Job seekers RANT!! (new here)

Loopy_Girl

lauzjp wrote: »

Why on earth does anyone under 25 not get tax credits unless you have a kid? I really don't understand that. :mad:

There had to be a cut off and some point and there was always going to people that were upset.

And when I was under 25 and had no children (and I'm 33 now so there was no tax credit system) and if I thought I was struggling for money then I got a second job. If you have no home responsibilites then I guess there really is no reason not to? I used to work 8-4 and then 6-10 5 days a week. Wasn't great at times but I was able to pay the bills and live. I lived alone also so all the bills and mortgage were solely down to me without a second income coming in from a partner.

If it wasn't for the fact I am now a lone parent with no childcare in the evening (damn those schools for closing!) then I would love to work behind a bar again - gets you out meeting people and you are also earning.

Oldernotwiser

cw18 wrote: »

but they're not the sort of Qs I wanted answers to.

I'm being made redundant, and my pay off is > £16k, so initially we get nothing (fair enough) until we fall below the £16k -- but we can't just spend for spending sake.

So I wanted to know what we could spend on, and what we would get if we were entitled to full benefits, so I had a figure to aim for without being told we'd spent too much too fast -- not that simple to find out with DH being on IB and high rate DLA (both) and me about to claim carers allowance.

Took me over 3 months to get an answer - and I still can't get a definitive as to whether our "known" overspend (just on regular bills and things we're already commited to on minimum contracts/finance agreements) will be acceptable when I go back and say "hey look.... we don't have £16k anymore."

The chap who finally gave me the answers I needed said he wished more people would do this up front, and he hates sending people away having told them they're still being treated as if they have money in the bank that they've spent.

Perhaps if they made it easier to find this information out (instead of telling people "come and put a claim in when you fall below £16k) they would.

And I've also been told by at least three people not to put a claim in until then -- only to be told now that I need to get it in on day 1 (knowing it will be rejected) as the time we live off capital will then count as part of the 'waiting time' for getting ISMI !!!!! As I reckon it'll be 6 months before we're down to that level, this means we'll go straight onto full help (less clawback for being over £6k) as we qualify for the half at 8 weeks and full at 26.

I can see why you'd want to know this but asking "what can I legitimately spend my savings on in order to be able to claim benefits" borders on asking JCP staff to tell you about loopholes and it's not surprising that staff have a problem about this.

My comments re asking about training etc. were in response to posts from beccam and mcc28, who both mentioned it.

cw18

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I can see why you'd want to know this but asking "what can I legitimately spend my savings on in order to be able to claim benefits" borders on asking JCP staff to tell you about loopholes and it's not surprising that staff have a problem about this.

It was actually phrased more as 'I've trimmed as far as I can without being in breach of contracts and need to know if the figures I have for things like groceries are likely to be acceptable -- or if I need to spend even more time and energy trying to cut it further to try and recoup even more of the overspend'.

I must admit that if they complain about my grocery spend (given on what I've managed to knock it down to over the last couple of months) we're in serious doo-doo :rotfl:

But they couldn't/wouldn't tell me that as (apparently) when I file at <£16k someone more senior will look at my accounts as an individual case -- but it was only at this point I was told that contractual payments are classed as 'legitimate expenses', so as these are my biggest problem I'm now less stressed that we may have a problem -- though I dread to think how long it's going to take them to do all the necessary checks

And it was a Q that I asked of an IS specialist, as the general helpline gave me the number for the local office that will have to look at our case when we hit this point.....



But yes, things like help with CVs etc I'd be asking for directly as these are things you need in place to be looking for work -- and if they want you to find a job there should be assistance with things like this that can be made available (or I'd hope there would be). A bridge I'll have to cross later when I'm no longer entitled to be classed as a carer

lauzjp

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

There had to be a cut off and some point and there was always going to people that were upset.

And when I was under 25 and had no children (and I'm 33 now so there was no tax credit system) and if I thought I was struggling for money then I got a second job. If you have no home responsibilites then I guess there really is no reason not to? I used to work 8-4 and then 6-10 5 days a week. Wasn't great at times but I was able to pay the bills and live. I lived alone also so all the bills and mortgage were solely down to me without a second income coming in from a partner.

If it wasn't for the fact I am now a lone parent with no childcare in the evening (damn those schools for closing!) then I would love to work behind a bar again - gets you out meeting people and you are also earning.

Between me and hubby, believe me when I say we work enough hours already, and have worked even more - as my old boss had more problems than you could shake a stick at; I now get paid more for doing less hours, but I am working two jobs (for the same boss) - much to the annoyance of many people who can't get one job. I feel very guilty sometimes.

I wouldn't like to work behind a bar, it's enough working in two shops dealing with people! If I had to I would, it's like you say - if you really need the money...

I do find the job centre incredibly frustrating, thank goodness for the internet!

samantham06

With reference to the original poster... STOP BEING SO SELFISH!!

Me and my partner and our 7 month old son would give our right arm to have over £1000.00 a month to live on.

We are both on JSA and housing benefit- but through no fault of our own, my partner was made redundant 3 months ago, and I have a back problem, so cannot work.
My partner has been applying for every single job he comes across every single day he applies for jobs. (even litter picker,cleaner, car washer) and just cannot seem to get anything.

He is desperate to work, and very frustrated that he cant, so before you acuse people of 'getting everything paid for them' maybe you should consider the people who have no other choice.

We have to live on £95.00 a week from JSA and £50.00 from Child tax credits.... thats a grand total of ..... £145.00 a week, in which we have to pay bills, buy shopping, run a car as we live in a village and cloth my son.
We would love over £1000.00 a month!!!
You should think yourselves lucky- somedays we have to miss a meal in order to feed/ cloth/ have nappies for our son.

Im sorry to everyone else, but it just makes me really angry when people look down at people on benefits- as like I said before some of us cant help it and are very ashamed to be on benefits in the first place- without other people making it worse!!!1

MrsE_2

samantham06 wrote: »

With reference to the original poster... STOP BEING SO SELFISH!!

Me and my partner and our 7 month old son would give our right arm to have over £1000.00 a month to live on.

We are both on JSA and housing benefit- but through no fault of our own, my partner was made redundant 3 months ago, and I have a back problem, so cannot work.
My partner has been applying for every single job he comes across every single day he applies for jobs. (even litter picker,cleaner, car washer) and just cannot seem to get anything.

He is desperate to work, and very frustrated that he cant, so before you acuse people of 'getting everything paid for them' maybe you should consider the people who have no other choice.

We have to live on £95.00 a week from JSA and £50.00 from Child tax credits.... thats a grand total of ..... £145.00 a week, in which we have to pay bills, buy shopping, run a car as we live in a village and cloth my son.
We would love over £1000.00 a month!!!
You should think yourselves lucky- somedays we have to miss a meal in order to feed/ cloth/ have nappies for our son.

Im sorry to everyone else, but it just makes me really angry when people look down at people on benefits- as like I said before some of us cant help it and are very ashamed to be on benefits in the first place- without other people making it worse!!!1

Actually your income is £628 pm month, IF you get rent & council tax benefit of £86 a week or more, you do have a 1k pm income.

PasturesNew

MrsE wrote: »

Actually your income is £628 pm month, IF you get rent & council tax benefit of £86 a week or more, you do have a 1k pm income.

This is often overlooked isn't it. Annoys me too, but you picked up on it.

samantham06

Actually we do not get housing benefit or council tax benefit as we live with family. So out of the £628 pm we have to pay £80.00 rent to them.

beccam

Samantha I am not trying in any way to be selfish, I feel very much for you in your situation and in no way look down on people who are genuinely trying to survive on benefits as an income. I think I have made that perfectly clear in all the posts I have written. But bear in mind that we are not entitled to housing benefit, I am currently on half pay, my husband has yet to start the P/T work he has been offered and we have outgoings of over £800 per month on just mortgage, insurance and car loan, that is before groceries, petrol, electric, heating oil and clothing for us or child.

I have never said I look down on people on benefits as we are in this situation ourselves!!!
My problems are with the wrong info/lack of info given by the Job centre and also the fact that people are supposed to genuinely live on small amounts so I don't see what your issue with me is and I don't think I am being selfish either as soon we will be living on less than you are and not entitled to the benefits that you get!!

samantham06

I agree with you about the jobcentre, as we have found them to be extremely unhelpful and at times quite patronising, and you are right in the way that a father with children should be entitled to more than a 17 year old that will probably just go and p**s it away..
I just read your post and took it to mean that you were ranting about people on benefits and I thought that you meant you had £1000.00 a month income on top of morgage ect..
So I apoligise I know see you didnt mean that. :-0
I am just having one of those days when i am sick of being in this situation and obviously took it completely the wrong way.
All I can say is just pay your priorites, thats all we can do, we have written letters to all our creditors and offered minimal payments, which should keep them off our backs until OH finds a job.. hopefully. Was awful doing it as I always pay my bills in full- I really felt like a loser!!

All the best with your OH job.