George Osborne considering freeze on benefits to save £4.4bn

Shakethedisease

My swipe was at benefit culture and HB-ers.

I wish you'd clarify what exactly you mean by 'HB-ers' ?

“Seven out of eight people receiving housing benefit have a job. This shows that housing in the UK whether in the private or social sector is still too expensive for many hardworking families. (2)

“This is at a time when nearly half of LHA claimants (3) are already making up a shortfall of almost £100 a month to meet their rent. By ripping out this support from under their feet it will push many households over the edge, triggering a spiral of debt, eviction and homelessness.

* Shelter, Scotland, today.

http://www.allmediascotland.com/media_releases/26102/shelter-scotland-response-to-uk-budget-announcements-on-housing-benefit-and-support-for-mortgage-interest

Is this just those on JSA, or anyone at all that claims working or not? Or those who've been on JSA for over x amount of years, or those made redundant 4 months ago, or whose marriage broke up a year ago, they can't afford the childcare because they have 2 kids to look after... and have had to claim LHA/HB's..?

Y'know there is always a danger in of trying to put very large swathes of the population into one very little stereotypical box.

Most HB'ers aren't your stereotypical 'chav, Jeremy Kyle on the plasma tv, 60 fags a day and a holiday on benefits' type of people.

I rather fear these LHA/HB changes eg :- The 'getting mums into work when the kids are 5, if not put them on JSA, and if they're still on it 12 months later..we'll be cutting LHA another 10 %.. Will this really happen without adequate and wildspread childcare provison for those that need it ? etc etc... All of these are partly a result of this kind of stereotyping.

It's going to be harsh out there for the genuine as well as the 'workshy'. Because no-one can tell which is which unless they take EVERY claim on a case-by-case basis. And they bottled out doing it for Child Benefits and Winter Fuel payments today...