Universal Credit: Inside the Welfare State

[purpleme12]

Anyone watch?
I would not want to be one of those people working at the job centre.
I'd feel so bad for the people and the homeless people

I thought it was supposed to work better if your income fluctuated? As it works in real time each month whereas you couldn't update tax credits each month?

In my experience some job coaches try very hard to support UC claimants in very difficult situations. This week I spoke to a lady who was struggling with budgeting and she been offered fortnightly UC payments. These alternative payments arrangements (like rent payments direct t the landlord) are subject to meeting certain criteria but many cases claimants who would qualify are not even being told about it. Yesterday I provided food & fuel vouchers to a lady who had another week before her payment date - she had no money. She has severe mental health problems & has recently fled domestic abuse. Her ability to budget is minimal - without the (voluntary sector) project I work for she would have been in dire straits this week. This is just one example of the many I see each week.

Some of the people on it did annoy me... but that's the aim isn't it!

The lady in the first show with two young children, l did feel for.... until she said at the end "I'll just have to get a job". Yes... if you can then you should be!!

The pub owner who is now homeless and the other man who did the week on the building site came across really well. I really hope they get a break soon as they both have the "drive" for it.

The man who had been on benefits for 10 years and who was a bit gobby and didn't want to work l feel.... but was made to take the train cleaning job.... l thought at the end he looked so much better in himself. He looked happier and healthier. He was also doing his photography again. Really hope he sticks at it as it really seemed to have made a positive impact.

The young pregnant girl. Felt sorry for her and she totally deserved residency. This is the only country and home she has known!

@FourDecades She gave up work for a while to care for her ill mum. On AIBU at the mo there are a couple of threads running about how families should care for their own, well its not really hard to see why there is such resistance is it.

and the other man who did the week on the building site came across really well

and yet didnt get the job Whats the betting there was another ready to step into the "job trial" after him. And another . And another.

@HelenaDove - yes l know she did and it's very commendable, but once that ceased if she was able to work then she should have.

In regards to the building work trial. I agree that is dreadful, giving people false hope

Just watched the last one.

The young girl - Jenny. She seemed so lovely. Not sure about cleaning the bathroom in her waitress uniform though.

The couple who now live together and she had the daughter who wore a brown uniform. Oh dear. Unfortunately they didn't come across well as they were spending so much on cigarettes and weed, plus they didn't try and make the advance last and just blew it.

Trouble is if she had have been out of work for a couple of years (because she wasnt just nursing her mum through a common cold ) it can be hard to get back in. No wonder more and more are refusing to care for family members with attitudes like this. I got the impression she was trying her best.

In my experience it can be hard to get work at the best of times that's why I'm desperate to keep my job

I live and work in an area which was one of the last to go "full service" UC.

There was a LOT of information about preparing for UC. Budgeting assistance was offered by all of the housing associations and the Council. It was rarely taken up.

I agree there's something wrong with a system that encourages getting into debt.

I was rather disappointed in the programme, actually. It didn't mention how difficult the system is for those experiencing health problems, or the fact that, bizarrely, under-25s get a reduced amount of UC.

I also think that many the Jobcentre Staff featured came across as a bit dim.

I don't think some of the job centre people came across as very empathetic to some people

Why do under 25s get reduced amount. I mean I'm assuming the government wants them all to live with their parents up to that age? But it seems unfair

I think the couple who were moving in together and blew their advance probably had no idea how to manage money because they'd never had much before. It's easy to look down on them for spending it all on "fun things" but the temptation, suddenly feeling rich having so much in their account after living hand to mouth on benefits for so long, must be very difficult to resist. So even though I think they made a huge mistake I do have some sympathy for them.

I don't see why they should have had a five week wait anyway, they were both already on benefits and just combining their claim and moving from old style benefits to UC, so there was no need to assess their claim or make any checks as the job centre would already have had their details.

It just highlights how ridiculous the five week wait is. It seems to exist solely to push people into debt. When people claim benefits it's because they need the support NOW, not in over a month's time.

The five week wait seems to exist to get people in debt and ensure they don’t have enough to live while on UC. Plus saving 5 weeks of the benefits they were previously on.

The amounts offered are vastly higher then what they end up getting even before

With the exception of the Bolton woman who was total poverty porn everyone else seemed liked decent people on hard times.