Universal Credit
 

I have just read articles on the sky news website www.skynews,co.uk concerning the Universal Credit, which will be announced in the Budget.

This will not help the coalition win new friends, you cannot bring out a new benefit system to try and force people back to work - there isn't any work out there.

People whinge that's why foreign workers are getting jobs, where British workers cannot, simple answer to that one - employers are offering cheap wages to keep themself in business.

To live in this country, you need a decent wage to live on, everything is going up but not wages.

How does this coalition expect people to survive, when they are making cutbacks, they are making people with disability benefit go back to work - to save money. Now they have the Universal Benefit will will hit thousands of people and again people will go onto the poverty line. This is not the 1950's when money was scarce.

This is typical of a Tory government of trying to save money, and the Lib Dems should be totally ashamed of themself for allowing this to happen.

Re: Universal Credit
 

Jesus when are we going to get a non political thread for once as today it just seems to be a political bashing day.

Re: Universal Credit
 

But if they put the minimum wage up, private companies will just put up prices of everything to make up the losses and then the cost of living will go up meaning the new minimum wage will be just as useless as the cost of living has increased again, so that problem is always gonna be around unfortunetly.

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Here you go denphone :)

A non political thread.

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Yeah there is. People just don't like the idea of not upgrading to a new iphone.

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A blessed relief one must say old chap.:)

Re: Universal Credit
 

By the way Universal Credit, has been an idea which has been on the cards since the DSS was replaced by DWP, it is to make it easier as well as get people off benefits, there is just too many! and some of them unfair, Why should people on Jobseekers Allowance who are genuinely looking for work get less than someone on Income Support, it makes no sense! The cost of travelling to interviews as well as to the jobcentre to sign on as well as buying food,gas and electricity is a lot, £53 per week for under 25's is too low! Those on income support and ESA get up to something like £90 per week which is unfair for jobseekers, those on income support and ESA are likely to be claiming other benefits as well.

I think the current Jobseekers allowance system is encouraging and helpful to find work, but the pay is very low and I really don't think it is very beneficial for those living alone. I was only on it for about 3 to 4 weeks before finding another job, it was very hard!

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Minimum wage goes up every year ;)

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And so do electricity bills,bus fares,train fares,virgin media and all other essentials

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I've never been in a position to claim benefits. my father did when I was younger. but I can see how people can't survive/afford to live with the cost of living it is today.

but then you have a lot of people on benefits who blow the money they have got on weed and stuff.

how much is the average cost a week if you're on weed anyway?

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Part of the reason why the old system isn't any good is because people miss out on what they are entitled to because they don't know they can claim and there is also so much confusion in the dept itself as to what can be claimed and what can't

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This is very generously paid back.

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Er um, it may not be the 1950s, but money is scarce. Somehow or other we need to expect governments to balance the books just as a household must. The chickens have come home to roost and we cannot continue to live on the never never both at household and government level.

Re: Universal Credit
 

It is?

Not for me it wasn't, they said I wasn't on Jobseekers allowance for long enough.

---------- Post added at 12:48 ---------- Previous post was at 12:47 ----------

Also in London you get half price travel after 6 months of being on JSA. No help otherwise

Re: Universal Credit
 

I was on Jobseeker's for 3 weeks when I had an interview 180 miles away. I drove there which cost me about £50 round trip. After the Jobcentre confirmed I attended they paid me £90 for it. I'm assuming they factored in wear and tear etc on the car but I have no idea why they paid so much. I questioned it but they were adamant it was the right amount.

Re: Universal Credit
 

I know, it's a shame all the job centres, job sites, appointment sections in the papers all had to close as there were no jobs...

If there are no jobs how come plenty of foreigners, who have a disadvantage as English is a second language can find jobs pretty easily?

Re: Universal Credit
 

I read a couple of days ago that they are not going to increase the min wage for under 25's this year "to make them more employable".

No link sorry. :dunce:

---------- Post added at 13:53 ---------- Previous post was at 13:50 ----------

Many are being brought over here AFTER contracts are won, and then all the work takes place in their own language, with just one boss doing all the English talking if needed. English speakers need not apply, well they can't anyway as the jobs are only advertised overseas, and not in English.

Or Welsh.

Re: Universal Credit
 

You may have mis-heard that, as the NMW upper bracket is for 21+ linky

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...imum-wage.html

I knew "25" had been mentioned.... maybe they are going to change the tiers too?

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If the cost of the NMW was truly a factor very few aged 20 or under would be out of work. :dozey:

What is really needed is a return of the Wages council setting a fair rate for work done. Now you get people who are working hard for NMW or managers who get just 20p an hour more because companies can pay so little and not be censured.

Re: Universal Credit
 

I have alwayys felt JSA should be inline with IS with added all hunting job equipment free. They also should provide free travel to interviews on public transport even free first month employment that would trains buses so no trying get job in netherlands with free travel to schipol. Within reason bounds. Surely what helps people to get to find work without financial burden would be good idea. I spent £20 on stationary papers that was not even the transport to interviews. I often had to ask financial help from relatives.

Problem with including ESA is often disabled need extra items dont think its right.

I worked out with food bills if you followed government advice you need job £250 a week to live. just at £5 a meal you shopping would be £35 thats just one they recomend 3 cooked meals with fruit and veg as daily diet.

There insurance for home, rent or mortage paying now pension possible the next step healthcare insurance. Council tax on top too.

Electric and gas bills I doubt the national minum wage is anywhere near enough even if eliminate healthcare out the equation. Even take out the insurance pension you still looking at ALOT money just to survive in britain you cant physically give money out which makes it impossible to live to clothe/eat/keep warm.

Any reductions would put massive strain onto NHS our are we going to deny people the right to healthcare.

I listened on the radio that charities said would cause maive poverty natually you got bigoted government calling it poppycock people actually be better off. I thought yes government in this climate going to be charitable I just laughed at the lie he was peddling.

Re: Universal Credit
 

Universal Credit is a way that is going to be very expensive to implement, on the same programme on Sky, it was stated by A TORY MP that is will cost 2 BILLION pounds to introduce. This is a total waste of money, which could be spent on other things.

I was on jobseekers allowance for 9 months and hated every minute of it, going for job interviews etc, where was the fare money coming from for travel ,JCs will not pay you this, postage etc, JC won't pay for this, they supplied us with a mobile phone, which was useless.

There is no incentive for people to look for work - there is no work out there, any work there is, is quickly snapped up by foreign workers, who probably live in the same accommodation as about ten others and feed off other workers for jobs.

The benefit system needs overhauling, but by doing what they are doing will cripple the country, this country is not in the 1950's where you scrimp and scrape, if you are unemployed through no fault of your own, you have a right to live and therefore on the benefit system you go.

To save money instead of picking on the poor, is to crack down on the people that do not have that right to the state system, that would save millions.

As said earlier, its the way to save money and the Tories are brilliant as doing this, and thats by hitting the poor.

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They will, Arthur.

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http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employme...ices/DG_173631

I suppose that means that under exceptional circumstances there is small discretionary fund i.e if the interview is miles away

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That goes completely against what my local JC told me. They said help is available for anyone needing to travel to interviews.

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I think it's different for each area Russ .Given the cost of travel ,the governments/jobcenters insistence that we should be prepared to travel a wider area in search of work and the legal requirement to look for work then i would have thought it would be an automatic procedure to claim them back

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I have the perfect example of this travel fee via the Job centre.

I got an interview at a well known business, l had a letter with letterhead, l went to the job centre to ask for help.

I was told to ask friends for the money first, could not get it, l was told to apply for an emergency crisis loan, and sit and wait - after three hours, l was told l could not claim, l was NOT unemployed long enough - l was 6 months out of work.

A friend of mine drove me there, l was lucky to get the job, BUT would not get paid for a month. Again, l applied through JC again, they told me to get THREE quotes for travel ONLY, l got a travel card quote for the month - it came to approx £45.00 l went again back to the JC, l had to queue for another emergency crisis loan.

They told me l could get one if l signed off that day, and then claim a crisis loan to cover me the month.

I got the crisis loan for travel, BUT had to pay it back within 28 days. My JS allowance was stopped after TWO weeks, and l had to go back to the JC for help, they told me that as l was NOW employed l could not claim the final two weeks of my month. It was the company that l now worked for help me out.

The Job Centre are useless, all they do is cause problems for people, and all this government crap about helping you out and is all rubbish, all they want if for you to come off the unemployment register and make them look good.

I might sound bitter, but my family and l had a rough time that month, and l will never believe again what comes out there mouth, when you sign on - you are just a number.

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Stop the bloody press


Arthur posted a link :shocked:

Re: Universal Credit
 

Which doesn't work. :D

Re: Universal Credit
 

The item was on Sky news with two people discussing it, one was a Tory MP and the other was a woman from Mums-net.

They were saying that Mums net were talking about when Universal Credit comes out in the budget thousand of mums who IN work will have to leave work as the benefits that they to keep them in work will be scrapped under the UC scheme.

What this government has to do is provide work and benefit that fits the bill, so if you take a low paid job, by insistence of the government, then you must have a benefit to put you into a 'living standard' benefit.

Its similar to job seekers allowance, they claim how much the government feel you are paid a benefit above the povery line.

Re: Universal Credit
 

When was this, please, Arthur?

Re: Universal Credit
 

If you are in the London area, you will definately experience things like this!

Re: Universal Credit
 

Hugh, two years ago, A friend of mine has been unemployed for three years, he has been offered two jobs, but the jobcentre has told him that he will only get help if he has been unemployed longer.

He is a proud man, and does not like taking benefits, but he has a young family to look after, and he got made redundant. and was told he has to spend every penny of his redundancy before claiming any benefit - he is sick to the stomach.

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Re: Universal Credit
 

should at least match inflation ,as should the lower scales .Not realy an incentive to take low paid work is it

Re: Universal Credit
 

indeed would argue at present they need to anounce double inflation wage rise.

The problem I always had with inflation increases it never takes account the whole package inflation. You just always end up worse off as food, rent, utilities go up but the never work out how much the households lose then replenshish with that wage rise to keep parity.