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

SingleSue

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

I think you are misreading my posts, but please feel free to keep going on about how much you want to work.

Meaning?

Are you suggesting that I am just saying that and not really meaning it? Or am I getting the wrong meaning again?

I was basically saying that I do know others are in impossible situations and was relating that, yes, I do understand.

WTF?_2

Cleaver wrote: »

It's mind-bendingly bizarre that this article (and all the other voyeristic freak show-esq articles this week on the same subject) clearly show that both of these children who are spawned this poor baby are from completely and utterly dysfunctional homes with parents so utterly useless they make that Austrian man with a cellar look like a competent parent, yet people still blame the government for it.

This has absolutely nothing to do with government policy and everything to do with woeful parenting. And blaming woeful parenting on government policy is lazy, wrong and a cheap excuse for a good soundbite.

One of the most sensible posts I've seen for a long time.

But don't forget that there has been a culture of abandoning your responsibilities to authority for a long time now - encouraged by the government who know that if they absolve the public of responsibility, they can also take away their rights too.

We live in a country where if you do something stupid, it's the authorities 'fault' for not preventing you from doing it.

That's the way the people like it, that's the way the government likes it as it gives them laissez faire to do all manner of stuff 'for the public good' and the brainwashed public never ask any questions.

churchrat

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

I dont want to give it to even more people! I want the system to be a fair one.

I have always thought that state handouts were a 'safety net' available to everyone. I have found out they are not.

Our country is on its knees at the moment - surely the answer should be to fairly distribute available funds to those in need.

You are right when you say that it is not fair, as we found out to our cost. As Broken hearted says, when you do recive some benefit you may/maynot recieve others. But under your way, Lifeisbutadream, it is inevitable that more people will recive benefits. As you rightly say, this country is struggling, how would widening the benfits net help??
Would you be claiming now if you could?? I must admit that reading thro some of your posts it sounds as tho you are more jealous than judgmental and would be claiming if you could.
Most of the posters on here who claim would rather not be, and you seem to be saying that you want to claim if you were allowed to do so--so I don't really understand what you are arguing about????

Broken_hearted

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

For goodeness sake are you completely mad???

I am not well enough to stay in work!! I am staying in work because if I dont we will lose our house.

But do carry on....:rolleyes:

Yes you are you are managing to work, it might not be easy but you are managing. Be proud of that rather than down on everyone else.

Lifeisbutadream

churchrat wrote: »

You are right when you say that it is not fair, as we found out to our cost. As Broken hearted says, when you do recive some benefit you may/maynot recieve others. But under your way, Lifeisbutadream, it is inevitable that more people will recive benefits. As you rightly say, this country is struggling, how would widening the benfits net help??
Would you be claiming now if you could?? I must admit that reading thro some of your posts it sounds as tho you are more jealous than judgmental and would be claiming if you could.
Most of the posters on here who claim would rather not be, and you seem to be saying that you want to claim if you were allowed to do so--so I don't really understand what you are arguing about????

I always thought that the benefits system was a safety net available to all. It isnt.

I suppose maybe I am jealous - working so many hours for the same amount as someone working no hours at all is a pretty hard kick in the teeth.

churchrat

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

For goodeness sake are you completely mad???

I am not well enough to stay in work!! I am staying in work because if I dont we will lose our house.

But do carry on....:rolleyes:

I have just read this one--the point is that if you are in work and working then you can work. Surly thats the point. I gave up work (with no safty net) because I had no other choice. There was a very real chance that we would lose our home, and lots of people who leave work for health reasons do lose thier homes.
I am glad that you still able to work--being in the situation that for example Broken hearted is in, and we were in, is much worse because you lose all control.

Broken_hearted

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

I always thought that the benefits system was a safety net available to all. It isnt.

I suppose maybe I am jealous - working so many hours for the same amount as someone working no hours at all is a pretty hard kick in the teeth.

Its the way it works.
Two adults work getting two wages
Two adults one work one doesn't you live on the one wage
Two adults not working one set of benefits

The logic you are using is two sets of tax should mean two sets of benefits. It doesn't work like that.

vivatifosi

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

Yes dont worry about anyone elses emotional downers will you...:rolleyes:

Actually, I've been in the same situation as you. I was running a business, being treated for melanoma at the same time as trying to keep the business running and not being able to claim anything. So I do understand your frustration. In my case the lack of support drove me nuts and I could easily have gone under, no thanks to the lack of a safety net. However the system's failure to be there for me is not something I'm going to hold against Sue as her case is completely different. The people I am angry with are those who genuinely take the p*ss. Sue just ends up in the middle a lot of the time.

SingleSue

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

Yes dont worry about anyone elses emotional downers will you...:rolleyes:

I don't live in a bubble where mine are the only problems, I can see others have troubles too.

churchrat

Broken_hearted wrote: »

Its the way it works.
Two adults work getting two wages
Two adults one work one doesn't you live on the one wage
Two adults not working one set of benefits

The logic you are using is two sets of tax should mean two sets of benefits. It doesn't work like that.

Having to get to grips with the benfits system is really, REALLY difficult. It seems to have no rhyme or reason and even if you work in the system it can be a challenge. I don't think anyone could defend the current system, it does the job, mostly, but it certainly could be a lot better.

As Lifeisbutadream says, she thought that she would be better looked after than she is, and is finding it hard to accept that. I certainly did as well, and complained loud and long but nobody listened. The point I finally accepted was that if we lost the house it wasn't the end of the world, our local council would have to re-house us and I would still be looking after my daughter, in hospital or wherever we called home.

I think that the thing I learnt from that time was that THINGS don't matter, people do. If your health is so bad that to carry on working means that you will become ill--then stop and live with the consequences of that. If you choose to carry on working then live with the consequences of that decision as well.

There is a lot of help and support out there, you just have to accept that you are not in control of it and get on with your life. If you choose not to have the help (as we did, because we decided to keep our house) then live with that decision as well.

If you hate the system, try and change it, don't attack the people who are using it--most of them would far rather not be in that situation.