Universal Credit
 

I thought I'd start a thread for this and my fellow UC sufferers.

I have, finally, received my first payment, so I'm going to pay a visit to my landlord, Bolton At Home, and give 'em the good news that I can finally pay them some rent. I think I'm about 7 weeks behind - 1 week I was in work at Martin-Brower, the second week I was out of work but didn't know it and so didn't make the claim until I found out I'd been dismissed, then the 5 weeks waiting on the DWP to admit I was entitled to UC. The average time, apparently, is nine weeks.

The month of austerity is finally over! I'm not overdrawn any more! I can start having regular hot meals again! :p:

Having said all that, I had an interview in Crewe yesterday (and yes, I did manage to reclaim the travelling expenses!), which went so well they've invited me to take an FLT assessment on Monday - if I pass that, I've got the job and I can kick all this UC nonsense in the head. If not, well, I'll be back to it on Tuesday (it'll likely take me so long to get back from Crewe I won't have time to do more than drop in at the jobcentre and tell 'em I've got a job, if I get it).

So c'mon, share your tales of woe!

Re: Universal Credit
 

It has only been smallscale so far and from l have heard and read it is beset with problems.

http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/...er-1000-years/

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...ac-accuses-dwp

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08...vent_scrutiny/

Re: Universal Credit
 

'Beset' with problems? It is a problem. The entire approach is wrong. The jobcentre staff are now utterly useless; if you want to do anything, it's either go online or call the 0345 number - the whole system has essentially gone faceless. Even claiming for travelling expenses is needlessly complicated - instead of just going to a desk and buttonholing anyone who isn't with a "customer" (God, I hate being called that by those nonentities!), giving them your NI number and evidence that you've got an interview, you've got to make an appointment first - and the only way to do that is to phone them.

Even then you don't get through to a person - instead of a menu system, they've got this stupid voice recognition system to direct your call...and if you can't figure out exactly what to say, or if it can't understand you, you're screwed - and paying to be screwed, at that!

Oh, you can go to a UCAN centre to make the call, but from what the staff have told me, they're not going to last much longer either - the fact that housing benefit is now paid to the claimant rather than directly to the landlord/local authority means they're losing revenue, and hence funding. They may end up closing. I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

Why the government, to use the term very loosely, thinks it's better to pay housing benefit to the claimant is unclear. I can only assume they're saving money on admin by doing away with housing benefit. In other words, it benefits them, not us.

In the jobcentre, you've got Group 4 pretending to earn their keep by not letting anyone upstairs unless they've got an appointment. You can't even stay in the jobcentre if you don't have an appointment or you're not looking for a job - anyone just waiting for a relative/friend has to wait outside...even if it's raining.

As for that weird mutant version of IE11 they've got running...well, it has improved slightly: there are now two navigation buttons, Forward and Back.

Stop laughing. It really is an improvement. :p:

Re: Universal Credit
 

I agree with the waiting side of things, they take up seats meant for claimants. And majority of them have pushchairs with very ill behaved children so you cannot hear names being called. Security staff in my local JC are nice, they always chat to everyone and very rarely have I seen them have to remove anyone from the JC.

Re: Universal Credit
 

I feel very sorry for thos people that are on this evil tax, brought on by a government that does not give a damn about those people looking for a job.

It just makes me angry that some members on this forum, believe that the Tory party is trying to make things better.
Well they are not.

UC is by far the worst decision this government has said is going to make things easier - tosh.

I know many people that are on it, and are sick to the backteeth,. And l feel sorry for them Its possible its not there fault for going onto state benefit.

Re: Universal Credit
 

It's a consolidated benefit, not a tax....

Re: Universal Credit
 

Stop. Talking. Sense.

Re: Universal Credit
 

A tax? The whole idea behind UC is that people get used to the idea that if they ever get into a job that they won't get paid in a job every week or fortnight. So in that sense it makes sense to get them used to that fact surely?

Re: Universal Credit
 

I might have descibe it as a 'tax', its a crippling benefit. That should be scrapped.

Its similar to the BT. But what this government is doing, is focing people to take pathetic low paid jobs, on zero hour contracts, just to get them off the benefit,.

I am soon to retire, but l will have to conitinue to work in some capacity, as l would not survive on the benefits or pension that this pathic government supply.

Sometimes l feel that this pathetic look after other countries, then there own people

Re: Universal Credit
 

Damn this government. Giving out cash in benefits, how will people cope with that crippling effect of money being given to them.

It's not perfect but then neither was the system of a myriad of different benefits.

Re: Universal Credit
 

Yes the last system wasn't perfect but replacing it with another that's no more perfect seems a waste of money as somewhere down the line TPTB will have to decide to change the system again. It's already long past it's supposed starting date and the kinks are still not ironed out.

Re: Universal Credit
 

I don't generally agree with Arthur but this bit is true, and I do hope in time that zero hour contracts etc are outlawed. IDS really does need taking out back and...

Re: Universal Credit
 

I do believe that zero hours contracts with exclusivity clauses should be illegal (if your tied to one employer, then they should be tied in to offering you regular work IMO).

However as a broader tool zero hours contracts (or what was known as casual work) do have a place in the world of work. For example my brother is a young actor, and sometimes needs a break from his work to do a show. He currently has two zero hours jobs that he can juggle as he sees fit, and as there's no minimum contracted hours he can take a week off without too much hassle.

Re: Universal Credit
 

I'm actually looking forward to UC, as it's an accounting nightmare at the moment with payments for various benefits arriving on different days of the week, some weekly, some fortnightly and some every 28 days.

I would actually like to see DLA (soon to be PIP) and CA included in the UC list.

MsMoney ver1.0 saved my bacon.

Re: Universal Credit
 

Well, staff are currently having a nightmare with CAMlight (the system used to process UC).

I think that the Government is simply pretending that this system is on track until the General Election is out of the way.