ATLAS creating a titanic number of issues for housing benefit claimants and providers

ATLAS is an IT system used within the public sector to process Housing Benefit payments.  The trouble is it seems to not work in the way it should.  Each change in the claimants details whether it be a simple update of a telephone number will result in payments being suspended.

How can this be effective and efficient?  Any other IT system when updated would simply update and process the data appropriately.  Whats the point of a system that quite clearly does not work?

ATLAS is simply not holding up to scrutiny and is not doing the job it should. The system should either be upgraded or replaced.

What a waste of time, energy and money for everyone.

How might smart growth impact the green belt?

Smart growth is an idea that prevents urban sprawl, but regenerates existing urban environments to make better use of the existing urban landscape.  Empty pubs and shops can be refitted and returned to what was once homes.  Existing strips of land that have no use within urban areas could be developed and used to  create vibrant mixed use premises.

The idea that smart growth can yet be applied to the green belt is something that should not be ignored. There are lots of built on sites in the green belt that have been allowed to fall into disrepair.  These sites could be developed into affordable eco-friendly homes.  Furthermore, supporting change of use on existing built plots would also facilitate smart growth in green belt areas whilst still being sensitive to the local environment.

Its is interesting to think that many thousands of acres of green belt land simply go unused and create small plots of grazing land.  These plots it could be argued would better serve the environment if eco-friendly homes were developed and the grassy fields returned to a livable habitat where wildlife could thrive.  Miles and miles of built walls could be returned to hedgerows and the empty grassy fields could be, for example, replanted with trees and vibrant wild flowers.

How welfare reform is affecting everyone

The governments Welfare Reform Bill is going to have an enormous impact on all of us.  The biggest shake-up of welfare since Beveridge the planned benefit cuts are staggering.  Resulting in social security payment cuts of an estimated £18bn each year by 2014-15.  The people at greatest risk of the welfare reforms will be families with children and the disabled.  This is an ongoing process and the government will be carrying out reviews of existing disability benefit claimants over three to four years.  The shift away from direct benefit payments to landlords, for example, will be replaced with a one-off monthly payment known as the Universal Credit.  The people at greatest risk will be those who have an inability to manage their own finances.

Its seems Housing Associations are looking towards building partnerships with Credit Unions to ensure payments are paid directly into a separate account which will then be ring-fenced.  The money will be then paid directly to the landlord at the right  time.  Some landlords are introducing incentives to tenants to set up accounts with the Credit Unions.  It seems a sure-fire way to ensure they receive the necessary payments on time.  It will certainly give the Credit Unions more power in the longer term, which based on the performance of existing banks will only create greater diversity within the sector and further competition.  This surely must be a good thing.

The community and voluntary sector will be looking at ways in which vulnerable people can be supported and assisted, particularly with budgetary finance and other issues which will have a direct impact following welfare reforms.  Providing advice of how to better manage personal finance and how welfare reform is going to directly impact them.  There is a great deal of work being carried out in the sector at the moment. Tenants are being regularly informed of forthcoming changes and advising them of ways in which they can minimise their risks.

With unemployment rates increasing, the government needs to work harder to get the medium and long term unemployed back into work.  Creating real jobs for real people.  Training programmes and work incentives are simply not enough to facilitate this process.  International companies should be encouraged to invest in Britain, with its wealth of talent and work ethic, the people should and will demand it.

Investment in homes will be transformational

Its good to hear that demands by Tullet Brebon are being made towards the government for a further cash injection of £4bn into new housing, and about time too.  Its been far too long, successive governments have encouraged immigration with little consideration of where all these people are going to live and be housed.  Real investment in new housing will have a positive impact on society and the economy, particularly during difficult economic conditions. George Osborne hear our cry and invest in more social housing.

It is not the net generation it is the homeless generation

I was horrified like many people to see the riots happen throughout the country, however is was not a surprise.
I wish the English rich would wake up to what is happening in this country.  There is a growing disparity between the rich and poor and the current government does not seem to care or be doing anything of significance to change that path.  A growing poorer generation will have a significant impact on all of us.
Why is it that the current government is doing nothing to deal with the social housing time bomb.  According to the previous government three million homes are needed in the UK by 2020, thats 200,000 homes every year!!  Where are they, I see absolutely no building in my area and I live in the fastest growing city in the UK.  The banks are not lending but are very happy to pay themselves huge bonuses.  This is an absolute disgrace.  Cuts seem to be happening across the board.  The government will not be able to get away with this for too long.  Social media is global, ubiquitous and cheap.
If the government wants to prevent the recent riots happening again then the solution is simple.  Force the banks to start lending again - after all sterling is simply a fiat currency and has no real value.  The value comes from the work good people do.
The right thing to do is to start building more homes for a growing homeless generation and stop being selfish and greedy.

The great big property swap

It seems as though social landlords are now having to give away previously public owned land to builders to build new affordable homes. The private sector seem to be getting a very good deal from this arrangement it seems for three quarters of the new properties will go into private ownership and the previously public owned land will be delivered one quarter of affordable homes.

The need for affordable homes however is still not meeting the needs of the people, and yet individuals want to work, they want to contribute to society and yet when they do go back to work, the already powerful, arrogant right simply chastise and critisise -  is that right for a civil society?

Whats wrong with the banks dipping in their deep pockets and start lending again, rather than having to sell off all of the public land?

Its not fair for the bankers to hold on to increasing reserves.  Should we be worried about this approach by the bankers to control the money supply?  Yes, it is a clear and unfair manipulation of the money supply to secure previously public owned land into private ownership, whilst similarly causing low paid hard working employees the suffrage and experience of unfairness and humiliation.

In seeking a new hope of a dignified civil society, peace and acquired responsibility for a fair, just and honest society we must be seeking a clear and definitive understanding between peoples to support those who are the natural persons adding value to our institutions and creating wealth.  

Social Housing in Crisis

With the UK in enormous debt, there is clearly no money to fund future projects in social housing.  It is in crisis, and whilst the left and the right are arguing between themselves as to who is to blame and where the money is coming from, the ones who are the real losers in all of this are the social housing tenants.

It looks like the social housing assets paid for by the people for the people are going to be sold off to the private sector, in a bid to raise capital to fund the ever dwindling social housing stock.

Moreover, rents are set to increase to near market rates and the guarantee of a home for life is to come to an end.  This is a terrible prospect for vulnerable people, the marginalized and socially excluded, it is not fair, nor is it right.

People must get more involved in their local communities, ignorance is not bliss and with the ongoing shift in politics from left to right, the voiceless are left weak and vulnerable.

It seems clear to me whilst many people have enjoyed the good times over the last decade or so, the party is clearly over and soon a painful hangover is set to be the the result.

The indications seem to be that alot of the old housing stock is set to be sold off to the private sector to pay back for what has been lost over the last decade.  With increasing demand for social housing in the last year alone you might well ask yourself where is this all leading?  As public sector jobs are predicted to be lost at the rate of 120,000 year on year for the next four years, increases in tax and inflation, the end of a job for life, the retirement age increasing and a lack of pension provision, the future looks very bleak indeed.