Benefits could be limited to buying bare essentials as Iain Duncan Smith warns of dan

[GastonJ]

Well, I heard about this... it would only make sense if the government were planning on making job centre staff redundant. Sensible move, as it would do away with claimants having to sign on fortnightly and for job centre staff to look up computer for job, and then to say to client "computer says no"

It also assumes that everyone who's unemployed has access to the internet, when some people think that internet is not essential in this day and age. Are the government to pay everyones internet bill as well? Probably a ploy to give BT and the like even more money.

Of course the flipside is that those that are working on the side will be able to sign on without leaving work, and those that used to work in job centres can join them as unemployed people.

[bonus2010]

Of course the flipside is that those that are working on the side will be able to sign on without leaving work, and those that used to work in job centres can join them as unemployed people.

Sure, it will be a lot more convenient for those 'working on the side' to sign on from their employer's computer. The main point being that 'signing on' doesn't stop people from working on the side because the employers are part of the fraud. It's the employers who should be targeted and face heavy penalties, not the claimant trying to make ends meet. Apart from this, there are many who don't need to 'sign on' to claim benefits and who 'work on the side'.

It also assumes that everyone who's unemployed has access to the internet, when some people think that internet is not essential in this day and age. Are the government to pay everyones internet bill as well? Probably a ploy to give BT and the like even more money.

I heard that the 'welfare card' wouldn't allow to pay for Sky services... strange because Sky includes phone and Internet usually as one package.

[Lainie]

@ bonus

i dont get access to those kind of figures - i only wish i did.

yes some people that work part time will get some housing benefit and council tax benefit - mainly ones with kids.

incap benefit and income support are practically done away with now. housing benefit will come down slowly as its getting capped as to how much you can claim. london is obv the worst for high housing benefit claims.

tax credits have reduced quite rapidly this year for some working parents. i dont think they have changed for non working parents.

[GastonJ]

@ bonus

housing benefit will come down slowly as its getting capped as to how much you can claim. london is obv the worst for high housing benefit claims.

London will be higher for claims, since renting a house in London costs more. reading between the lines then, government policy is that it doesn't want unemployed or low paid people living in London, so the idea is to drive them out, so that only the rich and employed can live there.

[bonus2010]

I feel if the government wanted to drive the unemployed and low paid out of London they would have limited housing benefit to ?100 per week. They haven't because the Torys are looking after their rich tory landlord friends

I think it would be a good idea to cap housing benefit at ?100 per week for the whole of the UK. That way when London employers need unskilled staff they would need to increase their salary offered to meet their staff's London living costs, instead of indirectly benefiting from the taxpayer. For those employers unable to do this, they can re-locate their business to other parts of the UK to benefit from cheaper staff costs. This would help close the north/south divide for employment opportunities in UK.

[Canker_Canison]

government policy is that it doesn't want unemployed or low paid people living in London, so the idea is to drive them out, so that only the rich and employed can live there.

Just another defensive bubble put around their own little world.

I remember a time when 'reality' was used to describe the real world. Now it just seems to be confused with 'virtual reality', which is where these politicians seem to live.

[Kalipo]

The cap is expected to eventually save ?3.7billion, but Labour says it is an attack on hard working families.

Working and benefits.. erm.. not very thought out by the labour scum..

[casio1155]

Yes these right