Friday 12th August 2022

[refitman]

Morning all.

[gilsey]

Good morning.

This should be unbelievable, but sadly isn't.

Cost of living crisis: some low-paid workers miss out on £326 help

“My assessment period ran from 1 to 30 April, so I will not get the payment just because I am paid four-weekly, not monthly. It must be affecting a lot of people like me. It’s so unfair and upsetting. We are assessed to need extra help but are then arbitrarily not helped.”

The Department for Work and Pensions insists that the vast majority of existing recipients of universal credit will qualify for a cost of living payment but “inevitably a small number will be ineligible on the qualification dates because of a change of income, earnings or other circumstance”.

Inevitable because of the ridiculous way UC works.

A DWP spokesperson said: “Earnings patterns can vary substantially and it would be impossible to choose qualifying dates that work for every single person on universal credit; however, autumn’s second qualifying date reduces the risk that those with non-monthly pay periods that were ineligible for the first payment miss out altogether.”

So that's alright then.

Coffey shrugging her shoulders again.

[refitman]

[AnatolyKasparov]

As that quoted tweet says, it is the first of several proposals.

I'm not sure if it is better to announce them as a series rather than in one big bang, but the (near zero) attention span of our media is a case for the former.

[refitman]

They're saving people on pre-pay meters a massive 15p per day. Oh, and they're reimbursing the power companies for it.

[refitman]

[AnatolyKasparov]

I agree that reimbursing the power giants is a bit much.

Though its quite possible they have had legal advice about that one.

[gilsey]

They're saving people on pre-pay meters a massive 15p per day. Oh, and they're reimbursing the power companies for it.

I believe the biggest problem for people on prepayment meters is standing charges, not a word about that.

[refitman]

It's almost as if they're all pathetic centrists, who don't actually believe the systems are broken.

[tinyclanger2]

I guess the Tories didn't notice the body of literature on poverty/self employment

eg: https://wol.iza.org/uploads/articles/60 ... ntries.pdf

[RogerOThornhill]

Blimey!

[RogerOThornhill]

I'm pretty sure it was the FT back in 2010 who pointed out that corporations were awash with cash that they didn't know what to do with, and therefore did not need a CT cut...finally a Tory admits it.

[refitman]

This is worth a watch

[RogerOThornhill]

35 boxes?