KatharineClifton "I really don't get this thing about people claiming tax credits then not doing extra hours or over time because they lost TC's."
It's because they/we don't just lose tax credits or other benefits just that week when you're working more hours. It applies also to shift workers, temporary contracts, zero hours contracts too.
What happens is this:
A claimant reports that they're not eligible at this time for x y z.
Agency stops that benefit immediately.
Claimant is then eligible for benefit again and claims.
Depending on which benefit, are told it takes a MINIMUM of 6 weeks for that payment to be reinstated.
Reality is it can take several MONTHS for a payment to be received by a claimant.
There's no way a claimant can speed up the claim.
Claimants that are working in this situation can then find themselves in extreme financial difficulty, no money to get to work, feed themselves so they don't get too ill to work etc
"Love this, so scores of highly qualified experts and leaders of their field say that Osborne's economic plans are dangerous" economists have been saying capitalism isn't working for years. Since the crash in the 90's I think.
As others have said on this thread and others, I'd love to know how much is spent on what most people would consider luxuries in the houses of parliament. Eg subsidised bar, unnecessary expenses.
As someone who has been in receipt of benefits for almost 13 years as
Part of a working couple
Then as a lone parent at various points working/student/disabled/sick/with a sick child/as a carer
I am absolutely dreading UC coming in. Not just because of how it will be assessed, but because EVERY government EVERY time there's a change there's major cock ups! And NEVER in the favour of claimants!!
Wrt both the varying claim eligibility from week to week and uc and other changes it always astounds me how useless they are at implementing/using technology that would avoid these problems. Actually you know what short term cost would save money long term? If they would employ IT people and train people properly so there wouldn't be so many technical problems!
"to them you are not a person with your own life, rather you are an item of equipment, like a robot, they only have to pay you for the hours that they use you, the rest of the time you can be put on standby, waiting in limbo until they decide they want to use you." Exactly!
"what sort of person would actually take on a 20 hr a week job requiring full flexibility though?" Only people I can think of are young people at home with parents and no real commitments. Not suitable for parents or carers or anyone having to pay bills frankly!
"and 20 hours is quite a lot actually, I've seen jobs of 12 hrs a week requiring full flexibility...." Where I live I've seen 2 jobs in the past week with 4 hours needing flexibility! What use is 4 hours to anybody?!
"well the poor voted in Scotland and it sure wasn't for this lot." Still got bloody stuck with em though eh?!
Also these employers that view employees as robots merely there for their use will do everything they can to avoid giving employees enough hours that they're then entitled to sick pay/maternity rights/holiday pay etc. Where I live there are 2 employers near by who only offer temp contracts except to senior management. The staff then stop working for them for x amount of time (not sure what length it is to be just within the law) then they're re-employed on another temp contract. Don't blame the employees as its a very deprived high unemployment area, but the companies should not be able to do this!