MSE News: Benefits cap comes into force

Dunroamin

Ben_Reeve-Lewis wrote: »

Yes changing attitudes and behaviour is the stated aim but how long will it take? and how long is too long?

Also what carnage is going to be wreaked while people gradually change their ways?

I wish I knew the answer but I do think it's worth doing for the greater good.

gettingready

Lets get away from this simplistic notion that cutting people's benefits will force everyone back into work and we can all go home smiling

And what be YOUR solution? Genuinely curious.

Ben_Reeve-Lewis

My solutions? If I ruled the world? Haha

In London I would cap rents. I know this notion will cause people to throw chairs through the window. No matter where I post or what articles I write about this you cant enter into a sensible dialogue with the landlord community about it without them immediately threatening to get out of the game if this were to happen.

It is landlord profits that are being subsidised with public money.

But before any landlords reading this start loading their guns and little red laser-sight dots start appearing all over my body I have a few caveats.

For a start I’m not proposing old 1977 Rent Act style capping, that was too extreme to work. Most countries in the world have some form of rent control and it doesn’t result in landlords leaving the business.

I would end the madness of direct housing benefit payments to tenants and allow them to choose for HB to be paid direct to their landlords, as in the old days.

I would bring in tax concessions for landlords on a number of fronts to keep renting an attractive business proposition.

I would shorten eviction times to make it easier to get rid of bad tenants and would end Assured Shorthold Tenancies that create so much home insecurity

I would also raise the minimum wage and end economic migration (yes I know we cant do the latter because of European rules but its my fantasy right?:)) This would free up more jobs for our own nationals to get them off of benefits.

I would keep benefits at a level where people could live but if anyone was unemployed for a length of time without good reason I would say they should perform some form of work in return for their money.

I would end bedroom tax, I would encourage more creative building strategies that utilise existing properties and space and promote self build as much as possible.

I would also completely re-jig the renting system in the ways suggested by Prof Martin Partington back in 2006 and get rid of the daftness of the 18 or 19 different types of tenancies and licences and go with just two. A simple system that landlords and tenants can understand.

I have other ideas but I think that’s enough to start with
:j

gettingready

I would also raise the minimum wage and end economic migration (yes I know we cant do the latter because of European rules but its my fantasy right?) This would free up more jobs for our own nationals to get them off of benefits.

Interesting as I have masses or arguments about this particular issues with.. economic migrants who arrived here since the EU.

I was not born here, I came here in 1991 so way before the EU thingy.

I very often hear/read from the "back home people" how they have no problems finding jobs in UK, how local native people are lazy and will not take the jobs available etc etc so I kind of see both sides really.

My usual reply to this is - native people do not live 10 in a house sharing bathroom/kitchen with total strangers so their NMW "salary" stretches to brand new trainers for a trip back home once in a while and the "show off time". So native people can not afford to take on jobs and do not take them.

Yes, they are better off on benefits than on a NMW job breaking their back for 12 hours per day. This is not laziness, this is common sense (in a way).

The jobs that most "economic migrants" take - native people do not want/will not take.

Employers pay even below NMW because they know they will get people to take on those jobs so I agree that economic migrants lower the pay but not that they take the jobs that locals could take.

Not sure if I explain well what I mean?

princessdon

Ben_Reeve-Lewis wrote: »

Oh for sure but how many people would that apply to? My point here is to not apply a general rule "If you cant afford it, move". If someone had only recently fetched up in London and had no ties/connections then yeah, by all means.

The new Homelessness (Suitability of acommodation) Order 2012 allows council homelessness teams to discharge duty by offering private sector accommodation anywhere in the UK.....in theory.but there are 4 categories of 'Suitability' and it isnt just 'Affordability'.

My personal example is but a simple one and people's lives are often far more complicated. The old Norman Tebbit "On your bike" ethos in many cases just doesnt hold up.

But it does for owner occupiers and private renters who don't qualify for help.

What reaction to a post or indeed help from any government agency or charity would this scenario garner?

"I have a substantial home in an expensive area, my hours have been cut so I therefore lose 20% of income and cannot afford to live there, there are other houses I can buy within my affordability, however, I have family in this area and need them for support in order to work. I have looked at rental, however, I don't have the deposit and rental required by landlords. What help is there for me?"


Reply, none, you are expected to live within your means and move if necessary, why should long term unemployed be treat with kid gloves when the majority of society muddles on?

There are loads of owner occupiers severely overcrowded due to the fact they cannot move up the ladder, increases of accidental landlords who rent and move cheaper as no alternative, yet they are supposed to support others who live in areas they can never afford, whilst they move - a move that creates a long and tiring commute onto an already long day.

I don't care how long it takes to fix, I want to end this expectation, that just because someone is on benefits they have greater rights and deserve better treatment than workers. Workers move for work, in fact legally we are forced to relocate miles away under mobility clauses in contracts, in order to keep the roof over heads owners will move, take in lodgers etc. when you are forced to control your own destiny you do things you certainly prefer not to, but are necessary.

I cannot imagine a 30 year old wanting to move back home whilst renting out his batchelor pad with a 2 hour commute each way thinking its fun, they just know that they don't have the income to stay.

emweaver

Pincher wrote: »

So couples have to get divorced, and split the children to form two households.

£350 x 2 = £700 a week as separate people.

£700 - £500 = £200 a week better off.

It is £350 for single people with no children, single parents get £500 the same as a 2 parent family.

Thefore splitting the family in half would get £1000 not £700.

Mojisola

Ben_Reeve-Lewis wrote: »

Frazzy and I could certainly move north. I really like Birmingham and we could have a better quality of life there but it aint gonna happen because we have her mum to look after.

Could she move with you?

Dunroamin

emweaver wrote: »

It is £350 for single people with no children, single parents get £500 the same as a 2 parent family.

Thefore splitting the family in half would get £1000 not £700.

Surely that would be one one single person and one lone parent - £500 + £350?

debrag

clemmatis wrote: »

and people pointed out to you that it might not be a carer's uniform.

Looks like one to me, I've had plenty.

debrag

Ben_Reeve-Lewis wrote: »

A single mum with 4 kids is never going to be able to work because she cant afford the childcare. You could take the view that she shouldn’t have had the kids, you could also say “where is their dad in all this”? both valid questions but what happens then?

If they were single after the first one then they should have stopped, worked and done something with their lives. I'm sure she would have family around to help (they prob don't work themselfs) etc. My sister waited 9 years to have her second child and worked during that time.