Working Housing Benefit Claimants 'up 60%'

[Corruption]

This is a joke, he boosts house prices with taxpayers money, then funds extra people who are priced out with taxpayers money.

Gidiot really is a Gidiot.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/national/11201843.Housing_benefit_claimants__up_60__/

The number of working people claiming housing benefit has risen by almost 60% since 2010, according to research commissioned by Labour.

Figures compiled by the House of Commons Library for the party suggest 386,000 more people with jobs are receiving the subsidy, up to 1,036,813 in November 2013 from 650,551 in May 2010.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said the increase was set to cost the public purse an extra £4.8 billion over this Parliament.

"These shocking figures expose the complete failure of David Cameron's Government to control housing benefit spending because more people are struggling to pay their rent.

"Since 2010 there has been a 60% increase in the number of working people claiming housing benefit costing taxpayers a staggering £4.8 billion," she said.

"The huge increase in people who are in work claiming housing benefit is the result of the Government's failure to make work pay, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and build the new homes we need.

"Labour will tackle the rising cost-of-living by freezing gas and electricity bills and we'll make work pay by restoring the value of the national minimum wage and getting more employers to pay a living wage, ensuring more people earn enough to cover the cost of living."

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "The truth is that the housing benefit bill was spiralling out of control in the years up to 2010, doubling to £20 billion in a decade and forecast to rise further.??

"Action this Government has taken is bringing that bill under control - saving the taxpayer over £2 billion a year. And contrary to these figures, we have seen the number of housing benefit claimants fall over the last quarter.??

"We have also taken action to help hard-working people by increasing the tax-free personal allowance, freezing fuel-duty, cutting energy bills, and introducing free school meals and tax free childcare."

Edited May 9, 2014 by Corruption

[TheCountOfNowhere]

This is a joke, he boosts house prices with taxpayers money, then funds extra people who are priced out with taxpayers money.

Gidiot really is a Gidiot.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/national/11201843.Housing_benefit_claimants__up_60__/

The number of working people claiming housing benefit has risen by almost 60% since 2010, according to research commissioned by Labour.

Figures compiled by the House of Commons Library for the party suggest 386,000 more people with jobs are receiving the subsidy, up to 1,036,813 in November 2013 from 650,551 in May 2010.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said the increase was set to cost the public purse an extra £4.8 billion over this Parliament.

"These shocking figures expose the complete failure of David Cameron's Government to control housing benefit spending because more people are struggling to pay their rent.

"Since 2010 there has been a 60% increase in the number of working people claiming housing benefit costing taxpayers a staggering £4.8 billion," she said.

"The huge increase in people who are in work claiming housing benefit is the result of the Government's failure to make work pay, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and build the new homes we need.

"Labour will tackle the rising cost-of-living by freezing gas and electricity bills and we'll make work pay by restoring the value of the national minimum wage and getting more employers to pay a living wage, ensuring more people earn enough to cover the cost of living."

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "The truth is that the housing benefit bill was spiralling out of control in the years up to 2010, doubling to £20 billion in a decade and forecast to rise further.??

"Action this Government has taken is bringing that bill under control - saving the taxpayer over £2 billion a year. And contrary to these figures, we have seen the number of housing benefit claimants fall over the last quarter.??

"We have also taken action to help hard-working people by increasing the tax-free personal allowance, freezing fuel-duty, cutting energy bills, and introducing free school meals and tax free childcare."

Idiot....or.....????

[Corruption]

Good to see the government have saved the taxpayer 2 billion pound despite the fact that HB bill has risen from 20 billion to 24 billion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_Benefit

Its like doublespeak gone wrong.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Corruption

[b w]

This is a joke, he boosts house prices with taxpayers money, then funds extra people who are priced out with taxpayers money.

Gidiot really is a Gidiot.

An even bigger joke is those that are priced out themselves but funding others that are priced out too with housing benefit when not eligible for any housing benefit themselves.

[Corruption]

An even bigger joke is those that are priced out themselves but funding others that are priced out too with housing benefit when not eligible for any housing benefit themselves.

Theyll be ok, the way its going soon almost everyone in work will need housing benefit.

[crash2006]

It has to do with the affordable rent policy thats were it risen, the Tories policy that really isnt working and total failure. Affordable rent is insane policy an increase in rents by 50%-100% crazy policy just to get rid of those from central London.

[b w]

According to the entitled to website a single private renter full time ( 36 hours ) at my work place would be about 4k better of a year than their part time ( 9 hours) equivalent as the part time is eligible for full housing benefit and council tax help

THis is based on a 600pcm rent and council tax bill of £800 a year.

So either wages are way too low or housing benefit is way too high as it surely cant be fair that the full timer is working 27 hours a week more for a gain of £77 a week or indeed £2.85 an hour for each extra hour he works over the part timer. Madness.

As a side note all the employess in my department are either young guys living at home with parents, boomers winding down to retirement (all property owners) or guys with children and big wage uplifts due to tax credits.

[Solitaire]

I've never used the entitled to calculator so does anyone know if this is correct as I've often referred other people to it.

Government Scraps Benefits Calculator And Plugs Private Sector Cronies Instead

http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/government-scraps-benefits-calculator-and-plugs-private-sector-cronies-instead/

[Corruption]

If the Housing Benefit bill has risen but they have 'saved' money, then what that means is housing costs have risen but they are not helping people as much with those rising costs.

People under pressure.

But rents havent risen by 20% since 2010.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

But rents havent risen by 20% since 2010.

Mine hasn't.

I know peoples who's rent hasn't risen since 2000.

I know a land lord who has lost plently money because of people not paying their rent....one more lose and I think he'll pack it in.

[Corruption]

Mine hasn't.

I know peoples who's rent hasn't risen since 2000.

I know a land lord who has lost plently money because of people not paying their rent....one more lose and I think he'll pack it in.

Its good to know a landlord is going to bed with that hassle on his mind!

[Billy soy]

If the Housing Benefit bill has risen but they have 'saved' money, then what that means is housing costs have risen but they are not helping people as much with those rising costs.

People under pressure.

I would just say as this IDS and his department that he is just lying.

This is classic IDS behaviour, when confronted with a fact he gets aggressive and usually spouts some nonsense that flat out contradicts his accusers.

Case in point the DWP software fiasco dealing with benefits, a substantial sum was written off as the software was a failure, IDS bizzarely, claimed it was all still working and it was saving millions for the taxpayer.

[bomberbrown]

Successive governments have effectively painted themselves into a corner the moment they stopped building council housing. We reap what we sow unfortunately.

[bomberbrown]

Successive governments have effectively painted themselves into a corner the moment they stopped building council housing. We reap what we sow unfortunately.

[righttoleech]

I see a small silver lining to the robbery called Housing Benefit. Where there is Housing Benefit there is a Landlord.........and thus an opportunity to check whether the Landlord has 'remembered' to submit a tax return.

[Stainless Sam]

All will be reversed when the ethnic cleansing of the south east is complete.

Hopefully, they'll all end up as migrants to a newly independent Scotland.

[long time lurking]

Welcome to the land of the self employed and working tax credits

[okaycuckoo]

Going through the looking glass is a one-off experience. But in a hall of mirrors ... you end up in IDS Land.

Edited May 9, 2014 by okaycuckoo

[wonderpup]

Housing benefit is essentially a transfer of wealth from middle class taxpayers without BTL's to middle class taxpayers with BTL's- assuming they pay tax on their BTL income that is.

The tenants are the crops, the landlords the farmers.

[pmf170170]

I've just used the benefits calc to work out that if my wife and I earned minimum wage and worked for 24 hrs and 10hrs, we would have a gross income of circa £28k (assuming that we rented and had no savings). After tax, that's a fair chunk of money compared to what I currently pick up having paid into a pension, child care etc (wife is actually a full time student and we may actually be entitled to more handouts because of this). I can see why it makes sense for many not to strive in life.

[okaycuckoo]

I've just used the benefits calc to work out that if my wife and I earned minimum wage and worked for 24 hrs and 10hrs, we would have a gross income of circa £28k (assuming that we rented and had no savings). After tax, that's a fair chunk of money compared to what I currently pick up having paid into a pension, child care etc (wife is actually a full time student and we may actually be entitled to more handouts because of this). I can see why it makes sense for many not to strive in life.

I suppose you're striving for the best outcome for your loved ones.

Irrational not to pick the optimal path.

Guilty about it? You were taught the wrong stuff. Be optimistic.

Edited May 9, 2014 by okaycuckoo

[ingermany]

Housing benefit is essentially a transfer of wealth from middle class taxpayers without BTL's to middle class taxpayers with BTL's- assuming they pay tax on their BTL income that is.

The tenants are the crops, the landlords the farmers.

And Housing Benefit is a big fat Common Agriculture Policy subsidy.

[SarahBell]

I've just used the benefits calc to work out that if my wife and I earned minimum wage and worked for 24 hrs and 10hrs, we would have a gross income of circa £28k (assuming that we rented and had no savings). After tax, that's a fair chunk of money compared to what I currently pick up having paid into a pension, child care etc (wife is actually a full time student and we may actually be entitled to more handouts because of this). I can see why it makes sense for many not to strive in life.

And don't forget if your income is low enough then your kids get grants for uni still.

[b w]

I feel the deck is so stacked against me in terms of high price for any kind of shelter that ive weighed up my options and decided im better off to work less rather than carry on busting my ass contributing to a system that is against my interests.

Ive now switched to part time and will not pay a penny in income tax this year, my wages at full time just wasnt enough to propel me out of being too poor to buy at such ridiculous prices( and private rent taking nearly half of my salary) and with too much in savings to get any housing benefit.

It seems im cutting off my nose to spite my face but ive worked and saved hard and its got me nowhere so i will enjoy more free time and draw down savings until they are gone. I cant beat the system so i will join it, excuse the pessimism but thats where i am right now.

[shindigger]

I feel the deck is so stacked against me in terms of high price for any kind of shelter that ive weighed up my options and decided im better off to work less rather than carry on busting my ass contributing to a system that is against my interests.

Ive now switched to part time and will not pay a penny in income tax this year, my wages at full time just wasnt enough to propel me out of being too poor to buy at such ridiculous prices( and private rent taking nearly half of my salary) and with too much in savings to get any housing benefit.

It seems im cutting off my nose to spite my face but ive worked and saved hard and its got me nowhere so i will enjoy more free time and draw down savings until they are gone. I cant beat the system so i will join it, excuse the pessimism but thats where i am right now.

Good luck to you.