Welfare Reform

Depth_Charge

cazzap06 wrote: »

Desperate people do desperate things and I reckon the crime rate will also go up , especially theft , and the shop security guards and police are going to be kept busy I reckon

People will also take in lodgers and not declare it just to be able to survive , so subletting will go up just to keep their homes , but then eviction looms either way

It is a lose / lose situation many are in and never before in my lifetime has the poverty trap been this deep now where people can't even afford to eat even basic food or keep warm etc and I do worry about the children as well!! x

By the way is it true that Maggie Thatchers funeral cost 8 million??? If so it is scandalous I reckon , but once again , got their priorities right , not!!!

I predict real chaos ahead unfortunately.....

Hi

The marketing and targeting of the payday loans and gambling does not and will not help.

I believe the above can do nothing other than inflame the whole situation and is based on greed.

If the powers that be are serious then they should be putting a brake on these or there could end up being so much misery and debt maybe the like we have not seen before.

It will likely reach new lows as far as misery and poverty are concerned before something is done on these issues.

Families will suffer and I agree there could be chaos ahead as the simple maths just do not add up even without the payday loan and gambling.

Im afraid that some of the political commentators and their stooges just have not got a clue and will be nowhere to be found when the pieces have to be picked up.

They will likely be spending more on a meal out than some families have to last the week to live on and that will probably be on the wine alone.

Just my take

dktreesea

cazzap06 wrote: »

Desperate people do desperate things and I reckon the crime rate will also go up , especially theft , and the shop security guards and police are going to be kept busy I reckon

People will also take in lodgers and not declare it just to be able to survive , so subletting will go up just to keep their homes , but then eviction looms either way

It is a lose / lose situation many are in and never before in my lifetime has the poverty trap been this deep now where people can't even afford to eat even basic food or keep warm etc and I do worry about the children as well!! x

By the way is it true that Maggie Thatchers funeral cost 8 million??? If so it is scandalous I reckon , but once again , got their priorities right , not!!!

I predict real chaos ahead unfortunately.....

Being able to afford to eat basic food and keep warm is getting to be the only thing people can now afford to do. That's the whole point of the Tory reforms; to reduce welfare to subsistence living. To take away the "comfort element". Provided you eat cheap food and use just the gas and electricity you need and no more, plus a little bit extra to go for job interviews, i.e. the public transport, you can survive.

You can't make work attractive to non-work just by financial measures alone. You also have to reduce the income available under a non working status to make this option to uncomfortable for anything other than short term living. That means cutting welfare in real terms. Not to mention undermining its reliability. Hence 4 week minimum sanctions under UC and the possibility of losing the entire amount of welfare including the funding for housing , unlike the present system

dktreesea

The welfare reforms seem too much, too soon to me. Even though I don't think people will starve, that's provided they don't get sanctioned. Four weeks without income? For people living hand to mouth? Does it get as bad as that even in places in the West with minimal welfare cover, like America?

Depth_Charge

Hi

The Benefit Cap roll out begins in London

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22148764

They mean it, but it is early days

Depth_Charge

Hi

Welfare reform is in the headline news today.

Adding a little balance, heres what Dave has to say in a MailOnline article from earlier.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2309275/Benefits-cap-trial-David-Cameron-hails-big-day-welfare-reform.html

MailOnline is always unbaised:)

Joking aside there is some interesting stuff and a few of those statistic things.

The welfare reform is going down well with the voters according to the opinion polls by the look of it, but this is serious stuff and does not only affect people on benefits alone with time being the ultimate decider.

Some of the commentaters and journalists are having field day talking about this, wonder if some of them would care to tell us their salary details and perhaps expenses too, ahh they probably work so hard though so I may be being a little unfair.

Always seems to be two of them sat there on the news channels and that though:)

Just my take as always.

Cocobay71

Last night on our local news they interviewed a single mum of two about her benefits being capped at £500 a week. She was complaining about losing £70 a week and would struggle to pay the bills.
When the story brought up her financial outgoings it showed she spent £130 a week on food shopping. Even if she had a partner to include this is one area she could save money. We are a couple not on benefits but we only budget for £30 a week for our food bills.

Growurown

Depth_Charge wrote: »

MailOnline is always unbaised:)

As we all know:rotfl:

Depth_Charge wrote: »

The welfare reform is going down well with the voters according to the opinion polls by the look of it, but this is serious stuff and does not only affect people on benefits alone with time being the ultimate decider.

Yes I agree. I think with everyone feeling the pinch there are a lot of people who think the benefit system is unfair to those who work. It is hard to argue that it is 'fair' that someone on benefits has choices that those in work don't. For example how many children they have. I have work colleagues who can't afford to have more children yet someone on benefits can have child after child and get more money. I think the benefit cap is designed to discourage people from having larger families. However children don't ask to be born and it seems harsh that the children should suffer for their parents lack of responsibility.

Cocobay71 wrote: »

Last night on our local news they interviewed a single mum of two about her benefits being capped at £500 a week. She was complaining about losing £70 a week and would struggle to pay the bills.
When the story brought up her financial outgoings it showed she spent £130 a week on food shopping. Even if she had a partner to include this is one area she could save money. We are a couple not on benefits but we only budget for £30 a week for our food bills.

That is a lot of money for three people for a weekly food bill. I think this emphasises the need for more training on budgeting and cooking.

Somerset

dktreesea wrote: »

Does it get as bad as that even in places in the West with minimal welfare cover, like America?

Much worse in the US. I don't know the detail, but I was talking to my cousin over there, who is a builder with no work. Basically, financial benefits (money) is provided for a set time. Once that time is up, you are on your own. Literally nothing to pay anything. Cousin is currently being supported/housed by family.

Depth_Charge

Hi

Heres what Citizens Advice's Katie has to say...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/local-government-network/2013/apr/15/welfare-reforms-interview-kate-shaw

Its a good fair, sensible and balanced article in my opinion

And she's right

My take

dktreesea

Somerset wrote: »

Much worse in the US. I don't know the detail, but I was talking to my cousin over there, who is a builder with no work. Basically, financial benefits (money) is provided for a set time. Once that time is up, you are on your own. Literally nothing to pay anything. Cousin is currently being supported/housed by family.

I guess the closest we will get to that situation here, once UC comes in, is if people get sanctioned for long periods of time. Where the Americans do seem to be a bit different is that a lot of people seem to qualify for disability pension over there that wouldn't qualify for DLA or income support here.