•What are they &

•How do they affect families on welfare?

By Sarfaraz Ahmad

Family Action

Bradford-Canterbury

Advice Centre

Quick Exercise

Working in two’s (or three’s) make a list of the

austerity measures that have been brought in

by the coalition Government.

Benefit Cap

Universal Credit

Bedroom Tax

ESA: Reform of

Incapacity Benefit

Introduction of PIP

Reform of Social Fund

Changes to State

Pension Age

Changes to Tax Credits

JSA sanctions regime

Non dependent

deductions

3 year squeeze on

benefit rates

Council Tax Reduction

There’s a limit on the total amount of

benefit that most people aged 16 to 64

can get.

Benefits that are affected:

Bereavement Allowance

Carer’s Allowance

Child Benefit

Child Tax Credit

Employment and Support

Allowance (unless you get the support

component)

Guardian’s Allowance

Housing Benefit

Incapacity Benefit

Income Support

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Maternity Allowance

Severe Disablement Allowance

Widowed Parent’s Allowance

Who wont be affected?

If a householder is in receipt of

Working Tax Credits

Some Disability Benefits

War Pensioners

Some Armed Forces schemes

One single Benefit that will replace all income based benefits such as:

Income SupportJSAESAHousing BenefitTax Credits

Applies to Council and

social housing tenants of

working age

If you are found to have 1

unoccupied spare

bedroom you could lose

14% of your HB

If you are deemed to have

2 bedrooms “under

occupied” you lose 25% of

your Housing Benefit

PIP introduced to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

for eligible people aged 16 to 64.

79% of those, previously on Disability Living Allowance

(DLA) who were reassessed for PIP, were given an award.

In contrast 55% of new claimant decisions led to PIP being

awarded.

Community Care

Grants abolished

Crisis Loans abolished

Maternity Grants

restricted to 1 per

family

The social fund was

intended to meet

essential living expenses

of the most vulnerable

members of society that

were not covered by

benefits.

Only qualify for

Working Tax if you

work 24 hours (up

from 16 hours)

Backdating down from

3 months to 1 month

If annual income

decreases the first

£2500 will not be

recognised in award

Extending waiting period for new claims from 3 to 7 days

Longer initial interviewsMandatory attendance of English speaking courses for some claimants

Harsher and more punitativesanctions regime

In Bradford everyone has to pay 25%

whether or not they are currently

receiving means tested benefits

If someone else lives in your home a deduction may be made to your Council Tax Reduction (CTR) if the person is treated as a 'non-dependant'.

The deduction is made on the assumption that the 'non-dependant‘ (adult child/relative/friend) should make a contribution towards your council tax.

The amount of the deduction varies according to the non-dependant's circumstances but has increased significantly.

Benefits excluding the

state pension but

including income

support, child benefit

and housing benefit,

will rise by just one

per cent a year until

April 2015.

Benefits changes 1% rise in each of the next three

years, from April 2013. Lower than the 2.2% that might have been expected

Child benefit Frozen until April 2014. Will rise by

1% in each of the next two years Maternity, paternity and adoption pay Rise by 1% in each of the next three

years Carer's Allowance and disability

benefits Will rise in line with inflation, by 2.2%

in April Child tax credits and working tax

credits To rise by 1% in each of the next

three years, although some will be frozen in 2012-13

Local housing allowance Capped at a 1% rise for each of the

two years from April 2014 Basic state pension Under government guarantee, will

rise by 2.5% in April Additional state pension Up 2.2% in April, in line with inflation

Percentage of People

living in poverty in UK

2008-2009Hereford Council

Women's retirement age gradually increasing from

60 (6-4-1950+)

By November 2018 women and men's age equalize

at 65

By October 2020 men and women's retirement age

raised to 66 years

Further raised to 67 for men and women by 2026

Which means your entitlement to claim old age benefits like

Pension Credit, Winter fuel Allowance State Retirement Pension

go back further and further.

Men and women are now going to have

to work harder and longer for less pay

You never know

who you might

bump into at the

supermarket...

Figures confirm that the numbers of people using food banks has rocketed since the start of the austerity crisis