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

dori2o

annie1975 wrote: »

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.

I know what you are saying, but benefits are there to provide help to deal with the cost of living, therefore, as the cost of living rises, benefits normally rise to keep in line with the cost of living. Thats why they are normally linked to the CPI/RPI.

It is right to say that some people have gone years with no payrise, some have never had a payrise in their whole working lives, but that is because some employers don't give a toss about their employees, just what they are getting from the business.

One of my former employers said he didn't give payrises, and that the usual annual increase in the tax allowance should be seen by his staff as their annual payrise.

His staff were on an average of £14k a year in 2003. He was taking a salary and dividends which gave him an income of approx £90k a year. (He had no problem reminding people how much he earned)

I once saw a letter on his desk, that he'd left out on purpose (he did things like this to get under the skin of people) that was from the 'Board of Directors' to himself (the MD). It was confirming that the 'Board of Directors (Him, his son, his daughter, and the woman in charge of the office and payroll (who was also his partner)) had approved his 9% payrise.

schrodie

Gareth56 wrote: »

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

wayne0 wrote: »

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?)

So someone coming off CB ESA after the one year time limit who is still sick/disabled married with a partner earning £151/week working 24 hours/week, own their house with no mortgage, no children can claim....sod all except for perhaps some CTB???

Ames

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.

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.

It must be regional then, here you get the companion pass. I googled and just clicked on one (other) council and it was the same there.

JS477 wrote: »

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

A companion pass allows a companion to travel with you for free.

It wouldn't help Wayne's brother go shopping without his dad, but it might be cheaper for his dad to just pay those fares as and when.

princessdon

schrodie wrote: »

So someone coming off CB ESA after the one year time limit who is still sick/disabled married with a partner earning £151/week working 24 hours/week, own their house with no mortgage, no children can claim....sod all except for perhaps some CTB???

Why can't their partner get a job that is 30 hours?