The Budget & benefits (Yawn but important)

Finance and benefits
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This is what I get from it so far:

All benefits are going to be frozen for 4 years (which means will not be increased in line with inflation) BUT this will not affect Support Group ESA, DLA, PIP or those on the old Incapacity Benefit.

New claimants who are put in WRAG (Work Related Activities Group… that’s ESA group where you have to look for work) will be lowered to the rate of Job Seekers (that’s a big drop) but more funding will be put in to help them find work and will NOT affect people currently in that group.

So I think for most of us on here that’s good news.

The other good news is the introduction of a ‘living wage’… and small employers will not have to pay national insurance for the first 4 employees on living wage.

Think I’ve got that right!

Lots of other stuff but that’s the main disability benefits stuff.

Pat xx

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[quote=Snow Leopard

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But people currently in that group will, in time, come up for re-assessment. After this, if placed back into the WRAG group, will they then be treated as ‘new’ claimants and get the lower rate?

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Hi Ben, they didn’t make that clear!!! So my answer is I don’t know… but wouldn’t surprise me if that is the case! Very unfair but this government don’t seem bothered about fairness!

Pat xx

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also they are not going to tax or means test dla/pip which is good.it was thought that they were going to,so thats good.

Jx

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Thanks Pat.

It would be such a relief if our benefits are unaffected. Like so many of us, we’ve had to stop working because of illness and have paid our way in taxes and pensions. I suspect they are thinking of making some sort of stance against the large families of serial benefit claimants featured regularly in the gutter press. (Who of course make up the majority of claimants of any form of benefit. Ho ho ho!) For a clearer and more balanced view of all things, I use an online magazine called “The Conversation.” No doubt they’ll have something worth reading very soon.

In the meantime it’s back to the cricket.

Best wishes, Steve.

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Pat, it wouldn’t surprise me either, I just don’t trust 'em.

Ben

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Thanks for the summary Pat and it looks ok in terms of disability benefits. Unless of course the bar is raised and qualifying in the first place is made much harder.

Otherwise it’s the usual case of poverty in Britain being caused by Labour giving poor people too much money.

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Indeed Whammel… that silly Labour Party helping poor families out of poverty! No wonder the country’s gone to the dogs!

Not a bad budget for us but do feel sorry for new people in wrag group. That’s a big drop for them! And also tax credit changes will mean a big loss for lots of poor families.

Living Wage though! That was a surprise.

Overall better than I expected but there’s lots of stuff over my head, but general attitude seems to be it’s much better than expected.

Hope you’re doing ok.

Pat xx

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Thanks so much for your breakdown Pat, I tried to watch it but I confess these days it’s all a bit too much for my poor shredded brain.

Such a shame for the WRAG people but also quite a shock that this government didn’t want to punish us for being disabled!

Brilliant about the living wage too…there are far too many national and multi national companies employing people for peanuts.

Fingers crossed you don’t have to wait too long for your DLA news after the nightmare of your form filling!

Nina x

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There seems genuine surprise in some quarters that a Tory budget has taken much more from poorer households than richer ones.

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I know! Seems like some people actually thought the Tories were compassionate.

Fools!

xx

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