Where's the incentive?

Angry indeed - barmy system.

Do you live in an area where there is universal credit, Katek?
This wasn't supposed to happen any more. In fact, I thought that anyone whose benefits changed from now on had to go onto universal credit.
That was the big reason for having universal credit, that people did not lose out.

Sorry dj....don't know if it's been rolled out here.

Could you increase her pay?

I don't understand how this happens, but it's completely mad. Is she absolutely sure this is the case?

We can't afford to pay her any more, we just don't have the income. Perhaps it might be worth making a few enquiries ourselves given what djen and Eloethan are saying??

www.welfareweekly.com/

See if you can find out anything on this site, Katek.
It's a worry because if she has taken on a job, then voluntarily given it up, she might lose benefit anyway.

Oh help-never thought about that! Thanks for link Jen, will see what I can find out.

There should be a single parent advisor in job centres who can help parents back into work and make sure they are getting all they are entitled to .

The system just doesn't work.

I spent the best part of today with a woman who works in a very low paid job; she earns £550 a month and gets housing benefit as a low earner. Because she has a housing association flat with two bedrooms (her adult son left home to go to university) she is liable for the bedroom tax. Her rent is therefore £98 a week, considerably more than she receives in housing benefits. She cannot afford to live on the remaining amount and so has fallen behind with rent payments - until she clears her arrears she cannot downsize to a one bedroom flat (if there were one available). Unless she downsizes she cannot afford to pay the arrears. Catch 22 and she's feeling there's no way out for her. This is a woman who has always worked and never been in debt before, but is now facing the prospect of a repossession order and homelessness.

Can we cope with four more years of such incompetence?

Grannyactivist could the lady take a lodger? Would that be permitted? Could be a short term way to make up the back rent? I know several people who do that from time to time. Not ideal but needs must.

Have you seen this, grannyactivist?

speye.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/the-law-make-the-bedroom-tax-history-lets-ensure-it-is/

What's the size of the second bedroom?
Ask her to check it. There is a letter to send to the housing association if it is not considered big enough.
Please check. You can get in contacvt with Joe Halewood to find out what he knows. Or check the other blogposts for your friend's situation.

I honestly don't know how people cope with these sorts of pressures. No wonder there are increasing levels of anxiety and depression.

Jane10 the woman did take in a lodger who claimed housing benefit and that's part of the overall problem - the lad (she was helping him out as he was going to be homeless) has now left and it's taken a while to sort out the issues caused by her doing that; changes in her HB etc.

dj I'm pretty certain the bedroom size will be adequate, but it's worth knowing about.

I don't expect anything to come of it, but my colleague and I are going to present three case studies to our M.P. to demonstrate the iniquity of current policies - it seems that everywhere I turn people are being caught out by inadequacies of provision.

Good luck, ga. I hope your MP is on the right side.
I was hoping when IDS resigned that nobody would take over.
I wonder what inducements made Stephen Crabb take the job. Not that it mattered, because the system was in place anyway.

Not just anxiety and depression, Eloethan. The government now has to release the information on the 49 who committed suicide. That should make interesting reading. I expect IDS to go into hiding.

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/19/dwp-may-have-to-publish-details-of-benefit-claimant-deaths

I didn't know universal credit wasn't payable nationwide.

Sad situations all round here. It often seems those that try to help themselves come of worst.

According to this woman, it's always been the same for poor working-class women.
That's why the tax dodgers should not be let off the hook.

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/19/working-class-women-privacy-tax-havens

Big eye roll moment. Absolutely makes no sense at all. Somebody on benefits once said to me. I can earn more than you just on benefits. Why do work? Because I am honest :-/

So this mother should manage on £100 less and be classed dishonest Solazure ?

As often happens, what one person says to another condemns the whole lot of those on benefits.

grannyactivist If the woman's son is at university and he is still using her home as his base, then isn't she exempt from the bedroom tax? Or has she messed this up by giving the lodger the room?

So if she'd had a lodger who wasn't claiming housing benefit she'd most likely be OK financially? If she's claiming housing benefit and so was he you can see why the benefits computer baulked at paying twice for the same accommodation. It was kind of her to want to help the young lad but didn't help herself!