Welfare Reform

fatbelly

Yes, that's impressive - very clearly laid out.

Looks like the imbedded video was funded by their local councils.

Growurown

Depth_Charge wrote: »

Hi

Another CAB branch (Northampton I think) launches a welfare reform website

http://www.welfarereformadvice.org.uk/

Looks good, well done Northampton

My opinions

Very useful site, thanks for the info:T

Depth_Charge

Hi

Yes, it does look good.

Very similar in some ways to the NEDCAB one in the first post of this thread really, perhaps even better and why not?

Interesting latest BBC news article below on the bedroom tax -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24284470

My view:)

Depth_Charge

Hi

Latest article from the BBC that tells the story as it is in the real world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24282840

The best article too date in my opinion as it gets down and into what is really happening with the misery of debt and early welfare reform changes such as the much debated 'bedroom tax'

Tough times ahead over the winter and beyond for those affected, frightening really

My take

fatbelly

I have a spreadsheet showing the local authority areas most affected by changes in Council Tax Support. Blackpool is in there but there are other areas as badly affected, or worse. The worst 25 (out of 325) are as follows. Figures are loss per week for all claimants/non-working/working.

Surrey Heath Surrey £7.30 £7.50 £6.60
North HertfordshireHertfordshire £6.20 £6.60 £5.30
Castle Point Essex £5.90 £6.20 £5.00
Rutland £5.60 £5.60 £5.80
Dacorum Hertfordshire £5.30 £5.60 £4.50
Hertsmere Hertfordshire £5.10 £5.40 £4.20
Central Bedfordshire £5.10 £5.30 £4.50
Welwyn Hatfield Hertfordshire £5.10 £5.30 £4.50
Harrow Outer London £5.90 £5.30 £6.90
York £4.90 £5.20 £4.20
Epping Forest Essex £4.90 £5.10 £4.10
Harlow Essex £4.70 £4.90 £4.10
North Devon Devon £4.70 £4.90 £4.10
Oldham Greater Manchester £4.70 £4.80 £4.00
Runnymede Surrey £4.70 £4.80 £4.70
Torridge Devon Major changes £4.60 £4.80 £4.00
South Tyneside Tyne and Wear £4.60 £4.70 £3.90
Stoke-on-Trent £4.60 £4.70 £3.90
Peterborough £4.50 £4.70 £3.80
Mid Sussex West Sussex £3.70 £4.70 £1.90
Blackpool £4.50 £4.60 £3.90
Rochdale Greater Manchester £4.70 £4.60 £5.10
Newark and Sherwood £4.40 £4.60 £3.80
Cornwall £4.40 £4.60 £3.90
Torbay £4.50 £4.60 £3.90

Depth_Charge

fatbelly wrote: »

I have a spreadsheet showing the local authority areas most affected by changes in Council Tax Support. Blackpool is in there but there are other areas as badly affected, or worse. The worst 25 (out of 325) are as follows. Figures are loss per week for all claimants/non-working/working.

Hi

Thanks for the info

It is my understanding that a number of Local Authorities have not passed on the full cost regarding council tax for the 2013/14 year but will be doing so next year so the full impact of this will not yet be felt in some areas.

A number of people I have been dealing with have decided not to contest eviction warrants and left their homes, gone to live temporary with relatives, where they go long term is a good question. Of course the debts including rent & council tax arrears still have to be dealt with.

Like I said get advice early if you can on what is best for you and your families, prioritise your debts, don't listen to people who tell you to live on bread and water just to pay them and less important debts, look at all your options including Debt Relief Orders if appropriate.

Speak to someone if you are feeling down, try to weather the storm, there are agencies and support groups out there.

My take

Depth_Charge

Hi

Millions 'will struggle' with Universal Credit Payments -

'The Payments Council, which oversees bank and card transfers in the UK, carried out the survey of claimants within the last month.

It found that many of them are worried about running into debt, or struggling to pay bills on time'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24352427

You really wonder where all this is going?

Overwhelmed advice agencies and support groups face another onslaught, trouble is this time the figures simply don't add up!

Could all this end up being an absolute financial disaster and in untold misery? well, looking at some of the results of the bedroom tax so far, then the warning signs are clearly there.

Oh yes, they are all too clearly there!

My take

eyeopener2

What happens when they get a job then? All, or most are paid monthly or 4 weekly?

Have most claimants been on benefit so long that they have never experienced monthly pay?

Serious questions.

Growurown

Some benefit claimants I meet through my job have never worked, but most have at some time or another. Most women I meet have worked in the past but gave up when they had kids and haven't worked since. Finding a job that fits around child care isn't very easy.

Different for the blokes but the ones that haven't worked for a long time have usually been in prison and struggle to find an employer to take them on, especially where I live as jobs aren't plentiful. There are also big issues around drug and alcohol addiction and poor mental health.

I meet a lot who were on disability for many years and have now been put onto JSA as they didn't pass the medical. I think it is very difficult for them because although potentially they could work, realistically no employer is going to take them on when there are ten healthy people waiting in the queue. Many of them are very limited in the type of work they can do because of their disabilities. They might not be able to do very physical work, or stand for long periods etc. If they don't have computer skills, and a lot of the older ones don't, then there is not a lot of choice for them.

Some of them will cope with monthly pay and budget really well, make sure that their rent is paid first etc. Some won't because generally their lives are very chaotic and their ability to think ahead and plan is pretty non existent. I have met people who treat their rent money as a form of free credit, knowing full well that they have to get quite a lot behind in their rent before the housing association will evict them. It can be a very much 'live for today and don't worry about tomorrow' culture in some households.

Depth_Charge

eyeopener2 wrote: »

What happens when they get a job then? All, or most are paid monthly or 4 weekly?

Have most claimants been on benefit so long that they have never experienced monthly pay?

Serious questions.

Hi

I am not sure how long most claimants have been on benefits.

There are many different sets of circumstances as another poster has highlighted.

It is a fair argument I would say that there are always a percentage that abuse things as is the same in life in general.

When massive changes like these are proposed and take place then there has to be advice and support provided if they are going to succeed. The government are actually saying that themselves.

The powers that be are on a sort of trial and error with welfare reform as we can see with the pilots, delays and announcements etc.

Help and support with budgeting and debts are paramount with all this, just the same as with those who have debt problems in general.

I just hope people and families reading this thread can gain advice, help and support in some way.

I am quite sure they are by the way.