The DWP capital thresholds should be £10.5k and £27k
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Maybe that should be done for working people too, so they don't get robbed for more tax paying for what you suggest? Inflation has not altered the working people's Personal Tax Free Allowance since before the lockdown and won't up to 2030.
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No-one is talking about capital thresholds for benefits though, whereas there is currently a lot of political pressure on the chancellor over the personal allowance.
Ultimately, there's a general disdain in society for people on benefits, the media paint it as everyone on benefits being scroungers, or down the pub all day, living a lifestyle they wouldn't be able to afford in work. Despite many people claiming benefits because they're sick or disabled.
It's just how it is and it can affect a lot things, like where you can rent, whether you can get a mortgage etc, etc. It can also make mentally ill people very paranoid as they think everyone is trying to shop them for even just going for a short walk.2 -
I.
I'm not pension age but own my home. I have some savings from working for over 40 years before I had to claim benefits. My house is about 140 years old and the roof is coming to an end having been patched for years. I cannot save enough before my benefits are stopped.. catch 22 situation. I see others ( no ill will to anyone ) getting rent paid in full in some cases, but I am not allowed to save enough for repairs. Surely there should be some leeway?
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Technically you could take out a personal loan and use that to get the work done. But you'd obviously need to speak to the DWP before you went down that route as obviously if thousands of pounds hit your account it could cause a lot of problems.
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The system is designed so that most people do not get their rent paid. Well, paid fully that is as housing benefit, LHA, UC housing element or whatever does not cover average rent. It's set at 30% of local rent.
Also the amounts have been frozen since 2020, although they will be unfrozen next year I believe. Since 2020 rent has skyrocketed too, especially just after covid.
For example a room in a HMO where I live (outside of London) is about £700/month, although that does include bills.0 -
It is obvious there will be a lot of pressure over the pathetic Personal Tax Free Allowance of £12,570 which has been frozen up to 2030 too. The allowances for earnings have not changed much either with more workers moving into the 40% tax bracket. I worked for 40 years I know their grievances. I genuinely think this allowance stops people look for work actually.
It is not a disdain on people on benefits, it's the colossal amount it is costing which has increased markedly in just a few years. Tax payers want the money going elsewhere really like the NHS, disability support in the community etc. Take no notice of newpapers, the majority of people don't think you are all down the pub etc.
Being just how it is unfortunately is not acceptable anymore by working tax payers I am sorry to say.
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This may surprise you but overall welfare spending as a percentage of GDP has come down, mainly due to the austerity imposed since the coalition government, it's just there are a lot more people claiming sickness and disability benefits than there were five years ago. This is understandably a problem if it keeps increasing.
One of the biggest increases in government spending has actually been debt repayment.1 -
My question was only a scenario of how the rules affect different circumstances. 2 people same amount of savings, 1 gets, say £500 a month of rent paid or £6000 a year and the other claims no rent. Surely an amount of extra savings would be fair. And before anyone says I'm lucky to own a mortgage free home, I have lived here 34 years, bought it derelict and renovated it whilst living in with 2 young children.
And in which world would a bank lend so much money to someone on benefits?
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You have hit the nail on the head it is "there are a lot more people claiming sickness and disability benefits than there were five years ago." Nobody has an issue over 2020 levels of benefits, it is the colossal increases since. Quoted increases of 66% and rising.
I think we have expressed our opinions amicably, I don't think more can be said. Thanks you.
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Well done. It may come as a surprise too but I am also a home owner. I think it's fair that mortgage companies treat different types of income differently but to flatly refuse to lend at all simply because the person is on benefits is wrong. It's discrimination and helps entrench poverty, it's almost as bad 'No DSS' notices on rentals.
The decision to lend should be based on the person's credit history not the fact they're claiming benefits and out of work because they're sick3 -
Agreed. But that would require the Establishment to accept committing democide against disabled people is a bad thing, so they won't do this for a while.
The "public outcry" towards benefits claimants is horseshit based on internalised ableism combined with misinformation. Their views need correcting via mass education in the media, if not discarded entirely, alongside politicians adocatng hate/eugenics getting thrown in prison for manty yaears.
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Unlike a lot of views about politics horseshit is useful
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Trevor, your comment that the Personal Tax Allowance could be why some people “choose not to work” doesn’t reflect the reality for many in this community.
For a lot of our members, it isn’t a matter of choice. They are unable to work due to illness or disability. That’s the reality.
I am disabled too, and I work. I’ve paid the highest rate of tax for years, and I certainly wouldn’t walk away from my job just because of the Personal Tax Allowance.
I don’t see how that point is relevant to the discussion about raising the DWP capital limits. Changing the savings rules would not affect taxpayers in any meaningful way. They have far bigger concerns than whether disabled people can hold on to a modest nest egg.
Increasing the capital limit would simply allow more taxpayers today to access support if they become sick or disabled in the future, through no fault of their own. I honestly don’t understand the objection to this.
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I am not referring to members of this community when I say I genuinely think the pathetic Personal Tax Free Allowance stops people looking for work. It does because I hear comments like *your wages are eaten away by tax anyway" or "it's not worth It because of all the tax you pay." It has been frozen for more than 10 years which is disgraceful and enough is enough quite honestly. Government petition this year refused to increase it to a modest £20,000. I have given you actual examples of people avoiding work and I am telling you why they are. Two years to get a replacement at that car rental station after all those interviews and no takers who are just going though the UC process to remain on UC. A family member had to fill the role or they would have been short staffed and overworked for longer!!
It would affect taxpayers though and I think they have had enough quite honestly, strength of feeling is at a high presently. I doubt the Accounts Clerk Reeves would even move on this one currently. She is nearly out of a job herself.
Point taken on the last paragraph, but a lot of workers work/budget week by week. My mate has two jobs but no money in the bank, plenty on credit cards though......
That is my opinion based on working and you are entitled to yours, thank you.
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Trevor, the Personal Allowance was last raised in April 2021 to £12,570. It has been frozen since then.
Your examples are about people who are unemployed but able to work. This thread is about those with chronic illness or disability who cannot work due to their conditions, not people unemployed by choice or because a job cannot be found.
Tax rules decide how much people pay in. Capital limits decide who can get support out. They are separate.
Raising the savings limit doesn’t raise anyone’s taxes. It simply stops punishing sick and disabled people for having a modest emergency fund, and ensures the safety net is there when taxpayers themselves might need it.
You describe the Personal Allowance as “pathetic” and say it discourages people from working. Yet at the same time you say you don’t disdain people on benefits and want money to go to disability support.
From April 2026, new UC claimants with long‑term sickness or disability will only receive around half the health element that current claimants do. This creates a two‑tier system that treats later illness differently, even when the condition is the same.
In light of your views on claimants compared to working people, do you support these changes? Or would you prefer to see all sickness and disability claimants aligned to the lower rate? I am genuinely interested in your views.
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There is already a two tier system when it comes to sickness benefits.
Those receiving LCW element only get payment if their award was given before April 2017 from either UC or IR ESA.
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The Personal Tax Free Allowance was raised in the Financial year 20/21 and frozen by Reeves another 3 years to Financial year 30/31, as I said disgraceful. A Governmental Petition this year failed to raise it to a modest £20,000 which is a reasonable figure.
You mentioned the Personal Tax Free Allowance and how it deters people from working. It does and I am giving reasons to the disabled community that it is not them that are being targeted, far from it. I know who is being targeted, you also have to accept there are people on sickness benefits that do not want to work. Some Doctors give out sick notes without even seeing the patient with the current clogged up surgeries of today. It is the same with company (working) sickness, the regular employees every year off for months, you only need to get a sick note at work.
I know they are separate and I remain with what I have already said over it!
I don't disdain the genuine disabled on benefits and any money saved from these reforms does need to go to much needed community support, which as you know is non existent.
What a ridiculous statement to make that is, you have got me all wrong. I stick up for working people because I worked for 40 years and I know their grievances. The tax they pay is ridiculous and they see next to nothing for it. That does not mean I want the genuine disabled to suffer either. I look after the aged that live around me, I actually trim the gardens for the neighbour next to me who is disabled. I also spend time trying to help people with their PIP issues on this forum.
Please do not reply to me again. I am in a good mind to report your last post to the forum moderators, you don't know me so don't make ridiculous assumptions about me either and I mean that! Disgusting and reported.
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We have temporarily paused this discussion so that it can be reviewed.
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