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

bestpud

junayda wrote: »

As Kevanf1's post show's, it's all very well in theory, if you get the relevant letters and everything is processed on time. Where I live in East London the Benefits agencies are notorious for incompetence and bad practice, ridiculous waiting times and being virtually impossible to reach on the phone. Yes, it is improving but slowly.

I'm more than aware that being on a low income is as bad if not worse than being on benefits, I didn't state people claiming were the 'poorest in society', but since the thread is about benefit changes I was discussing the relevant topic; people on benefits.


I think stating that you personally can see no reason why people can't budget accordingly is naive and idealistic to the amount of people these changes will effect. You can manage? Good for you, and what about the people that can't? If you're already receiving deductions on your benefits even £5 can be crippling.

As always, being told 'people on benefits feel an entitlement and moan the loudest' is a stereotypical, unhelpful generalisation which I can see no reason for other than to offend. But what's new eh?

And as to whether or not the changeover is as bad as it as being made out to be, isn't that yet to be seen?

Actually I don't manage but that is because I am crap with money! I am paying off debts as well.

However, I do not blame anyone but myself for this mess and so I do what I can with what I have - simple as.

If I can manage then anyone can as, like I said, I am crap with money! There are reasons behind this, of course, as there usually is (and many would say it is not actually my fault), but the fact is it is my problem and I have to deal with it.

People are complaining about the process when it is clear half the people on here have no idea what is going to happen yet.

I have had the letters and know exactly how it will affect my benefits (and anyone else in the same position) and therefore have a valid point to make. I am not speculating; I am saying exactly how it is!

If we have to wait until it has actually happened then we may as well delete this thread!

Twinkly

Slightly off-topic but I wonder if anyone has noticed delays in their payments by giro cheque recently ? Although the issue dates on the cheques are correct they are inordinately delayed by up to six days from date of issue and this has been happening for the last three weeks. The delay started before the easter bank holiday so I don't think that is a consideration here.

It is having the knock-on effect of leaving me a weeks payment short for the month. If it were not for me being suspicious of the efficiency of the civil service in general and doing some serious cutting back on food, gas, leccy etc I would be experiencing a measure of hardship right now. Has this happened to anyone else ?

mac889163

reference to benefits being paid in arrears and recipients receiving notices rather late ,as many have already expressed worries particularly those of us with direct debits etc.
What of those of us unfortunate to belong to a consumer credit counselling service,? this service pays creditors on our behalf and one assumes on a predetermined date

looby75

mac889163 wrote: »

reference to benefits being paid in arrears and recipients receiving notices rather late ,as many have already expressed worries particularly those of us with direct debits etc.
What of those of us unfortunate to belong to a consumer credit counselling service,? this service pays creditors on our behalf and one assumes on a predetermined date

if the change in payments is going to be a problem contact the CCCS and explain the situation, they will advise you on the best thing to do, they may well let you have a one month payment "holiday" to let your benefits payments settle and enable you to re budget.

Give them a ring, they are very helpful when there is a situation out of your control

JohnQuays

Firstly, the point of this is to simplify the benefit system. Once assigned the new payday, you will keep that payday even if you change fromk one benefit to another.
Secondly, the only people who will "lose out" will be people currently getting paid weekly in arrears who will move to fortnightly in arrears, and these people will be eligible for a repayable loan. The most someone could be left without money for would be 7 days. In effect, the wouldnt "lose out" anything as they would get the same amount of money, just a week later, hence why it is a loan that would be offered. Most people on benefit are already paid fortnightly in arrears and whilst the payday may change, there would not be any period missing. The main people who are paid weekly in arrears are lone parents. The majority of their income will now probably come from tax credits which are not affected by this, and with other changes meaning that some lone parents with older children will have to claim JSA soon, they would be moving from weekly to fortnightly in any case.
Lastly, anyone currently getting paid in advance will be given a non-repayable compensation payment, so they will not lose out at all
Full details are held on JCP website

Sylvester

KimYeovil wrote: »

There is no story. There is nothing to see here. Move along.

Having read a few of your posts, I have to say you are incredibly patronising and narrow minded. I suspect you are an Abbey Manor snob who thinks they are better than ordinary folk of the town.

It's quite simple, pop down to the Hendford branch tomorrow, where i'll gladly advise you of your many incorrect statements over the past few months. I'll even bring a pen & notepad if you require diagrams. Just ask for me by name, i'm universally known.

However, if you are just someone who can spout ridiculous comments on an internet messageboard, then move along, their is no story, their is nothing to see here, and you add no use to any conversation with your dire, repetitive, judgemental drivel, which is clearly meant to be offensive to people, however you try and dress it up.

(I mean this patronisingly. but don't take umbrage.)

Now, on a more useful note, the best thing anyone who doesn't understand can do, is contact their adviser at their local JCP branch. I admit, most are miserable sods, but their are a helpful few who don't judge customers in a KimYeovil miserable way.

KNIGHT-RIDER_4

POSTED BY `KIM YEOVIL`;

`
Being on benefits does not mean you are !!!!!! or incompetent. You can manage your affairs if you like.

And if you choose not to manage things then you are used to regularly spending all your money the day you receive it. Living on nothing for six days is not significantly different from living on nothing for thirteen or twenty days.

There is no story. There is nothing to see here. Move along.`

i dont know what your circumstances are, but if you had to manage on a small income every 2 weeks, you would`nt have posted the above!
i`ve been on incapacity benefit now for 2 years which totals £70 p/w.
suffering from severe lower back and knee pain, i had to give up a well paid job of £400 - £600 p/w, so any currently working person who says people on benefits are scroungers, need to remember their comments when the benefits are made available to help them!!! i even wonder how many people said this, and are now having to claim themselves due to the current climate!!!
how the dwp expect people to go 4 weeks on benefits beggars belief. then their expected to borrow money against those benefits, which amount to little anyway, because the powers of `b` cant keep things that are`nt broke, un-broke!!! :mad:
most people who get £500 coming in their house cant manage, so anyone who is scraping by on £70, derserves and gets, my full applause :T
WHO SAYS LIFE ON BENEFITS IS FUN

LizzieS_2

I am quite disappointed with the responses on this thread.

On the one hand there is a well known member (who will be affected) taking this change on the chin (accepting the change), whilst also admitting they don't manage their own finances too well (not posting as a high and mighty person). Then there's loads complaining over how they will not have money for longer than expected.

This thread was created as a warning of the changes, so people got more than the 1 month (given by DSS) to adapt.

There should be less moans and more pro-active comments over how claimants can make some savings for a very short period, ie help each other with ideas.

looby75

LizzieS wrote: »

I am quite disappointed with the responses on this thread.

On the one hand there is a well known member (who will be affected) taking this change on the chin (accepting the change), whilst also admitting they don't manage their own finances too well (not posting as a high and mighty person). Then there's loads complaining over how they will not have money for longer than expected.

This thread was created as a warning of the changes, so people got more than the 1 month (given by DSS) to adapt.

There should be less moans and more pro-active comments over how claimants can make some savings for a very short period, ie help each other with ideas.

while I agree that there should be more ideas on how to make the penny's stretch a bit further to help cover the cross over period, comments such as "nothing to see here move on" are totally uncalled for and very patronising so are bound to get peoples backs up (which I suspect is exactly what the poster was hoping for)

As I said in my previous post the changes won't be much of an issue for me as I only receive a very small amount of IS these days, but if the majority of my income was IS then the changes would be very hard for me to cope with. I live on a very tight budget, I don't have much in the way of savings so I would have had to apply for the loan which would then further affect my budget for weeks to follow. While people will manage a lot will struggle for quite a while after the changes and it's understandable people will complain and object to being put in that situation. Remember not everyone is on benefits because they choose to be, some people will be on them for the rest of their lives through no fault of their own and when the powers that be decide to mess the system around those are the ones that are usually hit hardest.

Anyway my tip for managing the change over....now people know about it try and put away anything you can each week, even if it's only a pound a week, every little will help, and also take a look at the Old style boards if you haven't already....those ladies can feed a family on almost fresh air (well not quite but they do pretty well lol)

seven-day-weekend

But say you borrow £50 from the loan - well that £50 will be in your benefit when you get it so I can't see that anyone will be worse off. You should be able to pay it back straight away - it should make no difference to your budget. (Assuming the loan is interest-free?).