A decent budget for low paid workers.

[Sickoffrozen]

Aibu to think that overall the budget was good news for the low paid with a big increase in minimum wages announced?

Seems like a decent idea to me.

But I stand to be corrected.....

Am disturbed how the media and government have moved the goalposts and changed the language around tax credits and benefits. Benefits are no longer that but are now 'welfare' and tax credits, which are paid through HM Revenues and used to be seen as a neutral non emotive top up for those on lower incomes, are now seen as 'subsidising' people who aren't working hard enough or long enough. It really sucks. Even child benefit, also seen as a non emotive universal benefit is now classed as welfare. WTF?!

Am shocked at the lack of empathy shown by some posters on here. God forbid you should lose your job or can't pay your mortgage or become too ill to work or have to become a carer. Then you will be reduced to being one of us lowly beings

Its always been welfare.

Elliefantapoo- so you do not claim tax credit, child benefit or claim childcare vouchers from work?

ChuffinAda, it has not always been welfare, only since 2010

Potted history on the welfare state

vvega The assessment done by Atos or Maximus overrides medical evidence.

amazing but surely that's the point? The benefits were intended for those in need, as short term measures if a person loses their job, or to help those who need to be a carer (such as my dm) not for everyone to supplement their income? I know people who refuse to work more hours as they don't want to lose tax credits?! That's what's wrong, and what causes harsh decisions to be made.

*vvega ATOS decide. There are so many people that have been put in WRAG that have died. It's quite scary.
called for work interview

yes but we work as many hours as possible but still need tax credits to supplement our income as cost of living so high in this country.

It's a terrible budget for low paid workers! If you actually read it, rather than listen to his speech about it in the Commons, you see that from April 2016 tax credits will only kick in at maximum rate for people with a total income of just under 4 grand - it's over 6 grand at the moment. So he's moved the threshold at which people are entitled to the maximum amount right back but he's also changed the rate at which your entitlement will decrease as your wage increases - at the moment it's 41%, but it's going to rise to 49%.

It's a weasel trick, and it hits the poorest doubly hard: no wonder he didn't mention it at all in his speech. Of course he did talk at length about the living wage, but his target for that £9 figure is 2020 - the tax credit changes are happening next year. What are people supposed to do in the meantime?

Surely if you get called to interview and you know you can't work, like that gentleman, you go and let the advisor realise what a stupid exercise it is.

Sometimes you just have to jump through the hoops and play the game

chuffinAda i would like to but i need to look after my dc's and my job is predominantly focused around breakfast and tea times and weekends . some weeks i see my dc's for about 30 mins a day.
I'm definitely looking for something more child friendly and reliable hours but I'm not very qualified so who will take me .

No Chuffin You are put into the WRAG group whilst awaiting tribunal. Many people have died whilst waiting.
This is how ill and disabled people are treated in this country

Jumping through hoops

We await the figures

I'm not being arsey or anything by the way, I'm genuinely intrigued - first time in my 28 years I've really taken much notice of elections and budgets. My dm is a full time carer for my dgm and so understand the need for her housing and benefits - yet when her children moved out she requested to move somewhere smaller, and was moved a year later. Between dp and I our total income is just over £40k - do not claim anything, ctc, childcare vouchers, wtc. I agree with the living costs issue - our mortgage is £250 a month cheaper than our neighbour pays in rent. But I genuinely am trying to get my head around people's general feeling of entitlement and why everyone should be owed something.

Chuffinada, you think that the jobcentre cares? If they would have been told what a stupid thing they were expecting him yo do, do you thing they would have cared? No they would stick there fingers on there ears and sanction. They do not care.
I've seen it happen first hand. Face to face they will say they sympathize but there's nothing thy can do.
All they give a shit about is targets.

Buckle in and get used to Supernoodles

Gosh. That really does sound like the kind of thing a monumentally nasty, goady fuckwit would say.

in terms of people caring, Frank Field has raised concerns about terminally ill benefit claimants being asked when they expect to die

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/06/terminally-ill-benefit-claimants-asked-when-they-expect-to-die-mp-says?CMP=share_btn_tw

I do think there is a middle position - I expect to take responsibility for myself but I also recognise that there are people who can't take care of themselves and that's why I pay for a welfare state. I met a lady at a food bank who had been on a zero hour contract when she had cancer, had to have chemo etc so lost her job, was 62 and now couldn't get work. I would rather just pay for her pension to kick in earlier than anything else - how the bleep does a 62 year old get work anyway?!

I don't think asking people with terminal conditions what their prognosis is is unreasonable at all. They can then tailor the benefits to the individual. There are specialist fast track benefits available to people with a prognosis of a couple of months.

vvega Dh was put in wrag for a while, whilst we appealed. It took nine months. He uses two sticks to walk, he cannot dress/undress/stand/sit unaided. He has frequent falls, he cannot use the loo unaided and needs reminding to go. He is 44. He is in constant pain. Unsurprisingly, he also has some fairly serious mental health problems, but you would if you were a philosophy lecturer struck down by serious illness at 38, wouldn't you.
According to quite a few on here though, we're feckless, irresponsible and should put up and shut up!

The budget stinks for some of the most vulnerable. I'm fortunate and don't need any assistance. For now. I've said on here before, we would happily pay a little more tax than see society turn on itself and tear the weakest apart in the meantime DP and I will just keep supporting the food bank with food, toiletries and sanitary towels. Yes, some people right now can't afford the luxury of sanitary products.