Universal Credit...

I feel like this could get pushed under the rug with all of the Brexit coverage. Anyone who has disabled friends and family probably know about the problems the new benefit has created, but now it's been confirmed with a study. Universal credit is increasing suicide risk and creating a public health catastrophe for the people being moved to it. This is also why I don't trust them to protect the vulnerable during Brexit.


https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/15/exclusive-new-study-links-universal-credit-to-increased-suicide-risk?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

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Panorama did a good episode on it this week. Worth watching on iPlayer if you are interested. Extremely poor implementation of a major government program causing lots of hardship and a big drop in private rental housing available in the council it covered. (Flint in N. Wales)

Thanks for the heads up on that, will definitely watch!

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I feel like this could get pushed under the rug with all of the Brexit coverage.

These changes have been known for at least 12 years, but perhaps the news didn't reach the US? Brexit is new.

These changes have been known for at least 12 years, but perhaps the news didn't reach the US? Brexit is new.

Universal credit doesn't affect "us" being immigrants who do not have access to benefits.  But as Margo is disabled, I suspect this is affecting many of her friends and others in her disabled community.  As this is a news thread, it's always good to have a healthy discussion about anything happening in the world and at home.

Panorama did a good episode on it this week. Worth watching on iPlayer if you are interested. Extremely poor implementation of a major government program causing lots of hardship and a big drop in private rental housing available in the council it covered. (Flint in N. Wales)

That program brought tears to my eyes. So sad!


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That program brought tears to my eyes. So sad!


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Isn’t just!!

Similar stories this week on the BBC Moneybox podcast that was on Universal Credit.

It's truly ruining lives. The panorama program focused on housing benefit and really brought to light how the failures are transferring cost to the local councils.

I know a number of people who were moved into a job seekers support group that are house bound, and then penalised because they couldn't get to the meetings at the job centre. Eventually it will get sorted via appeals but that doesn't help for the months they can't pay rent, electric etc. It's causing people living on the brink of poverty into extreme despair. It's full of problems and they're still plowing ahead with it.

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Regardless of the ultimate intent, the implementation has been badly botched.

That seems to be a recurrent theme here. Poor planning, problems with implementation, and a lot of "after the fact" patching up. Kinda disturbing.

The assessments for the disabled are an entirely separate can of worms, even for the existing benefits. But by rolling it all into one benefit I see it getting even worse, because in the areas of Universal Credit it already is. Its a very dehumanising process riddled with errors.

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The assessments for the disabled are an entirely separate can of worms, even for the existing benefits. But by rolling it all into one benefit I see it getting even worse, because in the areas of Universal Credit it already is. Its a very dehumanising process riddled with errors.

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My wife's brother has spina bifida from birth and now in his 50's has great difficulty walking, his left leg has an artificial piece that fits under his foot and attaches below the knee. He uses a stick to walk but can still drive automatic cars and the only disability benefit he has or needs is a disabled badge to allow him to park closer to places he is going including his workplace. He has to be assessed every year which seems a waste of money given the permanence of his condition and the very minor cost of the government providing a parking badge. (He is also incontinent) However he still continues to work full time as a lawyer and he was telling us that last year his assessment had to be done by an independent doctor appointed by the DWP and he received an appointment date and time at a pub/hotel in his area. When he arrived he found that the doctor was examining folks in an upstairs room, and the place had no lifts. There was a wedding reception going on at the time so he had his examination in a public place in sight of the wedding guests. The doctor was far from impressed at him being put in such a situation as many of his assessments were unsurprisingly having to be done downstairs.

The words "piss-up" and "brewery" come to mind...

The assessments for the disabled are an entirely separate can of worms [...] Its a very dehumanising process riddled with errors.

Even though I'm eligible for disabled benefits, I actually haven't applied for any of them because I've heard that the assessments are so awful and, as you've put, quite dehumanising.

And because it seems everything is based off having an eligible disabled benefit, that closes the door to some other benefits that aren't necessarily financial.  I'm lucky enough to work, so I'm not in dire need of extra funds.  But when DH drives us somewhere, it would be nice to be able to park close to where we are going so if I fall over, it's hopefully closer to the door of the establishment and not right in the middle of the car park.  But to get disabled parking, you need to be in receipt of PIP or similar.

I’ve heard it’s incredibly hard to get a disabled parking badge.  Why do they have soooooooo many disabled spots if they aren’t going to issue the badges to those who need them?   

  But when DH drives us somewhere, it would be nice to be able to park close to where we are going so if I fall over, it's hopefully closer to the door of the establishment and not right in the middle of the car park.  But to get disabled parking, you need to be in receipt of PIP or similar.

The .gov site directs to the citizen's advice site for the eligibility criteria.

If you're not automatically eligible

It's worth applying as you might still be able to get a badge. You'll have to fill in an extra part of the application to show why you need one. 

You should do this if:

you have problems walking that are permanent, or that your doctor says are likely to last at least a year
you can't use your arms
you're applying on behalf of a child aged over 2 who has problems walking, or a child under 3 who needs to be close to a vehicle because of a health condition
The application is more complicated if you're not automatically eligible. It's worth getting help from an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice to fill in the form properly.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/help-for-disabled-travellers1/blue-badge-scheme/applying-for-a-blue-badge/

Universal credit doesn't affect "us" being immigrants who do not have access to benefits. 

The only immigrants who can't claim any public funds, are  those who come here on the work visas and their dependant,  those on the Ancestry visa and their dependant and the others on the points based visa and their dependant.

Not all benefits are Public Funds and these immigrants can claim these benefits.



Some of those that have "no recourse to public funds" can claim benefits through their British citizen or ILR spouse.e.g. Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credit (and I sassume their replacement UC) Child Beneift, and their spouse can claim Housing benefit too and they can live in that property. The difference in the rate for HB between a couple with a child and a single parent with a child where the spouse can't claim, is zero.

Those EEA citizens who are in work (at present, even if only part-time or they are self employed and avoid paying Income Tax and pay a lower amount on their NIC;) can claim benefits as can their non-EEA citizen Family Members.