Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh
Points of information
A) in 1970 600,000 attended University, now it is 2.4 million - four times as many
B) Housing Benefit was introduced in 1982, and £22 billion was spent on it last year, which is double the amount spent in the early 2000s, and 4 million people receive it - how is this "pulling up the ladder"?
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A) Yes, the amount of people now going to university has expanded enormously, but the extra funding wasn't provided for this. I actually think that there are now too many going to university as it lessens the value of a degree.
B) The baby boomers paid no tuition fees, received a maintenance grant, could claim help for travel, books etc. In addition, they could claim Housing Benefit towards their rent and could claim benefits as unemployed during the holidays.
Now that the baby boomers have got their free degrees and have achieved positions of power, they have stopped the above for most students and implemented tax cuts.
---------- Post added at 20:50 ---------- Previous post was at 20:45 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by peanut
If your wife can claim carers allowance depending on what benefits you're on now, then she would be exempt from those commitments. And less chance of sanctions etc too.
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Yes, also, if Stephen gets the standard or enhanced care of the daily living component of PIP, his wife could possibly get Carers Allowance. Every penny of this would be deducted from UC, but claiming it attracts an extra top up called the Carers Element.
---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:50 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen
Same 2ith me, wife has to be part of the claim and as she is a student on 10 hours a week she actually has to visit the job centre every week as well as applying for jobs still for her commitments.
I mean how ridiculous. ESA getting deducted from UC, is just a joke. What help is that really....
We got lucky the woman that helped us get the paperwork sorted helped us a lot.
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I'm sorry to hear this too Stephen, it's a stressful and worrying time. Contribution Based ESA (Now referred to as 'New Style ESA') is indeed taken off UC penny for penny.
If you look at the post above, your wife might be able to claim Carers Allowance though, but there are limits as to how many hours she can study and claim this benefit. In addition, she would have to be caring for you for at least 35 hours a week.