MSE News: Benefits to rise by less than inflation: full breakdown

[Deleted User]

Best idea ever. IMHO they should have frozen benefits entirely.

Plenty of people out there who WORK for a living and haven't had a payrise for years. If you don't like the benefits you get, try something else like a JOB.

About time in this country that we realised that benefits were there as a safety net to keep you alive until you get a job and are not a lifestyle option.

Benefits should be there to pay for basics like housing, heating, food, clothing and thats it. Booze, fags, tattoos, ipads, TVs are for those who work.

(Although I will add I'm glad that disability benefit is unaffected). Pity a lot of those are fraudulent claims though.

Muttleythefrog

[quote=[Deleted User];57834495]Best idea ever. IMHO they should have frozen benefits entirely.

Plenty of people out there who WORK for a living and haven't had a payrise for years. If you don't like the benefits you get, try something else like a JOB.

About time in this country that we realised that benefits were there as a safety net to keep you alive until you get a job and are not a lifestyle option.

Benefits should be there to pay for basics like housing, heating, food, clothing and thats it. Booze, fags, tattoos, ipads, TVs are for those who work.

(Although I will add I'm glad that disability benefit is unaffected). Pity a lot of those are fraudulent claims though.[/QUOTE]

Problem is that these basics (which the benefits probably in mind do cover) are the things that are tending to rise at a serious rate.... especially food and gas/electricity.. hence those in receipt of the benefits in question will likely be disproportionately affected by the none inflationary linked changes... or for that matter even inflation linked rises which will probably underestimate the true inflation for the poor.

It's also worth adding that those affected (assuming the changes are implemented after law change) do include those currently unable to work through disability, sickness or injury... at very least in the basic rate of ESA.

[Deleted User]

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Problem is that these basics (which the benefits probably in mind do cover) are the things that are tending to rise at a serious rate.... especially food and gas/electricity.. hence those in receipt of the benefits in question will likely be disproportionately affected by the none inflationary linked changes... or for that matter even inflation linked rises which will probably underestimate the true inflation for the poor.

It's also worth adding that those affected (assuming the changes are implemented after law change) do include those currently unable to work through disability, sickness or injury... at very least in the basic rate of ESA.

But then, to be fair, there are lots of people on low-paid jobs in the same situation? i.e. cant afford these things.

My point is though that there are people out there who will moan because they now can't afford their fags and booze whilst on benefits.

JS477

[quote=[Deleted User];57834495]Best idea ever. IMHO they should have frozen benefits entirely.

Plenty of people out there who WORK for a living and haven't had a payrise for years. [/QUOTE]

And they too are getting their benefits effectively cut.

SPELLKASTER

i think this is awful.

how can people be expected to live on benefit increase of 1% when gas and electricity have gone up more then the rate of inflation, plus food prices have rocketed.

no wonder why there is so much poverty is this country.

ILW

SPELLKASTER wrote: »

i think this is awful.

how can people be expected to live on benefit increase of 1% when gas and electricity have gone up more then the rate of inflation, plus food prices have rocketed.

no wonder why there is so much poverty is this country.

There is very little true poverty in this country.

[Deleted User]

ILW wrote: »

There is very little true poverty in this country.

I agree. If you've got no job but a place to live, heating, food and clothes you arent experiencing poverty.

Unfortunately, not always the case for some old people who pay tax all their life and then dont have enough pension to pay for heating.

Unlike some people on benefits who've never worked a day in their life and moan if they cant afford the latest ipad......

schrodie

SPELLKASTER wrote: »

i think this is awful.

how can people be expected to live on benefit increase of 1% when gas and electricity have gone up more then the rate of inflation, plus food prices have rocketed.

no wonder why there is so much poverty is this country.

Welcome to the UK under the tories!!!

schrodie

[quote=[Deleted User];57838883]I agree. If you've got no job but a place to live, heating, food and clothes you arent experiencing poverty.
[/QUOTE]

According to which definition of poverty?

BurnleyBob

[quote=[Deleted User];57834495]Best idea ever. IMHO they should have frozen benefits entirely.

Plenty of people out there who WORK for a living and haven't had a payrise for years. If you don't like the benefits you get, try something else like a JOB.

About time in this country that we realised that benefits were there as a safety net to keep you alive until you get a job and are not a lifestyle option.

Benefits should be there to pay for basics like housing, heating, food, clothing and thats it. Booze, fags, tattoos, ipads, TVs are for those who work.

(Although I will add I'm glad that disability benefit is unaffected). Pity a lot of those are fraudulent claims though.[/QUOTE]

The 1% rise affects those in work too. Actually, 60% of those affected negatively will be workers via three years of less than inflation increases in their Tax Credits. Those of them in receipt of the New Minimum Wage haven't had an inflation matching wage increase during the past three years because the coalition deliberately set the increase each time lower than what they thought CPI inflation would be at.

So whenever they kept sympathising with "hard working families" they were, in fact, stabbing 'em in the back.

The typical worker earning above the minimum wage who are also in receipt of Tax Credits haven't received inflation-adjusted wage increases either. So if things continue for the next 2.5 years as they have the previous 2.5 they will continue to lose out wage wise and from next April on the Tax Credits front too. In other words, they are going to become poorer in real terms at a faster pace. So much for the mantra of making work pay, eh?

And if you (or anyone else) believes that these cuts are doing wonders for the country's finances then you had better think again because by the next General Election the national debt will be £600B higher than it was in May 2010 (from £760B to £1,365B) while Labour added £412B in the 13 years prior (£348B to £760B).