The benefit system is not generous.

[tonywiltshire]

The benefit system is not generous to people who claim fairly, Income support is only £67.50 per week for those over 25, and this is for everything except housing. The problem is with people who abuse the system by making false claims or hiding assets.

[emmie]

seeing as how much time, trouble, and sheer unadulterated frustration i feel in trying to navigate their system, without the aid of a professional, can see many people who should claim, not doing so, because of the complexity of the benefit system.

[hc4361]

Council tax, rates or mortgage interest will also be paid, free prescriptions, eye tests, vouchers for glasses, free dental treatment.

[DrFilth]

are you trying to say some people don't have 3 holidays a year and have no 60 inch plasma tv and they don't spend each night in the pub drinking loads and loads of alcohol

[albaqwerty]

It is hugely complex, I'd love to know how the cheats get around defrauding the system.

I can appreciated it's not meant to be generous, but as a general qquery, does anyone have any idea how long it's been 67.50? Presumably since April 2011?

I can get quite aerated on this subject :)

[DrFilth]

albaqwerty >> I can get quite aerated on this subject :) <<

you can, how about me because i have always worked 30 + years have a small pension i get £20 odd a week incapacity benefit
have to pay for prescriptions and get bugger all else

[emmie]

Df, many of the stories you read seem to bear no relation to the real thing, either that, some are more clever than others.

[hc4361]

I suggest your small pension isn't all that small, Dr Filth.

[jackthehat]

True, hc4361.
But all utility costs (gas, water, and electricity) must be budgeted for out of that. As must food, clothes and toiletries. And any travel costs.

It may be easy to picture yourself living on that amount for a couple of weeks....but try it for a couple of months....or a couple of years.

It doesn't allow you to build up a 'pot' for any contingencies/emergencies.

[albaqwerty]

DrF I'm well behind you in the aerated queue.

This country seems to stink at times. Decent people don't get much, if any help, the DWP and Jobcentreplus run a tight-lipped society.

[tigerlelly]

Tell me about it Dr Filth. When I was off sick with cancer I got the princely sum of £60 per week in benefits. I had had another form of the disease 10 years before and so couldn't get mortgage insurance (I was 6 months from being clear to do so!)so as my mortage wasn't being paid i had to sign myself off and drag myself back to work as my mortgage co. took me to court and I was within a hair's breadth of losing my home. Govt. will only pay interest on a mortgage and you have to wait for 9 months and the mortgage co. wouldn't wait that long. Not the stress you need when hooked up to chemo 24/7 for 6 months!

[hc4361]

Yes, JTH, but income support is usually paid to people on low incomes so they get extra money that way, or single parents where they get other benefits on top.

[DrFilth]

labour changed some rules in 2002 0r 2004 so if you become ill and have payed into a private company pension they take money off you

if i get a £10 rise in pension the dwp take £5 off their payment to me

if i would have played on the sick when i first had problems instead of trying to work i would get the full incapacity payment

one near me just gave up and instead of getting £20 odd he does a couple of paper rounds

when i see these stories in the paper i just laugh as i know a few who have lots of trouble from the dwp

[jackthehat]

I rather think that the amount given in the OP is 'benefit' rather than being strictly Income Support; i.e. the total amount of cash a single person can expect to receive in any given week.

[albaqwerty]

It's JSA which is 67.50 per week.

[jackthehat]

So it's not a 'top-up' hc4361........that's the 'in-hand' amount.

[tonywiltshire]

The honest people who claim benefits do not have holidays, rarely visit the pub and are unable to run a vehicle, many however do smoke. They go without and I found it quite usual, for their children who were entitled to free school meals, not to take them because they were ashamed.
The newspapers highlight, rightly, those who abuse the system but not the majority who do not.

[DrFilth]

was taking the p tony

[albaqwerty]

I know someone who was on ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) and stopped that claim on 13 October this year as they felt able to return to work.
They were without any money until the 8th of November. The JSA was a new claim and they were dragging their heels in processing it.

[hc4361]

So are you telling us that you are a single person, living in your own home, and getting just £67.50 a week? Is that Income Support or dole money because you are looking for work?

[bednobs]

i think the benefit system is very generous. Compared to nothing you would get in other countries