The biggest problem is having worked in the community for over 8 years if you give people a lump sum every month a lot of them have no idea how to budget their money. So they don’t pay their rent.
Personally we need to bring in a new curriculum in the schools how to budget on a wage which only comes in once a month.
You cant seriously expect people to go from weekly wage and having your rent paid to once a month and expect them to survive it.
I have always had my money paid monthly as i was on salary so everything is paid what is left is spending money if i have any. ALL my bills are paid via direct debit.
My friend my age has never worked and is on pension and pension credit, and she gets attendance allowance one a month. she simply cant spread her money around and i am constantly bailing her out for food. Its silly amounts too but she cant do it. I have tried to help her.
she has been paid weekly all her life including married life as husband never worked either, so for example if she was put on universal credits i would immediately become her bank, BANK OF FRIEND. thankfully she is a pensioner so that wont happen.
You have to teach budgeting at school. No good suddenly expecting people to cope and i dont mean that in a patronising way, i have worked with people who are pretty savvy but come to money they are hopeless. My husband was an engineer could build anything but jeez if i left the money budget to him we would never have survived he hadn’t got a clue.
Also really the I.T. systems are also at fault as they keep breaking down which is one of the reasons why payments are delayed. Our government IT systems are rubbish, the labour government wasted over 12 billion on a universal IT system for NHS which was never going to work and is still not working and being scrapped.
This change should benefit everyone, but it will be flawed as we are dealing with humans sadly who have been used to doing things one way. Its great on paper but…
It is hard to juggle money every month, and if something happens like you need a washing machine repair etc, your budgeting can go up the creek without a paddle.
Families need more support perhaps a course to help them alongside. Its not easy really not easy … but how can they go backwards it would cost more. what do Labour suggest? lets give it all away. I wish. I worked all my life from 14, and i get no help, even my PIP care payment has to pay for my direct payments. I survive i have too.but then i am used to budgeting.