To ask why Universal Credit is so terrible? (Not goady)

[evilharpy]

I've seen several threads (one today about food banks which I can't seem to find now) where people have had some strong things to say about Universal Credit and the feeling seems to be that it is contributing to the poverty problem and forcing people to rely on food banks and causing more problems than it's helping with.

I'm wondering what exactly makes it so terrible and why it's so much worse than what came before it. Google hasn't been much help as most of the results are just official links on how to apply for it etc. But it seems to be that it's paid monthly rather than weekly or fortnightly and there's a long wait to get it?

I would just like to understand a bit more about it. And I don't mean this to be in any way insensitive or goady.

Nightshirt No need to apologise, I don't see it as prying. I actually think it's better for people in our position to share information as the DWP etc try to keep so many details from us, which actually puts us at a disadvantage. Yes, I'm a disabled single mum so I don't have another adult living with me (hence getting SDP). The definition of care for Carer's Allowance is very broad - my mum doesn't do so much of the physical stuff for me either, but things like helping with shopping/laundry and calling to check up on me counts as caring. You don't have to justify or explain a person's role as a carer to the DWP - you simply confirm they are your carer and that's it, no further questions asked. And it doesn't have to be a relative, or someone who lives with you. It's only means-tested on earned income, not a private pension, although if your mum gets state pension she might not be able to get both.

MotherofaSurvivor thank you for sharing that. It sounds like an awful situation and I hope your UC is sorted out now. I've not been in a position to consider starting work for a long time, but after reading that I know I wouldn't want to risk it as I'm on ESA and PIP now. It's not a huge income to budget with but at least right now I know we have money coming in and I couldn't risk having it go down. I am on long term awards for both so at least I know I won't be reassessed any time soon.

Sterilisation is not the their way. That would require expenditure.

Starvation is free.

Wages are so low even if all these scroungers got ft work they would likely only get min wage which would mean they would probably still need help
Exactly. As I've already mentioned, I work 45 hours a week, yet there are times I struggle to find the money to put in the gas. I have to rearrange other bills, I go without food, I wish I didn't need tax credits but quite frankly I don't get paid enough and without the tax credits I wouldn't be able to feed my kids.

I hate the argument that people on in-work benefits like TC and UC don't work hard enough or aren't trying.

What about that poor nurse on PM Questions, would you tell a full time nurse she wasn't working hard enough or shouldn't have had kids?

My mum worked full time from the age of 14 to 56. She's recently been made redundant and can't find work. She's also a carer to my Uncle and my Dad (and technically my gran, though my gran would never admit it.) This isn't a new thing. She's been caring for them for years, even when she was working 50 hours a week, does she not work hard enough?

I'm self -employed, working 30-40 hours a week, at college 25 hours a week and have (very) recently gone back to my former job for 12-18 hours a week due to DD's MH seeming to have improve slightly and my former employer finding himself severely short staffed at x-mas. Do I not work hard enough?

DD's mental health has spiralled down again since I started working outside the home again. I'm still working, for now, she has blips from time to time. I'm hoping this is a blip and not related to being left alone 2-3 nights a week. The second I get a letter from her asking for permission to kill herself and explaining how my life would be better without her in it, I'll be leaving again, and thus, claiming more top-up benefits again. Should I not have that option?

The definition of care for Carer's Allowance is very broad - my mum doesn't do so much of the physical stuff for me either, but things like helping with shopping/laundry and calling to check up on me counts as caring. You don't have to justify or explain a person's role as a carer to the DWP - you simply confirm they are your carer and that's it, no further questions asked

you should be doing quite a bit of caring. Criteria is 35h/week. That's 5 hours every day.

I am older. Loads of older people care for relatives by checking in on them, doing shopping, laundry, etc, Lots of my friends do, this is not uncommon. But nowhere near as much as 5 hours a day. Most work full time, and fit other stuff around that. I don't think for a minute that people doing this level of caring should get welfare benefits for it.

YELLOW - When I fell pregnant, I was working (permitted work. I have MS). I also had a partner who worked full time and swore he was in it for the long haul and would pick up the load if I struggled physically. Then I had a traumatic pregnancy & horrendous birth which left me semi paralysed. Then when she was 1, he left! I have ZERO choice but to claim benefits now as I am physically unable to work AT ALL due to being partially paralysed along with MS, Arthritis, Hypermobility, Fibromyalgia and further conditions. Of course I did t know this was going to happen! Your post is offensive and has been reported

Well said crunchymint

I am staggered people can afford to have more than 2 children.

What about SAHM who live off their hardworking husbands? They often claim tax credits due to only having one income. Not to mention child benefit.
The Radford family for instance, claim to be self sufficient with their Pie business, yet they receive Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit for each child (born before the changes limiting the amount of eligible children) so 16/17-ish of their 20 children they receive Child Benefit for and Child Tax Credits of £60 - PER CHILD! That’s a LOT of cash! But because he works, apparently that’s fine?!?

No mother- families like that are exactly what people are talking about in terms of welfare reform

*PER WEEK

But Yellow has said upthread that “People who are too ill to work and have children are irresponsible”

Yes, and families like the Radfords aren't an extreme and unusual example are they? Everyone and their dog knows at least two families who have more than a dozen children, don't they?

Well wasn’t referring to her then. The majority of people on this thread said they feel it shouldn’t be a choice to have your family supported by tax credits, child benefit etc.

Families like the Radfords are rare. That is why we know their name. Lets not pretend the welfare reforms are about that. They are in reality about cutting welfare benefits. And expect more threads here when more people are affected by UC and start to realise what they voted for.

As long as there is one family like the Radfords the system needs to be reformed IMHO. I do not want to pay taxes to support people's idiotic choices.

maybe if landlord were not so bloody greedy we would not be in this postion.

Rents increase every god damn year far far above wage inflation because landlords want more and more profit.

30 years ago rent / mortgage on average made up about 50% of a average workers income these days it takes up 90%+ and in some case 120% (hence the need for housing benefit rather then state mandated rent control to stop greedy landlords increasing the rent every year (not all landlords are like this but the vast majority are as they are business not a charity ).

Basically as it stands we have a couple of options to sort the spiraling cost of housing.

A) we force companies to flood the market with new houses (not going to happen developers deliberately keep supply low to maximize profits).

B) force second home owners (or foreign investors that buy up new property just to sit on then sell on later)

C) Introduce European style rent control were landlord cannot keep ever increasing the rent.

All these things would be deeply unpopular espically with the rich and powerful that support the government so none of these will ever happen.

*B) to force too sell or tax them heavily like the isle of man does

mumsnet really need a edit button.

I’m not a Tory by any means (in fact I hate the fuckers like any normal person) but what I will say is I think their recent efforts to encourage housing building have been better than any government in recent times and they have made being a bTl far less desirable than it was. That’s something I will give them credit for

(UC is another factor here- the first step to stopping discrimination of people on benefits by landlords)

Vivienne You can't do that without punishing lots and lots of other people.

No one should be better off on benefits. And benefits SHOULD go to the sick and disabled first. And I absolutely agree that the disabled should have a decent standard of living on those benefits. That's is what the welfare state is for.

The problem lies with those who don't help themselves. You only have to read an average MN thread were many (mainly) women have made poor choices: someone, who doesn't have the safety net of a decent job/training/qualifications behind them meets a bloke and within 4 months, whoops, has a 'contraception failure' and is pregnant. Fast forward 3 years and 2 more children, and it transpires he's an abusive arse. You know how the rest of the story goes....... Where's the aspiration to do well for yourself?

have come very late to this thread but can anybody explain how the self employed are gonna be hit by UC,im on ESA myself but my friend is self employed and i keep hearing about closing the loop hole

thanks

Christmas

under UC you have to earn at least NAME per hour you claim to be working and you must work 35h (I think).

Under tx credits, lots of peopled claimed to be working only 16h to qualify for working tax credits and they then claimed to be earning a very low hourly rate. Result was a pretty decent tax credit payment. I know a few people who got lots of extra money that way. You cannot do this now under UC.

NMW. Not NAME.