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@P  child element is £66

@Sammy Have you claimed your healthy start vouchers for your little one (children under 4) 

@Sammy Pip isn't for children! Are you on universal credit? There is a child element on that 

@Betty £5000 In Savings if in receipt of ESA.

@WatchandWait Oops, the end of that sentence went missing. I wrote: £16k stops entitlement to UC

@Betty £6k capital means deductions of £4.35 for every £250. £16k stops

@Rosie** If the rise is based on inflation, then they can’t change that, it is what it is. A piffling increase but now inflation is down quite low, payment rises will also be minimal. The only ones who seem to profit are supermarkets where the prices never seem to drop!

@Angela The current defence for not uprating the LHA appears to be, quite literally, "the Tories only did it once in 14yrs". Rents have gone up exponentially since LHA's were raised during COVID, it's madness that the DWP under either government hasn't further addressed this.

@Marthamay It’s a shame you didn’t challenge it, that’s what they bank on, I’ve always looked at it if they’ve awarded you a specific rate that’s for a specific reason at the time you applied so they’ve already agreed you’re entitled to something which would make it hard for them to lower or take off you if you appealed because they would have to prove that in a short period since you applied and appealed you’ve suddenly miraculously got better.  People think you’ve only got 1 month to appeal but if you’ve got good reason for delaying your appeal (you were unwell or waiting some medical evidence to prove your case) then you have 12 months to appeal.  I personally know a few people who appealed and won just before it was due to go to tribunal and I don’t know anyone who  has had their award lowered because of an appeal.  Go for it, gather more evidence and ask for a copy of your original form.  My best advice is to watch out when you phone them up they try to get you to do an MR over the phone, things they say are can I ask you a few questions, before you know it they have talked you into doing a phone MR don’t fall for that just apologise and say I’m sorry I can’t answer any questions, I’m doing a paper based MR.  Try and find one of those CIC companies (not for profit) to help you with your MR most of them are brilliant and they don’t charge much to help you, but they’ll do all the work and having their name behind you often helps.  Hope you appeal and good luck.

@Marthamay The mobility component will still be available to you once you reach state retirement age if you are already in receipt of it.

@Lee They fooled everyone. They're all the same. Look after those that have money and sod those that don't. It's absolutely disgraceful.

@Lee Hmm - I don't know about that Lee. Principally speaking, those on the left tend to be more progressive in thought and action, but during an economic crisis, I think most parties end up swinging back toward the centre and then even lean to the right at times.

As far as "cost of living" - only Warm House Discount and the miserly £10 Xmas bung from the DWP.

If you are experiencing hardship financially you can apply to your local council:

"The Household Support Fund is targeted at the most vulnerable households and is typically used to help them with the cost of essentials like groceries, toiletries, and energy bills."

(quote)

They might grant you a few hundred pounds, depending on circumstance/needs.

@Jonno If Labour seek to go through with the Tories' changes then this would be moot unless legal challenges took place which would hold water given the DWP's disclosure that the proposed changes was about cuts rather than helping claimants into work. 

@shadowpony The income pensioners have is tiny compared to what non pensioners have.  Even with the triple lock the increase in pensions is miserly.  . 

@Alex Look at the tripple lock is going up by 4% for pensioners. there is no economic reason why this should be. it is unsustainable, 2.5% base rate of increase each year,  earnings or inflation, whichever is highest ,and this is baked into law, so the govt can't swerve it. it's also non means tested. the government can flex the  uprating of working age beneifits which isn't baked into law, so they can flex this. they've done it before in the Osborne years. tripple lock went up for four years wheras working age beneifits were frozen excluding disability beneifits such as pip which rose with inflation. the saving was made that way. 

@boris1 I think we aught to think about a vote of no confidence or what ever we can do to get them out. Labour are supposed to be a working man’s party and help people have a better life. 

@Azmodaeus Yes I am aware of that but Liebour are currently in power and therefor its their potential benefit reforms we have to live with.

@Alex This will likely lead to further pressure on social housing, councils are already stretched to the max re temporary accommodation, so an increase in street homelessness seems almost inevitable.