Cable Forum - The state benefits system mega-thread.

In calculating how much income a claimant is entitled to, benefit assessors have to work through a variety of factors, such as what other benefits someone might be on, how much they earn from any work or whether there is any other income coming into the household.

RichardCoulter

18-11-2017 13:51

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Yes, it sounds like they haven't applied the disregards properly. This is what happens when staff with years of experience are let go and replaced by new staff on lower wages.

They should be paid interest too, in the same way that tax refunds for overpaid tax are when HMRC miscalculates what is due.

Maybe compensation too for having to live even more below the poverty line. I honestly don't know how those who have to live on ESA only manage, I now receive it but am lucky in the sense that I have other income coming in like earnings from work, pensions, investments etc.

This Government has frozen part of this benefit for many (a loss of about £13 a week for a single person) and actually cut it for others (a loss of about £43 in total).

Yet, those in the House of Lords can (perfectly legally) get out of a taxi, leave it running, sign in to say that they attended and run back to the taxi. For this they get £500 a day. When challenged about this, the arrogant bustards said that as lawyers can charge up to £600 an hour, the taxpayer is getting a bargain!!!

nomadking

18-11-2017 14:07

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Seeing as it applies to a fairly specific period, it sounds like it has nothing to do with the quality of staff. Probably interpretation of the rules and changes to their computer systems.

Quote:

The BBC understands that the errors affected people who applied for ESA between 2011/12 and 2014/15 - claimants after that date are understood to have had their benefit correctly assessed.

Taf	18-11-2017 15:21

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

It is possible to check that you are receiving what you should, but not so easily under Universal Credit where the calculations are devilishly complicated.

---------- Post added at 14:21 ---------- Previous post was at 13:47 ----------

And as an example, many will lose out over Xmas this year..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42036462

Osem	18-11-2017 16:08

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

More cock ups seem inevitable when things are so complicated.

Reforming the benefits system is a bit like reforming the NHS. It's something many people think needs to be done but doing it without adversely affecting those who rely upon it seems to be impossible. Does anyone recall any government being able to significantly change any of it without wasting a whole lot of money and/or causing a whole lot of grief in the process? I can't. The truth is it's all been cobbled together over many decades and the consequence is that it's all become too complicated to manage efficiently. :shrug:

nomadking

18-11-2017 17:49

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taf (Post 35925450)

Quote:

The Department for Work and Pensions said not all those paid weekly would get a reduced payment in December because it would depend on the date on which a claimant's universal credit was paid.
It also said the payments balanced out, because claimants entitled to more would receive it in the following month.
It said those who reapplied for the benefits would not have to submit new forms and would have their current claims restarted.
The DWP said: "For the vast majority of people in work, they will continue to get paid universal credit in a five-week month.
"Universal credit adjusts automatically to people's wages. When someone's wages take them over the UC threshold, they can get universal credit the next month, and this process is working.

Surely a system that adjusts more easily to fluctuating income is a good thing.

Some of the issues are no different to where there is a weekly/monthly income/bill combination. Eg If you pay rent weekly and are paid monthly, then there will be 4 or 5 weeks a year where you are paying out 5 weeks of rent with one months income. It's called the real world. You have to plan for it.

One thing that should be looked at, is having to restart their claim when that happens. One of the core principles is meant to be to make it easier to put in more hours in a month and not be out of pocket for it. The benefits may reduce, but not by £1 for £1.

The concept of a single combined benefit payment system was mooted before 2010, by Labour.

RichardCoulter

18-11-2017 19:05

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35925445)

Seeing as it applies to a fairly specific period, it sounds like it has nothing to do with the quality of staff. Probably interpretation of the rules and changes to their computer systems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 35925464)

1) It's not many.
2) It will happen for any month where there are 5 Fridays in the month(if that's the criteria). Ie Dec 16, Mar 17, Jul 17, Sept 17, Dec 17, Mar 18. So it will have happened a few times already this year.

Surely a system that adjusts more easily to fluctuating income is a good thing.

Some of the issues are no different to where there is a weekly/monthly income/bill combination. Eg If you pay rent weekly and are paid monthly, then there will be 4 or 5 weeks a year where you are paying out 5 weeks of rent with one months income. It's called the real world. You have to plan for it.

One thing that should be looked at, is having to restart their claim when that happens. One of the core principles is meant to be to make it easier to put in more hours in a month and not be out of pocket for it. The benefits may reduce, but not by £1 for £1.

The concept of a single combined benefit payment system was mooted before 2010, by Labour.

The first i've heard about Labour mooting the idea, but it is a good idea if done properly.

It was labour who introduced ESA to try and get more disabled people into employment and save money, but the Tories changed what it was from its original conception and it has consequently failed on both counts.

nomadking

18-11-2017 19:36

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter (Post 35925468)

The two are inextricably linked IMO and it was only discovered when the Office for National Statistics did a check.

---------- Post added at 18:05 ---------- Previous post was at 18:00 ----------
The first i've heard about Labour mooting the idea, but it is a good idea if done properly.

It was labour who introduced ESA to try and get more disabled people into employment and save money, but the Tories changed what it was from its original conception and it has consequently failed on both counts.

It's not the quality of the individual Decision Makers in this case. It would've happened under Labour.

From 2008 DWP report.

Quote:

6.6 Radical streamlining of the benefits system is not a new idea. The concept of reducing the number of working-age benefits has gained momentum in recent times. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), David Freud and others have proposed models for a single benefit. We believe that the idea of reducing the number of benefits has great merit – a radical, modernising reform to remove some of the complexity inherent in the current system.

And the 2 reports mentioned there were from 2007.

Many of the 2011 ESA changes were suggested in reviews of 2009/10, so would have taken place even if Labour got back in.

denphone

20-03-2018 19:26

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Funding increase announced for disabled workers.

Quote:

From April 2018, people will be able to claim up to £57,200 annually to help pay for additional support that they may need in the workplace – approximately £15,000 more than the current cap of £42,100.

https://www.businessleader.co.uk/gra...s-third/42143/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43473077

denphone

04-07-2018 14:25

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Esther McVey misled MPs over universal credit says the Head of the National Audit Office.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...s-auditors-say

Quote:

Esther McVey, the welfare secretary, has been accused of making misleading statements to parliament and the public about the government’s faltering welfare changes by the head of the independent Whitehall spending watchdog.

Quote:

The ministerial code states that ministers must give accurate and truthful information to parliament. “Ministers who knowingly mislead parliament will be expected to offer their resignation,” it states.

heero_yuy

04-07-2018 18:27

Re: The state benefits system mega-thread. Many merged.

Apparently she has the PM's fullest confidence. What's the odds she'll be gone within the week?