Oooh, look. Half a million more people claiming housing benefit under coalition.

My god this shows up the coalition and it's bs recovery myth and extra jobs and we get people coming straight on with the "it's the immigrants" what a pathetic bunch of sheep the British public have turned into and ironically many of the sheep purport to be lions roflmao. The blame here lies where the blame for the majority of the nations problems lie at the feet of our political class who are unable to do a damn thing longterm as their focus is the next general election and perpetually blame the past for current mistakes and not only do we let them we join this ridiculous game with them. No matter which colour you vote for under the current system nothing will change because as long as they get their snouts back in the trough they couldn't give a monkeys for us after voting is finished.

I grew up believing that a job meant self sustainability and a man or woman could hold their head high knowing they were doing right but now for convenience one minute your supposed to be proud to work and on the other ashamed of taking benefit which one is it because my head has spun off it's axis I'd ask IDS but he cant work it out either.

Oh for a lottery win so I could get out of this increasing madhouse .

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

In

Because the Government have allowed rents to rise so much that 25% of private tenants are now on Housing Benefit. This costs the taxpayer more as it has meant that, despite their cuts, the Housing Benefit bill has ballooned under the coalition.

.

You do realise that rents in the private sector for the purposes of housing benefit are restricted to predetermined levels so it doesn't matter how much the landlord puts up the rent those on HB simply won't get the money to pay the rent

Fall behind with your rent and get evicted a lot easier thanks to this coalition and the changes they made great way to do things aren't you proud to be british these days

[Gavin78]

Lets start with a gov crackdown on people claiming with 20 kids. while these might be the minority them 20 or so kids will follow the parents lifestyle of a benefits culture have a load of kids of their own.

they will all no doubt want a house where does it stop

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by martyh

You do realise that rents in the private sector for the purposes of housing benefit are restricted to predetermined levels so it doesn't matter how much the landlord puts up the rent those on HB simply won't get the money to pay the rent

That's correct. Even with the restrictions to what the regulations refer to as the 'Maximum Eligible Rent' (Not always the same as the actual rent paid) and the 'Benefits Cap' the Housing Benefit bill has ballooned; whilst at the same time many are forced to pay any shortfall from their wages, benefits etc that is meant for other day to day living expenses.

---------- Post added at 18:27 ---------- Previous post was at 18:21 ----------

Originally Posted by Gavin78

Lets start with a gov crackdown on people claiming with 20 kids. while these might be the minority them 20 or so kids will follow the parents lifestyle of a benefits culture have a load of kids of their own.

they will all no doubt want a house where does it stop

I agree, this is just irresponsible to the point of immorality. There aren't as many families like this as the media would have us believe, but nevertheless, in my opinion, it is unacceptable behaviour. As an advisor (one of many) to the Government on their welfare reforms it was repeatedly suggested that limits were placed on the number of dependents that a claimant could be paid assistance for. Instead they chose to go for an overall benefits cap- if they tories win the next election it is widely speculated that benefits (including Child Benefit) will be restricted in addition to a lower Benefits Cap (which always affects any Housing Benefit in payment first).

---------- Post added at 19:14 ---------- Previous post was at 18:27 ----------

Originally Posted by nomadking

When did rent levels determine whether somebody is eligible for Housing Benefit? It is income and savings that determine it.

It is cases like a couple coming over here from the Czech Republic with their TWENTY TWO children(some adult) and grandchildren and more kids born since then, living in various houses and with only ONE person working, that ups the number of people claiming HB.

Rent levels are a crucial part of any Housing Benefit determination. No claim could be processed without it as it is essential.

What many EU migrants do to get round the legislation that prevents them from claiming Jobseekers Allowance (they can no longer claim it straight away as they are, quite rightly, expected to work for a living) is to claim in work benefits instead.

They will say that they are a "self employed scrap metal dealer" for 16 hours a week. It doesn't matter if they don't find or make any money from scrap metal, they are classed as working for 16 hours or more a week and can claim Child Benefit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credits- even if their children still live abroad.

Similar "jobs" are: selling the Big Issue, collecting used clothing to sell, being a professional ebay/Amazon seller etc. If they do actually make any money, as it's all done by cash, it is easy to massage the figures so that their means tested benefits aren't affected in any one benefit week.

No one is, has or ever will support or agree with irresponsible idiots who knock babies out like a production line I've said in the past it shouldn't be allowed and perhaps it is time zero money was paid to those replaced by direct payment to utilities and vouchers requiring photo ID so they can't be sold on. Cracking down on benefits in a general way to hit a tiny minority is not the right way to do things and in a country that use's the "one innocent possibly" to maintain no death penalty it is even more wrong. Reform of a lot of things is needed and badly needed but proper reform not just headline grabbing slights of hand, we need to build more houses we've known this for quite a while but we don't because they are scared of an electoral backlash for lowering house prices. We need people with a genuine depth of the common good to start dealing with these issue's not the career five years at a time opportunist we have now.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by martyh

If people can't work and earn enough to support themselves without relying on state benefits then something is very wrong.

True

---------- Post added at 19:40 ---------- Previous post was at 19:38 ----------

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Fall behind with your rent and get evicted

So if you had a flat that you were letting out and your tennant fell behind in their rent, you would be ok with that?

---------- Post added at 19:43 ---------- Previous post was at 19:40 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Because the Government have allowed rents to rise so much that 25% of private tenants are now on Housing Benefit.

How has the govt allowed rents to rise?

[nomadking]

Eligibility for Housing Benefit whilst employed does NOT RELY on the rent levels. It is assessed against income using something called the "Applicable Amount". Those amounts are set at benefits levels and therefore many who are earning even more than that can be eligible.
List of applicable amounts for 2015/16.
Eg Single claimant aged not less than 25 £72.40
4 kids would add 4x£66.33=£265.32


From DWP report of 2009(ie under LABOUR).

3.6 The implementation of the Local Housing Allowance has also been accompanied by
higher than expected costs due to factors such as changes in the size of benefit areas,
removing the ability of rent officers to exclude exceptionally high rents from benefit
calculations and increased numbers of people claiming Housing Benefit. In some high
priced areas, particularly the most expensive parts of major cities, Housing Benefit
customers may be able to access much more expensive accommodation than working
households not eligible for benefit. Some areas have also benefited far more than others
from the ability to keep a £15 excess.

The local housing allowance rates set by LABOUR were too generous and have dropped(50% down to 30%) dramatically. That drop(and other policies) couldn't happen overnight in 2010 and would therefore have taken time to see any effect.

A major reason for the increase in numbers is due to moving from home ownership, where HB is NOT payable, to renting, where it is. Graphs in a report show that the rate of increases in HB expenditure and employed claimants are roughly the SAME as in 2008, ie UNDER LABOUR. The 2008/09 to 2009/10 figures show a big rise in HB expenditure. Who was to blame for that? The %age of employed claimants rose from 11% to around 15% between November 2008 and mid 2010. Who was to blame for that? Take a wild guess.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by martyh

They are moaning because the HB bill is going up despite more people being in work(according to government figures) which means that wages have dropped and more people are on lower wages putting them into the 'in work benefits' bracket ,which to be quite honest is absolutely shameful. If people can't work and earn enough to support themselves without relying on state benefits then something is very wrong.

More people are in work and claiming housing benefit than are out of work and claiming it, makes the situation even more shameful imo

---------- Post added at 20:30 ---------- Previous post was at 20:29 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

In

Because the Government have allowed rents to rise so much that 25% of private tenants are now on Housing Benefit. This costs the taxpayer more as it has meant that, despite their cuts, the Housing Benefit bill has ballooned under the coalition.

The main beneficiaries of this situation are the people that Taf has outlined below:



Indeed. So, if you think about it, who is it that is REALLY sponging off the taxpayer?



This and the fact that rents have been allowed to spiral out of control. As a resukt, many people who managed without Housing Benefit are now eligible to claim.



True. In fact much, much more is paid out in benefits to those in work than out if work.

Beautiful line about who the real spongers are

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

More people are in work and claiming housing benefit than are out of work and claiming it, makes the situation even more shameful imo

Did you read the previous post to yours? The trends in increases started UNDER LABOUR.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Gavin78

Lets start with a gov crackdown on people claiming with 20 kids. while these might be the minority them 20 or so kids will follow the parents lifestyle of a benefits culture have a load of kids of their own.

they will all no doubt want a house where does it stop

Saw one earlier, seven kids, 60k in benefits and totally unaffected by the cuts due to one of them managing to hold a job down for twenty hours a week, that's the kicker, the very people imo who should be being hit hardest carrying on regardless

---------- Post added at 20:36 ---------- Previous post was at 20:33 ----------

Originally Posted by nomadking

Did you read the previous post to yours? The trends in increases started UNDER LABOUR.

Why you shouting, makes you look like a lunatic, think I give a toss who it started under think again, their all donkeys with a different coloured sticker on and why hasn't it been stopped by the torys then if party politics is your thing

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Why you shouting, makes you look like a lunatic, think I give a toss who it started under think again, their all donkeys with a different coloured sticker on and why hasn't it been stopped by the torys then if party politics is your thing

Because that and MANY other LIES are forever being perpetuated. That is what I am against more than which party is responsible.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by nomadking

Because that and MANY other LIES are forever being perpetuated. That is what I am against more than which party is responsible.

That'll be the difference between us then, I'd rather the situation was rectified for the benefit of all concerned, you'd rather shout about lies and play the blame game, you ever thought about a career in politics.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

That'll be the difference between us then, I'd rather the situation was rectified for the benefit of all concerned, you'd rather shout about lies and play the blame game, you ever thought about a career in politics.

At least I point out facts that are proven.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by nomadking

At least I point out facts that are proven.

That's the least any considerate poster would do, most don't feel the need to shout about it or highlight it in bold though.