"So carer benefits and disability benefits, including disability elements of tax credits, will be increased in line with inflation and we’re extending support for Mortgage Interest for 2 more years.
But most working age benefits including Job Seekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support – will be uprated by 1% for the next three years."
So presumably DLA will increase with inflation yet ESA may not? Seems confusing as surely ESA is a disability benefit.
I thought details of PIP amounts were due to be released today?
As per usual the most vulnerable will take the hit like it or not, whereas the wealthy wont be hit with the extra council tax as their homes values rocket according to size, location etc. I would have thought paying such tax according to square meters of ground would be a fairer estimate, and/or market value, but no - this government have too many buddies taking home pay well in excess of £100,000 +, most of whom dodge tax at every avenue yet live in mansions which are only taxable to F or G grade level. Why do homes need a revaluation to extend the tax? Surely one could extend it by adding H, I, J, K etc until Z is reached. I would have thought that would take in all homes. Excuses after excuses. Me thinks its disgusting and the gullible in the cabinet are either ignorant, or dont care about the likes of me or you.
Also did you hear that benefit fraudsters (.05%) are to be hit harder than before, whereas tax evaders are going to have to just pay tax? Are they not tax avoiders, therefore criminals in the eyes of the law?
So the poor have to sit shivering and eat less, and the rich have to adjust their payments into their pension pots so as not to pay tax - nice one, plus they can afford decent accountants to do the work for them, and still have their holidays, port & warm homes.
Dont know if you also noticed yesterday, or the day before, legal aid motion by the government to take away from welfare claimants who dispute their award was defeated by the lords, the government are going to ignore their worries and go ahead, meaning if we want to dispute any award, I assume that includes this PIP, then we shall have to use our own money (what money?) to fight the system - not bloomin well likely. Our rights are being eroded, very soon even our human rights wont mean a thing, they ride roughshod over us with contempt.
Screwed, you bet we are and the toffs are probably laughing into their champagne.
the government will always screw us over, if were not rich and healthy then they will make us suffer for health problems that we did not ask for, they get a kick out of persecuting the sick, disabled, elderly, dying, they force us through hoops to prove we have health problems, they send us to corrupt companies like atos for demeaning “assessments” by totally unqualified staff who have no idea about what they are doing, they cause people to commit suicide or die because of wrongfull information they put in the assessments, im waiting for the day i get a letter from the government telling me as im disabled then i should be moved into the poor house as they are going to keep cutting the pitiful amount of benefits i get that i should be greatful for, the fact that people can have a choice of eat or keep warm makes the government feel happy as we still have a choice that they granted us, the government will always penalise and persecute those who are vunerable, so much for they will look after te more vunerable in society and make sure they wont suffer…i think my b u l l s h i t detector has gone into overdrive
The coalition hit all disabled people below pension age very severly today. The 1% ESA rise will be about a quid per week. That will buy you a mars bar, 3 cigarettes or one packet of king size rizla. Hardly much to get excited about. DLA will see a higher rise, yet Gideon forgot to mention that as from April 2013 will be abolished and we will all have to be poked and prodded by a doctor from ATOS to retain the benefit. 4 out of 5 of us should be fine. The plan is to remove at least 20% from any benefit. The rest of us will be the usual hit and miss affair that has been ESA. Appeals and joining the benefit and works website, possibly the only website that actually wishes to help the disabled, will be the order of the day.
It always makes me laugh, that is all you can do, at the uneducated fools who presume that all benefit recipients are lazy, good for nothing scoungers. They do not realise that 75% of working age benefits go to those who work but are paid so little by their marvellous employers that they have to be subsidised via tax credits and housing benefits.
The est. 1.6 billion to be saved by limiting ESA rises to 1% seems great, but pales into insignificance when weighed up against the est 1 trillion pound lost through tax evasion.
Still, look on the bright side. Stick it out for another 2.5 years and then sit up all night and laugh hard as the whole country, excluding the Home Counties turns red. Surely Labour will not let the disabled down. Or will they ? I like Ed, but it is easy to be in opposition. The real test will be when Labour inevitably win in 2015.