Universal credit 'will destroy people'

[VectraMan]

I actually agree with this in principal - but the money needs to be weighted to the area - Comparing benefits in London to argue percentage reductions across the board is silly.

Cost of living is imo at least 33% cheaper in say Preston, to London.

Why on earth should people get more money to live in London? Do they have to live in London? Perhaps they should move to Preston.

[vetran]

Why on earth should people get more money to live in London? Do they have to live in London? Perhaps they should move to Preston.

someone has to clean tables or sweep the millionaires drives.

[xoggoth]

to be trusted to pay their rent and other bills... it's not going to happen
And who's f***ing fault is that? Take some responsibility

Yes but they may not the only ones affected. I imagine landlords will be even less willing to take DHS people and that affects others.

[Scoobos]

In answer to:

"Why on earth should people get more money to live in London? Do they have to live in London?"

It's more a case of benefits are supposed to be able to give people a safety net - e.g. the very bare minimum.

I can rent a decent property in Preston for 400 a month , you can't rent a shed in london for 1000.

Also, are you saying that people should stay where there is no work? That's a strange view considering the concensus here should be that everyone moves to london as its the only place with a decreasing unemployment rate?

Are you saying that people who live in London should move to preston where there is even less chance of getting off the benefit trap?

[doodab]

someone has to pay the mortgage on all those BTL flats to prevent the housing market from crashing.

FTFY

[d000hg]

I'm confused, you are already responsible not to spend your housing benefit on booze & fags in most cases.

Is it simply the monthly rather weekly payments? Surely teaching responsibility is a good thing - OK fair enough people might not be used to it so give free budgeting lessons. In fact many charities will already do just that.

[doodab]

I can rent a decent property in Preston for 400 a month , you can't rent a shed in london for 1000.

I can do you a deal...

[KentPhilip]

I've listened to the first 5 minutes, and there is nothing that explains why universal credit is any worse than the old system.
Is it worth listening to the remaining 10 minutes. Is there anything new, other than the usual BBC communist propaganda?

[doodab]

I'm confused, you are already responsible not to spend your housing benefit on booze & fags in most cases.

Is it simply the monthly rather weekly payments? Surely teaching responsibility is a good thing - OK fair enough people might not be used to it so give free budgeting lessons. In fact many charities will already do just that.

It's surprisingly hard to teach budgeting to someone who cannot do mental arithmetic with two digit numbers. They do exist, and although some of them find work as recruitment agents many are condemned to a life of lidl groceries and cheap booze.

[d000hg]

It's surprisingly hard to teach budgeting to someone who cannot do mental arithmetic with two digit numbers. They do exist, and although some of them find work as recruitment agents many are condemned to a life of lidl groceries and cheap booze.

True but you can go through and work out a budget with them, or simply tell them to take it in cash and split it into 4 piles

I thought that up until now, the housing benefits went straight to the landlord without the benefitee ever seeing the money.

Isn't one of the wondrous IDS bright ideas to abolish that?

It used to be like that. Then they switched it so the claimant got the money themselves - perhaps they switched it again or it varies between county councils or something these days.