JSA people should get bus passes and winter fuel allowances

[fecklessswonder]

just had to lend bil money for heating and travel as he's on JSA after loosing his job due to mental health issues and his savings have dried up after almost a year.

He thinks that many weeks he spends more on travel than JSA pay! Thank god he has a family who can help him, I feel very sorry for people that don't have someone to help out.

We're rural, it's sixteen miles to sign on, two buses, £7.80 return.

Chatty most areas have a travel discount to JSA claimants, is up to people on JSA to ask at their JC

free bus passes and winter fuel allowance? Absolutely!

I work with OAPs and, honestly, they've never had it so good. Passes, fuel allowances, penshner discounts all over,luncheon clubs, ring&ride for door to door trips,the list goes on and on. They are left with a guaranteed amount after their housing costs have been met,too, for general living expenses/bills.

And the fuel allowance is paid (legitimately) to OAPs living overseas in hotter countries than the UK too.

And none of these are capped.

I'm pleased that when I started work there were jobs around to pick and choose between and think that life must be pretty grim for JS's. And I think it needn't be like that

Totally agree, job centre is 13 miles away. Bus stop is almost 3miles on pavement-less lanes.

The young lad I know who relies on temporary jobs struggles to find the fare to job centre appointments, but at least he's fit enough to walk to the bus stop.

Heaven knows what anyone less able or with children they have to take with them does about JSA appointments if they live in around here.

I agree completely.
YANBU.

I agree I've been on JSA and I know a lot of other people who have been and all have complained about how draining travel costs are on their income.

I also think that JSA should have a scheme in place for when claimants do find work. In our case. DP has just started a new job after claiming JSA for three months. The job is paid monthly and due to when he started he won't be paid for around five weeks. (I have no idea how that works out. I've only ever been paid fortnightly in the jobs I've had in the past) JSA and indeed housing benefit will only pay us until the day before he started work (Sunday). How do we pay our rent/bills and buy food for this in between stage? There are no loans or anything we can take. We don't care if we have to pay it back when he does get paid. We just don't want to be homeless and have to move back home to the nearest family member. This would be a 3 1/2 drive each way to work so he wouldn't be able to go anyway! Its not a great incentive to get back to work is it? The job centre has basically told us 'sorry but you're on your own now. Try to borrow the money from someone.'

Sorry for hijacking.

YANBU OP.

Why can't you make your case without bashing pensioners for getting it? Why pick at each other rather than trying for what's good for everyone? My dad worked bloody hard all his life why shouldn't he have a bus pass now! He's not taking it out of your hands.
I have to pay my own rent/council tax/travel/prescriptions/childcare and am brassic but I don't sit around bitching about other people. The government is fucking all of us! Only look in your neighbours bowl to check that she has enough.

Disabled people should be top of the pile if they are going to give WFA out to anyone other than pensioners, imo.

People on DLA don't get a cold weather payment, when it gets really cold but other benefit claimants do.

he wouldn't be able to go to work* anyway.

I agree with you OP.

However I need to correct another poster, people who claim DLA can and do work.

I do think we need to move away from the view that all OAP's are rolling in money and living the highlife - 1 in 6 lives in poverty

posted too soon! - 1.8 million in poverty and 1.2 million classed as being on the brink of poverty - women being one of the worst effected groups

I agree a pass should be given for JC appointments and interviews

sorry yes I was being a blanket Tyzer Pensioners and people on IS can - of course, also work - I was making a general comment that those who society deems most able to find work are put on JSA for that reason - not that older people or people with disabilities couldn't work

Our heating bills are horrendous but we get no help. I'm a carer for my terminally ill husband but, as far as I know, we will get no help unless the temp drops below 0 degrees for seven days. Never thought I'd be praying for a really cold week. (Sad) People receiving Chemo are extremely sensitive to the cold so my husband used to wear thermals under his pyjamas and still felt the cold. He would then wear both layers under his clothes and hide under a quilt during the day. He often said the cold was worse than the chemo. The government will never pay extra to people on JSA because it would cost too much. Don't get me wrong, I think it's disgusting but it's never going to change.

Definitely agree about discounted travel. Edith, there are discounts for JSA claimants on Oyster but only after six months I think. And they don't cover trains, which would also be very helpful for a lot of people when going to interviews in the city (anyone in a city I mean, not just London).

Winter fuel payments maybe not, but the cold weather payments definitely. It could always be restricted to income based JSA claimants if people start agitating about the cost.

Only look in your neighbours bowl to check that she has enough is a lovely saying!

Definitely they should get them.

I watched Episode One of The Super-Rich and Us last night on iplayer. Should be compulsory viewing. We're giving away billions of pounds to the super-rich in tax breaks so that they can spend it on diamond-encrusted watches and other 'trophy' items. Meanwhile the people who really need that money to heat their homes and get on a bus to go job-hunting can't have it. Unbelievable, simply unbelievable.

I could be mistaken, but I thought winter fuel allowance was available to those on less than £16,000.

I strongly believe people in receipt of disability benefits should receive the winter fuel allowance. I have a condition which flares when I'm cold and when we had a tight period financially, I was checking my gas usage daily. It literally means the difference between getting out of bed or not. While at the same time, millionaires are entitled to a WFA. Madness.

However it shouldn't be a race to the bottom. I would like to see it means tested so everyone on a low income can have a sufficiently warm home.

Staywithme that's appalling that you don't get more help

Sarky For your Housing benefit, you should have been able to get a 4 week roll on to continue your HB until he gets paid, but you have to ask.

Ah, it's WARM HOME DISCOUNT I'm thinking of.
Worth looking into for £140 off - may depend on your supplier.

Love that expression!

Thank you Tali we did ask and they said no. I will call back later and see if I can speak to somebody different.

My council let me have one. I'd ask again, not many people can find someone to lend them a lump sum of rent.