Should there be a maximum limit on benefits?

[rov1100]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15808922

It is proposed that the present limit is curtailed to a maximum of £500 per week or equivalent to £35,000 a year gross.

[237SJ]

I know nothing about benefits but when I saw the news tonight and they said about capping them at £500 I said to my OH "bloody hell, £500 per week"? That`s £2000 per month. That`s more than many hard working people earn. I was quite shocked TBH

[Postdog]

Yes there should, simply because as the last answer said, people in work don't get that.

[rov1100]

The main reasons for the higher benefits is because of a large family with many dependents plus the fact that housing benefit in the posher areas of London pushes up the claimant bill.

[DTCwordfan]

£2000 per month is a heck of a salary in St Just, St Davids or Auctermuchtie.....

[Old_Geezer]

That is probably higher then the average salary. Whilst I don't know the circumstances of individual cases I find it difficult to believe one can justify anywhere near that figure. One would be in danger of encouraging an, "I don't have to act sensibly and take responsibility, the State will look after us all anyway", attitude that way.

Nice though it is to help those in need one has to limit to be fair to those contributing and ensure they are not just used to fund an ever worsening situation.

[DTCwordfan]

Move them out of the high cost areas of London would be the conclusion......

[Old_Geezer]

If your income was low enough to be able to claim housing benefit why are you in an expensive residential area at all ? Surely the first thing a sane welfare system would demand is that you make best efforts to minimise your outgoings. Or is just those who pay their own way that have to do that ?

[arieswoman]

Mmm, £2,000 per month (after tax) and no housing or council tax to pay. I'm sure there are many working families who'd like to be in this situation!!

[sherrardk]

Doesn't it include rent and council tax?

[ummmm]

I think it does Sher...

Also, many of the houses are owned by the council.

[welshlibranr]

I agree with arieswoman, I know lots of families who work really hard, and never receive that amount after tax, and with no rent or council tax to pay out!..........I wish we were in that position, my husband works very hard all week, and we don't have that amount!.............

[boxtops]

I believe that includes everything, all the other benefits which might be claimed too - so it's not just cash in hand, it'll include rent etc which presumably can take up quite a chunk of that money.

[237SJ]

With regards to the comments about the cost of living in London, I live in London and I still think that`s a bloody lot to be getting in benefits.

[ummmm]

This is London...it'll probably take up the majority of the money.

[welshlibranr]

boxtops, even without rent etc, surely they're doing well!.........my husband works away from home, only here every other weekend, he works really hard, looks so tired when he gets home, he's 61 years old and still out there working!...........and we don't have that amount of money!..........there's something wrong there!.........

[Craftypig]

Its easy to see why so many people on benefits are reluctant to find work. A friend of mine receives £400 pw they dont pay rent which is £475 a month and his coucil tax would be somewhere in the region of £100 a month. So if he was to get a job he would have to be looking at earning somewhere in the region of £2500-£3000 a month. He is unskilled, the wrong side of 40 and he and his partner have 6 children between them.

[arieswoman]

Apologies - yes it does include Housing and Council Tax benefit. I just checked on the government website. The example given is "An unemployed, able-bodied family with six children will not get any
help with rent or council tax due to the benefit cap," as "they will receive Jobseeker’s allowance for a couple of £105.95 + child benefit £20.30 for eldest child + £13.40 other children + child tax credit £10.43 family element + £48.93 per child (2011/12 weekly rates)" (which totals £497.26 per week).

[jno]

if you move them out of London to somewhere cheaper, chances are the reason it's cheaper is that there's less work there.

[ummmm]

So out of that £497 they have to pay their own rent?

[welshlibranr]

aries, then why would they want to find work?.......they are doing really well on benefits!.....things need to change!.........