Boom-time on benefits: The 140,000 families who claim £20,000 a year in handouts

MrsE_2

beingjdc wrote: »

Well, well done him in that case, I probably would go off sick for fear of something worse - my back has never been quite right since I worked in a shop, and looking back I should have called in sick more often, a job's for a while, but you need your back for the rest of your life.

But do you not think you need to think of work as for life too
You need to work to feed & house yourself
Would you consider a life on benefits a better option than pushing yourself

beingjdc

MrsE wrote: »

But do you not think you need to think of work as for life too
You need to work to feed & house yourself
Would you consider a life on benefits a better option than pushing yourself

On reflection, while I had a fun time the 18 months I spent working in a shop, it was completely unsuitable for my health. I should probably have accepted that despite having a degree nobody was prepared to give me a proper job, and gone on benefits / loans / scrounging off my parents, and done a Masters or something.

In the end, I got an office job, so it worked out OK. If I hadn't, who knows. Two years on benefits with a slightly bad back would have cost the taxpayer less than 30 years on benefits when completely crocked!

MrsE_2

beingjdc wrote: »

On reflection, while I had a fun time the 18 months I spent working in a shop, it was completely unsuitable for my health. I should probably have accepted that despite having a degree nobody was prepared to give me a proper job, and gone on benefits / loans / scrounging off my parents, and done a Masters or something.

In the end, I got an office job, so it worked out OK. If I hadn't, who knows. Two years on benefits with a slightly bad back would have cost the taxpayer less than 30 years on benefits when completely crocked!

My husband back is never going to be better than it is.

He's had the major op, it took away the agonising pain, but he has to grin & bear whats left.

There's no point in him sitting at home, waiting for it to get better.

mummytofour

mewbie wrote: »

OK guys. I wake up tomorrow with a critical and disabling illness. I have no insurance. What should happen? Is it just my hard luck, or will you support me for a while and then begrudge my Mobility car? Will you believe that I did once work and pay tax, or will you accuse me of being a scrounger? What if I am permanently disabled by this illness? Suppose it's a mental illness, so you can't actually see anything wrong with me - like a leg missing? Am I a scrounger then? Am I scum? Suppose I am female, pregnant, black and ill educated? Suppose I never got the chance to work, because of family problems, lack of education or opportunities? Is it my fault then?

Who do you select to be deserving or not? It's almost impossible to be fair. Do you let the deserving fall along with the undeserving - because you are so bitter and twisted about paying a few pence extra of tax that you cannot bear the thought of someone ripping you off?

That's how I read it.

How about just getting on with your own life - working, paying tax, being healthy, having a secure and happy home - and just be grateful that YOU don't have to rely on someone else's 'generosity'.

You hit the nail on the head, what a fantastic post and I whole heartily agree with you. I wish more of society could understand the point you make. :T

SingleSue

I have a bad back (osteoarthritis of the lower spine, crushed discs and a deformed pelvis) plus arthritis in my wrists, fingers, knees and feet but I have never claimed benefits for it or taken long time sick (I have had a few days off when I was unable to move completely!), I tend not to say anything about it as I know it could have an adverse effect on me being offered a job.

I could probably even claim for it...but I haven't really thought seriously about it, possibly something about being too proud or not wanting to admit my body is weaker than I want it to be. As it is, I push it..I still lift and carry things (hauling around big boxes of files in my previous job) but then pay for it later on that day and for the following days being barely able to walk and in a lot of pain... when hubby was here I could get him to do the heavy lifting, the carrying of the shopping bags and the pushing of the shopping trolley (don't ask me why but that always causes huge problems) but now it is just me, so I have to get on with it and put up with the problems later.

My children have had great fun in telling my mum today how funny I looked moving from the front room to the computer on Saturday, a distance of only a few feet but it took me an age as I couldn't straighten up and the pains in my legs made it rather painful....I went shopping with the children and did a little more carrying of bags and walking than I ought to have done.

I suppose what I am saying is that some can adapt, some accept, some give up and some just keep moving on ignoring the signals from their body until their body says no more.....but everyone will be different in their response to pain and limitations.

I'm in the camp of refusing to give in to my body and constantly pushing it.

MrsE_2

SingleSue wrote: »

I have a bad back (osteoarthritis of the lower spine, crushed discs and a deformed pelvis) plus arthritis in my wrists, fingers, knees and feet but I have never claimed benefits for it or taken long time sick (I have had a few days off when I was unable to move completely!), I tend not to say anything about it as I know it could have an adverse effect on me being offered a job.

I could probably even claim for it...but I haven't really thought seriously about it, possibly something about being too proud or not wanting to admit my body is weaker than I want it to be. As it is, I push it..I still lift and carry things (hauling around big boxes of files in my previous job) but then pay for it later on that day and for the following days being barely able to walk and in a lot of pain

DH could have wrote the stuff in red.
He worries about his medicals, he won't go & see the doc unless he has to (for anything) as he doesn't want to seem unhealthy.

itsgototstop

mewbie wrote: »

OK guys. I wake up tomorrow with a critical and disabling illness. I have no insurance. What should happen? Is it just my hard luck, or will you support me for a while and then begrudge my Mobility car? Will you believe that I did once work and pay tax, or will you accuse me of being a scrounger? What if I am permanently disabled by this illness? Suppose it's a mental illness, so you can't actually see anything wrong with me - like a leg missing? Am I a scrounger then? Am I scum? Suppose I am female, pregnant, black and ill educated? Suppose I never got the chance to work, because of family problems, lack of education or opportunities? Is it my fault then?

Who do you select to be deserving or not? It's almost impossible to be fair. Do you let the deserving fall along with the undeserving - because you are so bitter and twisted about paying a few pence extra of tax that you cannot bear the thought of someone ripping you off?

That's how I read it.

How about just getting on with your own life - working, paying tax, being healthy, having a secure and happy home - and just be grateful that YOU don't have to rely on someone else's 'generosity'.

To be honest I am guilty of reading some of the Daily Wail headlines about "scroungers" and getting angry but you do put things in perspective

itsgototstop

!!!!!!? wrote: »

If people keep taking the p!ss and abusing the system then the likelihood that it will be able to help you should you need it, is much reduced. There are finite resources available and every pound sponged by a chancer is a pound less to help the really needy.

I'm in favour of a welfare state that helps the genuinely deserving who find themselves in problems through no fault of their own. I'm not in favour of one that enables people to make a lifestyle choice not to work.

It's clear that we simply can't afford to keep up current levels of welfare into the future and something will have to give. Either we kick out the leeches or we degrade the system for those who really need it ... or the system simply collapses.

Didn't the Victorians also think it only worthwhile helping the "deserving poor" and I think they made a hash of it

fc123

itsgototstop wrote: »

To be honest I am guilty of reading some of the Daily Wail headlines about "scroungers" and getting angry but you do put things in perspective

Hi IGTS.....Did you ever write about MSE catfood? It wasn't on this board but another.
There was a discussion about addictive cat jelly pouches etc.

Just out of interest, did you ever get your cats to eat homemade or non processed cat food?

I offerred Mr Ginger a tasty bity of real lamb tonight, chopped small....not interested...sat there waiting for his rip off jelly pouch. If it wasn't you, no worries but I give up....I will be robbed by the petfood manufacturers for ever.

Sorry to butt in on the benefits chat...I do have something relevant to contribute but will post later on......if I can be bovverrred.;)

itsgototstop

Hello!

Sadly I gave up on the idea, after having to give away a load of organic cat food on freecycle, whiskas and felix now, one of them is getting a bit old to be changing and the other won't try "new" things.

Ditto with diced chicken etc, rather like someone used to Macdonalds being presented with smoked salmon and turning their nose up!

It wasn't MSE to persevere