MSE News: George Osborne to make £10bn welfare cuts

FBaby

Ok you're right, it was indeed silly of me to assume that mumz2bee was only prejudiced against illegal immigrants and not see that she probably has a problem with all of us, even those who do contribute towards her benefits because only only the British born should be entitled to do so.

mazza111

It was the "I'm white british" statement that came across as a bit... iffy for me in all honesty. It came across as a proud to be white statement? Or am I reading that wrong? No need to state that your white anywhere. It doesn't matter to me if your black, white or purple with orange spots. Colour doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Although, if you were purple with orange spots I may suggest you see a doctor

krisskross

To get back on topic it is time that cuts are made to some of the extremely generous welfare payments, not so much for the single jobless but for those receiving sickness/disability payments.

Why when someone is claiming sickness payments and also DLA do they receive a large extra amount as a premium on the ESA? Various premiums can take the baseline ESA figure to quite a large amount.

Muttley tells us he cannot spend all the money he is given, although he must have claimed it. Other posters say they have to keep a careful eye on their savings to ensure they don't breech the limit for means tested benefits. Wonder how many hard pressed taxpayers on average salaries have anything approaching £6000 in savings?

Looking at some of the very high amounts being bandied around it would appear that many claimants enjoy an income far in excess of anything they could earn.

Time to stop pretending that those too sick to work are on the absolute breadline. Most of them aren't.

mazza111

krisskross wrote: »

To get back on topic it is time that cuts are made to some of the extremely generous welfare payments, not so much for the single jobless but for those receiving sickness/disability payments.

Why when someone is claiming sickness payments and also DLA do they receive a large extra amount as a premium on the ESA? Various premiums can take the baseline ESA figure to quite a large amount.

Muttley tells us he cannot spend all the money he is given, although he must have claimed it. Other posters say they have to keep a careful eye on their savings to ensure they don't breech the limit for means tested benefits. Wonder how many hard pressed taxpayers on average salaries have anything approaching £6000 in savings?

Looking at some of the very high amounts being bandied around it would appear that many claimants enjoy an income far in excess of anything they could earn.

Time to stop pretending that those too sick to work are on the absolute breadline. Most of them aren't.

I'd replace most with some in that statement. I don't believe there is a disability premium with ESA these days, but is added when it comes to means tested benefits like HB and only for those who receive MRC or above, from my reading of it anyway. I could be wrong. AFAIK there are 3 rates of pay for ESA. Assessment rate (£56-71 depending on age), WRAG (£99), Support Group (£105).

My dd still receives her £56/week ESA. There has been no change since she was awarded DLA (HRM & LRC). Don't get me wrong, the DLA has certainly helped her live a bit healther/better, but it's not being used for what it should be if you see what I mean. I'm still waiting for her to give me petrol money :rotfl: Bless, I wouldn't take it but the offer would be nice lol.

I would argue that a lot of those who are too sick to work, don't claim DLA. I certainly don't.

I'm not going to say that those who are on higher rates of DLA aren't comfortably well off. But I think it needs to be remembered that not all get higher rates, not all get DLA. There is rather a large amount between the 2 cases.

Dunroamin

mazza111 wrote: »

I'd replace most with some in that statement. I don't believe there is a disability premium with ESA these days, but is added when it comes to means tested benefits like HB and only for those who receive MRC or above, from my reading of it anyway. I could be wrong. AFAIK there are 3 rates of pay for ESA. Assessment rate (£56-71 depending on age), WRAG (£99), Support Group (£105).

My dd still receives her £56/week ESA. There has been no change since she was awarded DLA (HRM & LRC). Don't get me wrong, the DLA has certainly helped her live a bit healther/better, but it's not being used for what it should be if you see what I mean. I'm still waiting for her to give me petrol money :rotfl: Bless, I wouldn't take it but the offer would be nice lol.

I would argue that a lot of those who are too sick to work, don't claim DLA. I certainly don't.

I'm not going to say that those who are on higher rates of DLA aren't comfortably well off. But I think it needs to be remembered that not all get higher rates, not all get DLA. There is rather a large amount between the 2 cases.

From Disability Rights,

"Severe disability premium

You or your partner must satisfy all of the following:

be receiving the care component of disability living allowance (middle or higher rate) or attendance allowance
live alone (there are exceptions to this rule - For more information see our Disability Rights Handbook.)
no one else must be getting carer's allowance for looking after you "

mazza111

Thought that was the case Dunroamin, thanks for clearing that up.

So it's a premium that would be added to means tested things when working out the applicable amount?

So would perhaps be added to ESA (IR)? Not sure on that one. Or just IS? Oops should have checked it all before posting lol

Janep

I work for JCP Access to Work, we provide grants for practical support to overcome work related barriers due to disability and I can confirm only 4% of people with disabilities actually receive SDA.

Muttleythefrog

krisskross wrote: »

To get back on topic it is time that cuts are made to some of the extremely generous welfare payments, not so much for the single jobless but for those receiving sickness/disability payments.

Why when someone is claiming sickness payments and also DLA do they receive a large extra amount as a premium on the ESA? Various premiums can take the baseline ESA figure to quite a large amount.

Muttley tells us he cannot spend all the money he is given, although he must have claimed it. Other posters say they have to keep a careful eye on their savings to ensure they don't breech the limit for means tested benefits. Wonder how many hard pressed taxpayers on average salaries have anything approaching £6000 in savings?

Looking at some of the very high amounts being bandied around it would appear that many claimants enjoy an income far in excess of anything they could earn.

Time to stop pretending that those too sick to work are on the absolute breadline. Most of them aren't.

The reason I can't spend all the money I get is more due to the health problems I have combined with the rather miserly way I live than probably any indication of general need. So I'm probably a very bad example for making universal policy in relation to. What I'm doing now is starting to spend big... to improve my health.. not in a conventional way because I'm not dealing with conventional problems... I'm trying to alter my immediate environment that hopefully will reduce the distractions (anxiety causing features) enabling me to basically be able to function better... the central heating system as example has been replaced.. changed to one that actually functions properly and is sufficiently efficient that I may use it... the change has facilitated other changes such as creating more regular shaping of rooms (due to removal of obsolete pipes and gas fire etc). Anyway that's the plan... something like a carer is not likely to help... or supervisor... I have to think outside the box a bit. I've employed a window cleaner for example... this has dramatically reduced my obsession with checking the windows and helped with regard to watching neighbours.

I am anticpating that with changes my monies will go down... although of course hard to tell especially since no idea what PIP award I'd get if any. The severe disability premium is obviously of significance especially since it could go and is a significant amount. I might end up paying some council tax.

In terms of my monies. I'm single, live in my own house which is about 85% paid for now... only bought when I had saved a big deposit and have made significant overpayments when in work.

Initially I got ESA at assessment rate. My WCA was severely delayed (12 months rather than 3) so I remained living on that with CTB and small amount of help with mortgage for a year (although obviously backdating occurred). I got no DLA.. application was flatly rejected. Reconsideration failed. Eventually appeal resulted in award of LRM and I got placed in support group of ESA.. so I got the Support group addition plus enhanced disability premium approx £13/14. New application of DLA got me awarded LRM and MRC.. the MRC was significant as that triggered Severe Dis. premium. So I'm now getting more than I did for periods previously when I was fighting for entitlements or awaiting assessment.

Per month: ESA £308 basic plus £147 S.Gp., £55 towards my mortgage interest, £64 EDP, £252 SDP, DLA LRM plus MRC £314. Total £1140. Plus full CTB of say approx £1000 that otherwise would need to be paid. Is this generous.. to be honest.. as above.. I couldn't say... I'll always live within my means... and I'll always live very conservatively with the rare indulgence possibly driven by altered state of mind or one off events. I suppose the view of others will largely depend on their own expectations of life and their own circumstances.

krisskross

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Per month: ESA £308 basic plus £147 S.Gp., £55 towards my mortgage interest, £64 EDP, £252 SDP, DLA LRM plus MRC £314. Total £1140. Plus full CTB of say approx £1000 that otherwise would need to be paid. Is this generous.. to be honest.. as above.. I couldn't say... I'll always live within my means... and I'll always live very conservatively with the rare indulgence possibly driven by altered state of mind or one off events. I suppose the view of others will largely depend on their own expectations of life and their own circumstances.

I agree with all you say but surely no one could think that a single person receiving over £1000 a month cash plus housing costs is hard done by?

The reforms are overdue simply because I don't believe that various governments tinkering with benefits and adding bits here and there have joined up all the dots and thus realised just how much it is possible to receive.

Muttleythefrog

krisskross wrote: »

I agree with all you say but surely no one could think that a single person receiving over £1000 a month cash plus housing costs is hard done by?

The reforms are overdue simply because I don't believe that various governments tinkering with benefits and adding bits here and there have joined up all the dots and thus realised just how much it is possible to receive.

Depends on their circumstances to be honest. If that person required constant supervision or care then it wouldn't be enough to pay for that nevermind standard costs of living. I supposedly require supervision to go out and throughout the daytime... I could never afford to pay someone to give that while on benefits despite the fact it is the award of one of my benefits that determines this requirement of supervision.

And the above is in a sense is the heart of the problem.. the benefits system is outrageously complex... but actually so are the realities of people it seeks to address. We also have high expectations of standards of living generally in Britain. I certainly don't feel hard done by (I felt very let down by the system when trying to get my entitlements) in financial terms... but then I'm not someone who ever would feel that way regardless... I'm not someone who would say 'I only get £100 a week to live on and how am I supposed to do that'.. my mentality is such that I would try to live within the means while having understanding that the majority of people in the world probably live on signfiicantly less. My problem with money is spending it appropriately rather than getting it as such.