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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21756567

 

Rent arrears among tenants on a government pilot project that pays housing benefit directly to recipients have seen a big increase, figures show.

 

One area is predicting a £14m loss if the new system is implemented for all its tenants, the BBC has learned.

 

Paying housing benefit directly to recipients, rather than their landlords, will form a key part of the planned new Universal Credit.

 

The government says lessons will be learned from the pilot projects.

 

It wants to pay recipients directly as they think it will increase their sense of responsibility over their own lives and make them better able to cope should they move into a job.

 

Bron Afon community housing in south Wales said it had seen a 50% increase in arrears, while pilot projects in Edinburgh, Oxford and Southwark are showing around 30% increases in arrears.

 

Southwark Council predicts it will incur £14m in arrears if direct payment is introduced to all their tenants.

 

"People have clocked up arrears who were not in arrears before," says Duncan Forbes, chief executive of Bron Afon.

 

One tenant failing to cope is Margaret Tonks, a single mother from Broseley, Shropshire.

 

"I do not know why they moved me to the new scheme," she said. "I hardly have enough money to live day-to-day.

 

"By them paying the money directly to me it created temptation to use it for other things which has resulted in me being in arrears and possibly being evicted. "

 

So the obviously stupid idea has proved to be obviously stupid.

 

Time for another U-Turn?

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So because people in receipt of benefits are incapable(in these cases) of managing money, it's the Governments fault.

It's no wonder we live in a nanny state, the problem is the recipients not the ideology of personal control and self financing.

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Read the full article and it makes a very good point that people with learning disabilities are unable to properly manage their finances and falling into arrears because they've had this money thrust upon them.

 

While it may be considered 'nannying' people by paying their rent for them it works perfectly fine and always keeps them paid up on rent.

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The next step is to build huge complexes for those people incapable of managing their free money, a bit like army barracks in which everything is provided leaving them with no need for money.

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Read the full article and it makes a very good point that people with learning disabilities are unable to properly manage their finances and falling into arrears because they've had this money thrust upon them.

 

While it may be considered 'nannying' people by paying their rent for them it works perfectly fine and always keeps them paid up on rent.

 

Well it is time they learnt. If they can't manage their own money, how are they keeping alive.

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So because people in receipt of benefits are incapable(in these cases) of managing money, it's the Governments fault.

Not neccesarily, just take the point into consideration. If you give money to people who are unable to manage their money - the consequences will be that they don't manage their money. Not a "fault" of anyone per se.

 

The old system didn't have that fault. The Housing Benefit was paid direct to the landlord/Housing Authority.

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Not neccesarily, just take the point into consideration. If you give money to people who are unable to manage their money - the consequences will be that they don't manage their money. Not a "fault" of anyone per se.

 

The old system didn't have that fault. The Housing Benefit was paid direct to the landlord/Housing Authority.

 

How will they ever get a job and keep themselves alive without the state doing everything for them?

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How will they ever get a job and keep themselves alive without the state doing everything for them?

I don't know.

 

How will the landlord receive his rent without the state doing it for him? He still has his bills to pay.

 

Then you evict them - where are they going to go? Into expensive hostels? Which they still don't pay because they blow their money.

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Well it is time they learnt.

 

Which part of 'learning disabilities' don't you understand?

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Not neccesarily, just take the point into consideration. If you give money to people who are unable to manage their money - the consequences will be that they don't manage their money. Not a "fault" of anyone per se.

 

The old system didn't have that fault. The Housing Benefit was paid direct to the landlord/Housing Authority.

 

But if you don't give people the money how will they learn to manage and also attempt to improve themselves.

How many people recieving housing benefit can get private rents, yet i would imagine on UC that component may not have to be disclosed to the landlord.

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Which part of 'learning disabilities' don't you understand?

 

So they know how to pay their gas bill and electricity bill and food but they don't know how to pay rent?

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This is a good example of why some of these people are where they are. They simply cannot look beyond a few days in the future like a child.

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