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Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2013 19:43:52 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 31, 2013 7:37:51 GMT
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Post by Bogatan on Jan 31, 2013 7:55:37 GMT
Having people move through social housing that best suits theirs and the communities needs over the course of their lives makes sense (though I can imagine how unhappy many settled people would be having to move particularly if forced out of a neighbourhood they are very happy in). If suitable smaller housing is on offer as an alternative to paying more then there's a benefit in freeing up larger family housing to young families, but as that's not going to be the case to the vast majority this just seems like a cruel cash grab.
Just watching a news report on it they do say some councils plan to absorb increases so hopefully it won't affect as many as it could.
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 31, 2013 8:19:41 GMT
Over 4000 families alone in Edinburger. We're braced for a rise in the number of homeless presentations.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 9, 2013 13:07:41 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 9, 2013 13:57:40 GMT
shakes head
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 9, 2013 15:16:03 GMT
And yet ATOS had their contract renewed...
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 9, 2013 15:49:09 GMT
And yet ATOS had their contract renewed... -Ralph I smell a rat somewhere along the line..... |
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 12, 2013 14:35:38 GMT
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Feb 12, 2013 14:39:47 GMT
Excellent news!
Andy
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Post by legios on Feb 12, 2013 20:44:53 GMT
Inevitable that they would rapidly act to paper over the courts decision sadly, but the court's decision pleases me.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 12, 2013 22:25:25 GMT
Considering that the new JSA regs literally went live within minutes of the judgement speaks volumes. The system is wrong. Everyone knows it is wrong, but like all degenerative systems it just keeps going and going and going. Of course, making people work for free against their will is morally wrong (whether or not the law says so). Very few folk who are unemployed want to stay unemployed. Most would rather be in jobs that they can do, that they can enjoy, that are sustainable at least in a short term basis and which pay enough for food and board and some nice things in life, but the welfare system operates from a bizarre punishment basis, which solves nothing. Especially considering we all pay into it and if we are unfortunate enough to require some benefits help in hard times we're just getting some of that money back!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 13, 2013 11:17:42 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 13, 2013 11:32:11 GMT
The most up to date welfare stuff I've seen states that all DLA recipients, even those on life time awards will be looked at again from September onwards, sorry.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Feb 21, 2013 13:45:55 GMT
Burns! DLA renewal droped through the letter box today with a letter from DWP confirming that life awards won't be looked at till 2015 (thank the lord) and laying out when other DLA claimants can expect to get PIP'd.
Do you want a scan to look at?
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 21, 2013 19:39:44 GMT
Burns! DLA renewal droped through the letter box today with a letter from DWP confirming that life awards won't be looked at till 2015 (thank the lord) and laying out when other DLA claimants can expect to get PIP'd. Do you want a scan to look at? That matches the most recent info I have. -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 22, 2013 8:19:36 GMT
Fairly damning: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21532191Can't help but feel that any other Government initiative with such an appallingly low success rate would be shut down immediately but wait, we must make £££££ off of the poor for no actual common good! -Ralph |
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kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
Posts: 5,527
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Post by kayevcee on Feb 22, 2013 11:44:59 GMT
"The 3.6% of claimants on the scheme who had moved off benefits into sustained employment between June 2011 and July 2012 was a mark well below the target of 11.9% that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) expected to achieve, the MPs said.
The committee's report pointed out that it was also below the official estimate of how many of those claimants would have found work anyway if the programme had never been launched."
It's sort of like the Edinburgh trams but with the dignity and livelihoods of millions of people.
-Nick
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Post by legios on Feb 22, 2013 19:14:11 GMT
When you are getting results that are worse than what you were expecting by doing nothing then I would argue that might be a cue to look at what you were doing and ask whether it wa actually working.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 22, 2013 23:01:42 GMT
Can't help but feel that in Real Life, most of us in jobs with targets are expected to succeed at somewhat higher than 11.9%!
-Ralph
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kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
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Post by kayevcee on Feb 23, 2013 1:55:55 GMT
Since all public matters are now viewed through the lens of economic pragmatism, I wonder if one could calculate the amount of money generated/saved by the Work Programme moving those 3.6% of claimants off benefits and into work (not forgetting to add back on tax credits as few entry level jobs pay a living wage) versus the amount the programme is receiving for their work. Even assuming that no-one would find work at all without them, does the extra revenue cover the cost of the programme? Still, at least one company is doing well. I did want to link to the Evening Times article I read today but it's not currently on their website. -Nick |
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Post by The Doctor on Feb 23, 2013 11:25:39 GMT
Of course they're doing well. The current reforms are about getting as many people off benefits as possible (even if they are very very sick or have severe learning difficulties) and the job of ATOS is to get people off benefits. Just this week I was reading an ATOS report and came to an incredible section where the registered nurse (that's right, exams aren't actually all carried out by doctors, fact fans) detailed the many serious problems Person X has then said they were fit for work. The sentences did not flow. The logic did not work. Sickening.
I have also seen cases where trying to send someone back to work would, ah, pose a serious and significant threat to public safety yet such rather serious and accurate concerns are ignored. Completely.
-Ralph
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kayevcee
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The Weather Wizard
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Post by kayevcee on Feb 27, 2013 11:52:03 GMT
It's called diplomacy, people. This councillor claims he was exaggerating to prove a point and actually holds the opposite position. I think even Jeremy Clarkson would have thought twice before letting something like this escape his noise hole. -Nick
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 9, 2013 9:31:39 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 23, 2013 9:23:45 GMT
The final nail in the coffin for how people on benefits are treated in this country: www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/22/labour-demands-action-jobcentre-targetsFollow the related stories link for the full tale. If you break the law you go to jail but still have a roof over your head and food. Which is right and civilised. But we if you lose your job you are scum and will be given nothing. Disgusting. And yes, I have seen the kind of thing described in my work. -Ralph |
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kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
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Post by kayevcee on Mar 23, 2013 11:26:07 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 24, 2013 11:05:39 GMT
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 27, 2013 8:00:19 GMT
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kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
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Post by kayevcee on Mar 27, 2013 16:46:55 GMT
What's most frightening about that BBC article is the comments section. BBC online really is a cesspool sometimes. The highest rated comments were all condemning the bishop for daring to speak out when churches have a lot of money (much of which already goes to community support projects, thankyouverymuch) and demanding ever more harsh measures. The lowest rated, meanwhile, was a sarcastic "Great, lets make loads more vulnerable people homeless" from some blogger. Surely that's what the audience wants?
The Guardian article was harrowing stuff. It's exactly as you said.
"The government, which aims to save £18bn a year from the total welfare bill by 2015, has published separate impact assessments for each of its reforms but has refused to analyse the cumulative impact."
There's a protest in Glasgow city centre on Saturday over the Bedroom Tax among other things. I'll be going- I should print off a few more of those poverty documents as well. Whether it accomplishes anything depends on how many people show up. I know the Welsh parliament is already looking for ways around it.
-Nick
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 27, 2013 21:30:02 GMT
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