Council tax benefit ending?

jimmann

mjm3346 wrote: »

An area I know is looking at keeping full benefit for those over pension age and/or disabled but working age households will have to pay at least 20%.

so 20% out of their universal credit?

lovinituk

jimmann wrote: »

so 20% out of their universal credit?

Its kind of irrelevant where the extra cash comes from. If they have other income it can come from there, or the money under the mattress or the money tree in the back garden. If none of that exists then of course it will have to come out of their benefit money.

I have a feeling you have an ulterior motive for this thread for some reason!

societys_child

lovinituk wrote: »

I have a feeling you have an ulterior motive for this thread for some reason!

So far we have, two threads from jim, about CT ending and another expressing fears about having to attend the job center everyday . . . it's a hard life.

jimmann

societys_child wrote: »

So far we have, two threads from jim, about CT ending and another expressing fears about having to attend the job center everyday . . . it's a hard life.

you have no idea, many are talking about getting a 2nd job, some of us would be happy with a 1st

Fire_Fox

jimmann wrote: »

So as I understand it there will be a maximum cap on total benefits any one family can get. I think its around 2grand per month which does sound a lot. But with rents so high now, rents will drink up most of that especially in the cities and expensive areas.

So say a family with a couple of kids is paying about a grand per month rent and a hundred or a couple of hundred in council tax per month, they will not have much left for bills and food?

Then they move somewhere cheaper! Unemployed families don't need to live in London or other expensive areas, there are many cheaper cities and excellent transport links to the south for visiting including £1 coaches. Part of the reason we have such high rents and high purchase prices in places like London is the demand for housing, yet a huge percentage don't need to be there for work.

The state has been funding too many people to have lifestyles that they could never realistically afford themselves. I relocated up north a few years ago, as did my parents (early retirement) and an aunt (when working) a few decades before. My London-based sibling is now the only one in the family with a mortgage. Even they are moving, buying a large three bedroom house between London and Cambridge for roughly the same money as their poky one bedroom flat. We are all so much 'richer' without increasing our income.

Instead of worrying about what might happen with benefits well over six months away, why not start applying for jobs in other parts of the county? The way your posts read you are assuming you will still be on benefits next year when the rules change, maybe it's your attitude that needs addressing? It's normal to be stressed/ depressed with unemployment, if that is the case speak with your family doctor. Also take action yourself by ensuring you meet or exceed ALL our government's recommendations for health eating and physical activity.

clairibel

£2000 a month :eek:, we get less than that with both of us working. We don't get any help from benefits at all.

OH has 3 jobs one full time and 2 part time ones. We are in the process of moving to a less expensive house and paying off debts we have accrued, its our fault we have to take responsibility for it.

It does make me a bit peeved, we'd do alright on £2000 a month.

McKneff

Perhaps when all these lovely people move intot the 'less desirable areas' they will make them a bit more 'desirable'

Depth_Charge

pmlindyloo wrote: »

Must just confirm that Council Tax Benefit is not being included in Universal Credit (your first link confirms this.)

Council Tax Benefit is being handed over to local authorities.

All local authorities can choose how they adminster it but cannot touch the single person's discount nor CTB for the over 60s.

Other than that they can use the 'pot of money' (with a 10% deduction of funding) how they like. Most councils have consulted with local people about this. Whether they have taken notice of their views is another matter

Our local authority has chosen to limit the Council Tax relief to new build properties from 6 months to 1 month. This 'saving', they say, will mean that instead of getting full CTB those entitled will only receive 90% CTB and will expected to make up the shortfall themselves.

Would be interesting to see what other authorities plan to do.

Hi

Yes, point taken

The second link mentions council tax under the universal credit heading, but technically you are right

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/universal-credit-information/#lu

All the changes coming in 2013 (or set to come in) are all more or less linked as far as overall budgeting is or will be concerned.

The Universal credit project (if that is what you can call it) certainly is an ambitious attempt to overall the benefit and tax credit system at the same time perhaps saving billions.

Frought with danger really as far as administration is concerned and potentially a nightmare for claimants and advice agencies alike with millions of people involved.

They seem determined to implement the changes with many saying it will not work, the knock on effect could be catastrophic,in the short term at least and agencies are warning of this but not for the first time nobody appears to be listening.

Still plenty of time for delays and U Turns even, the clock is ticking though and one thing is certain we are going to hear a lot more about this over the coming weeks and months.

You could say that Mr Duncan Smith will have no problems here as far as an Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame type of situation is concerned anyway.

Will he pull it off? - well, as it stands at the moment for me, the smart betting money says no he wont (at least not without a sustained period of chaos)

Are they out of touch?

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick........?