Just stumbled across this little peice: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/21/benefit-claimants-cars-buses-ukip-leafletBan claimants from driving - What a wonderful idea , Surprised the Tories didn't come up with the idea, it would fit in with their ethos...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/21/benefit-claimants-cars-buses-ukip-leaflet

 

A Ukip-branded leaflet has suggested benefit claimants should be banned from driving on UK roads to ease congestion.

 

The document, which appears to have been sent out by the campaign of Lynton Yates, the Ukip candidate for Charnwood in Leicestershire, asks why claimants “have the privilege to spend the taxpayer’s hard-earned money on a car” and suggests they instead “catch a bus”.

 

This is actually a recycled tory policy from the 1980's. When a load of the Broadmoor Wing of the conservatives joined UKIP they took their wonky ideas with them. I cannot support a party that had Niel Hamilton as its deputy leader, I would rather vote for the legalisation of murder party should one come canvassing.

They conveniently seem to have overlooked the fact that there are lots of people who where employed as drivers some professional drivers ,LGV/PSV who perhaps are unable to find work. There are lots of lorry drivers who travel over 100miles to the place of work(then work away for 2-3weeks), And this would not be a realistic option if they lost their licences due to some cretin in government thinking it is a good idea, there are many areas of the uk that don't have much industry so little choice of employment type in local areas

And just how is someone on benefits supposed to afford the fares charged by public transport, that's assuming the public transport is reliable enough in the first place

I wouldn't vote for UKIP as their policies are too similar to that of the Tories hammer the poor and vulnerable ,

I am not voting for any party that refuses to knowledge the dwp is unfit for purpose and that the current economics are unsustainable and that a different mindset is required to being about social justice.

Sadly only 1 party is willing to shake things up. And its NOT UKIP

Just shows what a bunch of XXXXXXX UKIP are . Anyone who could even consider voting for them deserves deporting to a remote island IMO. Mind you it they may reduce the population by killing the likes of me off with a stroke through anger

I wouldn't vote for UKIP as their policies are too similar to that of the Tories hammer the poor and vulnerable

The make the Tories seem warm and cuddly

Do they have some sort of machine that comes up with this stuff?

I think it's the rear end of a bull

I don't really have a choice of who to vote for - I live in a contested seat and have to vote labour in the hope we can get the Tory MP out. Tactical voting - when one party you're not keen on is better than another party you hate.

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urgh i h8 tactical voting.

Voting out of short term fear vs long term achievement.

What a radical idea. I question how on earth do those on means tested benefits manage to run and use a motor car in the first place? I accept that for those that are in receipt of the relevant benefit that entitles them to a Motability car do get preferential help. We don't receive any means tested benefits and manage to live off my husband's state pension only and we couldn't afford to put petrol in a car, never mind keep one on the road.

What I do suggest is that the DWP could well look into how some benefit claimants on means tested benefits do manage to use and run a car. From memory, the latest figures are that the standing costs, excluding capital depreciation and finance, amount to approx. £22 a week before you put a pint of petrol in it.

What a radical idea. I question how on earth do those on means tested benefits manage to run and use a motor car in the first place? I accept that for those that are in receipt of the relevant benefit that entitles them to a Motability car do get preferential help. We don't receive any means tested benefits and manage to live off my husband's state pension only and we couldn't afford to put petrol in a car, never mind keep one on the road.

What I do suggest is that the DWP could well look into how some benefit claimants on means tested benefits do manage to use and run a car. From memory, the latest figures are that the standing costs, excluding capital depreciation and finance, amount to approx. £22 a week before you put a pint of petrol in it.

As the majority of means tested benefit claiments WORK I think the answer is very simple..........

For a start it's most likely that those who do have a car and are on benefits have owned the car prior to loosing their job or becoming too ill to work , as for finance not all cars are on finance i have never had a new or second hand car on finance always bought outright,usually in cash in order to get a better deal, the running of a car petrol will depend on how much you use it, insurance can be cheap enough , as can MOT's the road tax used to be the hardest thing to pay for on benefits, and probably the biggest waist of money as you see very little if anything for what they expect you to pay each year

I forgot to add some club together to keep a car on the road , it's like these crappy tv programs that show big flat screen tv's in their houses , as if they have somehow got it whilst on benefits, they may have done, but most probably second hand or from a shop like bright house , or maybe it was bought cheap from the local smack head

And seeing as Redriding does or used to work in dwp i am surprised that they have forgotten that for working people (Majority of means tested benefits are paid to) that there is a certain degree of income disregard)

As the majority of means tested benefit claiments WORK I think the answer is very simple..........

I believe that this idea related to those on IS & income based JSA/ESA, and not tax credits?

But you can still work and receive IS/ JSA/ESA.

But you can still work and receive IS/ JSA/ESA.

If you were in receipt of either of those three benefits, and even if you worked as well, the maximum amount of money that you could have per week to be eligible for those benefits was calculated as being just enough to have a basic standard of living. You can't tell me that it would be right that those on those benefits would have enough spare cash each week to run and keep a motor vehicle on the road? Somebody on IB ESA of say £120 a week would have the available funds to run a car - no way.

If you were in receipt of either of those three benefits, and even if you worked as well, the maximum amount of money that you could have per week to be eligible for those benefits was calculated as being just enough to have a basic standard of living. You can't tell me that it would be right that those on those benefits would have enough spare cash each week to run and keep a motor vehicle on the road? Somebody on IB ESA of say £120 a week would have the available funds to run a car - no way.

It is not a basic standard of living at all. It is subsistence. With all the other restrictions and high heating , public transport costs I do not know how people exist on the basic single persons allowance and keep a roof over their heads. I know poverty is relative but we live in a supposedly advanced western society .

So how do people on benefits afford to buy a car when they get a job if it's not in walking distance or accessible by public transport? It could prevent them getting work if they sell it while unemployed.

It is not a basic standard of living at all. It is subsistence. With all the other restrictions and high heating , public transport costs I do not know how people exist on the basic single persons allowance and keep a roof over their heads. I know poverty is relative but we live in a supposedly advanced western society .

I maintained a car when I was unemployed.

How did I do it?

I budgeted.while I was working to the point where i pay a years insurance and tax in one hit. Then save up enough to cover other car essentials. While unemployed I restricted use of the car to important use only. Without the car, I would of not been able to get any of the last few jobs I have taken.

So how do people on benefits afford to buy a car when they get a job if it's not in walking distance or accessible by public transport? It could prevent them getting work if they sell it while unemployed.

This is, pretty much, the key point. If someone becomes unemployed, the absolute last thing they should do is sell their car. Even an old banger would be a huge capital outlay to a newly employed person who's been on JSA or ESA for a while.

In any case, why does no-one ask the obvious question: why in the name of all that's holy is it any of the government's business what unemployed people spend their money on? Seriously, do the smug amongst us really think that you can just hand powers willy-nilly to the government whenever you feel like laying the boot into some other group of people, and safely assume that it will never be you that's on the receiving end of the huge stick you just handed to those in power?

indeed

If the government were to dictate what we were to spend our money on, lets just go the whole way, abolish currency for us plebs and take what we are given

The only person I know who runs a car and claims benefits, is also in shedloads of debt.