Iain Duncan Smith hails success of benefit cap as evictions hit record levels 

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Bill Payments, Central Government

Friday 15th May 2015 - 9:46am

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Iain Duncan Smith hails success of benefit cap as evictions hit record levels

Iain Duncan Smith has hailed the success of the benefit cap - on the same day that the Ministry of Justice reported a record number evictions among renting households.
The Work and Pensions Secretary said the cap provided "a clear incentive to people to get into work", as figures showed thousands of capped households were now claiming working tax credits instead.
But Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said the government's welfare cuts combined with "sky-high housing costs" had forced thousands of people out of their homes.
According to the latest figures from the Department of Work and Pensions, 23,100 households had their housing benefit capped during February with over 60% being single parent families.
Of the overall total, 83% were capped by £100 or less a week; 59% had between one and four children, and 63% were a single parent with child dependants.

For more click here for 24dash.com
Iain Duncan Smith hails success of benefit cap as evictions hit record levels  

Or read : http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/
Evictions of rental tenants hit a record high as homeless charity Shelter calls for Government to act

Street Democracy writes:

The Tory's dynamic force of bullying expeditions shunting the poor from place to place is a monumental mechanism to disempower, humiliate and trash further the poorest from society.

Home's for the poverty stricken are temporary short term glorified B & B's, in fact you needn't bother unpacking.

Volleying evil and smashing it down upon the poorest is social and political disempowerment as the 'dissposses cannot reign', minds full of survival techniques there isn't room for much else.

The elegant rape of the minds of the poorest, with stress and evictions, with homelessness, with no money for a place to live, assassinates the character of those financially struggling to survive.

A bombardment of red 'you owe money' letters, hostile dialogues with no empathy is nothing more than 'evil in print' land in your home as a warrantless invasion, a forced intimacy of unwelcoming into your home.

Homes become dark eerie frightening places with evictions hanging over your head. You cannot relax, you feel unwelcome and your dignity is not sacred. Life is boxed and placed in black bin liners.

The uncertainty is agony. A true cataclysmic shattering of the self, who you are, with no stability and social expulsion from society as a temporary homeless person or family of the under class.

Iain Duncan 'soulless suit' Smith, will devour the low income earners, the unemployed and disabled people as a form of ethnic cleansing to price the poor out of areas and richer tenants in.

He has no conscience and is morally bankrupt for certain.

By Debbie Simmons-Street Democracy

Duncan Smith accused of ‘let them eat cake’ moment after suggesting zero-hours contracts be renamed ‘flexible hours’

‘Tory Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith came under fire today after suggesting that zero-hours contracts should be re-named ‘flexible hours’.
Labour said the ‘Marie Antoinette’ moment by the Work and Pensions Secretary showed ‘just how out of touch the Tories are’ about the lives of working people.
The future of zero-hours deals has become of the key issues of the election battle over jobs, with Labour pledging to ban exploitative deals.’
Read more: Duncan Smith accused of 'let them eat cake' moment after suggesting zero-hours contracts be renamed 'flexible hours'

Wow! CC supports 600 tenants to appeal the bedroom tax – cc all ha’s

by joehalewood

Coast & Country Housing Association is supporting up to 600 of its tenants to appeal the bedroom tax. This is ingenious and look at what this plan is and not simply assume that this anti bedroom campaigner would say that in any case and dismiss for that reason.  Every other social landlord will see just […]

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Labour to call on Lib Dems to back scrapping bedroom tax

Street Democracy writes:

The catastrophic collapse of British democracy is no more apparent then with the bedroom tax.

A fantastic obliteration of financial help, the poorest have been left with obscene debt and never ending rent arrears.

The Lib Dems, a real no point political party, are only changing sides to gain votes so if Labour win, they may join them and remain in Westminster after jeering the Tories out.

It is political spill. It is meaningless, no empathy death dealing politics by disconnected politicians who couldn't care less about low earners and social housing tenants.

All they know is the bedroom tax is an unpopular policy and if they wish for votes they have to now regurtitate and vomit up their support for it.

The bedroom tax is a numbing exhaustion of financial sanctioning against the poorest families and trust me, the politicians don't care. 

David Miliband is a millionaire and has never experienced going without.

The bedroom tax with its invisible chains, is an invasion into the homes of innately decent and peaceful social housing tenants.

For more on the ridiculous back track of our political leaders click here or continue reading:

Labour to call on Lib Dems to back scrapping bedroom tax by Inside Housing

Labour will challenge the Liberal Democrats in the autumn to join them in voting to scrap the bedroom tax entirely, Rachel Reeves has said.

Source: Labour

Rachel Reeves: ‘The very first thing I will do if I am secretary of state for work and pensions next May is repeal the bedroom tax’

The shadow work and pensions secretary announced the plan at the Labour Party’s annual conference in Manchester yesterday.
Ms Reeve said that Labour, which says it will scrap the policy completely if elected, will call a parliamentary vote and challenge the Liberal Democrats to back it. Nick Clegg’s party earlier this month voted, along with Labour, for a private members bill to exempt large numbers of people from the bedroom tax.
That bill would exempt those who have not received a reasonable alternative offer of accommodation and disabled people whose homes have been adapted.
Labour is now pushing the Liberal Democrats to go further and back complete abolition of the policy.
Ms Reeves said: ‘The very first thing I will do if I am secretary of state for work and pensions next May is repeal it.
‘It is unfair, it is unworkable and it is on its way out - across the whole of the United Kingdom. Scrapped, binned, axed, abolished, put out of its misery, consigned to the history books.’
‘And for those Liberal Democrats who now say they are against it too, we will see how serious they are when parliament returns.’
Inside Housing revealed last week that Labour could scrap the coalition government’s flagship benefits policy Universal Credit within months of May’s election if elected.

What is a bedroom – There is a minimum size and specification…from the coalition

by joehalewood

This coalition government DO have a minimum room size and minimum room width and a detailed specification of what constitutes a bedroom and below is a game changer in the bedroom tax and especially in appealing this ill-conceived policy. In the bedroom tax everything hinges on the term 'bedroom' as Housing Benefit is only reduced (the 'bedroom tax') if […]

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Coming Soon: The privatised sick note service that will email you back to work

‘In two months time the traditional doctor’s note excusing you from work will start to cease being valid if you are still sick after four weeks.
Just before Parliament went into the summer recess welfare reform minister, Lord Freud, announced that a US multinational company,Maximus, which also operates in Canada and Saudi Arabia will take over running the new Health and Work Service for England and Wales.
My report in this week’s Tribune reveals that up to one million people will be affected by the change which appears to be aimed to save the government money.’
Read more: Coming Soon: The privatised sick note service that will email you back to work

212,000 people ‘beaten up for being on benefits’ after being demonised as scroungers

Street Democracy writes: 

Our political Tory landscape is of dark foundations, of demonisation and criminalisation of the poorest sector of our communities.

This Tory toxicity has been engineered with dispassionate tones towards non-violent citizens condemned by 'draconian' rules to incarcerate those in need of welfare.

Of unspeakable wrongness has been vomited up by our Tory Government, aggressively reconfiguring our social landscape by excluding those unable to contribute towards a tax paying week.

Sickening political rituals of sadistic impoverishing death dealing policies of sordid politics to financially destroy those on low incomes is the Tories diabolical brilliance of social destruction.

The Tories own diabolical brilliance is their suffering of immoral, psychopathic personalities ensnared in a web of deception and no empathy.

They are destroying the social fabric of our communities by socially black listing those unable to contribute enough money a need welfare, or are disabled, or out of work.

To socially demonise a group of people is proof the Tories are disengaged from reality, are disconnected from 'real' people and don't have a clue on how to manage our country.

For more on this 'callous tones' of the Tories and the damage they have inflicted upon the most vulnerable in our society click here or continue reading:

212,000 people ‘beaten up for being on benefits’ after being demonised as scroungers

‘People on benefits have been beaten up, denied bank accounts and made homeless after being demonised as “scroungers”.
Devastating research reveals that four years of Tory-led war on the poor – and the recent TV series Benefits Street – have taken a terrible toll on the most vulnerable in society.’
Read more: 212,000 people 'beaten up for being on benefits' after being demonised as scroungers

Join 11th day of protest - bury the Bedroom Tax and Sanctions

The national day of protest at Bedroom Tax, Sanctions and benefit cuts Thursday 11th is well timed.   

Labour and Lib Dem MPs now oppose the Bedroom Tax  - because of the Anti Bedroom Tax campaigns.

It shows that if we stand up to Government, we can turn the tide and defeat attacks on benefits.

Join the protest and organise to keep up the pressure. PCS trade union is supporting the protests. London: 11am at Old Palace Yard (opposite Parliament) SW1P 3JY and 

  and1pm DWP HQ Tothill St. London. SW1H 9NA

and in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Huddersfield, Milton Keynes - or send details of your protest   see details here

New leaflet and petition attached.

 We demand an end to the Bedroom Tax, Sanctions and benefit cuts.  We need a fair benefit system for people at work or not, for parents, sick and disabled people.

Get in touch if you need any more info or help

Eileen

for Anti Bedroom Tax and Benefit Justice Fed

2 attachments — Download all attachments  

bedroom-tax-flyer-11Sept2014.pdf 20K   View as HTML   Download

bedroom-tax-petition-11Sept2014.pdf 17K   View as HTML   Download

Bedroom Tax closer to the axe after Tories defeated in shock vote 

Street Democracy writes: 

All community's welfare claimant's have been unceremoniously chosen to bare the brunt of the elites failure in managing the economic system in the UK.

The UK's welfare cuts have slashed and impovished the poorest families further into financial scarcity, a systematic rape of the minds of those in desperate need of money.

Social tenants bound and shackled to seriously restricted financial sanctions, must remain firm and stand together to banish this Bedroom Tax.

Labour and Lib Dems are using this as a weapon, and clearly do not care for Social Housing or their Tenants. This is propagandised drivel purely to gain power within Westminster.

It has nothing to do with Social Housing Tenants, and their welfare. It has nothing to do with disabled Social Housing Tenants in need of their extra bedroom.

There is a huge disconnection between social housing and governmental officials and the poorest are treated as domestic herds of animals.

For more on this two faced political apparatus called 'votes' and 'popularity' click here for more or continue reading:

Bedroom Tax closer to the axe after Tories defeated in shock vote 

Labour and Lib Dems joined forces to vote in favour a Bill to protect victims of the hated policy. In a hammer blow to David Cameron

The Bedroom Tax came a step closer to being axed today after a shock Tory defeat in the House of Commons.
Labour and Lib Dems joined forces to vote in favour a Bill to protect victims of the hated policy. In a hammer blow to David Cameron, they voted 306 to 231 against the tax.
The move left the Coalition in turmoil and prompted calls for the Tories break up the alliance immediately.
Opponents of the tax warned this was just the first step in what could be gruelling Commons battle and would not scrap the tax completely.
But it was still hailed as a impressive and crucial victory for the hundreds of thousands of victims who have been left hundreds of pounds worse off since the tax was introduced in April last year.
Lib Dem MP Andrew George’s private member’s Bill - called the Affordable Homes Bill - will exempt anyone from the Bedroom Tax unless they can be found a smaller home to move to.
Labour backed the Bill but said they would still abolish the policy completely if elected in next year’s general election.
Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves MP said: “The Government should scrap the hated Bedroom Tax following the overwhelming vote by MPs against the cruel tax on bedrooms today.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-closer-axe-after-4170294#ixzz3CRwv54Ty
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Bedroom tax as a political tool – MPs care not a jot about the tenant

by joehalewood

Who would have thought? The little old bedroom tax, the policy which had 70% public support when introduced would be the catalyst for the end of the coalition?  That is ALL that happened today and no changes will happen to the bedroom tax policy itself ahead of the next general election. Let me restate that […]

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Pensioner ‘too fit to qualify for blue disabled parking badge’ even though he has NO feet

‘A Scots pensioner who has had both feet amputated has been refused a blue disabled parking badge – because he is able to walk ‘more than 20 yards’.
Tom Hannah, 73, had the lower part of both legs removed in operations last year after doctors discovered that his irregular heartbeat was causing circulation problems in his legs.
He was granted a provisional blue badge to let him park in disabled spaces but when he tried recently to renew it, he was told that because he could walk 20 yards he was not eligible.’
Read more: Pensioner 'too fit to qualify for blue disabled parking badge' even though he has NO feet

UK Government Caught Censoring Wikipedia To Hide Truth About Bedroom Tax

‘Today it emerged that the Wikipedia page of Housing Minister Kris Hopkins has been edited in an effort to censor disturbing information about the Coalition’s controversial Bedroom Tax.
The source of the edit was traced to a computer in Whitehall and attempted to change the words ‘disabled victims’ to ‘disabled people who would pay’.’
Read more: UK Government Caught Censoring Wikipedia To Hide Truth About Bedroom Tax

Squeeze the tenant dry – the latest cunning landlord stunt?

by joehalewood

Last weekend  the Guardian ran a piece about social landlords response to Universal Credit. They want their tenants - and note the possessive language they always use their tenants, which is why a tenant can never be a customer as they are captive and can't move - to make additional rent payments to be one month in […]

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Woman worried about bedroom tax killed herself, coroner finds

Stephanie Bottrill told doctor she felt she was being pushed into moving house or paying extra, Birmingham inquest is told

A woman who was worried she would have to move out of her house or pay extra to stay because of the bedroom tax killed herself, a coroner has ruled.
Stephanie Bottrill, 53, had raised a son and daughter in her three-bedroom council house in the West Midlands but was living there alone after her children moved out.

On the day before she died, she told her doctor that she felt she was being pushed into choosing whether to move or to stay and face the prospect of paying extra, the inquest in Birmingham was told. Bottrill also told her GP she felt under pressure to make a quick decision.

Speaking outside the court, Bottrill's brother, Kevin Owens, said worries over the bedroom tax could have been a catalyst for taking her life. The government and her local council expressed their condolences to Bottrill's family and claimed officials had worked with her to try to help her.

For more click here: 

Woman worried about bedroom tax killed herself, coroner finds

Have landlords ‘stolen’ £27m from the bedroom tax tenant??

 Picture displayed by Street Democracy

Have social landlords ‘stolen’ £27.65 million from their bedroom tax tenants?
5 months ago in March 2014 I take a bedroom tax appeal case for a tenant.  The case wins as two of the purported bedrooms were too small and the council (Wirral MBC) pays the bedroom tax back to the tenants landlord (R).  This was the case I reported on here in which the council’s presenting officer told the landlord they had a nerve to call the property a 3 bed property.
Wirral council also paid some DHP to the tenants landlord in 2013/14 and despite admitting in writing that the council has no legal basis to claw back these DHP payments it sends an invoice to the landlord for them to pay the DHP back to the council.
The landlord should refuse to pay this request for a number of reasons.  Firstly, this is not an overpayment.  Secondly, the councils has no right to claim this money back.  Thirdly, the landlord would be paying the tenants money to the council without any authorisation from the tenant to do so.
If the landlord R pays the councils invoice the tenants rent account will be debited with this amount and the tenant who is rightfully expecting the credit on her account to be paid to her will have no cheque forthcoming from the landlord – the landlord who will have paid the tenants money to the council and without the tenants consent and paid it back to the councils despite the council not having any lawful entitlement to this money back.
Or in simple terms the council is a sneaky bar steward and the landlord is an incompetent bar steward and the tenant is just the poor bar steward being shafted.
If the landlord has indeed paid the DHP monies back the council then they must also credit the tenants account with that money too as they have no right to pay the tenants money to the council.
Also if Wirral MBC has received DHP monies back from 2013/14 financial year then it must pay this back to central government as it is money not spent within 2013/14 financial year – which of course begs the question why did Wirral MBC seek to recover this money in the first place!!  That also means all the ‘moral’ arguments that a tenant should not benefit from the pre 1996 loophole (ie cock-up) and that DHPs could then go further to other needy cases is fundamentally flawed too.

Bedroom Tax: Labour MP Rachel Reeves condemns disgraceful squeeze on hungry families which affects 375,000 children

 

Children in homes hit by the Bedroom Tax are going hungry as their parents are forced to squeeze family food budgets.
As many as 375,000 youngsters are affected by the hated tax, new figures show.
Families who have been unable to move home are now worse off by £13.60 a week on average – £709 per year.
Labour, which has pledged to axe the tax, says desperate parents are turning to foodbanks to feed their kids or taking pay-day loans.
Writing in the Daily Mirror today, shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves says David Cameron has no idea of the havoc and distress the Coalition policy is causing to ordinary families across the country.
One housing association, Magenta Living in Liverpool, is considering demolishing three-bed homes it can no longer let.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-labour-mp-rachel-2719151#ixzz3AkcfEqaQ
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-labour-mp-rachel-2719151#ixzz3Akc3XC7O
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

Licensing Parents Being Considered By Politicians And Philosophers - See more at: http://govtslaves.info/licensing-parents-considered-politicians-philosophers/#sthash.fxLmK67v.dpuf

British people are committing suicide to escape poverty. Is this what the State wants?

Picture displayed by Street Democracy.

 

In the last few months of his life, Craig Monk attempted several overdoses and was described as 'vulnerable' by his family.
An accident a few years before had resulted in the partial amputation of his leg and he had suffered unnecessary, and anxiety-inducing, obstructions in receiving state assistance - even though his disability was clear for all see.
Over time he slipped further into poverty, the ends could no longer meet

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2117718/British-people-committing-suicide-escape-poverty-Is-State-wants.html#ixzz3AkNXR6NK
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Pensioners hit hardest by £9 Billion welfare spending cuts as David Cameron breaks election promise

‘Savage spending cuts will soar to nearly £9billion a year, hitting pensioners hardest, a shock report reveals today.
The study shows PM David Cameron has broken his pre-election pledge to protect the elderly, with a quarter of welfare cuts falling on pensioner households.
The Tory-led Government’s biggest cut is a £3.8billion-a-year reduction in pension credit, which tops up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum.’
Read more: Pensioners hit hardest by £9 Billion welfare spending cuts as David Cameron breaks election promise

Bedroom tax decision of all bedroom tax winning decisions? Just maybe!!

by joehalewood

Picture displayed by Street Democracy

If you are separated from your children and you have a bedroom in your property where your child / children comes to stay and sleep you will be deemed as having a spare bedroom and hit with the bedroom tax. OR SO WE ARE TOLD You will have been told that the child who lives […]

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Sanctions against those on sickness benefit up 350 per cent in Government crackdown

‘Soaring numbers of sick or disabled people are being punished by having their benefits taken away in a Government crackdown that experts say is pushing the most vulnerable in society to destitution.
The use of sanctions against those on sickness benefits has gone up by 350 per cent in a year as part of an aggressive drive to push more people into work. Those with serious health conditions can have their benefits removed for up to three years because of minor mistakes, such as missing an appointment at the Job Centre or forgetting to attend skills training.’
Read more: Sanctions against those on sickness benefit up 350 per cent in Government crackdown