Benefits to be replaced by loans!

Do you really think that people will work hard, in difficult circumstances ,perhaps after years of training (eg surgeon, soldier) while others have the same income for easy jobs (eg greeting people at a hotel's reception)and yet others,who are fit and healthy, choose not to work at all ?

I don't think that people on universal income get the same income irrespective of what they do, people are more likely to get a basic income on top of their salary, not to replace it, from the studies Ive seen.

Universal basic income gives people a basic income if they work and also if they don't I believe. It is not a fortune.

It gives someone a small income without the need to jobsearch and before anyone suggest thats just being paid to sit on your backside. It removes the stress from being on benefits such as universal credit.

I'm certainly not choosing not to work. In fact I am trying very hard to get a job that isn't zero hours (because thats all Ive been offered in the last year and nowhere near enough hours to live on).

I've been on universal credit since the end of January. Ive had a letter from my landlord threatening me with eviction every month for the last 8 months because UC is paid in arrears. I've been threatened with sanctions on more than one occasion, once for not applying for enough jobs in a week (I applied for several), the latest sanction I got threatened with was because I have to have a CV on my UJM account, the DWP use windows 7 and my CV was stretched across the screen as I use 10. It's pretty much a double whammy. Constantly threatened with sanctions and constantly threatened with eviction. I ended up so stressed (at a time when a relative was very ill), I ended up with a skin condition.

I was told to fix this CV issue or face action (sanction) and that was written on my client commitment form.

and yet others,who are fit and healthy, choose not to work at all ?

I know very few people who fall into this category, if you are on UC you have to look for work, you have to jobsearch up to 35 hours a week. You have to be able to evidence this and if you get a job interview through the job centre they can check that you have gone and ask for feedback on your interview.

I've seen a few people on these boards lately talk about people on benefits sitting doing nothing, it's clear to me that they haven't been on them for a long time.

Benefit claimants have been stigmatised for years and the propaganda has been so successful it's resulted in a bun fight between claimants who feel more entitled than other claimants. Actually, many of them (recipients of Working Tax Credit and the State Pension being at the fore) like to pretend their benefit isn't a benefit at all.

Or people who work describing people on benefits. On another thread on the board today its been said that people on benefits have iphones, drive cars, smoke and drink beer.

I get 321 a month on universal credit, no in work allowance as I have no kids and 63p from every pound I earn is deducted as soon as I earn a pound in eanrings.

I really would like people to see what its like being on UC, the pressure you are put under to find work, the constant threat of sanctions, of eviction from your landlord as well at the same time.

This includes people who work as well, because anyone who isnt earniing 35 hours a week x nmw can claim UC.

Id love to see these people running a home and living the high life on 321 a month because I'm certainly not doing that.

There are also people on UC who live on less than 321 as they may not get their full rent covered, people with a spare bedroom may not always get DHP (they do in Scotland). There are people living on 40-50 pounds a week after rent is paid out. I defy anyone to be fit, healthy and not want to work under those circumstances.

trigger_fish wrote: »

Its like Jeremy Kyle.

The same people are regurgitated time and time again painting a false picture.

But again, it isn't a false picture. You can argue it's unrepresentative certainly, but those people do all exist. It's sadly that they tend to often live in the same areas (B&Bs, rundown coastal resorts, inner cities and outer council estates), so people either won't know anyone like that or will recognise rather a lot!


Indeed the cross breaks from a poll earlier in the year showed that even unemployed claimants believed some benefits were too generous, whereas the only group to complain that welfare cuts were their main concern were 2% of ABs (professionals etc)


Sadly it tends to be out-of-touch middle class MPs claiming to talk on behalf of working class people who say there must be no cuts to welfare.


Indeed in the thankfully only 6 week period I have ever claimed JSA 15 years ago (so only involving 4 visits to the local JCP), I overheard a drug dealer and a benefit fraudster openly discussing their 'other work' whilst waiting to sign(!)


Yes, it's wrong to tar all claimants as !!!!less; but, it's equally wrong to somehow pretend that all are genuine in the way they may have been at the inception of the welfare State.


Sadly, I think we all recognise that there has been a decline in standards and society over the past 50 years. We'll probably all cite differing causes for this, but it is borne out in various surveys, as well as recorded statistics covering everything from bogus insurance claims to ASBOs.