Nothing.
However, the rollout (up to 3 months without ANY payments coming in, and these are people with no savings at all) is causing people to dip into the realms of misery and then offering no reasonable way out and causing people to become ill/desperate and some take drastic actions.
Taking it all online only really moves more of the cost onto those that are often struggling for money, or onto local councils (whose libraries will likely end up providing that online access, and assistance to people who may not be able to use a computer well).Taking it online *should* make all the admin cheaper though, so that makes sense.
It's been a while since I was in a Job Centre, but do they not have terminals available for this sort of use? I know when I was last unemployed they would provide telephones for job hunting and contacting the DWP.
The ID thing is something that needs to be made mandatory, or a more accessible option available. Being able to prove who you are should be something everyone should be able and know how to do. More education required on importance of having and keeping these things up to date?
Taking it online *should* make all the admin cheaper though, so that makes sense.
It's been a while since I was in a Job Centre, but do they not have terminals available for this sort of use? I know when I was last unemployed they would provide telephones for job hunting and contacting the DWP.
The ID thing is something that needs to be made mandatory, or a more accessible option available. Being able to prove who you are should be something everyone should be able and know how to do. More education required on importance of having and keeping these things up to date?
However, I think technology does help people who have access and are willing to use it, it's certainly made some of the things I used to have to do with paper forms a hell of a lot easier in terms of completing and tracking progress.
I'm surprised in some areas they haven't had to have proper security staff on site, people's emotions can get very heated when they need assistance to look after their family and incompetance by the government is stopping it happening.I'm actually surprised the jobcentres haven't had more trouble, they're the frontlines of the Tory machine to kill off the mildly unfortunate regardless of their circumstances.
You'd atleast think they'd be the target of theft or assault more often than not?
ITs a new way to "simplify" the UK benefits claiming system (which is currently a mess) it replaces 6 or so other things you could apply for separately.
Problem is its been really slow to get people onto it, people have gone weeks or months without money in the worst cases.
Its not bad it's just a lot of people are bitter at its bad implementation. Its meant to have saved a lot of administration costs but as usual its probably costing a ton more than the older systems.
a lot of people on here are probably benefit scrounger types, and that's why it often gets really bad press.
I really hope you're being sarcastic there, as the UC is from memory going to affect everything from those who are too disabled to work, to those who are working ungodly hours in ***** jobs that don't pay enough to cover the basic cost of living but are essential to the smooth running of vital services.
Given the government's previous history with changes to pretty much every method of paying money out to citizens, or collecting it, and how long it takes them to admit (not fix, but admit) there is a problem I can quite see why people are giving it a "bad press", especially when there are people who are not getting any money from the government that they should be getting, for weeks or months at a time because the system they're moving them onto can't cope.
It's the government failing in very basic processes, not because they're aiming to make a change that will improve people's lives, but because they're making a change that will (in theory*) make it easier and cheaper to administer the payments, and despite the warnings and the amount of time it's been going on for still don't have processes in place to assist those that it's failing (although I think they did finally allow for more "advance payments" which are then repaid back at a fairly fast rate once the UC stuff is finally sorted for the person).
*Does anyone know how far behind and over budget the rollout is at the moment?
Thumbs up from meUniversal income, every person gets enough to be able to house, feed and keep themselves warm during winter, basically enough money to survive, want anything more and well.... you'll have to work for it
Sure you'll have folk who will do the bare minimum but you'll find a lot more will be productive and the vast majority will have much happier lives as a result
Or we continue down this path of ultimate self destruction that society is on course towards
Universal income, every person gets enough to be able to house, feed and keep themselves warm during winter, basically enough money to survive, want anything more and well.... you'll have to work for it
Sure you'll have folk who will do the bare minimum but you'll find a lot more will be productive and the vast majority will have much happier lives as a result