Warning! Big benefit payments shake-up: frequency and pay-day will change for most

SomeBozo

I think its a little unfair the critiscm the government is getting here.

If you are in need of the benefits, fit all the criteria and are entitled to it, the government will provide :

1) A modest income
2) Pay for the roof over your head (where applicable)
3) Pay your council tax (where applicable)
4) Help you to pay for your children
5) Provide crisis loans if you are truly desperate.

So they want to change the system? No one is saying you will not get your beenfits anymore.

When you look at the level of help the state gives and the critiscm they get in the return its very one-sided.

Bozo

ictquizzer

Widelats wrote: »

Why should people only get a loan for the period they are being left without - Shold be a grant they are entitled to that money after all.
.

Because at the end of the transition period they will have had the same amount of money and will not be a penny short, it will just be paid differently time-wise. They are NOT being "left without" as they are getting a loan to help them through, the amount of which is the same as the benefit payment due.

As someone who deals with the confusion of people changing from one benefit to another on a daily basis and the change of payday, it is actually a very welcome change in policy.

seven-day-weekend

Although I think that people should be informed that their payday is changing, I can't see why it is such a big deal, especially as they are being given a loan if they are short.

By the time their Benefits come through, they will have the same amount of money, as the poster above says, so it should be no hardship to pay the money back .

dmg24

SomeBozo wrote: »

I think its a little unfair the critiscm the government is getting here.

If you are in need of the benefits, fit all the criteria and are entitled to it, the government will provide :

1) A modest income
2) Pay for the roof over your head (where applicable)
3) Pay your council tax (where applicable)
4) Help you to pay for your children
5) Provide crisis loans if you are truly desperate.

So they want to change the system? No one is saying you will not get your beenfits anymore.

When you look at the level of help the state gives and the critiscm they get in the return its very one-sided.

Bozo

I agree, and there is certainly some scaremongering on this thread.

If your payments are to be changed, you will be given several weeks notice. If you cannot manage for the transitional period, measures are in place for the provision of a short term loan. It is a loan rather than a grant because your benefits will be brought up to date when you receive the next payment. You will not be losing any money.

oldage65

would just like to warn all the people on benefits that when you come to pensionable age you may lose money
I can only tell you my experiance my 60th birthday fell on a wednesday my incapacity benefit stopped on the tuesday as I was sixty the next day and my pension would not start until the next monday as that was the day pensions started I was told over the phone so I had no money from wednesday until the following monday.After kicking up a fuss I was asked was anyone on benefits in the household, as my husband was also on incapacity I was told the missing days would be paid through his payment which was £20 don,t know whats going to happen this year as he will be on his pension same thing his birthday falls in the middle of the week.
How much money is the goverment clawing back with this problem of switching from one benefit to the other and not paying the missing days back to the people:eek:

ThinkingOfLinking

Try and avoid a crisis loan if you can; I had to take one when I was sanctioned when I first applied for JSA. This then became 2 as I had to wait 9 weeks for any money to come in as my ex employer was lazy and evasive when it came to sending back the paperwork sent by the DWP. Anyway, long story short, they're taking so much of my JSA off me now I am now needing crisis loans to survive as they leave me short!! It's a vicious cycle.

Jannerchick

alwaysonthego wrote: »

I disagree with you. I advice people on benefits and some people do really struggle through no fault of their own. I have seen client who have been left by their partner with lots of debt and are struggling to keep up with the large gas/electric bills and do not spend their money on booze etc. This will really have an impact on them.

Can I assume that Kim is not in receipt of benefits? If she was she'd know just how difficult it is to manage. I budget but there's still unexpected things that need to be bought or something similar. I don't smoke or drink so my money isn't wasted on that - however I pay my bills first then buy food...as much as I can with the amount left and am often left with a fiver until the following week...it's hard Kim...try it! I am disabled so I'm not one of the "workshy" - trust me if I could work I would.

ThinkingOfLinking

As for them giving notice, let me assure you they do not always. I received a letter TODAY, dated 06/04 to tell me they were deducting even more from my JSA starting from 31/03. No notice at all. And now I need a crisis loan...I have no cash right now to the point I have to walk more than 3 miles to the job centre and back. Not complaining, it's free exercise but it isn't the point. They've done this to me more than once and left me screwed with no notice so what's to say they won't do it again here. Not everyone has internet access (FYI, I pay £3 a month for my internet usage; a compulsory cost of living in my house). Thank you Martin for pointing it out to those it may affect; I think I'll be ok on this one as I'm currently on fortnightly signing/receipt of JSA anyway.

richard9991

Flickering_Ember wrote: »

As for them giving notice, let me assure you they do not always. I received a letter TODAY, dated 06/04 to tell me they were deducting even more from my JSA starting from 31/03. No notice at all. And now I need a crisis loan...I have no cash right now to the point I have to walk more than 3 miles to the job centre and back. Not complaining, it's free exercise but it isn't the point. They've done this to me more than once and left me screwed with no notice so what's to say they won't do it again here. Not everyone has internet access (FYI, I pay £3 a month for my internet usage; a compulsory cost of living in my house). Thank you Martin for pointing it out to those it may affect; I think I'll be ok on this one as I'm currently on fortnightly signing/receipt of JSA anyway.

well said but it could affect your pay day tho

emweaver

Ive not had a letter although Im currently paid fortnightly and on a Monday (last 2 digits say i fall on Monday for payments) so dont think Ill be affected by this