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.

@BlueberrySugar

Just making the poorer, poorer. It's disgusting.

I don't see how they can cut £80-£100+ off people a month. The thing is, from what I'm aware it never said it was actually in their statement they received it. So people claiming at the beginning of the pandemic might of thought that was their actual amount they were entitled too. They label everything in that statement so why oh why did they not say it was a temporary uplift? They literally just started 2 months before it was due to be cut that it was going.

Absolutely disgraceful.

I just.looked at.my.claim and payment statement, there is no mention of the uplift when it first appeared. Whether it was the same.for everyone I can't say, but for me, there is no mention. It was just limped into the standard allowance element.

@PalmarisLongus Exactly, they didn't mention it at all. I know about 4 different people on UC since the pandemic started and all have not had anything in their statement to say they had the uplift. So they thought this was their amount.

They literate state everything else in the statements, housing elements, children etc.

And breakdown everything else but not mention an uplift? Suspicious that.

People can say 'they said they were doing it' yes but some people might not have thought they were eligible and if they were it should've been in a statement.

They've really f**ked up!

Same @PalmarisLongus

No, his hours aren’t equivalent to full time, if you actually read my post then you would be able to work out that he can’t possibly work 37+ hours a week because where would the children go?

Where did you think they were going to go when you worked when you decided to try for a baby?

I come back to we should only have benefits for those so disabled they are unable to work and for the others for the short period they are out of work.

I would rather the benefit money wax used to subsidise childcare fees and get people into work. We could have vouchers for food to be be spent on essentials and include lots of fruit veg and staple items for cooking fresh healthy meals.

Solves many issues, kids are fed, stimulated properly at nursery (we know kids from poker backgrounds perform worse developmentally(. And parents are in jobs, contributing to the economy and will have skills to keep them in work as the children grow up.

*poorer

@Brokensunflower did you miss the part where the PP said her husband's business folded during the pandemic and they weren't eligible for any government help? I guess they should have factored in a pandemic to their household budgeting pre-baby. Did you?

@Badgerbonce

Anyway to the poster who said missed the point of the thread. Rhe op is actually misleading . This is not a cut ,it is a return the the norm As post above this onw says.

Yes, a return to the norm of not having enough to live on for many of us.

@NiceWelshLady

This and the furlough scheme were intended to help people during the pandemic. It was clear from the start that it was only temporary.

The country is facing serious economic difficulties, including tax increases. We all have to do our bit. There are plenty of job vacancies, so opportunities to earn extra income if you are struggling.

It may only have been temporary but doesn't mean especially as costs have risen so much that it isn't a serious worry. What opportunities are there for the sick, disabled and carers to earn extra income?

Brokensunflower did you miss the part where the PP said her husband's business folded during the pandemic and they weren't eligible for any government help?

I did miss that and I'm incredibly sorry to hear it.

@IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves

Are they? That's quite a bit for those on a very low income.

They're cutting the £20 a week Covid uplift. So they're just back to where they were before the pandemic.

So I'd imagine they'll go back to what they did before the pandemic...

So I'd imagine they'll go back to what they did before the pandemic...

Are you James Arthur?
Cause this post is tone deaf.

@CorianderAndCream - yes go back to not having enough. Except costs have gone up - my utilities by £40 per month, food prices increased so actually worse off.

I find it interesting that all those who come on to agree with the uplift caveat that they're not talking about people who work or are disabled/ill etc. But that is what most people on UC are. And by agreeing to removal of the uplift you are agreeing to remove it from us too.

@UndertheCedartree yes going back to sadly not enough. But nobody else I know has had a raise in the pandemic? Most people are struggling with the rise in costs.

People on legacy benefits (esa, sickness benefits etc) didn’t get the uplift. We are obviously undeserving.💐

@Brokensunflower
Are you aware of the way jobseekers works, you need to clearly demonstrate that you are looking for work 35 hours per week. It’s not the life of ease many think it is. Why should people who are unemployed, often through no fault of their own, go without.
As for vouchers, that’s an appalling idea. I may be disabled but I am as entitled to choices as you are. That goes for families who are on bent too.
What if the vouchers are for Asda and the nearest is 25 miles away?
What if you have all this lovely fruit and veg but no means to cook it?
Poverty isn’t just about food, it’s food, fuel and education, as well as other factors.

Sick of this thread. People calmly explaining what it is like to be in desperate situations and stating numbers and facts, while ever more people parrot Daily Mail headlines and studiously ignore what they've said.

I despair.

Don't worry, folks, normal service will resume once the uplift goes and kids and disabled people go back to starving and shivering once more.

@EmmaOvary

Sick of this thread. People calmly explaining what it is like to be in desperate situations and stating numbers and facts, while ever more people parrot Daily Mail headlines and studiously ignore what they've said.

I despair.

Don't worry, folks, normal service will resume once the uplift goes and kids and disabled people go back to starving and shivering once more.

I actually think people enjoy hearing of others people's plight. To then it's humourous, or they think people deserve it. They're like the wealthy douche bags telling the hobo to 'just get a job' Doesn't matter what facts and figures you highlight, it's just dismissed with hand wave.

There was a story, few years ago, a man died just outside of Westminster, passed daily by the MPs and the incredibly wealthy, any of whom could have saved his life. They chose to ignore him, turned the other way, pretended to look at their phone so they didn't have to make eye contact.
And that's the Tory supporters.
They'd rather stare at their phones and step over the poor and sick. Sure they'll chuck some smart price beans into a collection and feel like they're helping, but they won't really do anything. They'll just always vote for self serving purposes and never have to meet one of the people they've doomed to starvation.

Never forget the name Gyula Remes, he was 43..

London is the capital of homelessness.

165,000 people are homeless in London. More than the entire population of many UK towns.

The public health housing and homeless emergency is most acute in London but it's impacting across the country.

For those that don't care, housing homeless people in expensive (but shitty) temporary accommodation costs the taxpayer billions. Add in the high housing element of the general (non homeless) benefit bill, and you can see how building and buying lots more social housing would be the better option long term. Morally and financially.

Never forget the name Gyula Remes, he was 43..

The average age of death for a homeless man is 45. It's 43 for a woman.

Yes, in Westminster. Next to taxpayer funded Parliament, homeless people literally die on the streets.

[quote BlueberrySugar]@PalmarisLongus Exactly, they didn't mention it at all. I know about 4 different people on UC since the pandemic started and all have not had anything in their statement to say they had the uplift. So they thought this was their amount.

They literate state everything else in the statements, housing elements, children etc.

And breakdown everything else but not mention an uplift? Suspicious that.

People can say 'they said they were doing it' yes but some people might not have thought they were eligible and if they were it should've been in a statement.

They've really f**ked up![/quote]
Ok... but it's been extremely well documented in news on TV, newspapers etc. If that is a main source of income for people, it would be prudent for them as adults to keep themselves informed about it, just as people do about their employer/ industry/ job.

I have so much sympathy for poverty. Been there. But this excusing of the choice to be ignorant in a world of freely accessible information I find disingenuous. These people are adults for goodness sake. Unless they have mental disabilities, claiming you didn't know isn't an excuse. 🙄

That is a separate issue however, to whether it should be reduced to the original amount again. Ideally not. Although - as a single parent on a tight budget myself - ideally my salary would not be frozen when inflation is 3% so effectively a 3% pay cut this year, and ideally I wouldn't be asked to pay even more tax on my salary on top of that pay cut.

Everyone is being hit by this.

There was a story, few years ago, a man died just outside of Westminster, passed daily by the MPs and the incredibly wealthy, any of whom could have saved his life. They chose to ignore him, turned the other way, pretended to look at their phone so they didn't have to make eye contact. And that's the Tory supporters. They'd rather stare at their phones and step over the poor and sick.

This reminds me of the scene in Borat where he lies on the steps of a church in the US and they all step over him in disgust as they go into their Sunday morning church service. Not one asked if he was ok, did he need help?

Clearly none had understood what the New Testament was attempting to convey (I am not religious).

I am not sure why you think this is reserved for Tories though. Presumably Labour MPs and others also walked past this man before he died? The pandemic had shown just how callous most people are, MPs are not alone in that either.

The HOC chaplain requested the removal of rough sleepers, the year after the death of Gyula Remes. Such compassion...
www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/17/westminster-homeless-evicted-after-complaint-by-commons-chaplain

@WhoIsPepeSilva

I know in some cases people have been told completely incorrect information by the UC. I was not informed of the COVID increase but when my payments increased and I queried it I was told it was a band increase due to a recent health assessment.

The first I heard of the COVID increase was when they told people in a generic note sent to all claimants journals I'd be losing it two weeks ago. So they can send out a memo to everyone apparently.

I don't have a problem with being given a temporary extra and them taking it back, what I do have a problem with is that some people have fallen through the cracks, been given misinformation and suddenly are getting a large whack of cash wheeched out from under them. But there seems little point complaining.

To add insult to injury I was told by one operator that "It was all over the telly so I should have known" Well that's excellent, but I don't have a telly and avoid the news because it exacerbates my depression but I should have known of course. The UC doesn't need to actually get in touch with their service users, we should just watch the telly for important updates! Perfectly sensible and a lovely bit of "victim blaming" from that operator. Was (still am) a bit pissed off about that comment.

I know there was a global pandemic and things will go wrong, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who was missed in the newsletter, given very wrong information and is will now have to do some quick foot work to keep things from crashing around their ears, all on top of dealing with mental/physical health issues.

Sadly I can see there being another big uptick in suicide stats in the coming months because of the way this has been handled.

Sorry to quote myself @MagentaSea but I can't be the only one surely? Especially given now we know that a large demographic (legacy benefits) were missed out because of IT problems.

I have to be incredibly aware of my funds as I am budgeted to the last penny.

I was not notified of the uplift. I cannot afford a television license, don't own a TV and stay away from the news online for the most part because I struggle to cope without seeing all the ills of the world. Some stuff filters through to me but I am quite isolated and only have contact with 1 person regularly. I live alone.

I noticed my increase and asked why my money had gone up, I was told incorrectly that it was because of a recent health assessment I had completed and that the extra money was because I had been put on a higher band.

When I got the note in my journal to say the uplift had ended I again got in contact and asked and was again told incorrect information.

When I asked them to send me a breakdown showing the uplift included in the statement I was told they were unable to do so.

Like a PP I find that a bit worrying since everything else is detailed, itemised and broken down to the penny for you.

They can't show me the figure that says COVID uplift anywhere, I can't prove definitively whether I have had it or not and I have to take it on trust that it's third time lucky and I have the correct information.

It feels properly tin foil hat to say but how do I know I was given it in the first place if they can't show me it? How do I know the health assessment payment hasn't been incorrectly cut?

And it's victim blamey to say if you don't have a TV you only have yourself to blame if you didn't know. They should have been able to reach everyone through UC and regular channels that were made for the purposes of communicating with service users, not rely on people catching a news segment memo!

I do understand the point that we have to be responsible for looking at our money and questioning any differences.

@EmmaOvary and others who have been trying to get poverty across to the willfully ignorant. I really appreciate your efforts and patience in this thread you've made some really great points and I wish I was half as articulate as you lot.

Also just the simple fact they managed to contact everyone to say they were removing the uplift goes to prove they can in fact reach all service point users.

Just a massive failing.

@WhoIsPepeSilva I am not victim blaming. I am the last person that would ever do that.

I avoid the news a lot too as it's so depressing but this has been well piblicised on mumsnet, other social media, newspapers, and a lot of discussion in general so it's hard to understand how you could have heard nothing and also done no research into what the sources of your income and entitlements are, if it is essential to you.

I am very sorry for your situation, it sounds horrible. And people giving you misonformation is clearly not ok - make a complaint.

You can check entitlement and what you qualify for, for various reasons on a number of websites I believe, without accessing news sites if they make you anxious. Also on gov.uk that has all of the official information.