Universal Credit
Discussion
Currently being debated in parliament.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41659504
I do find some of the discussion around it highly misleading.
First of all the claim that claimants waiting 6 weeks is a sign of a "system in crises".
Universal credit is paid monthly in arrears and there is also a 7 day waiting period before you can claim, add in an assessment period after the month has elapsed and it is actually around 6 weeks by design.
Another point is complaints about the taper rate. It does indeed have a very high taper rate but the combination of the benefits it replaced could produce far higher taper rates, over 100% at some income levels!.
I think it is a good idea that needs to be administered better.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41659504
I do find some of the discussion around it highly misleading.
First of all the claim that claimants waiting 6 weeks is a sign of a "system in crises".
Universal credit is paid monthly in arrears and there is also a 7 day waiting period before you can claim, add in an assessment period after the month has elapsed and it is actually around 6 weeks by design.
Another point is complaints about the taper rate. It does indeed have a very high taper rate but the combination of the benefits it replaced could produce far higher taper rates, over 100% at some income levels!.
I think it is a good idea that needs to be administered better.
It's going to cause a fair bit of housing problems too. As I understand, from the landlords I've spoken to, UC is paid to the claiment who then passes it on to the landlord whereas with housing benefit it would, in many cases, be paid directly to the landlord. So it's led to things like this:
Private landlords turning away Universal Credit claimants in droves
Private landlords turning away Universal Credit claimants in droves
article said:
The head of policy at the National Landlords Association (NLA), Chris Norris said:
"While the NLA supports the concepts behind Universal Credit, it is clearly divorced from the realities of many tenants' lives. Problems with its implementation and caps to housing benefit mean that many landlords now view letting to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit as high risk, because they simply do not have the confidence that rent will be paid to them on time."
"While the NLA supports the concepts behind Universal Credit, it is clearly divorced from the realities of many tenants' lives. Problems with its implementation and caps to housing benefit mean that many landlords now view letting to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit as high risk, because they simply do not have the confidence that rent will be paid to them on time."
JagLover said:
Currently being debated in parliament.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41659504
I do find some of the discussion around it highly misleading.
First of all the claim that claimants waiting 6 weeks is a sign of a "system in crises".
Universal credit is paid monthly in arrears and there is also a 7 day waiting period before you can claim, add in an assessment period after the month has elapsed and it is actually around 6 weeks by design.
Another point is complaints about the taper rate. It does indeed have a very high taper rate but the combination of the benefits it replaced could produce far higher taper rates, over 100% at some income levels!.
I think it is a good idea that needs to be administered better.
Wasn't the claim that it's a "system in crises" because a quarter of applicants are already waiting more than 6 weeks?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41659504
I do find some of the discussion around it highly misleading.
First of all the claim that claimants waiting 6 weeks is a sign of a "system in crises".
Universal credit is paid monthly in arrears and there is also a 7 day waiting period before you can claim, add in an assessment period after the month has elapsed and it is actually around 6 weeks by design.
Another point is complaints about the taper rate. It does indeed have a very high taper rate but the combination of the benefits it replaced could produce far higher taper rates, over 100% at some income levels!.
I think it is a good idea that needs to be administered better.
The principle of it is sound, sadly it seems to be implemented poorly (quelle surprise). Apparently claimants can get an advance to cover the 6 week waiting period, but most of those claiming it aren't told about this.
Same as the helpline - why wasn't it a freephone number to begin with?
BlackLabel said:
It's going to cause a fair bit of housing problems too. As I understand, from the landlords I've spoken to, UC is paid to the claiment who then passes it on to the landlord whereas with housing benefit it would, in many cases, be paid directly to the landlord. So it's led to things like this:
Private landlords turning away Universal Credit claimants in droves
Looks like the scheme allows for direct payments to landlords, but only if you've had problems managing money in the past ( https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/univ... ) . Surely it'd make sense for this option to be available to all?Private landlords turning away Universal Credit claimants in droves
article said:
The head of policy at the National Landlords Association (NLA), Chris Norris said:
"While the NLA supports the concepts behind Universal Credit, it is clearly divorced from the realities of many tenants' lives. Problems with its implementation and caps to housing benefit mean that many landlords now view letting to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit as high risk, because they simply do not have the confidence that rent will be paid to them on time."
"While the NLA supports the concepts behind Universal Credit, it is clearly divorced from the realities of many tenants' lives. Problems with its implementation and caps to housing benefit mean that many landlords now view letting to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit as high risk, because they simply do not have the confidence that rent will be paid to them on time."
BlackLabel said:
It's going to cause a fair bit of housing problems too. As I understand, from the landlords I've spoken to, UC is paid to the claiment who then passes it on to the landlord whereas with housing benefit it would, in many cases, be paid directly to the landlord. So it's led to things like this:
Private landlords turning away Universal Credit claimants in droves
It can be paid directly to the landlord if requiredPrivate landlords turning away Universal Credit claimants in droves
article said:
The head of policy at the National Landlords Association (NLA), Chris Norris said:
"While the NLA supports the concepts behind Universal Credit, it is clearly divorced from the realities of many tenants' lives. Problems with its implementation and caps to housing benefit mean that many landlords now view letting to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit as high risk, because they simply do not have the confidence that rent will be paid to them on time."
"While the NLA supports the concepts behind Universal Credit, it is clearly divorced from the realities of many tenants' lives. Problems with its implementation and caps to housing benefit mean that many landlords now view letting to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit as high risk, because they simply do not have the confidence that rent will be paid to them on time."
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/univ...
BlackLabel said:
It's going to cause a fair bit of housing problems too. As I understand, from the landlords I've spoken to, UC is paid to the claiment who then passes it on to the landlord whereas with housing benefit it would, in many cases, be paid directly to the landlord.
It does allow, AIUI, for the HB to be paid straight to the landlord where the recipient has proven they're not competent to do such basic financial prioritisation for themselves.I dunno about you, but it seems immensely patronising for there to be an assumption of such basic incompetence on the part of every recipient...
And landlords have been putting "No DHSS" in ads ever since there was a DHSS...
Tories have u-turned on the helpline & will make it free from next month.
This was always an indefensible position, another win for Labour
Now they need to fix the rest of it - as above the 6 week waiting period is by design - which makes no sense at all. UC pilots (good idea) have thrown up significant problems which should be addressed before going ahead with wider rollout. UC is a good idea, but has been poorly implemented - what else would you expect from IDS?
AFAIK the treasury / Osborne were also involved in increasing the withdrawal rates from the original design which doesn't help the benefits "trap"
Let's see if parliament votes to delay - or if the govt pulls it to avoid defeat...
This was always an indefensible position, another win for Labour
Now they need to fix the rest of it - as above the 6 week waiting period is by design - which makes no sense at all. UC pilots (good idea) have thrown up significant problems which should be addressed before going ahead with wider rollout. UC is a good idea, but has been poorly implemented - what else would you expect from IDS?
AFAIK the treasury / Osborne were also involved in increasing the withdrawal rates from the original design which doesn't help the benefits "trap"
Let's see if parliament votes to delay - or if the govt pulls it to avoid defeat...
edh said:
Tories have u-turned on the helpline & will make it free from next month.
This was always an indefensible position, another win for Labour
The election result really was the best Labour could have hoped for. They are now setting the agenda in many areas, but don't have to take any of the blame for the parts that go wrong.This was always an indefensible position, another win for Labour
JagLover said:
Currently being debated in parliament.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41659504
I do find some of the discussion around it highly misleading.
First of all the claim that claimants waiting 6 weeks is a sign of a "system in crises".
Universal credit is paid monthly in arrears and there is also a 7 day waiting period before you can claim, add in an assessment period after the month has elapsed and it is actually around 6 weeks by design.
Making people who are already skint wait six weeks for UC is taking the piss, and cruel, and unnecessary.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41659504
I do find some of the discussion around it highly misleading.
First of all the claim that claimants waiting 6 weeks is a sign of a "system in crises".
Universal credit is paid monthly in arrears and there is also a 7 day waiting period before you can claim, add in an assessment period after the month has elapsed and it is actually around 6 weeks by design.
mx5nut said:
edh said:
Tories have u-turned on the helpline & will make it free from next month.
This was always an indefensible position, another win for Labour
The election result really was the best Labour could have hoped for. They are now setting the agenda in many areas, but don't have to take any of the blame for the parts that go wrong.This was always an indefensible position, another win for Labour
I'd have preferred a Labour govt though...
edh said:
Tories have u-turned on the helpline & will make it free from next month.
That was - as with so many such manufactured furores - such a massive misrepresentation..."Up to 55p/min" - well, yes... IF you have a spectacularly expensive PAYG tariff that charges you 55p for calling any landline. 0345 numbers are the same price as any landline.
Stepchange debt charity? Many of their helpline numbers are 0300.
Trussell Trust, the foodbank charity? Their contact number is a landline, most of their foodbanks only publish a mobile number.
Citizens Advice Bureau? 0344, but many of their local numbers are premium-rate 0845.
SantaBarbara said:
rover 623gsi said:
Making people who are already skint wait six weeks for UC is taking the piss, and cruel, and unnecessary.
They have now said advance payments are available.A good article on the disastrous implementation & consequences in one pilot area
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/17/we...
Note that UC is paid in a large part to people in low paid work, so often overlooked.
TooMany2cvs said:
edh said:
Tories have u-turned on the helpline & will make it free from next month.
That was - as with so many such manufactured furores - such a massive misrepresentation..."Up to 55p/min" - well, yes... IF you have a spectacularly expensive PAYG tariff that charges you 55p for calling any landline. 0345 numbers are the same price as any landline.
Stepchange debt charity? Many of their helpline numbers are 0300.
Trussell Trust, the foodbank charity? Their contact number is a landline, most of their foodbanks only publish a mobile number.
Citizens Advice Bureau? 0344, but many of their local numbers are premium-rate 0845.
edh said:
top class whataboutery....
You don't find it even vaguely relevant, given the weight of censure that's been thrown about over the use of a standard non-premium rate non-geographical number that's charged at exactly the same price as any landline...?edh said:
My local CAB's are all 0300 or standard landline numbers - which ones use 0845?
My apologies - it looks like I was wrong.Google give an 0845 for my local CAB - 0845 601 8421.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=brecon+citizens+...
But if you go to Powys CAB's own site, they give it as the same number, but 0345.
http://www.powyscitizensadvice.org.uk/Home/contact...
TooMany2cvs said:
edh said:
top class whataboutery....
You don't find it even vaguely relevant, given the weight of censure that's been thrown about over the use of a standard non-premium rate non-geographical number that's charged at exactly the same price as any landline...?TooMany2cvs said:
edh said:
My local CAB's are all 0300 or standard landline numbers - which ones use 0845?
My apologies - it looks like I was wrong.Google give an 0845 for my local CAB - 0845 601 8421.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=brecon+citizens+...
But if you go to Powys CAB's own site, they give it as the same number, but 0345.
http://www.powyscitizensadvice.org.uk/Home/contact...
CAB is staffed by a mix of volunteers (I did ~ 1 day / week for several years) & paid workers. They do so much work to help people with all sorts of issues, not just benefits problems.
SantaBarbara said:
rover 623gsi said:
Making people who are already skint wait six weeks for UC is taking the piss, and cruel, and unnecessary.
They have now said advance payments are available.Given that it is assessed in arrears, on the basis of the previous of the previous month's earnings, it is hard to see how it could be significantly lower than this.
edh said:
Calls to DWP lines are not optional they are, for many, the only way of communicating.
I thought UC queries could be dealt with at job centres? The web is, of course, accessible for free through local libraries (yes, yes, I know...).edh said:
Each CAB runs under a franchise from the main UK operation, using its IT systems, know how & branding. Each one has to find funding to operate, which is very hard these days. Local councils have slashed funding to voluntary & charitable orgs. Some funding comes from specific govt programmes, for example for debt advice and help.
Oh, yes - I'm a parish councillor, and SWMBO used to work in the charity sector, so the shenanigans over public sector funds are something we know too well...edh said:
CAB is staffed by a mix of volunteers (I did ~ 1 day / week for several years) & paid workers. They do so much work to help people with all sorts of issues, not just benefits problems.
Good for you - they're a very worthwhile organisation.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff