Future of welfare benefits after Furlough Scheme ends?

[DreamChaser23]

Do you think welfare will rise in the amount that it is currently at? For example, an increase in the amount to universal credit and other benefits?

The truth is a lot of industries will suffer even after COVID ends. Retail, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Aviation etc...

The likelihood is that when the furlough scheme ends in October a few million at least will be made redundant and a lot more jobs are being lost each day. Meaning being on welfare for a long period of time will become the norm.

How do you see the future of benefits such as Universal Credit? Will the amount rise of stay the same?

There's no money for more benefits. Covid has already cost billions and the loss of tax revenues etc will cost billions more. I can't see any increases in the foreseeable future at all. People are going to have to find whatever jobs they can find, retrain, or downsize their homes etc if they can't afford the mortgage/rent. Yes, that's tough, but there's a limit to how generous the country can be. I personally think furlough and support grants etc have been surprisingly generous so far to protect as many as possible, but they can't go on for much longer.

I doubt it'll rise sadly. People don't care that's its not enough to live on. If I get made redundant UC won't cover my rent so I'll be screwed... I expect the situation will be the same for many. But it's 'our fault' so.

I don't think so,there needs to be money to pay for that kind of thing. I've been made redundant and trying to plan so that we can survive on benefits in the future if we have to when my redundancy runs out. We're selling up and buying a cheaper house.

@user1497207191 As a single person under 35ish all you are allowed is sufficient rent to cover a room in a house in a terrible area. That's completely unfair to not even get enough to continue to exist in my inexpensive flat. Utter bullshit.

So UC rates were fine when they were just for the underclass, but now youre (general you) affected, they become a problem?

I had to go into debt when I became too ill to work and (then) ESA didn't cover my bills. I lived.

prior to cover, many people thought too much was being spent on benefits, and that most recipients were lazy, greedy and spending wildly on foreign travel and giant tv's.

it wasn't true.

it is a very pitiful amount to live on that did not keep up with the cost of living.
Boris doesn't seem as 'mean' as previous austerity pushers, but we shall see. however, I doubt much in the way of an increase will occur.

hopefully this will educate a broader selection of the population about how difficult it always has been when you solely rely on benefits.

I've watched a friend go through hell over the past decade with it all.

prior to covid

@KarenKuruma People have been saying they're not sufficient for a long time. It's appalling that anyone should have to go into debt because they're too ill to work.

@Beatrixpotterspencil very true but some people never learn we always scapegoat those who are in a situation through no fault of their own

First it was those on JSA
Then immigrants
Then asylum seekers
Now those on furlough

Some people never learn..

@DreamChaser23 yes, I'm wondering who they'll use next, when the immigrants have run out and everyone's had a slice of welfare sponging ;)

the only people who can survive well on benefits are the small few who are getting extra elsewhere. basically fraud. only a small amount of the population do this, the rest are struggling, turn to drink/drugs or just give up.

I spent 2 yrs on esa due to illness around 2003.
my family paid my rent & bills, my partner was there for me, and I could afford to eat well and buy some treats.
without that safety net I have no idea how I would have survived, and benefits were much friendlier then.

benefit top ups were the most popular, tax credits, etc. which are now gone.

if you receive any type of benefit at all now, you are not treated very well. it is presumed that you are shirking (disgusting term) if you do not spend 30 hours per week proving you are seeking work.
you can't have a preference or do a degree whilst claiming, you would be forced to take literally any job that came available.

it would be a severe culture shock to anyone who is used to professionalism or being treated with respect.

unless you have a moneyed partner/husband/safety net, etc, it is hard.

and if you have over 6000 savings you don't get anything as far as I know.

also, outside of lockdown, claimants are expected to attend regular interviews, programmes and whatnot. some of the jobsworth's you'll meet on those are soul destroying.
think 'league of gentlemen' and Pauline....

its just hard, I hope to never meet find myself in that situation..... there but for the grace of god go I, and all that.

If lots of Tory voters have to claim UC, obviously it will go up.

Have to agree with KarenKuruma. If you weren't actively campaigning for higher benefits prior to covid good luck convincing those with jobs that they should now fund even more.

There's saying it's not great/agreeing with someone and then theres actively doing something about it.

Millions in the population felt it was good enough 6 months ago so now some of those millions are going to have to learn to live on them in my opinion.

No, I don’t (and yes, I have worked on a number of UC cases and have campaigned for it to be higher) - yes I think it will stay about the same. If I was furloughed, and in a sector likely to be facing redundancies, I’d be using the time to consider my options, retrain and cushion a career shift. I have friends retraining with IT stuff (digital mums?), doing accountancy qualifications, and volunteering.

I had to go into debt when I became too ill to work and (then) ESA didn't cover my bills. I lived.

Yeah, well lots of people didn't live.

I may be rolling my eyes at the people who've suddenly discovered that,
"OMG! 'people on benefits' means my precious self"
and
"OMG! Benefits aren't enough to live on!"

But I'm don't fancy those unliveably low levels being continued just to spite the newbies, thanks very much.

Although quite how things will pan out in the new economy I just don't know. The UK's about to have Brexit on top of all Covid. And about to have a No Deal Brexit instead of best possible Brexit. So...

[quote esveee]@user1497207191 As a single person under 35ish all you are allowed is sufficient rent to cover a room in a house in a terrible area. That's completely unfair to not even get enough to continue to exist in my inexpensive flat. Utter bullshit.[/quote]
I would say its more than reasonable given those with mortgages get nothing. Except after 9 months of uc and no income, a repayable loan towards interest on mortgage of not already repossessed by then! So I'd say any rental amount is generous!

Fair point perking :( - and of course I'd absolutely support a rise in it now! I just get wound up by people only caring now it is affecting them

Also I'm (rationally imo) worried about my already small "income" shrinking with a recession - which is the direction I see benefits going tbh, not upwards.

the real crucifier is rent.
if you don't already own outright, or have a council place, your benefits never cover the cost of even the cheapest private rental.

so you are left with a monthly shortfall, often running into hundreds, because the gov won't regulate the rents for those on low incomes.

this cold very easily leave you without food or fuel.

like I said, if you have savings, or another safety net, you're ok, just worse off.
if you don't own a house you can be royally screwed.

but everyone thought it was so easy....

Before covid, benefit rates had been frozen since 2016 as part of 'austerity' measures.

UC and WTC rates did go up in response to the virus by £1000/year, although rates of ESA and JSA were not increased. These increases are only set to last a year though and I think this will cause extreme hardship if the rate is cut again next year.

Also, the minimum income floor has been temporarily suspended, making UC a lot more generous for the lowest paid self employed people. The LHA rate (the part of UC that goes towards rent) was also increased to match the 30th percentile of current local rents, as opposed to the 30th percentile of what local rents were in 2016.

I don't think we'll see any more rises as such but I'm hoping they keep the extra £1000/year and have a complete rethink of the minimum income floor, which disincentivises new start ups.

Also the benefit freeze was supposed to end this year anyway so the rates should also start going up in line with inflation again.

I think if you are single on benefits then it is a low amount.

If you rent and have several children the amount is more than many working families live on (yes I know that people who work on low incomes get benefits too) what I meant is the ones that don't qualify for so much in comparison to working families

In answer to OP's question - no I don't think it will rise. Reason - who will pay for it?

My mum lost her benefits a few years ago (PIP, ESA) as a doctor said she needed to have a seizure daily before being unfit for work .

Funnnily enough the stress of being asked to live off around £60 a week for a year ensured that she did have daily seizures ... and memory problems ... and then a suicide attempt ... she couldn’t even afford proper food and clothing .

So for those that say you can survive - no, you really can’t . Not for long and not happily .

the real crucifier is rent... because the gov won't regulate the rents for those on low incomes.

YES!

I would not be surprised if they keep the new higher rate for cold-claimants and let the older claimants or those on legacy benefits go to hell.
no one had sympathy for them before, I doubt they will now.

there could be a new crop of stigma on the horizon - the deserving (cover) and the scroungers (before cover).

at some point ALL claimants should be entitled to an equal amount depending upon their needs.

are the new, higher rates set to last for 12 months?
if so, how can the gov excuse leaving those on lower payments in equal poverty?

covid -claimants