Benefit Cap Calculator

[Tiger Lily]

just out, but dont know how it will effect everyone

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/BeginnersGuideToBenefits/DG_201734

[ErikaPNP]

Very useful - thank you for posting this.

[Bang!]

Reading through it, its basically a hit on those with higher housing benefit claims, and many children.

 

The tories pushing hard to keep the UK's enviable position in the EU child poverty league!!!

[Tiger Lily]

letters are being sent out now to the people who it will effect

[debt4get]

i notice from the figures that £350 a week for a single person...however is the cap dependent on where you actually live in the country...because someone single here in south wales who is getting £350 a week in benefit payments would be a pipe dream and too £500 for a couple....with rents at our about 80 to 100 for a 3 bed house in this area plus council tax of say £16.00 or do they intend to make it up to £350-500 (yeah right)

[Nystagmite]

My understanding is that £350 is the maximum you can get; not that you will get. Many won't (and currently don't) get anywhere near that.

[debt4get]

yep thats what i asked is it regional? because it is obviously cheaper to rent in the south wales valleys than in london

[frank_begbie]

A race to the bottom in all but name.

 

Anyone heard anything about MPs pensions being cut?

[count orlok]

The Idea is to get all those awful poor people moving out of the nice areas. If they need them say for example to act as stewards at the olympics (because they will be no one left living in London that would do it), I understand they are building labour camps to house them.

[count orlok]

I had a look at direct gov and realised this will give ATOS power to get people kicked out of their homes! If you are in the support group and live in an expensiove area you are OK, but if you get put into the WRAG or lose ESA you're out on the street!

 

So they are making out the sick will be protected, but in reality hardly anyone gets put into the support group.

 

This then will effect even working people, not sure if they realise if they get sick they could lose their homes.

Edited June 8, 2012 by count orlok

[Nystagmite]

 

Anyone heard anything about MPs pensions being cut?

 

Dream on!

[debt4get]

A race to the bottom in all but name.

 

Anyone heard anything about MPs pensions being cut?

hahahahahahahaha the sound of hysterical laughter

[Guest amianne]

i notice from the figures that £350 a week for a single person...however is the cap dependent on where you actually live in the country...because someone single here in south wales who is getting £350 a week in benefit payments would be a pipe dream and too £500 for a couple....with rents at our about 80 to 100 for a 3 bed house in this area plus council tax of say £16.00 or do they intend to make it up to £350-500 (yeah right)

 

I don't normally get myself involved in these sort of discussions but when you look at both sides of the same coin, you could very well have a couple with two children, the husband is working all hours God has sent and between the wage and other add ons would possibly not be bringing home anything like £500 a week.

 

Then you have a similar couple where no one works still able to access up to £500 a week!!!!

 

In my opinion that is totally unfair and not right.

[debt4get]

I agree to some extent, however, there are now people who through no fault of their own now find themselves in the benefit system....also a large amount of money is spent paying unscrupulous landlords large amounts of money in rent....those figures are probably for the london area where rents are and have been traditionally higher than the rest of the country....I am sure that most people would prefer to be able to provide for their families and 'punishing' them is not the answer.....we have to ask ourselves as a nation are we prepared to look after the sick, ill, disabled, and disadvantaged in society or do we go down the route that only 'the fittest survive' i know which route i would prefer to take

[Guest amianne]

I agree to some extent, however, there are now people who through no fault of their own now find themselves in the benefit system....also a large amount of money is spent paying unscrupulous landlords large amounts of money in rent....those figures are probably for the london area where rents are and have been traditionally higher than the rest of the country....I am sure that most people would prefer to be able to provide for their families and 'punishing' them is not the answer.....we have to ask ourselves as a nation are we prepared to look after the sick, ill, disabled, and disadvantaged in society or do we go down the route that only 'the fittest survive' i know which route i would prefer to take

 

Personally I honestly believe that we are travelling down the road, albeit blindfolded in some cases, of 'only the fittest will survive.'

 

There is so much animosity against those that claim benefits, that I can't see that we can turn it round to the original conception of the Welfare State any time soon. The only way that I can envisage people accepting that it is right to hold out a hand to those in need is when those that criticise benefit claimants see themselves going back up the ladder at a faster pace than those living on Welfare. Once we get back to that level of those that have (the ordinary working people) a more comfortable life than they have now then they will be more tolerant. A little of the 'I look down on them - which makes me happy, but they look down on me which makes me envious'.

[frank_begbie]

The government and the media have arranged for a scapegoat to be blamed for the countrys troubles, (the unemployed ans the disabled).

 

If only the tax avoiding rich got the same attention.

 

While the rest of the country blame this group of unfortunates, the government get away with getting the blame they deserve.

[Guest amianne]

The government and the media have arranged for a scapegoat to be blamed for the countrys troubles, (the unemployed ans the disabled).

 

If only the tax avoiding rich got the same attention.

 

While the rest of the country blame this group of unfortunates, the government get away with getting the blame they deserve.

 

I think that the reason is that Welfare payments, albeit pensions, benefits or whatever, represent the biggest proportion of government spending.

 

They see that a 20% reduction in that figure will be a lot more than a 20% reduction on any other single element of spending.

 

Whether it is right or wrong, I'm personally not bothered, but the Welfare budget is really a one way street unlike all other government departments. There is no input, no credits, just debits.

The Welfare budget would dry up overnight if the government didn't keep on injecting money into it.

 

I'm not saying that it is right to cut back on benefits, but I do think that the amount being paid out has grown to such an extent that some sort of curbing of it is needed. It cannot be allowed to continue to grow at the same rate it has over the past 10 years or so.

 

I just see it in the same way as I see my purse. If I keep on spending more and more out of a fixed income, I will end up in serious debt. So I have to curtail my expenditure to match the ever diminishing income I am getting.