THE DWP INCOME BREAKDOWN

[kenneth2dundee]

Does any carer know where i can find out when the daily or income allowance breakdown given to us on all of our dwp letters explaining what the government says we should live on.

is there a date or is this figure updated every year or other year or every 10 or 20 years.

How is this daily or weekly or monthly income calculated.

really dont know who to ask maybe rosemary or charles47 or marie66 might know.

hope you all understand the question.

kenneth2dundeenow fife

[rosemary]

Hi Kenneth,

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for?? If not can you be more specific as to what you want.I am afraid my old grey matter is not working properly tonight

http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/fs_isr.pdf

[charles47]

I'm not really sure what you're looking for Kenneth, but if it's a breakdown of the IS amount to show how they came to the flat rate benefits, I'm not sure it exists. It's so obviously unrealistic they couldn't afford to publish it.

The government states a flat rate amount for IS and tells us that this is what we need for the basics of life. However, there is no breakdown and the basics keep changing depending on the politics of the time. So, for example:

Food, clothes, fuel, water, (any rent not covered by housing benefit - this was added), stationery and stamps for job applications - number to be agreed when signing on, telephone bills, and anything else not listed.

As far as I know, the one time anything like this is "calculated" is when the benefit is created. In the case of IS, somewhere between 1986 and 1988 ( IS came in from April 1988). After that, inflation is the decider, remembering that inflation is almost always lowest in September, when the calculation takes place. Something to do with summer holidays reducing demand for other goods and services, thus driving prices down to encourage people to buy more - summer sales, etc.

[Guest]

There was once a calculation that changed each year with a breakdown of how much was deemed to be necessary for the basics, utilities, etc. which related to means-tested claims. I think that it was sent out to claimants either when they claimed for the first time or on review/uprating. This was some time ago, 1980s/early 1990s?, but I remember that it didn't even begin to reflect the real costs of living. I'll try and remember where I saw it but now the amount only rises with inflation which includes in the "basket of goods" items that the likes of us can only dream of. I think that it was reassessed occasionally and certainly I was aware that civil servants determined how much was required for each necessity, when I saw I the amounts I also remember wondering how on earth they got the figures and whether they could provide for themselves on the assessed costs they allowed for claimants.

[charles47]

It was a part of the old Supplementary Benefits regulations, Parsifal. When the Tory government introduced Income Support they set a figure that was intended to "catch all" within the Income Support remit. I'm not sure that there was ever a proper calculation as I've been unable to find anything so far. Will keep digging.

[smiler]

I think the closest you will get now is the CPI & the RPI where they add and take away things that they think people are buying and not buying some are fine like VIDEO and VHS tapes but people are still buying ordinary oil (vegetable, sunflower) that has been taken out and replaced with olive oil, and when did people stop buying sunglasses?

[kenneth2dundee]

my next point then is how can this independent so called fact finding think tank come put with the 13000 for 18 000 for a couple this week which it says that is what we need to pay the basic cost of living.

how come the disparity between all benefits and allwoances what about the above is there no statutory time limit on changes and upraiting these figures to match or is there merely to help mps in the commons.

kenneth2dundeenow fife