from benefits when granted. They were abolished.

[KatieScarlett2833]

Yes re crisis loans, they are now crisis grants and are paid by your local council.
Up front payments are now short term benefit advances, essentially crisis loans at new claims appointment stage.

[8dayweek]

Elfhame They were abolished yes, the responsibility for providing this "service" was passed to Local Authorities and they decided how to (and in some cases, if at all) to deliver it. Meanwhile DWP introduced short-term benefit advances.

[KatieScarlett2833]

Haha x post

[Elfhame]

So they may get it or they may not? Or will they definitely get an advance if they need it?

[8dayweek]

Yours was worded a little better than mine! long day

[AnyFuckerReporting]

I work in Housing Benefits and in my area we are trialling an appointment system which does this. However it depends on claimants providing the right information which sometimes doesn't happen for a variety of reasons.

[Lilacroses]

I don't see how that could happen but I do understand your point. I can totally appreciate how someone who is on benefits (so they perhaps get assistance with their rent/council tax as a part of this) wouldn't be able to just take any old casual job because they would have to stop all of these benefits straight away but may not get paid for a month or whatever. It must be really difficult.

[KatieScarlett2833]

That is an impossible question. Benefits are an individual thing. Mr just off the plane from Australia having lived there for 40 years might have a problem but Miss lone parent with 3 kids whose just had to give up her job due to lack of childcare probably will.
That's in essence the difficulty of paying benefits. There has to be stringent checking.

[KatieScarlett2833]

8day
I'm less knackered than usual thanks to getting out today only half an hour late. Result!