To ask how people will cope with Universal credit cut.

[ponyexpress22]

Surely they aren't going ahead with cutting it by £20 a week? I'm shocked that the government could stoop this low. What the hell are they doing.

Along with better benefit rates across the board that are not time limited.
£67 carers allowance is just one massive indication of a slap in the face.

Sorry my post got split.

I think it has become illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants who rely on LHA?

@Itsnotover
They do it unofficially. Minimum income requirements, etc. Also, particularly in London but increasingly other areas too, the market rent is often higher than the maximum benefit level.

@Itsnotover

I think it has become illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants who rely on LHA?

So they just don't sat that's the reason

@flirtygirl

It was an uplift and was always going to be stopped. Those who were on uc pre covid should not have allowed themselves to get used to it. Everyone was told it was time limited and due to covid.

We are in receipt of uc in part of this house, so yes it does affect my family but I think those going on about it are unreasonable.

Also it very unfair that legacy benefits never saw the uplift.

Uc credit rates are crap as are legacy benefits but that is another topic. They should all be much better but the uplift was always time limited and due to covid. People need to use their voices to get the crap universal system that penalises people sorted.

What exactly do you think it is about Uc that penalizes people ? When someone starts working they are better off, the Uc reduces on a taper and if they get a work allowance then they can earn up to £513 a month ( if they have a mortgage ) and not lose any UC. this must surely encourage people to do some part time work at least even if they can't manage full time. I can see that the savings limit penalises people to some extent but others would argue that people with savings over 16k shouldn't receive benefits. Many people on Uc are significantly better off than the old system. I think it penailses single parents because once your child turns 12, you are expeced to earn 35 x nmw per week wheras if you have a working partner earning over some very low figure, you basically have very little in the way of work commitments. And I think the rates for single people should be better, especially older people. Currently you could be very near retirement age and they still expect you to look for full time work unless you have a lenient work coach. The chances of 66year olds finding full time work must be minimal surely ? There are some parts that could do with tweaking but on the whole some of it is ok. Just interested in what you think penalizes people ?

@Itsnotover

I think it has become illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants who rely on LHA?

I know that it was found to be discriminatory in court; it certainly hasn't filtered through to landlords or agencies I've been in contact with since then though, including this year.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn07008/

[quote Tealightsandd]@Itsnotover
They do it unofficially. Minimum income requirements, etc. Also, particularly in London but increasingly other areas too, the market rent is often higher than the maximum benefit level.[/quote]

Yes there has been a lot of discussion about 'social cleansing' since the Tories got back in.

@lannistunut

It is economically stupid too, this is going to reduce the amount of money being spent, further suppressing growth. This government are infuriatingly useless.

Yes!

People will spend less which will have a knock on effect on other sectors of the economy.

As for those on NMW or low-wage advised to relocate to cheaper areas (as proposed upthread!!!haha), who would perform the low-paid work in the expensive areas if all low-paid workers moved? You know those essential workers such as retail workers, cleaners, hospital workers, childcarers, rubbish collectors, delivery drivers, etc, etc...Also if lots and lots of low-paid workers left, say, London and went North, how do you think this would impact those areas? Higher unemployment, maybe...

This is why low-paid workers are subsidised by the state in high-cost areas (and because the govt does not want to force companies to pay higher wages!!)

It is economically stupid too, this is going to reduce the amount of money being spent, further suppressing growth. This government are infuriatingly useless.

The worst thing for an economy is high taxes and low benefits - it stagnates spending and growth and, therefore, also reduces how much money the government takes in via taxes. So putting us in a spiral of needing to raise them to bridge the gap. Which reduces spending further and so reduces tax income further. And so on. This is exactly what we're seeing now.

When someone starts working they are better off, the Uc reduces on a taper and if they get a work allowance then they can earn up to £513 a month ( if they have a mortgage ) and not lose any UC. this must surely encourage people to do some part time work at least even if they can't manage full time.

You might seem better off based on income alone but when you add up the things you lose - council tax benefit, free school meals, uniform grants £100 per child, here in Scotland I think there is an extra child payment too although I've not paid much attention as not entitled, all the food vouchers or cash payments received during holidays, free council run sports clubs, at our school breakfast club is free for those on free school meals for me it's £5 per day for the 40 minutes that allows me to get to work on time. Concession entry and membership for certain attractions (historic Scotland for example gives unlimited access to countless days out and the concession card is only a couple of £ a month). I'm sure there's much more, this is just off the top of my head. All I know is I was significantly better off on full benefits, better off now than when I was earning a lower hourly rate and that if I was to change over to UC from the current tax credit system I'd be around £7pm better off than I am now - not worth the 5 weeks of no money that I couldn't possibly survive without.

@liveforsummer

When someone starts working they are better off, the Uc reduces on a taper and if they get a work allowance then they can earn up to £513 a month ( if they have a mortgage ) and not lose any UC. this must surely encourage people to do some part time work at least even if they can't manage full time.

You might seem better off based on income alone but when you add up the things you lose - council tax benefit, free school meals, uniform grants £100 per child, here in Scotland I think there is an extra child payment too although I've not paid much attention as not entitled, all the food vouchers or cash payments received during holidays, free council run sports clubs, at our school breakfast club is free for those on free school meals for me it's £5 per day for the 40 minutes that allows me to get to work on time. Concession entry and membership for certain attractions (historic Scotland for example gives unlimited access to countless days out and the concession card is only a couple of £ a month). I'm sure there's much more, this is just off the top of my head. All I know is I was significantly better off on full benefits, better off now than when I was earning a lower hourly rate and that if I was to change over to UC from the current tax credit system I'd be around £7pm better off than I am now - not worth the 5 weeks of no money that I couldn't possibly survive without.

Can you not claim childcare costs from Uc for the breakfast club ? As long as it's Ofsted registered you should be able to claim?

@liveforsummer

When someone starts working they are better off, the Uc reduces on a taper and if they get a work allowance then they can earn up to £513 a month ( if they have a mortgage ) and not lose any UC. this must surely encourage people to do some part time work at least even if they can't manage full time.

You might seem better off based on income alone but when you add up the things you lose - council tax benefit, free school meals, uniform grants £100 per child, here in Scotland I think there is an extra child payment too although I've not paid much attention as not entitled, all the food vouchers or cash payments received during holidays, free council run sports clubs, at our school breakfast club is free for those on free school meals for me it's £5 per day for the 40 minutes that allows me to get to work on time. Concession entry and membership for certain attractions (historic Scotland for example gives unlimited access to countless days out and the concession card is only a couple of £ a month). I'm sure there's much more, this is just off the top of my head. All I know is I was significantly better off on full benefits, better off now than when I was earning a lower hourly rate and that if I was to change over to UC from the current tax credit system I'd be around £7pm better off than I am now - not worth the 5 weeks of no money that I couldn't possibly survive without.

Not all of those things exist everywhere though. I get a £7 reduction in my council tax. No school uniform grant. There were free clubs over the holidays but my dc were too old to qualify so any activities they did want I had to pay for. I did find a few places had a cheaper entry rate for UC claimants, but that rate (£1 off for most places) applied for both employed and unemployed UC.

Now I'm not complaining at any of that before I get accused of being entitled. Merely pointing out that not everyone has the same "benefits" from being on benefits.

@CiaoForNiao a £7 reduction on council tax when on full benefits?

Yup. Although I've asked for a reconsideration because I think they've made a mistake.

Well maybe they were also skipping meals and cutting out showers before too? I don't call that managing. Bit of a harsh comment from someone who is also clearly struggling to access basic human rights due to the govt system. That's exactly what the govt want though - for us to turn on each other to deflect from the real issue - the govt.

@CiaoForNiao well yes, £7 off council tax when on full benefits with no income isn't typical and I suspect must be incorrect. When on full benefits not working I used to pay £38pm now as a single parent earning 9k a year I pay £160 so had £122 discount

I'm paying approx £100 pcm!

Can you not claim childcare costs from Uc for the breakfast club ? As long as it's Ofsted registered you should be able to claim?

We don't have ofsted in Scotland. It's a low income free breakfast club extended casually as there was space for paying places. Only receipt is via parent pay, since covid it's how they wanted payment as not wanting cash but doesn't specify what it's for. Previously didn't get a receipt so not possible to claim

@CiaoForNiao

I'm paying approx £100 pcm!

If you're not working, receiving full benefits and paying £100 of an £107 council tax bill then that's definitely not correct

Sorry the reduction is £7per week. No idea why the council list it as a weekly reduction on a monthly bill. Probably so we're too confused to claim the reduction!

The council tax stuff can sadly be correct. The full council tax benefit changed a few years ago and now each council has their own rules. One council I lived in helped those in receipt of disability benefits with a full council tax benefit. Another one lets you move down to the next band saving around £5 a week (ie still paying approx £80ish a month).

@UndertheCedartree
That’s really awful
My niece became seriously ill this year and she had to give up her well paid job . With her illness it will be ongoing for the rest of her life and in many ways life changing and limiting .
I filled out her ESA forms for in Feb and she was put in the support group with no interview it did take a while I think about 15 weeks in total .

I did her PIP forms in April and she was awarded the Highest rate for both care and mobility in September
This was backdated so she got just over 3.4K in back payments and she was given a five year award Her assessment for PIP was also done over the phone and not face to face .
But she was lucky that during the period she had to wait and had little money she had family to support her and help .
And she was lucky that I was able to fill out ESA PIP forms correctly as I have done them several times for people and they have always been successful at getting the correct award .
There is no way if she had to do the forms herself she would have been successful or got through in such a quick time
I’ve heard of people waiting 6 months plus for ESA and over a year for PIP awards

[quote Wegobshite]@UndertheCedartree
That’s really awful
My niece became seriously ill this year and she had to give up her well paid job . With her illness it will be ongoing for the rest of her life and in many ways life changing and limiting .
I filled out her ESA forms for in Feb and she was put in the support group with no interview it did take a while I think about 15 weeks in total .

I did her PIP forms in April and she was awarded the Highest rate for both care and mobility in September
This was backdated so she got just over 3.4K in back payments and she was given a five year award Her assessment for PIP was also done over the phone and not face to face .
But she was lucky that during the period she had to wait and had little money she had family to support her and help .
And she was lucky that I was able to fill out ESA PIP forms correctly as I have done them several times for people and they have always been successful at getting the correct award .
There is no way if she had to do the forms herself she would have been successful or got through in such a quick time
I’ve heard of people waiting 6 months plus for ESA and over a year for PIP awards[/quote]
People would only wait that long for a PIP award if it had to go to a tribunal.
Contributions based ESA assessment rate is paid within 3 weeks usually.

Wow!!!!! …………….

@Iheartbaby
I hope it’s stopped, no one has given me £20 a week more…….

That is an unbelievable comment!!!