Universal Credits- a new nightmare

And Boris says £144,000 a year isn't enough to live on. Nice to know we're still all in it together!

Not that he's ever had to live on so little of course

Probably hardly cover his champers bill!

It's not the amount he earns so much as the fact that he appears to think he's worth it.

Hummmm- misuse of word 'earns' ?Do you mean 'is paid'?

If someone is to go onto universal credit, all their current benefits stop and they wait six weeks for payment.
There is no reason to do that.

It should be easy to keep paying their previous amount of benefit for those six weeks, and then deduct it from their universal credit, when it is eventually paid.

Or to at least pay them a holding amount, so they are not completely destitute.

(I'm assuming the first UC payment is for six weeks, in arrears? Is that right?)

No idea, FarNorth. I know it's in arrears, but I thought it was only a month's money.

Following on from how much an MP is worth, here's an interesting article by David Mitchell.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/01/lobbying-firms-mps-james-duddridge-brand-communications

Not actually sure how to take it. Is he saying we should pay them twice as much just to stop them lobbying?

I think he's saying Make it illegal for them to have paid work, other than their work as MPs, and double their pay so we still get MPs of a reasonable calibre since "I’m not sure the country could survive them getting any shitter." (direct quote)

This shows the best timeline I can find for universal credit, and the reasons behind the wait.
If it's a new claim it takes six weeks for the first payment, which is just a month's pay.
If you are being moved from one benefit to UC it should take no more than five weeks.

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/universal-credit-an-introduction

www.opendemocracy.net/neweconomics/serious-eliminating-poverty-need-re-humanise-social-security/

www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/george-lakey/why-are-danes-so-happy-because-their-economy-makes-sense

Compare and contrast.

Listening to David Gauke. He has just announced that anyone who needs an advance will get it within five working days. Some will be able to get money on the first day of a claim.

Why did he have to wait until the Tory conference to sort that out?

And-do we believe the announcement will be put into practice? Not sure I do. This government seems shameless in its ability to say one thing and do another.

My questions are - how will they define someone in need of an advance? How will you apply for one - in person ( return bus fare to nearest JC where I live is £7.20) by phone (how much will that cost?). I wouldn't trust a word they say - the devil as ever will be in the detail

He says there's no need to worry because the new UC claimants will only go up to 10% of the whole before January, from 8% at present.
Easy to say for someone who is not in that extra 2%.
Most of them are in the North East, so that's okay, then.

Where universal credit was first rolled out as many as 84% of tenants are in arrears.
90% in Warrington.

But they keep saying there is nothing to worry about Jen (I know you know). They are living in this fantasy where all is well. No problems with the roll out of Universal Credit, no problems with leaving the EU, no problems with leaving our younger people with no way of buying a house or a pension, no problems in parts of the country where Thatcher killed their industries and no one has done anything to replace them, no problems with a London-centric country whose only competitor for hoarding all the wealth and opportunity in the capital is Moscow.

Actually, that's not fair. They know there is a problem; they just won't admit it in public and, after all, they have said they will tweak things a little, just a little mind you. Do they actually understand - no! Just watch the wonderful interview on DP today. Problems with UC - but we are doing things about it, we are just rolling it out so hundreds and thousands more have the same problems before we have sorted it. What if they starve or lose their houses; this is a neo-capitalist economy so some people have to suffer. The old capitalism with its regulation and self-regulation - that was just for wimps. It's all without a safety net now so some will perish for the greater good. What do you mean - cannon-fodder?

Not sure whether to laugh or cry at the way the Tories are pretending that everythings okay with the economy.
Fortunately they don't have that many convinced people in Manchester.
Been out most of the afternoon, but from what I've seen Hammond was the only one to have a decent audience in the hall today. They just do not have any new ideas; all they can do is attack Corbyn.

Good article here by Richard Murphy.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2017/10/02/whatever-corbyn-offers-its-nothing-like-venezuela/

That's a clear explanation from the Money Advice Service. Thank you, dj.

Just been sent this tweet. It shows the groups of people who will be affected by the roll-out of UC.

pbs.twimg.com/media/DK_-WVZWsAE3-H9.jpg

This might be easier to read.
One thing is that they are thinking about giving people loans instead of mortgage relief for interest.

It's from this man.

twitter.com/Mylegalforum

How many Tories have said that work is the best way out of poverty this weekend?
I hope they all read this tomorrow.

www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2017/sep/30/benefit-advisers-food-banks-council-staff-public-sector-pay-rise-cap

Hope not.

This article includes an interesting video :

www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2017/oct/05/impact-universal-credit-video-council-tenant?CMP=share_btn_fb

That's why May's speech was such a lie.

" "But I believe in the dream that life should be better for the next generation as much as any mother, any father, any grandparent,” she added. "

Why is she punishing people with universal credit, foodbanks, zero hours contracts, etc?