Universal Credits- a new nightmare

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/16/universal-credit-rent-arrears-soar

This article is a month old.
Did they not study this?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/19/universal-credit-pilot-cathy-come-home-newcastle-housing-crisis

The government has said it would now study universal credit, so I heard on the radio this morning.
What have they been doing up to now, looking the other way while all these stories have been told?
Blocking their ears up in the House of Commons whenever an MP tells them about problems with the roll-out and the number of people in rent arrears, and using foodbanks etc., because of it?

Like you say, GracesGran, it's now the poor and vulnerable paying for this government's economic failure and mismanagement.

You have to laugh (slightly bitterly) Jen that they are still trying to convince people that their governments have not presided over a complete economic failure. In the past they tried to convince people it was not them it was the unions - were the unions in government - no!

That time it was the people of the industries of the north that were 'punished'. This time it is the poor and disabled. I cannot see how anyone can back the decisions this government makes and it sounds as if even some MPs who call themselves Tory are beginning to question their methods.

www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/hollie-needs-chemotherapy-treat-severe-13784454

No disability allowance for this little girl. More Tory cruelty.

I think I put that on the housing thread, GracesGran, but it deserves to be on here as well.
Everything this Tory government does is another example of the Tory economic failure.
If the economy was as successful as they pretend, there would be no need to penalise the poor.

I don't know if anyone is aware and I hope I'm not repeating this but the government are also changing the payment they make for mortgage interest. This, like housing benefit payments for rent, were in place to allow people to stay in their homes. They are abolishing the mortgage interest payment and people will have to take out a loan from the government which will have to be repaid when the house is sold.

Two things occur to me. Firstly some people will be having to cope with this as there benefits change to Universal Credit and decrease and secondly the government seems to want two bites at the cherry - or house - taking this money from the house and later taking any care charges - which, of course, may not be there. So Thatcher encouraged us all to buy and May will end up with people wondering why they bother - they would be better renting (and making Tories rich in the process I expect).

In my county, they do it now, before Christmas.
They were asked if they would change the timetable and wait until after Christmas but Gauke refused.

The plan is for large areas of the county to go UC next spring. Everyone on housing benefit, or any of the other benefits, all moved at once. Nightmare.

"The family of a boy whose rare heart condition means he can’t control his own body temperature are struggling to get by – because they can’t afford to heat their home.

Jack Woods, seven, had his first heart operation at just six-days-old and was later diagnosed with the heart condition Tricuspid atresia which meaning only half of his heart is capable of working.

The illness means that he can’t control his own body temperature and is always cold – so mum Ashleigh, 31, has to keep the family’s heating on all year round.

The family have been spending up to £200 a month on heating bills over the summer.

But Jack’s disability benefits and child tax credit has now been cut – as well as his carer’s allowance – thanks to government cutbacks.

After an appeal was made, the claim was denied for the second time and Ashleigh is currently waiting for a tribunal date to be set.

Ashleigh, from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, said: “They stopped the benefits without any warning or assessment… We have lost around £1,700 a month in benefits and we are struggling to keep the heating on, especially now it’s colder.” "

Universal credit again.
How can anybody be expected to get by when losing £1700 a month?

Better than trying to justify it.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2017/oct/19/universal-credit-is-designed-to-blame-the-poor-for-their-poverty

This is powerful stuff, by Giles Fraser.

I expect the Tory suppprters in GN are also abstaining from having any view on this also.

I haven’t been able to post on this thread since the vote, as I simply can’t describe how I feel about the utter contempt the so called Christian Tories hold the poor in.

www.24housing.co.uk/news/government-under-fire-after-abstaining-on-universal-credit-vote/

She’ll be punished in other ways - it’s quite disgraceful isn’t it having an MP who actually cares? TM won’t wantvto encourage that will she?

I don't think Theresa May would take the whip away from any Tory MP at present as her majority is wafer thin.
Even from one who occasionally votes against the government.

Every Tory MP except SW has no view at all on the need to pause UC. What an utter utter farce = abstaining is a cowardly spineless act and undermines the concept of representative democracy. Are they all saying that their constituents whose views they are supposed to represent have no views on UC? Just when you think the Tories can’t sink any lower...

What about the will of the people when dealing with universal credit? Obviously doesn't matter.

You may well ask - democracy and the will of the people is a wonderful thing

Why is this vote allowed to be non-binding when Brexit isn't?

The chairs are elected I believe

She chairs the health select committee - what on earth is she doing associating with that bunch of spineless, immoral Tories who could not give a flying fig for the poor.

Do you think the whip will be taken away from her? I think she's on the select health committee, but I bet she hates working with Hunt. She'll probably not be chair any more, although I don't think it is the choice of the PM. However, if she has the whip removed, she can no longer call herself Tory.

Good to see Sarah Wollaston voting against her party. UC is a disgrace and good for the Labour Party .

Well done Sarah Wollaston, the only Tory MP with any guts to go against the whip.
How embarrassing to ask your whips to whip against voting at all.

skwawkbox.org/2017/10/18/tories-impose-3-line-uc-whip-on-mps-to-hide-only-wollaston-has-spine/

Bercow was very angry this time.
Is this what Tories think of democracy?

Not just Tory economic failure, but failure to show respect for their constituents.

Did anybody else watch it?

Absolutely appalling that the tories did not vote again, after all that debate.
Nobody from the front bench there.
They only had a vote because some on the tory benches shouted "No!".

I hope there is an election very soon, and all those on benefits in tory areas say what they think of their MPs.