Housing benefit cuts will see ‘thousands homeless’ (From York Press)
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Housing benefit cuts will see ‘thousands homeless’ in York and Selby
7:57am Thursday 12th August 2010 in News
NEARLY 2,000 York householders and 820 in Selby could face losing their homes over the Government’s plans to change housing benefit, a national charity has warned.
Crisis claims the two local authority areas will be the worst affected in the region, apart from Bradford and Kirklees, with those living in one-bed properties being particularly hard hit financially.
Leslie Morphy, chief executive of the national charity for the single homeless, said: “As vulnerable private tenants see their income slashed they will inevitably fall into rent arrears or debt and face the spectre of homelessness. The Government must totally rethink these cuts now.
“Not only would a surge in homelessness cause damage for generations to come in Yorkshire and the Humber, it is also counter-productive. The costs to society of somebody who has lost their home are huge compared to keeping someone in accommodation.”
Crisis claims on average claimants in Yorkshire will see their local housing allowance cut by £9 per week or £468 per year. But support for those in one bed properties in York and Selby would be cut by £676 a year. It says every household claiming housing benefit will be affected – 1,900 households in York and 820 in Selby – and it warns the cuts will mean tenants fall into rent arrears and could face eviction and homelessness.
From April, the Government will impose limits on the amount of housing benefit that can be claimed by unemployed tenants in a bid to cut down on benefits and prevent people on benefits living in expensive areas which cannot be afforded by workers on low incomes.
Comments(11)
mystic_genius
says...
8:13am Thu 12 Aug 10
Digeorge
says...
8:23am Thu 12 Aug 10
Have you looked at the Yorkshire Evening Press on Wednesday in the job section?
If you have you will have noticed that there are no jobs in North Yorkshire. Over the past few weeks there have been some adverts for voluntary work but nothing.
For those that are on Incapacity Benefit and will have their Benefit switched to Employment Support Allowance. The test is designed so that everybody fails as it is done on points.
Medical evidence and awaiting major medical tests and procedures is completely ignored by the ATOS representative in York. So please be aware that you will have to appeal and that the Job Centre will stop your benefit immediately and then reinstate it.
There is no doubt that there will be many who will fail this harsh test and poverty will ensue because there are no jobs.
Jassy
says...
9:31am Thu 12 Aug 10
Face Like A Smashed Crab
says...
9:47am Thu 12 Aug 10
Digeorge wrote:Have you looked on jobs websites? There are hundreds of jobs. Employers just dont want to pay YEP's extortionate advertising rates.
Beagleboy Have you looked at the Yorkshire Evening Press on Wednesday in the job section? If you have you will have noticed that there are no jobs in North Yorkshire. Over the past few weeks there have been some adverts for voluntary work but nothing. For those that are on Incapacity Benefit and will have their Benefit switched to Employment Support Allowance. The test is designed so that everybody fails as it is done on points. Medical evidence and awaiting major medical tests and procedures is completely ignored by the ATOS representative in York. So please be aware that you will have to appeal and that the Job Centre will stop your benefit immediately and then reinstate it. There is no doubt that there will be many who will fail this harsh test and poverty will ensue because there are no jobs.
xpgold
says...
10:05am Thu 12 Aug 10
Any of you willing to give me a job?If not then STFU!!
mystic_genius
says...
12:29pm Thu 12 Aug 10
xpgold wrote:Without being rude, here is an alternative circumstance.
To beagleboy and crab,since i was made redundant in november,i have looked EVERY DAY on worktrain for a job..ANY job..but at 55 i am considered too old..without housing benefit(and i have worked all my life and paid my contributions all my working life) I too would not be able to pay my rent!! Any of you willing to give me a job?If not then STFU!!
`
If you work your whole life, you presumably started at around 18-20, depending on your level of education. By the time you reached 30, you should probably have had sufficient cash available to buy a property, either though saving or a mortgage, which over the next 25 years you would've paid off. Therefore, by the time you reach 55, you would own your own home, therefore not need to claim housing benefit as there is no rent/mortgage to pay. Bearing in mind at some point during your life, 100%+ mortgage were available also, so lack of savings is no excuse.
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Just because you pay tax and NI doesn't make you automatically allowed to reclaim it based on different financial circumstance.
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That said, I do not know you and there are undoubtedly a million other reasons why you chose to rent not buy.
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I personally don't buy the "looking since November and found nowt" tack. Having been unemployed myself, it's not fun, and I took whatever was available. Believe me, I've done some **** jobs, but at the end of the day I've got bills to pay. For instance, worktrain is just one of about 17 thousand job websites...are you registered with them all? Are you registered with recruitment agencies? If you are, I sincerely doubt you would spend 9 month unemployed.
martinhilditch
says...
12:57pm Thu 12 Aug 10
Beagleboy
says...
1:44pm Thu 12 Aug 10
Face Like A Smashed Crab
says...
2:34pm Thu 12 Aug 10
xpgold wrote:Two agencies based at Nestle have just took on 40 production staff, some aged over 55. So stop moaning and being a lazy swine.
To beagleboy and crab,since i was made redundant in november,i have looked EVERY DAY on worktrain for a job..ANY job..but at 55 i am considered too old..without housing benefit(and i have worked all my life and paid my contributions all my working life) I too would not be able to pay my rent!! Any of you willing to give me a job?If not then STFU!!
Ben Guela
says...
3:37pm Thu 12 Aug 10
Beagleboy wrote:You have hit on the head!
If the housing benefit system wasn't so generous then maybe more people would go out to work.
Benefit cheats, and they are cheats, look for each and every reason to not work.
People should be more proud and look for a job. After all, there are jobs to be found, if people look for them.
Beagleboy says...
8:02am Thu 12 Aug 10