Can Anyone Really Live on £53 per week?

Yesterday was D Day for the Government, loads of their benefits and welfare reforms kicked in.  The fact it was April fools day was somewhat apt.   barge of negative press has been building over the past few months and now things are all coming to a head.      

Lots of rhetoric about dealing with spongers and the deficit left by labour but where is the humility, where is the support to really help people when they hit an all time low. I have to admit that the conservative government with their bullish ways really does leave a sour taste in my mouth. 

All the initiatives that are meant to ultimately save us money are only likely  to continue the divide between the rich and the poor, the have and the have nots. Here is a rundown on what I think about some of the changes.  I've signed on three times and got housing benefit at times so I know how some of the rules will impact things, I grew up in the wrong part of town and have had to work hard to get where I am so appreciate how hard you have to work to get somewhere in life.

Bedroom Tax 

The premise behind this one is in some instances fair.  I listen to talk radio a lot and to be honest there are lots of people who live in large council houses and feel it is their god given right  to pass it onto friends and family as some kind of family legacy even though it is owned by the council not you.  So in many ways it's creating some kind of impenetrable circle where council homes will only be within reach to those who already have them which is not the reason that the system was created.  It should be about need.

My main issues with the bedroom tax are that:

They need to make it easier for people to downsize - we need empty nesters to downsize into smaller homes so that their properties go to larger families and all rooms are occupied.  As I've heard it when people do want to downsize and stay in the local area councils are not falling  over themselves to help people to relocate.  Make it easier and help people to move.  Their running costs will be less and they can not be penalised. 

People who are already in dire straits are being stung - there are people who exist on very little income.  If jobseekers is your main source of income that is not a lot of money to have to stretch.  Penalising these people by docking them for having spare rooms etc and not helping them to downsize etc and by now making them have to contribute towards council feels like an extra hard kick.  More and more people are being thrown into poverty whilst the rich are only continuing to prosper. Things do need to change but I just think the methods being introduced are too harsh.

Effectively could you live on £53 per week?

Well yes, it's possible but it's bloody depressing if you can't see an exit plan about how you will get our of the vicious circle. Iain Duncan-Smith does not have a clue.  Scrimping and saving, having to decide between food or paying your bills, what happens when an unexpected cost crops up, how do you cover that if you have no reserves. All things that those on benefits have to comprehend.  

Not everyone is a sponger looking to sit on their arse so really as I've said before to help people get back into work their needs to be better support to help people get back into work. No one teaches you how to look properly, how do you write your CV, interview skills etc.  As the competition for work continues to be fierce out there we must make sure that we equip people with the right skills before we get out a big stick to hit people with.