MSE News: Autumn Budget Statement: Benefits to rise 5.2% with inflation

duchesspink1

I have a 50inch LG in my living room and a 42 inch in the bedroom, all paid for when I was working. I did cut my sky package though as i simply can't afford it anymore, will get it back once i'm working again though.

*flicks through shopping websites to see what to spend the extra £20 on*

Killmark

tagq2 wrote: »

Means-tested DWP allowances are set at what the law considers to be the minimum you need to live on. It is therefore necessary that they go up with inflation. I'd argue that a similar thing should happen to minimum wage, although a full time minimum wage work week remains much higher than the weekly means-tested allowance.

I did some calculations that show that if NWM had risen at the same rate as JSA (using the government uprating methods since its introduction) it would be at approx £4.76 an hour.

[Deleted User]

Suarez wrote: »

100% correct! Why should people on Jobseekers allowance get what is effectively a pay rise?

Many people who are actually working wont receive a rise this year due to the financial state of the country yet these people sat on their backside all day watching Jeremy Kyle are due a 5% increase!

There's no wonder we are in this mess!

people like you make me laugh,5.2% of nothing is still sod all,this will amount to around £3 a week for an adult on jsa....hardly a fortune is it?

HOWEVER having said that,and being one of the great unwashed/scroungers/backside sitters(take your pick)I would have been happy with 4.5% as inflation will be falling in the new year,after all this govt will borrow more than the last labour govt did

seven-day-weekend

clearingout wrote: »

so you begrudge old people who need Pension Credit to top up their incomes an extra £5.35 a week? Even basic food prices have gone through the roof this year - it's not exactly going to go very far for them, is it?

I am a Pensioner (although not entitled to Pension Credit) and I too think this is far too much rise when working people (including my son working for minimum wage) get no rise at all. Soon there will not be enough taxes generated to pay the benefits!

poppy10_2

It's tough to justify a 5.2% rise for those who are not working, funded by a freeze in support for those that are trying to work to support themselves. Wouldn't it have been fairer to have a 2-3 % rise across the board rather than over 5% for people that are not working for whatever reason? It just provides a disincentive to people to seek out work when they are capable of it.

[Deleted User]

ok what people dont understand is that means tested benefits are set at the minimum that the state says you need to live on,so it is morally right that this increases on an annual basis,what i would question is why septembers inflation rate is used for increases paid from the second week in april?

[Deleted User]

Killmark wrote: »

I did some calculations that show that if NWM had risen at the same rate as JSA (using the government uprating methods since its introduction) it would be at approx £4.76 an hour.

its £6.08p an hour now

flight747

dave030445 wrote: »

very true being at home all day watching Jeremy Kyle we need are holidays hope there samsung and are HD.

And go on holiday every year abroad. Watch sky HD, xbox 360 and new car and go on. These peoples claiming JSA along with DLA and SDA and think benefit is for lifetime!

I saw four mens on the street, every single days went to tesco and buy cheaper can of lager and a fag, hang around all day doing nothing. Four of them been signing on, without no proof of any paperwork (activity job seeking) and they shouldn't be paying.

flight747

woodbine wrote: »

its £6.08p an hour now

Still not enough. Minimum wage should be £7.50 an hour due to high cost of fuel, foods, energy. And high insurance premium tax too.

ceridwen

MSE_Helen wrote: »

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"There had been fears this rise would be cut to 4.5% which would have led to a combined £1 billion loss ..."

Read the full story:

Autumn Budget Statement: Benefits to rise 5.2% with inflation

Personally - I'd be willing to lay money on it that the "inflation rise" in State Pension and benefit money for those on the Dole would have been just that 4.5% (in fact - most probably even less.....) if there hadnt been a bit of an outcry about it.

So - thank goodness there were some comments - and the Government has had no option but to make the rise 5.2%.

At a very quick glance - my feeling is I will disagree with other things they have done in this (ie too "generous" regarding "personal choice" aspects of peoples expenditure - that "Child Tax Credit".....).

But - it IS a relief to see that they havent dared cut (in "real terms") State Pensions or Dole money.