To think that bit is impossible to live off of benefits?

[Rolf38]

So Universal Credit rates are £498.89 an adult couple over the age of 25. This is meant to last them one whole month. So £250 per adult which works out at about £60 per week or just £8.57 per day.

How is someone meant to buy food, pay their bills and maintain a jobsearch at these rates?

I understand that some may think that by setting benefits at a low rate, there will be a greater incentive for recipients to return to work. This I understand and agree with to a point.

Surely though that danger of setting benefit rates too low is that it has the opposite effect. Claimants may reun the risk of getting in to debt, depression and lose the desire to maintain an active job search, along with any ambitions and aspirations they ever had.

Is met ting benefit rates too low a precursor to the increase of long term benefit claimants, simply by affording claimants less resources and willpower to maintain their job search?

After all, say if have been unemployed fir or three months. In this time, you have been so cash strapped that you haven't even been able to go to the cinema or meet an old friend, as bills and increasing debts have taken priority.

Without just a bit of enjoyment to boost morale, how less determined would a claimant be to give their job search their all as they would be if they could take their mind off of it for a bit.

For the couples payment too, I wouldn't be surprised if such a low payment to sustain two adults for a month may cause friction in the relationship, adding further restrictions to morale and job search.

Of course taxpayers money should be treated with the utmost respect.

However, is keeping benefit rates at such a low level proving more costly in the long run?

Why not add an incentive for job search for claimants? Increase UC payments by 10% for those who continually do all they can for their job search over a sustained period (say three months).

Such an increase, just form he most committed in their job search, would act as a continued incentive for the most determined to find work quicker (thus reducing long-term burdens on the taxpayers). Restricting an enhanced payment to just the most committed would also ensure that those not committed to athe or jobsearch and envisage a long-term existence on benefits find that this, beyond subsidence level, is not sustainable.

If you are doing everything you can in your jobsearch, why should you be unable to afford very basic enjoyments (even on a very occasional basis)? Why are those who put in the effort, in testing times, not differentiated from those who show no desire to come off benefits.

Perhaps in addition to sanctioning claimants who do not fulfill their commitments, the government should do more to help and reward the positive attitude to do all they can to get back to work.

Just for background, My organisation is owed millions in housing benefit recovery, about 13% of this figure is because of fraudenlent claims.

Won’t give exact figures as will be outing.

I would just like to precursor this by stating that I categorically do not commit housing benefit fraud...

but

If every council is as incompetent as mine, I understand why people do. I dread earning more some months as I know it will change my claim, mistakes will be made, my rent will be overpaid or underpaid, it will take months to sort out, reams and reams of paperwork will go missing etc. By the time it's fixed my income has usually jumped back down again (or up and then down and then up)

The months I earn too much to be entitled to any HB, those are the months I love the best not because I actually get more money, usually any extra goes on overpaying my rent to avoid being evicted the next time the council fuck up but because I get a break from dealing with the incompetent, sneering assholes.

There's loads of benefit fraudsters. It's a shame for the genuine claimants and for people who don't claim what they're entitled to.

The big anti is money for nothing; more state involvement in your life; excuse not to spend money on vital public services; further disincentive to study and to work . Less emphasis on people who genuinely need help from taxpayers ' money. And it goes on.

I live in an area with lots of people on benefits.
They think their lives are great and will tell you that you are stupid to work (even though I would be entitled to nothing) but then they will complain they can't afford holidays/cars.... (which we can).
They mostly think they shouldn't have to work as they have children.
I don't think most of them do live that well, they do have smart phones and sky. They might have a small break in the uk. They all seem to be trying to make money on the side though or buying dodgy goods, paying goods off bit by bit.

The thing that I see is that most of think that working has nothing to do with them. Literally think they shouldn't have to ever work, no one else they know does and they should be there for their kids at all times . Most of them see most jobs beneath them, especially things like cleaning, working in a shop. They have no aspirations at all - that's the main issue.
Most of them don't understand that eventually working would improve everything about their lives, they only think about now.

I think how well you live on benefits depends on where you live btw.

Afraid Brexit vote punctured my compassion. People I thought were worth my compassion and understanding pissed all over my dd's future by voting Brexit. Not a Daily Fail myth or MN fantasy.

People had to vote in the EU referendum as they saw fit. I voted leave for quite a lot of reasons. I don't want the EU over-ruling our parliament and making things difficult for people like fishermen with their dumb rules. Don't know why you think your DD will have lost out because of Brexit. Lots of people have lost out because we're in the EU.

I voted as I saw fit too. Lost my dd's EU rights. Lost the inward investment for deprived areas of UK which sure as hell ain't coming from Westminster in the alternative. So, yes, I blame the people in those deprived areas for being turkeys who voted for Christmas. I've seen the difference EU money can make to an area. That ain't coming any more from anywhere else.

Who's lost out from us being in the EU again?

It was all a big con trick. We got our own money back. The EU didn't give us anything. I pay your £1000 to join your club and tell me how to live my life. . You give me back £650. My aren't you generous. No I'm glad I voted out.

I must have imagined all those "funded by the EU" signs I have seen.
I certainly didn't imagine the stupid bus.

It was all a big con trick. We got our own money back.
Yep, you fell for it hook, line and sinker.

We all pay tax. If you think all taxpayers are rich then you are very foolish.

Those who are tax payers and also benefits scroungers presumably in a huge no-mans-land? and the tax evading, expenses abusers on a separate isle? I could live with that.

Really cabin?

Lots of the country are on some kind of benefit. Your half of the country will be a pretty isolated place.

Stuff the poor? ....oh and it's "their" not "there"....I would have thought being so wealthy you would have a good command of your spelling and grammar. Clearly not.

See I thought you actually had something to contribute but based on your last post I suspect you are actually just a goady fucker and possibly have hairy hands.

But anyone who says "stuff the poor" shows how serious a compassion bypass can be,

That would include many disabled folk.
Many elderly folk.

Then again they might be glad to be away from someone like you....if you're for real. But not sure you are.

*I live in an area with lots of people on benefits.
They think their lives are great and will tell you that you are stupid to work (even though I would be entitled to nothing) but then they will complain they can't afford holidays/cars.... (which we can).
They mostly think they shouldn't have to work as they have children.
I don't think most of them do live that well, they do have smart phones and sky. They might have a small break in the uk. They all seem to be trying to make money on the side though or buying dodgy goods, paying goods off bit by bit.

The thing that I see is that most of think that working has nothing to do with them. Literally think they shouldn't have to ever work, no one else they know does and they should be there for their kids at all times . Most of them see most jobs beneath them, especially things like cleaning, working in a shop. They have no aspirations at all - that's the main issue.
Most of them don't understand that eventually working would improve everything about their lives, they only think about now. *

^^This. Lazy woklshy.

and the first and loudest people to shout ''bloody foreigners coming here and taking our jobs''bullshit. foreigners working because theyre too bloody lazy to do the jobs. hipocrites.

and the geniune, especially disabled get tarred with the same brush.

You are trying too hard Cabin.

There's a fatal flaw with 'stuff the poor'. Once they've all starved to death who is going care for your children while you work? Clean their schools and serve their lunch? Who will empty your bins, sweep your streets and tend to your parks? Who will cut your hair, manicure your nails and spray tan your skin?

Not all the 'poor' are workless and not everyone affected by UC is unemployed. The working poor vastly outnumber the 'feckless scroungers'.

It's all well and good saying they should all get full time jobs but 1) there aren't enough full time jobs to go around and 2) Full time NMW workers are still the working poor in most cases. A single parent, working 30 hours on NMW is still entitled to UC.

I am for real and I do think everyone for themselves. None of my earned money should be given to anyone else. I would however give it to charity.

Poor writing skills yet still manage to support myself! There we go everyone is able to.

A single parent, working 30 hours on NMW is still entitled to UC

Let’s take that a step further, shall we? I am a single mother of 3. Until recently I was a full time teacher at the top of the main scale for salary. I too was entitled to Tax Credits. It is not just people on minimum wage that struggle.

There are a huge amount of people who think they shouldn't have to work simply because they have children. Many have cottoned onto the fact that working sixteen hours nets a large amount of benefits and gets round any caps.

Rather than people working all hours in any jobs to provide for themselves and their children they believe they don't have to and it's somebody's responsibility to provide for the children they chose to have. Numerous excuses are used as to why they can't work etc. It's like we have made not providing for children socal acceptable so now there's no shame or stigma letting somebody else feed your children.

I don't want to believe you Cabin except I know people really ARE that callous.

Look at the other post after mine about what you might do if there were no low paid jobs (you know...those topped up with benefits).

Your part of the mythical "only smug rich bastards allowed" island would stink and nobody would be available to teach your children. But hey....stuff the poor right?

So you're rich....but not very bright eh?

Or if you are bright then I can only conclude you are a goady fucker.

Of course I'm bright and certainly not stupid. The thing is people don't help themselves out of poverty. They have children they can't afford, spend money they don't have and don't save if they can. So all of us who don't live life so flippently then end up subbing those that do.
Better education of budgeting in schools is a much needed thing. Life skills also need to be taught.

It does sound lovely to live surrounded by respectable people and all the tax saved on others could be spent on the area to make it really nice. Of course all the jobs will be filled as people would get paid more as the society would have more money. It could only grow richer

They have no aspirations at all - that's the main issue.
Most of them don't understand that eventually working would improve everything about their lives, they only think about now.

Working doesn't always improve people's lives though does it. Lots of people are doing very stressful jobs which play havoc with their health, struggling to find childcare, missing all the important school stuff because its during the day, getting paid next to nothing (so they still have to claim benefits anyway), no chance of promotion and a pay freeze for 15 years I know lots of people whose working life is like that. No wonder people that don't work think we're all mugs for doing it.