MSE News: Autumn Statement: Benefits to rise by just 1%

Horseunderwater

Ames wrote: »

If your dad's on Higher rate mobility DLA he'll get a free bus pass and companion pass.

Small problem, the Dad has to travel with the son as that is its intended use. The word companion being a clue. I was under the impression that the son was going out and doing the shopping with out the Dad. Apologies if I mis understood.

Tehya

Ames wrote: »

If your dad's on Higher rate mobility DLA he'll get a free bus pass and companion pass.

Being on high rate mobility DLA doesn't automatically qualify a person to a companion pass but they do get a normal disabled person's bus pass.

You may be able to get a Concession Plus pass if you:

are registered blind;
are profoundly deaf and cannot speak or have limited speech that is difficult to understand; or
have learning disabilities.
cannot use both of your arms;
cannot talk;
are an ex-serviceman or ex-servicewoman with serious walking difficulties as a result of losing a leg; or
would be refused a driving licence as a result of severe and long-term mental-health problems.

My husband is on higher rate mobility and only has the regular pass even though he can't go out alone but luckily I have my own pass because I'm not allowed to drive.

JS477

Ames wrote: »

If your dad's on Higher rate mobility DLA he'll get a free bus pass and companion pass.

What's a companion pass and does it afford the same privileges as the bus pass?

wayne0

Morlock wrote: »

You managed to save £900 in six months claiming JSA a couple of years ago? So, you were living on around £25 per week to pay for bills, food and any other necessities. Also, why did you qualify for a cold weather payment? Just claiming JSA will not net you a cold weather payment. I smell bullsh*t.

i also had a child under 1 at the time, and so was getting couples rate plus child tax creds in addition to my rent being paid (nearly 180 or more a week to live on... my shopping bill is about 80 quid a week... and then gas and elect on top at about 20 ...

obviously now, i have additional costs since i work, and travel so far to work

wayne0

Anny wrote: »

There is a lot of that bullsh*t on here. Due, I believe, to people trying to put themselves/ or thinking themselves in a superior position to others, so they can 'have a go' basically - sad - but true!

i dont believe im better than anybody...

Anny wrote: »

WayneO was actually encouraging someone to claim CB/other means tested benefits fraudulently on another thread - 'Can my Ex claim Child Benefit I am not entitled to?' - related to the means testing of CB. So, with that mindset - perhaps certain people 'claiming' JSA would be able to save £900 in 6 months.

hmmm, did you read my previous post on that thread,,, i actually said: CALL HMRC to check if its legal...

if it is immoral, that is different to being illegal and if it is legal. that is not fraudulantly claiming!

Anny wrote: »

I mean being able to live on approx £25 per week and having to pay food, electric, gas, water, telephone, travel etc, over a 6 month period is :money: is it not?

JSA, as you say, is not an entitlement benefit for cold weather payment.

it is if you are the carer for a young child... sso wheres the bullsh(t?

Anny wrote: »

I am also confused why if WayneOs dad is on DLA he is having to pay for a bus pass - do you not get those free on DLA? Maybe not the sons - but certainly the dads.

well, in this case, i will let my dad know about that, and look into it... he wasnt aware of this... otherwise he certainly wouldnt of bought the pass

Anny wrote: »

Do people forget what they have posted in the recent/distant past? There are, at least, two others on this thread taking their usual superior stance who have shared information in the past on this forum - and in view of the stance they are now taking, it really does not put them in a good light, at all!

stance they are taking now? - hmmm, i am certainly not taking a stance... i am simply saying although the benefits system is NEEDED: it needs reviewing...

i put a claim in for IS, and because my payslip says im owed a couple of hundred quid on account for holiday pay, i do not qualify for IS until my employer pays this... (which they wont until i have accrued entitlement to one weeks holiday)...

so im stuck living on 85 quid a week until im back in work thats cool eh?

https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility

Eligibility
You may be able to get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Pension Credit

If you’re getting Pension Credit , you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments.
Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

If you’re getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you also have any of following:

• a disability or pensioner premium
• a child who is disabled
• Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
• a child under 5 living with you

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you’re getting income-related ESA, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you also have any of the following:

• the support or work-related component of ESA
• a severe or enhanced disability premium
• a pensioner premium
• a child who is disabled
• Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
• a child under 5 living with you

wayne0

Tehya wrote: »

Being on high rate mobility DLA doesn't automatically qualify a person to a companion pass but they do get a normal disabled person's bus pass.

perhaps my dad doesnt qualify for the pass then?

and to the other poster: yes, my brother either goes shopping with my dad, or goes on his own for my dad. (they live together)

wayne0

Ames wrote: »

If your dad's on Higher rate mobility DLA he'll get a free bus pass and companion pass.

i believe my dad only just bought a new pass each, but i will tell him to look into this... - when he sent his car back, he got his monthly additional payments...

he is "technically" fit to drive (the dr didnt deem him unfit, he just doesnt feel safe to drive now, due to his state - so perhaps the "ability to drive" factor may effect him on this?

wayne0

Gareth56 wrote: »

What other income related benefits can you claim if you are earning £151/week and working less than 30 hours/week?

ok, depending on qualifying
( * means unlikely as a couple )
Income support *
Job Seekers Allowance *
Employment Support allowance *
Council Tax benefit (maybe not full, but your expected to pay 20% of your "excess income" to your council tax)
Housing benefit (you are expected to pay 65 % of your excess income to housing benefit)
child tax credits if you support a child *( the defininition doesnt mean under 18, but also 18/19 in full time education at "college")
Child benefit
working tax credits (a couple only has to work 30 hours to qualify currently... i do believe that one person can do all the 30 hours regardless of children ATM?)

Anny_2

wayne0 wrote: »

i have lived on benefits and worked for my living...

in 10 years of working i have spent about 1 yr on benefits (2 claims) both times recieving about a fiver a week because i worked at the same time...

i can tell you, I WAS WORSE OFF FOR WORKING...

I can tell you, i know how easy it is to put money aside when on benefits... i saved up about 900 quid in about 6 months when i was on jsa a couple of years ago... i wish i could do that now i work...

i got my whole rent paid, plus council tax paid, a 25 quid cold weather payment for fuel (if temps were as cold as this week)

because i work, i dont get the 25 quid, infact i had to spend extra on some (an extra 3 bags of coal to heat up our living room this week.)

im not a benefit basher... but i do believe that some of the rates are too high...

bear in mind:

if i work,
i have to travel to work... pay fuel (no buses at night when i finish) to travel the journey home 15 miles 1 way...

If you have only claimed benefits twice in 10 years and only received £5 a week each time because you were working at the same time - then how did you claim JSA a few years ago and save £900? You cannot claim JSA when you are working - can you?

Yet, you did not save £900 on JSA, you saved £900 on JSA and related benefits, which included benefits claimed for a child, and yes, because you had a child under 5 living with you, you will have received cold weather payments. If you had said the benefits you actually claimed at that time included child related benefits, this fact would have been known. You presented it as though you and you alone on basic JSA of approx £70 per week, had saved £900, at least that is to me the way you presented it. I know people on here are always saying that with children on the claim benefits can be very high, so perhaps you could have saved on that basis - I do not know. So I did misread what you wrote and for that I apologise.

I do not know if it is cool or not that you are living on £85 per week, although I am sure you are not the only one - on, I assume sick pay, that is having to do this...but would have thought someone single would receive this amount. With a wife and 2 children to support I would have thought you should be entitled to some other benefits - I thought you got CTC and WTC and some HB - do these stop when you are on sick?

You say in your post above that you are not a 'benefit basher but do believe some of the rates are too high' - apparently not the benefit that is only giving you £85 for a family of four though and I often read other amounts people are in receipt of benefits wise that seem very low to me...so would be interesting to know just what benefits you believe are too high?

Would also be interested to know why on another thread you stated 'if I am a dole dosser' when explaining you would be better off not working - many of those 'dole dossers' are claiming benefits for many reasons and many have paid for many years into the system and will only be claiming for a short time - so not a very fair 'label' is it? and especially coming from someone who is not a 'benefit basher'. Although I am aware that there are also people claiming who are taking the p*** - but not all should be tarred with same brush.

I can only form my opinions on what I read and using a term like 'dole dossers' gives me a certain view of a poster.

Regarding the holiday pay - I would have thought anyone claiming short term sick pay would use any money the DWP says they should and which they they can access before claiming means tested benefits - if you cannot access the holiday pay then surely the DWP would take this into account?
If you had 'cashed in' your holiday pay and banked it prior to claiming means tested benefits (IS) it would not count, for you are allowed 6K in savings. So this seems an anomaly and it may be worth asking some questions regarding this or perhaps someone reading this can advise.

Regarding the 'superior stance' I was not actually thinking of you when I wrote that - so like I did above, you have misread that.

I work mainly with people with disabilities and know some of them who use public transport do get free bus passes - so your dad does need to look into that.

annie1975_2

Russe11 wrote: »

The people who are moaning about not getting payrises make me laugh, thats between them and their employers, not benefits like JSA.

What they should be moaning at is state support for working people, thats what surpresses their wages, get rid of working tax credits, get rid of child tax credits, get rid of any benefits that can be claimed by working people... have them all wrapped up in the tax code and get employers having to pay market rates for labour.

The problem is when people go to their employers they are told there is no pay rise and if you dont like it there's the door.As for tax credits etc,if they abolished them no one would be able afford to go to work.On the other hand this is why employers pay low wages,because people can get help through tax credits.The thing is why should benefits keep getting rises and some workers are going 7/8 years without a rise.