Benefits and the deficit: what would you cut?

jetta_wales

I must say some of this is pretty comical, cut this cut that but the vast majority are in no way qualified to conclude that cutting whichever benefit would be fine especialy if you've never had to claim any of them.

My partner lost his job due to the recession and the company going under and if we didn't have a benefits system then everything we're working towards would have been gone. Even as it is now if you have more than £6,000 in savings then you loose a lot of money and basicaly have to spend most of your savings just to get by untill the crisis ends, then you've gone from trying to buy your own home and being fully able to support yourself to having no deposite left to buy a house with and no hope of getting to that point again for a very long time, all because of the bankers and being out of work for 12 months for the first time in your life.

In our case we were lucky my parents helped us buy a house before our deposite vannished and now we don't have to claim a penny of housing benefit any more.

I'm not sure what another poster was on about being able to cut housing benefit by scrapping the surpluss ours didn't cover even a small 2 bedroom semi with no garden for a family with two children so I'm not sure what surplus there is supposed to be you either get the full amount your rent costs or you don't get enough and have to find the rest yourself.

The winterfuel payment I agree could be cut back somewhat but gas is terribly expensive at the moment and we've become accostomed to having a duvet on the sofa all evening to keep the heating bill down.

Child benefit and tax credits could easily be cut to those earning no more than maybe 35k at most and DLA to maybe 40k.

I'll never condone a cut to free tv licences because I don't think we should be paying it at all anyway.

I think people need to remember that not everyone who claims benefits is some sort of criminal, some have just had some bad luck and need the help untill they can get back on their feet and working again. What if someone falls ill should they have to use their entire life savings just to keep afloat untill they are better? What a kick in the teeth, no we pay taxes party for this reason exactly so if it happens to us we will be ok (ish, but it's not as cushy for most as you might think and I don't know how anybody could bare not doing everything in their power to get back off them again asap).

The Christmas bonus I'd ditch too that's never made much sense to me though I get it every year with DLA I always laugh when it comes in.

Oh and DNA testing to make sure everyone's kids actualy are their kids, lol that'll cost a fortune and it'll absolutaly never happen I'm afraid.

StevieJ

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

To anyone. Look on the benefits board and you will see people who say they aren't getting on with their mum and would like to have their own place and only get JSA. Or a girl (or boy) who would like to live with her partner but neither work.

Thanks for that, before we talk about what should be cut and shouldn't it is actually quite a good idea to know what is actually available now. I was shocked (perhaps a little strong) to hear about EU citizens moving here that are claiming benefit for children who are not even resident in the UK.

Graham_Devon

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

To anyone. Look on the benefits board and you will see people who say they aren't getting on with their mum and would like to have their own place and only get JSA. Or a girl (or boy) who would like to live with her partner but neither work.

Well from my experience those are not the rules.

What about all those young mothers (or fathers) that have children at 18/19 and get homed?

Of course, you won't just get LHA for wanting to move out. That applies even if you have worked for 5 years.

sjaypink

The_White_Horse wrote: »

Cut 30% from every public sector worker earning more than 20k

Basic state pension: £84b
Tax credits: £0
Housing benefit: £0b
Universal child benefit: £15b
Disability Living Allowance: £15b
Income Support: £3.7b
Pension credit: £0b
Incapacity benefit: £7.6b
Attendance Allowance: £4.8b
Council Tax benefit: £0b
Jobseeker's Allowance: £0b
Winter Fuel Payment: £0b
Carer's Allowance: £2.4b
Christmas Bonus (£10 every Xmas for retired and benefit claimants): £0m
Funeral Benefits: £0m
Community Care Grants: £0m
Free TV Licences: £0m
Education Maintenance Allowance: £0m
Asylum Seeker's Benefit: £0m
Maternity Allowance (for those not on statutory pay): £0m
Heating benefits (grants for insulation etc): £500m

A lot of workers on low wages suddenly become incapacitated, or the lps start claiming income support?
How do those on I/S, I/B, carers allowance etc pay the rent & rates?
Very surprised at this- would have thought the bad backs & depressives were top of your hit list

chucky

jetta_wales wrote: »

I must say some of this is pretty comical, cut this cut that but the vast majority are in no way qualified to conclude that cutting whichever benefit would be fine especialy if you've never had to claim any of them.

95% of the posters on here don't have a clue - they just like posting sound bites.
get used to it

MissMoneypenny

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Of course, you won't just get LHA for wanting to move out. That applies even if you have worked for 5 years.

That's what I thought until I started reading the benefits board. It appears they do.

StevieJ

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Well from my experience those are not the rules.

What about all those young mothers (or fathers) that have children at 18/19 and get homed?

Of course, you won't just get LHA for wanting to move out. That applies even if you have worked for 5 years.

Have you experience of this? or due to have

StevieJ

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

That's what I thought until I started reading the benefits board. It appears they do.

That is why they have kids, probably.

sjaypink

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

That's what I thought until I started reading the benefits board. It appears they do.

I believe this is true although you cannot claim the deposit bond in this situation, so would have to get a pretty slack landlord prior to claiming, and so the old-fashioned way of doing things is preferred- apply as officially homeless- you are then eligible for the bond & rent in advance etc

Mr.Brown_4

StevieJ wrote: »

That is why they have kids, probably.

Certainly made our decision easier. I said to the missus, put that fag out and lets have a bit of sex. We'll get extra benefit for the bairn which means more fags and a bit of booze. You could have knocked me down with a brick when Dr. Singe Patel Griffen told us we were having twins!! Another six months of pregnancy to go till she drops the sprogs and then it's Corals here I come!