What's the fuss about this new benefit caps?

ukcarper

ggb1979 wrote: »

Sorry for being thick but does that mean that if for silly example council tax in a given area is 23k/annum and benefit cap is 24k the actual net cash in pocket each month is 1k (assuming of course that rent etc can be ignored for this silly example)

I guess what I'm trying to understand is the discretionary income this cap imposes?

The cap is the maximum you can claim so if total of your benefits is £20k and cap is £23k you get £20k.

remorseless

llan wrote: »

Some folk don't like it.

https://www.reed.co.uk ?

Mistermeaner

ukcarper wrote: »

The cap is the maximum you can claim so if total of your benefits is £20k and cap is £23k you get £20k.

Thanks.... I did warn you I'm thick. Now I'm even more confused.

Is free council tax that you don't pay included in the 20k calc? Ie you don't actually get 20k cash you get 2k of 'free' council tax + 10k of 'free' rent leaving you with 8k of cash to spend on Lonsdale tracksuits

ukcarper

ggb1979 wrote: »

Thanks.... I did warn you I'm thick. Now I'm even more confused.

Is free council tax that you don't pay included in the 20k calc? Ie you don't actually get 20k cash you get 2k of 'free' council tax + 10k of 'free' rent leaving you with 8k of cash to spend on Lonsdale tracksuits

If council tax is £1500 a year that £1500 is part of the £20k cap.

Mistermeaner

Boom! Got it thanks

So 20k or whatever the cap is isn't necessarily loads when I imagine alot of is built up of such components that are I presume themselves individually constrained depending on circumstances.

Purely out of curiosity I'd love to know how much discretionary cash a non working family of 4 get per month

My choices I know but I reckon my monthly discretionary cash after mortgage pension savings insurances tax etc is maybe 1000k per month (for food and clothes etc). I think I earn a fair wedge but never feel well off. Sure I will probably be well off one day but I have this perception that life on benefits while morally abhorrent would be financially ok.

Jvic28

Just to confuse matters...does that mean my 25% single person discount is actually a state benefit?

cells

stator wrote: »

Social cleansing.
It's the fault of the conservatives that house prices have gone up so much. It's also their fault that half the council houses are now in the hands of private landlords renting them back to the state at twice the cost. So now they are forcing poor people to move because of their failed housing policies.

Close to zero council homes were sold to private landlords. The vast majority were sold to council tenants and of all the council homes to exist more than two thirds are still in social hands.

House prices are expensive because for 20 years building has been insufficient and of that 20 years 13 years was under team red

But you do have a fair point in that its unfair that a council tenant in zone 1 central London can live off the £23k cap while a non council tenant can't. Lets fix that issue by charging the going rate for all council tenants

remorseless

ggb1979 wrote: »

So 20k or whatever the cap is isn't necessarily loads when I imagine alot of is built up of such components that are I presume themselves individually constrained depending on circumstances.

20k assistance in whichever shape or form is loads more than a working person is getting!

That is unless you're not disabled.

remorseless

cells wrote: »

But you do have a fair point in that its unfair that a council tenant in zone 1 central London can live off the £23k cap while a non council tenant can't. Lets fix that issue by charging the going rate for all council tenants

That has always puzzled me... if they are not working and claiming, why are they in Zone 1???

Mummyisbeauty

Jvic28 wrote: »

Just to confuse matters...does that mean my 25% single person discount is actually a state benefit?

Nope, its a cut because your household may well use less than a household with two or more adults.