To ask you to watch Panorama re Universal Credit

[longwayoff]

God, this looks grim already. Look what we're allowing to happen.

@thebigbangrocks please watch it.
There’s a woman who works in a school, a woman who found out she was pregnant two weeks before she gave birth, a dad who had a car crash meaning he couldn’t work.
Life is not black and white.

I read today that the United Nations has condemned the “ mean sprinted, callous approach “ of the UK government to the poorest!

The problem with tax credits is that sometimes people are culturally poor, but financially ok. That stops people rising to the middle class jobs which require cultural knowledge and education. Middle class jobs require a person with middle class culture, music, food, education, literature. Even accents and language used.
If you've never had that, no matter how many kids you get benefits for, no matter how hard you try, there is a limit to what you can achieve.
Give them x factor, give them sky tv, give them fags and booze, then criticise and blame them for it. Then publish it in the daily mail.
Look at the single mum Cheryl posited as a scrounger. Then look at how Sue Radford is portrayed because her husband has his own business. Both are continually pregnant, same behaviour. Look who is criticised the most-the woman at the bottom of the class ladder, the single 'feckless' mum, who I believe has mixed race kids (as do I): that, for some reason, increases the stereotype factor-she's a sitting target for ridicule and hate. Yet she's done nothing different to other women.
Divide and conquer is the name of the game, get the middle classes to blame the working classes for behaving in the way society has taught them.

@Ohsolomio are you linked in with any organisations? I donate Christmas presents for children to local people in your situation through an organisation, might be worth seeing if there’s something similar in your area.

I agree it’s shit though, you should be given enough money by government to let you buy your kid a Christmas present!

@CoolCarrie he did indeed, he also said if you set out to deliberately try to make a misogynistic benefits system you couldn’t add much to what we have already, and that women and the disabled are hit hardest by the government’s policies.

Food banks do some nice packs at Christmas. They also have a toy bank for presents.
Ohsolmio I hope you're ok. I also have MH problems.

I’m watching now... my blood is boiling.

I’ve had a dreadful experience with them... I haven’t read through the thread but if anyone is currently struggling with them, I implore you - write to your local mp.

I did and she really helped. Funny how quick they managed to sort the problem and issue the payment I was owed once the mp was involved 🙄

I was working. Now I can't afford the electricity, let alone presents. I need to get a job again. It's absolutely heartbreaking. But there is nothing I can do! My GP has said I'm not fit to work, but the reality is, I can't afford to not try to work and probably have a nervous breakdown and end up in hospital for weeks. It's a bloody nightmare.

I am not lazy. But this system means that even when you're really unwell, that you're going to desperately try to find work because you literally can't live on it. And that is probably doing to mean I end up in hospital for weeks. But maybe this is more cost effective in their view.

ohsolomio
I am so so sorry this is happening to you. It shouldn’t be this way.

I hate the idea we are slipping into the American way of thinking with little support and safety net and the negative ‘your on your own, it’s your own making’ attitude that comes with it.

I'm trying my best. But if their system ends up costing them more money and me my sanity, I can't do anything about it!

I am doing my level best to try to get well enough to work, but the stress of this crap is really not helping. It's designed for people who are actually well. It also seems to make the assumption that if you're not well, maybe you're faking it. The irony is, it's making people more stressed. So they are going to end up with a bigger cost implication on hospitals!

I'll give you a concrete example of my life.
Doctor signed me off for 3 months. I thought I'd be fine to work before that.
Went for Universal Credit appointment.

They stressed me out so much, that there is no way that I can even comprehend getting a job. I cried my eyes out every time I left.
Now, I'm such a mess, work is the furthest thing from my mind.

My very intelligent (regularly published on the subject) finance/economics uni tutor

Judging by your posts @MeteorMedow your tutor is a neoclassical economist, not one who lives in the real world.

Food banks do some nice packs at Christmas.

Hey! Poor people! Just be fucking grateful!

Steak You make some good points and it would take a massive, psychological review on why lower classes behave as they do and then do something about it.

One point maybe giving vouchers in place of money, but as giving claimants their rent the problem is open to abuse and mishandling.

Unfair Doctor, it was a suggestion to Ohso not a demand for gratefulness
Vouchers are already given for fruit and milk for children under 4. 6.20 a week for under 1s, 3 10 for pregnant women amsd over 1s.
People sell 4 weeks worth for a fiver to put leccy on

Condoms it wasnt a Guardian link It was a link to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner.

Heres the full statement from Philip Alston.

Also linked from the same place.............................just so you know Condoms.

www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23881&LangID=E

If you watched the shoe you would realise they don't pay their rent because after sanctions and errors some are left with a pittance to feed themselves and their children.

The single father shown did pay his rent, after which he arounf £50 per month to feed and clothe himself and his child.

The two older men did not have a computer nor the skill to use one and so were sanctioned frequently.

They didn't piss their money up the wall. They fed themselves. It might not be what you would do but you can't blame them for choosing food over rent.

The payment of rent to claimants rather than landlords is absurd. It increases the chance that landlords will not accept anyone on benefits, as years ago when you looked for properties half of them were 'NO DHSS' and that was then.
It has only increased the levels of homelessness.
People need accurate dates which they can plan their life around.

Thanks for the link Helena

Our housing situation is so fucked up, there shouldn’t be private landlords involved with housing benefit except where there’s an exceptional need.

The whole “you made yourself intentionally homeless so we won’t help” bollocks.
ohsolo I suffer with mental health issues myself, what they are putting you through would test the strongest. Why do they not realise just how all consuming it is.
I really believe there are so few abusing the system it’s just not worth the cost (financial, physical, mental and in lives) to the genuine.

Our housing situation is so fucked up, there shouldn’t be private landlords involved with housing benefit except where there’s an exceptional need

So where would people live.

What exactly is wrong in a housing supply if you need to house people.

Some Landlords already lease their properties to local councils on a long lease.

So why not pay the housing benefit straight to a landlord to house tenants.

All you have atm is tenants who get the money in but who cannot pay their rent for whatever reason which in turn causes more stress all round as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

What needs to be done for some people who work would be to get their benefit amounts paid in with their salary from their employer.

The employer has a tax credit for the amount that they have paid the employer. That way there is no need to increase any prices.
Then maybe the following year the amount is a little less and so on till the person is getting the same as everyone else and by which time is able enough to have risen in the company or have the experience to get a better job.

Someone with more thought on the subject will probably show the flaws.

Atm things cannot continue as they are without some intervention

I am terrified of being forced into UC.

I was born with a severe disability, have used a wheelchair since I was 6 years old. I will never get better. There is no cure for Spina Bifida and I certainly wont grow back my leg.

Not only does UC put people through unnecessary, intentional suffering, it's making the already extremely difficult task of finding somewhere to live even harder.

I'm stuck in an inaccessible council property. I'm likely to have to wait years for an accessible home because they just aren't built despite the chronic need for them.

Private landlords won't go near me. 95% of landlords in my area won't accept tenants on benefits. Now that UC is making us unreliable tenants the problem will only get worse.

I am quite literally trapped in this property until some miracle happens.

It's similar for me Pepper in a different way. I am desperately frantically trying to get myself ready to work, but it's just not happening. I can't just cure myself of insomnia. I can't cure myself of inexplicable depression. I can't just leap out of bed in the morning and day HEY I'M GONNA GET ME A JOB
If I could do anything, and if I could pray for anything, it would be to get a job. To be well enough to get up every morning and not fall apart.

Lower classes Condom? Three million + people.

Some of whom will be caring for the children of higher income families.

One wonders why those couples would want to leave their children to be cared for by people they mistrust and despise so much!!

because you do know UC also includes people who already work right?