Is this just getting ridiculous! UNIVERSAL CREDIT

[ChristmasTime2023]

So had a review with UC today phone call she stated she would up date the journal with what I need to provide.
A full length photo of myself standing outside my front door with the key in the lock!?
Then a letter from the children's school & nursery saying they attend there
A letter from the children's gp
Passport photos
Child benefit award letter
Birth certificates (they have had birth certificates before )

This isn't a new claim either I dont understand why gp letters are needed they want one for me and my partner too.

Also on the phone call asked who I use for my gas and electricity
Ive never been asked these things before seems strange to ask?
Anyone else had a review lately what did they ask for.

Partner works full time if that matters.

Very fair rent pay fully paid for by benefits so she doesn’t have to pay anything extra. She’s been there for about 5 years this time. Moved out of the same house about 15 years ago and moved back again ( she asked us to keep it for her should it become available again). It’s a large bungalow in the countryside with a bigger than average garden . She looks after the house well and can paint , decorate, hang pictures as she wishes. Are we still arseholes?

We would rather rent to someone locally longterm who looks after the house even though we could possibly get more a month if it was re advertised .

@LilyBunch25 @Coffeeandbooks88

In an ideal world there would be enough social housing. Rented on a time limited basis, not for life. But we don't live in that world. Who should house @Crochetandtea 's tenant given the housing shortage?

I'll wait.

Lots of landlords won’t accept benefits I agree. Do you think landlords shouldn’t accept benefits?

Very altruistic of you. 🤣

Landlords are the worst benefit scroungers going. Not only do they expect large monthly payments but they expect a house bought for them at the end of it. Shameless.

Not all landlords are despicable. Where are tenants on benefits/ low incomes supposed to live if there are not enough housing association homes and not enough council homes?

I didn’t say you were an arsehole.

I rented a property after I left my ex husband, and paid about £200pcm below the rental market value for it because the guy owned it and didn’t want any more for it. That’s why I asked, because that’s the right thing to do on a non-mortgaged rental IMO.

I do think it’s unreasonable to have an issue with benefits when you are profiting from them personally.

Look at the good Samaritan.

House wasn’t paid for by benefits but I understand what you mean and I agree it is hypocritical. It would be good though for everyone to have at least had one job in their lifetime. Would you not agree ? Or to at least work the minimum 16 hours a week if able.

Thank you ! I do try.

Yes, what would happen to tenants if private landlords weren't around? I guess they'd all have to live in tents! All those privately rented properties would just disappear in a puff of smoke if the rentier class no longer existed.

When I'm not at my job helping people get work, I think about the reasons why some people - and it is vanishingly rare to encounter someone who's NEVER worked - might not have had jobs. I come to a lot of conclusions but never that they're just too lazy. Because that would be lazy. Lazy, simplistic thinking.

So how do you square that with your contribution to taking from the billions of pounds that are paid from the public purse into private pockets every year in housing related benefits? How do you maintain your image of yourself as good and kind and of claimants as lesser beings? Seriously, how does that work?

Not completely, as if they are accessible and especially if the child would not be old enough to access it, and it would be you the adult, they can count that too. It’s only things like ISA’s etc that you can’t withdraw from, which are excluded. It’s sad but true.

Never really thought about it tbh. But a landlord can't really slag off their tenant for being in benefits then actually make money from it themselves That's hypocritical

I’m not slagging her off. She’s a pleasant enough lady if somewhat lazy. I’m stating that the benefits bill would be smaller if those who could work even part time did in fact work part time and not rely on those who work fulltime and then some to cover their choices.

Doesn’t that also help back up where you live though, re; the tenancy agreement. Although I agree if not paying rent no need in that respect.

But you can’t even just do part time, if the earnings are not enough to suit UC rules.

The benefits bill would be cheaper by £30 bn a year and rising if we didn't have to pay private landlords mortgages (or in your case pure profit).
What kind of job do you think someone like your tenant would get that didn't need a UC top up? For all your moralising, it wouldn't save a penny.

The issue is with a landlord criticising benefit claimants on the one hand and gladly accepting it as pure profit via rent in the other. Not the housing crisis.

Why are fit and healthy people on benefits - chatting to a builder a while back I said see you to tomorrow he said no I’ve done my 16hrs this week! Well to me who was working 60 hrs a week at the time it made my piss boil - as they say!

The 16 hour thing is from tax credit days. Its not a thing on UC.

Childcare responsibilities?

Disabled partner who needs care?

Invisible health problem?

What ‘lazy non tax payer shit’ are you referring to? If that is directed at me then please show me where I said that! 🤔🙄
ID can’t be held on file as you stated because lots of forms of ID have expiry dates, eg. passports, driving licences etc plus utility bills can only be used if they are within the last 6 months.
Of course you should be expected to attend an unpaid training day on your ‘day off’ UC should not be a lifestyle choice where you can choose to work part time and expect it to be topped up. It’s there to support people while they look for a job that does pay enough for them to stop claiming. Part of that is experience and training. This is the case for anyone deemed to be capable of looking for full time work.
If you don’t like that then stop claiming get a better paid or second job.
I’m not directing this at you because as you rightly said, I have no idea of your circumstances. However, there are people in this country who are playing the system and choosing UC as an alternative to working. That does need to be stopped.

UC replaced several legacy benefits so you're wrong in suggesting it's a replacement for job seekers allowance. It's not purely income replacement for the unemployed or low-paid; it fulfils a number of functions including supporting disabled people and families with children.

There are a lot of assertions about people working just enough to keep UC off their backs but in the absence of concrete figures, that's made up rubbish. Apart from anything, as has already been pointed out, UC doesn't work in the same way as tax credits. It's a lot more conditional.

I’m sure I’ve read posts on here where a OP saw someone on her ring doorbell having their pictures taken outside her front door then walking away? Looks like it might have been someone pretending to live there for UC 😱