Let's help Duncan Smith - how would YOU improve the benefits system?

Pennywise

tincans wrote: »

For the majority of people this is simply nonsense.

Statistically speaking, yes, but if you look at the levels where it really matters, i.e. moving from a part time to full time job, or taking a payrise/promotion taking your household income up from £15k to £18k, then it is a massive disincentive that can leave you worse off in terms of higher tax and NIC, lower working tax credits and loss of other linked benefits such as council tax, free prescriptions etc. It's a lot more common that you'd think - I see it a lot. It's far from nonsense it's actually holding people back.

treliac

Blacklight wrote: »

As an absolute minimum you should get vouchers for the essential things you need if you're able to work but are unemployed - food, clothes, baby stuff, etc. Payments for rent/mortgage should go straight to landlord/lender.

If you want anything more then you have to work for it. Plenty of stuff to do in the community for minimum wage if you want luxury items.

Anything that cuts down on fraud and claimant irresponsibility has my vote.

And I do believe that people should be incentivised to contribute something towards their community, however much opponents want to dress that up negatively.

The idea that you have to give in order to receive seems essential to instilling a sense of responsibility and of being part of a community.

ILW

Stop paying higher levels of benefit and giving priority housing to those with drug and alcohol issues. Seems very strange to actually reward people for getting p1ssed.

Pete111

If we must have tax credits, lets at least administer them via the tax coding system. This is surely a simpler and more effective way to do it for those on PAYE at least?

Can anyone confirm if there is a good reason this is not done like this?

new_home_owner_3

The money given to benefit claimants who could work should only be for essentials.

Like someone said earlier housing benefit should be paid straight to landlords.

They should then give every benefit claimant a prepaid card that will only buy essentials that are needed to live.

So when they try and buy booze and fags with it, it will get rejected.

malkie76

2 hours a week community service for everyone claiming JSA - failure to attend and participate results in withdrawl of benefits.

Those on disability should be assessed in terms of what they can do, not in terms of what they cannot do. ie could someone with back pain be able to stuff envelopes for 2 hours a week as their community service?

They should then give every benefit claimant a prepaid card that will only buy essentials that are needed to live.

Great idea, but they'd only end up selling them to buy beer and cigarettes!

robpw2

malkie76 wrote: »

2 hours a week community service for everyone claiming JSA - failure to attend and participate results in withdrawl of benefits.

Those on disability should be assessed in terms of what they can do, not in terms of what they cannot do. ie could someone with back pain be able to stuff envelopes for 2 hours a week as their community service?



Great idea, but they'd only end up selling them to buy beer and cigarettes!

good idea but i think it should be 8 hours a week

treliac

Chaos_A.D. wrote: »

My first port of call would be to put all the double buggy pushing 17-18 year old slappers who think they can use children as meal ticket to a workless life on a chain gang, removing graffitti, picking up litter etc ... but best of all perhaps being seen as a reminder to the next generation that having children that you want the state to pay for while you sit on your @rse watching Jeremy Kyle & Loose Women is not the done thing.

I'd put it a bit more delicately, but your basic principle is right.

drc

• Time limit that you can stay on benefits before they are tapered.
• No more child benefit, tax credits after the second child. If you want to have more children, fine, but you pay for them.
• Raising the the threshold at which you pay income tax so it makes sense to work.
• At the same time, reduce the rate of tax credits each year so there is less incentive to have more kids and more incentive to work.
• Give people far more help and support, rather than just money if they are sick or disabled.
• Help those that have been on benefits long term to find work through education, training etc rather than keeping them attached to the welfare teat. (Give a man a fish...).

These are just a few.

robpw2

train employers in equality and diversity training also about the dda so those of us who are disabled do not get fobbed of when applying for work