Universal Credit should relax £16,000 savings eligibility rule

[DreamChaser23]

do you agree? This is to ensure other workers who were laid off and have 16k OR higher in savings should also be eligible for help.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/dwp-must-change-universal-credit-21792760.amp

mrshoho sorry that i think about looking after myself and my family and try and keep our heads above water, i didnt worry about China and co_vid 19 until recently, but now its affecting my family i take notice, im sure you had an interest in it a few yours ago

Also you’ve got a huge fuckin cheek to claim benefits if you have £16k savings.

CatAndFiddle I am a hundred percent sure that normal people will pull there money out if the are have money taken out of it, esp if you haven't much

JKScot4 how can you say that? what about people that have saved all their lives and other people in the same position haven't, if you have 15,000 saved but was on £50,000 a year you can get UC, but not if you have over £16,000 but are on min wage.

@Hester54 excuse us for caring about people we don't know. You would need a swinging brick not to be affected by all the school children in this country going to bed hungry. All the parents who make a choice every between feeding themselves or their kids. That's only a few examples there is literally hundreds I could post. But no your want to keep your £16,000 as it's not fair wah wah wah. Grow up .

CatAndFiddle what next pay people to have a mortgage and take out bank loans?

@hester
Easily, if you have savings you live off them as I am doing, not claim benefits, if you have £16k in the bank you are not in need.

Peppafrig how can i care for people i don't know and have never met, doesn't mean just because after 42 years in work and have a built up a bit of savings i'm doing much better myself

JKScot4 i only have them because i have saved for over 40 years, missed holidays, ran an old banger, looked after my family, it was for my retirement,

JKScot4 how can you say that? what about people that have saved all their lives and other people in the same position haven't, if you have 15,000 saved but was on £50,000 a year you can get UC, but not if you have over £16,000 but are on min wage.

Yes, because if you’re suddenly unemployed, what matters is how much money you have not how much you used to earn.

JKScot4 I have been in a min wage job now for the last ten years working 12 hr shifts, i hardly class myself as rich,

Mine are child benefit I've saved for 17 years for DD's university / house deposit.

So for 17 years you received unearned money from the government that you didn't need to use for its intended purpose, i.e. feed/clothe/house your child, so were able to save it all and you don't see what would be unreasonable about asking you to use that before expecting more money .

How can u care about people you don't know and have never met . Wow just wow.

How about companies with huge profits, lots of staff on six figure salaries and still paying large bonuses, also Premiership football clubs opting for the government furlough scheme. The furlough scheme should not be permitted where the company actually have the funds and resources to pay their staff. This has to stop.

Sorry - you don't see what would NOT be unreasonable ...

@Hester54 yet in a previous thread you said you worked 8 till 5 .

If I had £16k I'd gladly have my benefits stopped while I worked my way through it.

As it is I get carers allowance and I'm called a scrounger?

In a way I'm glad there are so many people having to claim UC and seeing what it's like on this 'cushy life'

Deathgrip A person a £50,000 can save far more than a person on min wage, so have a big house, big car, 3 holidays a year etc you can get UC,
min wage, no

Peppafrig no, 6-6, until last week

If you do choose to keep money in savings accounts you might want to look up Cyprus haircut to see how that might work out for you

Two top tips on one thread!

Sadly I have no brilliant tips on where to actually put the money, it's just a case of least bad options. Looking at India demonetisation I would suggest if going for cash you go for the new banknotes and change any old for new type, but that's just a wild guess. Things will be pretty wild if we reach that state. You might just want to buy that new car you were thinking of. It still depreciates but at least you get to drive a reliable car.

@BackInTime its too difficult yo decipher which companies can pay their staff though, because the aim is to keep jobs, and if a company takes a big hit to income, it will naturally look to makr people redundant due to the uncertain situation even if it can currently pay wages.

No. Those lucky enough to have savings will need to use them for this. There isn't an endless supply of handouts and those who need it most are not people with 16k in the bank.

TestBank yes that was for people with over 100,000 in their account

SpillTheTea But it is, the people who have had a good job and made no attempt to save will get a handout.

I was made redundant while I was pregnant. The "savings" I have are to survive on till I can get a new job after my "MAT" leave. If I can't claim till I'm below 16k I'll have to go back to work sooner.

Universal credit wouldn't pay me enough to cover my mortgage. So I've got to balance everything. I don't know now when I'll be able to get a new job. DH is in a job where he doesn't qualify for any of the help (80% pay etc). I have no idea when his industry will bounce back. I definitely feel I'm in no-MAns-land.

I find it all unfair. I've got friends who've never saved a penny who are getting £2500 a month out of this. The government will help those who don't help themselves but not those who pay the largest amount of tax.