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02-14-2013, 05:41 AM | #1 | |||||
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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Austerity or Class War?
Amongst the many austerity measures brought in by the current government are a raft of changes designed to completely overhaul the benefits system.
Some of the most controversial changes are to housing benefit. These changes are about to bite as the new financial year begins in April. On face value the changes sound like they are an attempt to make the system fairer. certainly the word fairness gets used an awul lot in the discussions. It is unfair, say ministers, that a family in receipt of benefits should be able to live in a house and area which ordinary working families could not hope to afford. So, a hard cap on total payments for housing benefits has been introduced. Rather than than housing allowances being tagged wholly to the value of rents in the are, theynow take account of that local value but are hardcapped. In the South, and particularly in London, this effectively prices housing benefit claimants out of the private rental market entirely and there is a woefully low number of social houses available. At the same time, a second limit has been placed on housing benefit, in what has bene termed in the press a 'bedroom tax'. If a house is under occupied housing benefit will be reduced for every unoccupied bedroom. The trouble is that a) families change their composition as people grow up, move out, move in, die, separate, divorce etc and this effectively forces a house change with any family change resulting in a spare bedroom. This might include cases of family breakdown, where a father has a room for their child to stay in at weekends, but whose residence is counted as elsewhere and therefore...the 'bedroom tax' applies. In the event of bereavement (either a partner, or a parent of adult child) there's a year's grace before it kicks in. And b) there aren't enough different sized houses available in the social sector for those people to move into. Thus pushing them onto the private sector where the prices soar and the state of the housing is barely regulated in practice. Alongside these changes are changes to Council tax benefits which will see many families currently exempt become liable for a portion of that tax. As well as changes to the levels of other benefits. And currnetly they're bringing in a cap on the rate at which benefits rise (1%) because, we are told , it is unfair that benefits are rising at a higher rate than wages. Quote:
Fair, it's all about what's fair. Except that it isn't really. Firstly a lot of the people claiming those benefits are actually not unemployed, they're on low wages. So not only have their wages all but frozen, now their benefits are also being capped, and their homes rendered untenable. Secondly, the cost to the tax payer of maintaining those families in their current homes is often cited as a large part of the benefits bill which needs to be trimmed; except that the costs of dealing with this are much greater if the current projections are to be believed. Quote:
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It isn't just the South. The caps and cuts are forcing high numbers of individuals and families out of their current housing and onto an already overburdened and hard to regulate private sector, with many projected to become effectively homeless (living in shelters, low rent hotels, sleeping on family's couches). Some estimates coming from the local authorities in the North suggest there may be a cost half a billion to their region. There aren't enough houses of the right size to accomodate all the different family variations perfectly. Not even taking social and private housing together. It is going to cost the country millions to disrupt and distress individuals and families (single people under the age of 30 will no longer be helped to the tune of a one room house or flat, now they'll only be given enough for a room in a shared house) who are already on the edge. The numbers of people resorting to foodbanks is at a staggering all time high in this country. Many of these people are employed. Again and again we hear about fairness, setting us against them. Them being anybody poorer than Us. We hear about the 'scroungers' versus the 'strivers'. We hear about unemployed layabouts twitching the curtains of their super lovely large houses as good decent ordinary people struggle out in the winter weather to work and not be able to afford that nice house themselves. Except, that we're all pretty much the same. The vast majority of people claiming out of work benefits are back in work within weeks or months of being unemployed. It's a small minority who are long term unemployed, yet they have been set up to characterise the entirety. Of that small minority, a large percentage are people with serious and genuine barriers to employment. People who'd have trouble getting and holding a job in a time of plenty and confidence. In a climate of high unemployment, insecure jobs and low wages, they don't stand a bloody chance and hammering them for continuing not to have a job is pointless cruelty. Most of the people claiming benefits are either in work, temporarily claiming out of work benefits, or have genuine need to be permanently supported (for example in the caseof disability). But the fairness debate is so frustrating. Again and again people show that they are in favour of cuts. damn right! To other people's benefits. Everyone has someone to point at and say, yes, but that's not fair. And all of us struggle more because of it. It is a false divide that we are being offered, betwen the deserving and undeserving poor, between the shiftless and respectable, between the worthy and the unworthy of support. And it's a false economy. It costs us more to engage in this rampant cruelty, than it does to offer genuine and well-funded support. Clever though. As the costs mount the paymasters can say....look, the benefits system is breaking....it is costing too much we must cut. And cut. And reshape. Until it becomes a creaking and broken thing...and they can say again, look it is broken, it costs too much it is inefficient, we must reshape and cut. Rinse and repeat.
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02-14-2013, 06:01 AM | #2 | |
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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I'm still churned up about this. It just makes no sense.
We are intentionally creating a stream of virtual refugees from one part of the country to another. 1000s of families being moved from this borough in the South to that borough in the North, and what about the families currently being displaced in the boroughs they are being shunted to? The housing in those areas is about to be put under terrible strain by the cuts they themselves are facing, they also have waiting lists and inadequate housing stock and now they're to absorb 1000's of families on top of that. Families that have managed to get through breakdowns and divorces and settle in some way that allows their children to have both parents now face further disruption as dad can no longer keep a bed for them. Children currently settled in schools will face disruption to their education as theymove and settle into a new area and new school. Local services will be expected topick up the tab but they do so in the middle of having their budgets cut by 20 and 30 %. Meanwhile back to work programmes force unemployed youngsters to work for their benefits in private companies, who frankly should be fucking employing people to do that work. The theoretical 'training' doesn't materialise and Poundstretchers gets 150 hours of free worker at the tax payer's expense. In work benefits, out of work benefits, wages stagnating, cuts to the left of us, cuts to the right of us, but the wealthy get tax breaks.
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02-22-2013, 03:04 PM | #3 |
Slattern of the Swail
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 15,654
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It's sort of nice to know that we, over here, are in the same boat.
I've been hearing all kinds of horrible things that are going to happen. My mom's Rx went from about 55$ (In Dec. 2012) to 135.00$ because, you know, it's the new year and benes change every year. She said, "well, when I run out I just won't re-new the prescription," and believe me, it's not b/c they can't afford it; it's because my dad would give her shit over it and I think she secretly wants to die anyway. God, that's hard to admit, but I think she does.
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02-28-2013, 07:52 PM | #4 | |||||
Now living the life of a POW
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: The Lost Corners of Colorado
Posts: 202
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It sounds like the bad guys on both sides of the pond have been exchanging tips. Just a few observations from the American side:
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I’ve read estimates that range from 100,000 to 350,000 households being put out on the streets over the next 10 years or less thanks to cuts in federal housing programs. These household members include the elderly, the disabled, children from low income families, and disabled veterans, etc. The sequester will hit the Department of Housing and Urban Authority (HUD) very hard. Today I called the local Housing Authority just to find out where we all stand. Looks like we’re OK for March, but come the cruelest month, all bets are off. Well, at least April should be slightly warmer. Maybe. Quote:
Although the system here uses something called the "fair market value" for setting allowed rental prices, don't let that blatent misnomer mislead you. Fair market value equals a monthly rental payment that will allow you to lease a run down trailer next to a meth lab. Quote:
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And in the US, there's a big racial component, as well. Here everyone who is on housing assistance or foodstamps is an African American welfare queen who uses her foodstamps for lobster dinners or else to buy meth. If you gave her and her family decent housing, they'd just turn it into yet one more crack house. Oh, and let's not even get started on all those illegals who get on the US gov't tit before the water from the Rio Grande is even dried from their backs. Why should we sacrifice our poor, hard-working millionaires to support people like THAT? Oh, grrr! I'm with you all the way, girlfriend!
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02-28-2013, 08:30 PM | #5 |
Person who doesn't update the user title
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods
Posts: 6,402
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Irony (aka payback is a bitch) by the other side...
If you wish to see austerity (aka poverty) in the US, visit your nearest government supported Indian/Native American Reservation. If you wish to see class warfare, visit the nearest (tribal) casino. The tribes are winning this war in a big way. The $ proceeds from gambling are pulling large sums over to the tribes, and tribal health clinics are providing free health care to their members. If you wish to see more irony... watch for the TV commercials about "paycheck loans" being directed to "white" audiences. It's sort of a reverse "down at the pawn shop". |
03-01-2013, 02:41 PM | #6 |
polaroid of perfection
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
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'Rents are both voting UKIP next election.
OMG. Makes me want to spit. But I live in their house.
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03-01-2013, 02:48 PM | #7 | |
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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I takeit your Mum's feeling somewhat betrayed by the lib Dems then?
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03-01-2013, 04:13 PM | #8 | |||||
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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We're all in this together they tell us from on high. Workers have had to cut their cloth, so why not the 'shirkers' too? Never mind that the unemployed are struggling more than ever to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. never mind, even, that workers/shirkers divide is a false one, with the majority of benefits claimants supplementing low paid work.
We're all in this together. The pain must be shared. All must bear the taste the medicine. Unless of course one is a banker. Quote:
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03-01-2013, 09:55 PM | #9 |
Now living the life of a POW
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: The Lost Corners of Colorado
Posts: 202
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It all goes to show that the upper 1% globally are continuing to entrench themselves in a system with two sets of rules - one for themselves and another for everyone else. The uber wealthy have no loyalty to any nation - including any nation that they are nominally citizens of. At most, their allegiance is to the soil upon which their off shore banks are built.
For those in the loftiest income brackets, ethics or a sense of moral values is a handicap - a character defect to be overcome, rather than a sense of integrity to be admired. It's all a game played by the laws of the jungle in a quest for ever more money and power. And there can never be enough of either if you are one of the top players. The rest of the populance seems to have sunk into a deep apathy, rather than to make any attempt to change or even recognize the downward trajectory that the greed of a few has placed us upon. The people need to wake up before it's too late - if it's not already.
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03-02-2013, 12:56 AM | #10 | |
The future is unwritten
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Posts: 71,105
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03-02-2013, 05:03 AM | #11 | ||
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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03-02-2013, 03:02 AM | #12 |
polaroid of perfection
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
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Abigail has just got herself a two bedroom flat.
I need to squeeze out some twins too.
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Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac |
03-02-2013, 05:01 AM | #13 | |
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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That's one of the big problems. Not enough one bed places for singletons or couples without childer.
I should bloody well hope she's been given a 2 bed place with twin babbas to cope with.
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03-02-2013, 06:28 AM | #14 |
polaroid of perfection
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
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Yeah - I don't resent it - six people in a three bedroom house is overcrowding.
I just have a flip-flop reaction to it. I've been applying for four years now. But we're three people (and two cats) in a three-bed. I just don't qualify on any count. Mum wants me out of the house. In fact she wants me in the local mental hospital to sort out my drinking. And I know it. So it's tough. At present I'm being a great daughter. Every day I ask what I can do, and when and how. Shoulda been doing that all along, but I lost my way when I was diagnised with liver damage. And as of tomorrow, despite what Sexobon thinks, I'm long term sober. So it should all sort itself out. You never know with Mum though - she doesn't necessarily need a reason to kick off. Just her own anger and frustration. And Dad is a whole other story... he's become quite angry with the Alzheimers. He made me cry the other day. Not something I do very oftren.
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Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac |
03-02-2013, 06:34 AM | #15 |
trying hard to be a better person
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 16,493
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Sundae, my uncle has dementia and alzheimers. He's quite violent now and in full time care because my aunt can't care for him.
It's a very difficult journey for any family. Frustrating, frightening and just plain old scary. I feel really sorry for you and your Mum having to deal with it every day. Must be hard. and very painful to watch. Don't worry about sexo. He's just being his usual self. What else can you expect of anyone?
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