Are You A Universal Credit Champion?

[SarahBell]

http://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200737/welfare_reform/1120/about_universal_credit/2

mods: can you leave this for a bit as a stand alone before merging with the main UC thread. Thanks

Could you become a Universal Credit Champion?

Universal Credit is part of the government’s Welfare Reform. It is a new benefit that has started to replace six existing benefits and must be applied for online.

If you are confident using a computer and have a few hours a week to spare you could volunteer to become a Universal Credit Champion.

The champions’ role is to offer assistance with accessing computers and the internet for the purpose of claiming Universal Credit.

[Billy soy]

http://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200737/welfare_reform/1120/about_universal_credit/2

mods: can you leave this for a bit as a stand alone before merging with the main UC thread. Thanks

Could you become a Universal Credit Champion?

Universal Credit is part of the government’s Welfare Reform. It is a new benefit that has started to replace six existing benefits and must be applied for online.

If you are confident using a computer and have a few hours a week to spare you could volunteer to become a Universal Credit Champion.

The champions’ role is to offer assistance with accessing computers and the internet for the purpose of claiming Universal Credit.

I assumed the job centres would be dealing with uc?

[@contradevian]

Are they paying?

[Snugglybear]

Are they paying?

I think the operative verb is "volunteer".

[durhamborn]

There is a slight problem with this.UC was supposed to be digital by default accept it isn't.In fact no claims are being done online.They are being done over the phone and on paper.

No claims will be updated online as they are supposed to be.The single unemployed in the dozen jobcentres on UC by next year will all be done by hand on paper every month.

Its incredible the government is acting like all is well.UC doesn't exist.There is no UC and it will never take on families from income support or tax credits in any numbers.

The UC IT has been scrapped because it doesn't work.It never will.

[Snugglybear]

Oldham Council is evidently concerned about UC supposedly being implemented in Oldham (and Warrington).

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universal-credit-comes-to-oldham-and-warrington

The gov.uk press puff piece is v. funny.

[OnionTerror]

I think the operative verb is "volunteer".

...so it'll be staffed by "volunteers" on the mandatory work programme?

[Snugglybear]

...so it'll be staffed by "volunteers" on the mandatory work programme?

In this case, I doubt it. Oldham Council are appealing for genuine volunteers i.e. conscientious local citizens.

I'm sure if UC had ever worked as an online-only process, some bright spark would eventually have thought of using people on the mandatory work programme to, basically, do unpaid data entry work.

(And before anone starts, "splitting infinitives" is perfectly acceptable and has been normal practice in English for centuries, see the OED website for details.)

[durhamborn]

Oldham Council is evidently concerned about UC supposedly being implemented in Oldham (and Warrington).

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universal-credit-comes-to-oldham-and-warrington

The gov.uk press puff piece is v. funny.

Oh yes the great Lord Freud spouting,

“Universal Credit is a modern, fit-for-purpose benefit that rewards people for taking up work and we are now accepting claims for the new benefit across the whole of the pathfinder area."

Accept that's a lie.They are not,,they are accepting claims for it if your single unemployed.If you are a couple,have any children,have any disability,work part time,work full time,have 0 hours contracts,etc etc then they are not accepting the claim.

As UC is maths when it comes down to it they are at about day 2 in a reception class for 4 year olds.For UC to work they need to reach professor of maths at Oxford university standard.

Id like to make a bet with Mr Freud that UC in its present form will never go country wide taking in working families now on tax credits...ever.

[the gardener]

(And before anone starts, "splitting infinitives" is perfectly acceptable and has been normal practice in English for centuries, see the OED website for details.)

You started a sentence with 'and'.

[Snugglybear]

You started a sentence with 'and'.

Also perfectly acceptable, according to Oxford.

"..this is a stylistic preference rather than a grammatical ‘rule’. If your teachers or your organization are inflexible about this issue, then you should respect their opinion, but ultimately, it’s just a point of view and you’re not being ungrammatical. If you want to defend your position, you can say that it’s particularly useful to start a sentence with these conjunctions if you’re aiming to create a dramatic or forceful effect.

...You could also refer to the fact that you’re in very good company (examples can be found in the work of writers such as Susan Sontag, Vladimir Nabokov, Kingsley Amis, P.G. Wodehouse, and Albert Einstein) and that highly respected grammar and usage guides (such as Fowler and Garner) all agree that it’s a perfectly acceptable practice."

[@contradevian]

There is a slight problem with this.UC was supposed to be digital by default accept it isn't.In fact no claims are being done online.They are being done over the phone and on paper.

No claims will be updated online as they are supposed to be.The single unemployed in the dozen jobcentres on UC by next year will all be done by hand on paper every month.

Its incredible the government is acting like all is well.UC doesn't exist.There is no UC and it will never take on families from income support or tax credits in any numbers.

The UC IT has been scrapped because it doesn't work.It never will.

It is possible to claim job seekers allowance online. Once the online form is completed, they text you with an appointment at the jobcentre.

Fact is they need to accept the the need for a citizens income. Perhaps £120 a week for singles and £240 for couples. End ALL other benefits,pensions and tax credits including Housing benefit.

[SuperChimp]

It is possible to claim job seekers allowance online. Once the online form is completed, they text you with an appointment at the jobcentre.

He is talking about Universal Credit.

Fact is they need to accept the the need for a citizens income. Perhaps £120 a week for singles and £240 for couples. End ALL other benefits,pensions and tax credits including Housing benefit.

That is way too low. You would have to take into account children and the disabled as well. It would also push people away from paying NI towards their pension.

[Georgia O'Keeffe]

He is talking about Universal Credit.

That is way too low. You would have to take into account children and the disabled as well. It would also push people away from paying NI towards their pension.

The NI point is irrelevant as its not saved/ringfenced under the current system either

[winkie]

The NI point is irrelevant as its not saved/ringfenced under the current system either

You could call it a value added tax on income.

[durhamborn]

It is possible to claim job seekers allowance online. Once the online form is completed, they text you with an appointment at the jobcentre.

Fact is they need to accept the the need for a citizens income. Perhaps £120 a week for singles and £240 for couples. End ALL other benefits,pensions and tax credits including Housing benefit.

A citizens income is the only answer to the welfare problem longer term.I think the pitch level would work around £120 a week per adult.A family amount would also be needed of say £40 a week for the first child,but no increases for any extra children.

The ironic thing is tax credits are a very good system IF there was only a single payment for children.Where tax credits falls down is once you get to 2 children and more the means test goes past what can be earned.The tories have already said theyd like to limit to 2 children.That if done done would solve a lot of the problems in tax credits and they could probably keep them instead of UC.

I don't think the government front bench every understood UC as its the same as we have now just grouped together and saves nothing even if it worked.

IDS last year stated ALL new claims for benefits country wide would be for UC from this October and by early next year wed have 1 million on UC,then everyone moved over.

I would think there are probably around 400 people on UC at the moment.