Cuts That Will Cut Deep It Is Time To Say Enough!

 

This  is one I have been contemplating a while, what will it take to get people to see the fact that austerity is ideologically driven and that those who think they are safe are not? None of us are safe from a Government out of control!

In the next two years more harm will come to those who can least afford it and the people who are the ‘Jams’ will get shafted more, as there  those on benefits face more unprecedented cuts to their financial stability while the  basic safety net is cut time and time again. This is Class War and it is scary and time people opened their eyes to the unpalatable truth and took their rose coloured spectacles off.

In the future our Children will find themselves in a world totally unknown to them,where they don’t have a voice,where they don’t get justice and are left brutalised by the state.

 

 

During 2017

Tax Free Childcare

Tax Free Childcare is to be introduced as a replacement for employer supported childcare (childcare vouchers).

The government will contribute up to 20% of the first £10,000 of registered childcare costs per child, per year. This equates to a maximum of £2,000 per child, per year.

The scheme will be available to people who have an annual income under £150,000 and are not receiving help with childcare via tax credits. It is expected to reach more people than the current scheme. For further details see our Tax Free Childcare information sheet.

April 2017

ESA Work-Related Activity component abolished

From 1 April 2017, new ESA claimants who are placed in the Work-Related Activity Group will receive the same rate of payment as those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and the equivalent in Universal Credit.  See our Summer Budget 2015 page.

Benefit Cap exemption for Universal Credit claimants changing

From 1 April 2017 the earnings threshold that applies to the Benefit Cap exemption for Universal Credit claimants will be changed from a fixed amount of £430 per month to the amount claimants would earn if they (or one of them, if a couple) was working 16 hours per week at national minimum wage.

The change means that for example, after April 2017 a working Universal Credit claimant aged over 25 in receipt of the Housing element (who is not otherwise exempt from the Benefit Cap) would have to earn £520 instead of £430 per month to be exempt from the cap.

The same change will be applied to the earnings threshold for the 9 months grace period but will not affect people who have already started a grace period. Read more about how the Benefit Cap is applied in our Benefit Cap guide.

ESA permitted work limit removed

From 3 April 2017, ESA claimants who undertake permitted work and earn between £20 and £115.20 per week will no longer have to give up their work or stop claiming ESA after 52 weeks.

ESA sanctions reduced

From 3 April 2017, ESA claimants who are sanctioned will continue to receive 80% of their payments, instead of the current 60%. This change does not apply to ESA claimants who continue to receive the work-related activity component after 3 April 2017; they will remain subject to the 60% rate.

Bereavement Support Payment

The current bereavement benefits (Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment, Widowed Parent’s Allowance) will be replaced with the new Bereavement Support Payment (BSP). This will be introduced for new claims from April 2017.

Tax Credits and Universal Credit two child limit

In the summer budget 2015, the government proposed that support for children through Tax Credits and Universal Credit will be limited to two children from April 2017.

For Child Tax Credit, elements will not be included for a third (or more) child born on or after 6 April 2017 unless an exception applies. Elements will continue to be included for all children born before 6 April 2017.

For Universal Credit, elements will not be included for the third (or more) child who joins the family on or after 6 April 2017 unless an exception applies. Elements will continue to be included for all children who were part of the family before 6 April 2017. Families with more than two children cannot make a new claim for Universal Credit until November 2018, even if they are in a full digital service area. They will have to claim Child Tax Credit in the meantime.

Equivalent changes will be made to the Housing Benefit rules. See our Summer Budget 2015 page

Tax Credit Family Element removed

People starting a family after April 2017 will no longer be eligible for the Family Element in tax credits. The equivalent in Universal Credit, known as the First Child Element, will also not be available for new claims from April 2017.

Universal Credit requirements for parents to look for work

Parents with a youngest child aged 3, including lone parents, are expected to look for work if they want to claim Universal Credit.

Universal Credit Youth Obligation

From April 2017, 18-21 year olds who have been claiming Universal Credit for six months will have to either apply for training/ apprenticeships or attend a work placements, unless they are exempt (considered to be vulnerable).

Universal Credit Housing Costs Element removed for young people

It was proposed in the summer budget 2015 that unemployed claimants aged under 21 would not have a Housing Costs Element included in their Universal Credit from April 2017 unless an exception applies. See our Summer Budget 2015 page.

Universal Credit taper to be reduced from 65 per cent to 63 per cent

From April 2017 the taper rate that applies in Universal Credit will be reduced from 65 per cent to 63 per cent. This means that claimants will be able to keep 37p for every £1 earned in work above work allowances rather than 35p for every £1 earned. See our Autumn Statement 2016 page.

Autumn /End of 2017

Free Childcare Extended

Free childcare entitlement will be doubled from 15 hours to 30 hours a week for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds from September 2017.

Change in Hardship Payments for mentally ill and homeless

The government proposed that hardship payments (of 60% of the benefit amount) be automatically payable to jobseekers who are mentally ill or homeless when they are sanctioned. These claimants currently have to wait two weeks before they can apply for hardship payments when they’ve been sanctioned, and may be refused. The proposal means to add them to the group of vulnerable people who can apply for hardship payments immediately (such as claimants with children or long-term health problems). The date of this change is yet to be announced.

See Link:https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Benefit-Changes/Benefit-Changes-Timetable-2017-2018#guide-content

 

Then In 2018 the following will impact on many families across britain not everything is negative but mainly its not a good picture of the future many hope for!

 

2018

April 2018

Employer Childcare Vouchers no longer available to new claimants

New claims for Employer Supported Childcare (Childcare Vouchers) will not be accepted from April 2018.  Existing claims will continue until the child is 15 years old (or 16 years old if disabled) or the claimant starts claiming under another scheme (Childcare element of Working Tax Credit, Childcare element of Universal Credit or Tax Free Childcare), whichever is earliest.

Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) payments

The government announced in the summer budget 2015 that from April 2018, new SMI payments will be paid as a loan. Loans will be repaid upon sale of a claimant’s house, or when claimants return to work.

Self-Employed National Insurance Contributions change

The government announced in the Spring Budget 2017 that from April 2018, self-employed people will no longer pay Class 2 National Insurance Contributions, which currently count towards entitlement to contributory benefits such as New State Pension.

The government announced that the rate for Class 4 National Insurance Contributions will be raised to 10% in April 2018 and 11% in April 2019. Clarification is awaited regarding how Class 4 National Insurance Contributions will count towards contributory benefit entitlement.

Autumn 2018

Universal Credit two child limit

From November 2018, families with more than two children who make new claims for Universal Credit will no longer be directed to claim Child Tax Credit instead. The two child limit will apply to those families. Families who have been awarded Universal Credit after April 2017 and have two or fewer children but who then have a third or subsequent child will have the two-child limit applied.

2019

July 2019

Universal Credit roll out

The phased introduction of Universal Credit has been pushed back numerous times. The government now expect to have Universal Credit available for all new claimants from July 2019. They expect that all claimants on existing benefits will be transferred onto Universal Credit by March 2022.

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Benefit-Changes/Benefit-Changes-Timetable-2018#guide-content

 

What will it take for people to stop this Rogue Government that punishes those who have little or no defence, we have a long wait to 2020 to effect a change that needs to happen and the deaths of UK citizens and sanctions continue to rise, the evictions and homelessness rise where our young are deprived of the basics of survival for humanity to show its face. Where children live in abject poverty and fail to thrive and punished for being born in the wrong class in the eyes of the state, and starvation is used as a weapon. The only thing that is looking rosy is the wealthy are becoming richer by the second, are gaining prominent positions in society from old boys network.

This is 21st century UK and its one of the most ugliest things I have witnessed in a lifetime where individualism dominates while survivalism is a matter of time for the rest of us.

Enough is Enough