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

MrsE_2

Generali wrote: »

Better and cheaper than what, please?



This estate in Elephant and Castle was pretty pricey and is now a very horrible bit of South London. IMO.

Too me a while to work that out.
The estates to the right & the south are worse:eek:

Generali

SingleSue wrote: »

Erm not all single mothers are like that, some become single parents because of other circumstances, for example, they are widowed, they are divorced or they are abandoned.

Quite a few single parents also work.

Some single parents are unable to work because of care duties to disabled children/parents etc....same as some single people without children.

Some single parents are doing everything they can to get back into employment (some against the odds) and already have the mind set of "What can I do"

In short, not all single parents are workshy or after claiming what they can from the tax payer.

I agree absoluely.

To take 2 single mother friends.

1: Father died (drug overdose) while she was pregnant. Now a teacher (not a classroom assistant or anything like that) Oop North living in a HA house. She lives with a pretty good lifestyle.
2: Lives in a 5 bedroom place within very central London with a probable value today of a couple of million (she'd say more and she'd be wrong). Husband decided he could get something better without informing his Missus first AIUI. She found out and now she's a single mum.

I know plenty of single mothers with 6 figure (GBP) salaries. Also plenty of married mothers who are broke.

Stereotyping gets us nowhere.

Generali

MrsE wrote: »

Too me a while to work that out.
The estates to the right & the south are worse:eek:

I agree. It's not a nice part of London and Government building hasn't improved things much.

purch

Basically the system needs overhauling. I don't know how but it does

2 examples I know of

2 blokes who frequent my local

Both drive very nice Ford Focus Hatchbacks, both paid for by the Governments motability scheme with no tax, insurance or maintenance to pay.

One guy is in his mid 20's lives entirely on benefits in a HA property due to his disabled daughter (7yo has Cistic Fibrosis), mother not on scene. Will be getting another 09 reg Focus in April when his current one is 3 years old.

Other guy in his 50's works full time as does his wife who 'apparantly' is registered as disabled. She can't drive, so she get's the Bus to and from work, while he uses the Motability Focus.

Both of them freely admit that the system is a joke, the younger one knows he could easily get at least a part time job whilst his daughter is at school, but admits he can't be bothered, the other one thinks getting a free Car in their situation is a farce but won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I doubt even the Ministers in charge of these departments have a clue what is being paid out for, and given to whom.

MrsE_2

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1379813

Another example of benefit tweaking

olly300

robin_banks wrote: »

It ain't the case anymore, if an 18 y/old living with parents is in 'the family way' no flat is offered as of right.

Building hostels sounds like you want a return to the poor house, I sure you don't but that's how it reads. Purpose built hostels (as they would need to be) would cost an absolute fortune. Also they can only be used by one user group.

Better and cheaper to actually build more general needs public sector housing.

This won't help people with their self esteem and pride in working to support their families.

One of the problems in this country is too much short term thinking - hence people being put on Incapacity benefit to decrease the unemployment benefit figures.

It may cost more in the short term to build mother and baby units and provide decent state funded child care for children so single parents (regardless of why they are a single parent) are given no choice but to work however in the long term we all benefit.

Mothers who we regard as the stereotypical Daily Mail single parent will know regardless of how many children they produce they would have to work full-time unless their child has a disability.

Children of both sexes would grow up seeing and knowing that to make their way in life they will have to work unless they were lucky enough to be married to or in a civil partnership with someone who will support them.

olly300

purch wrote: »

2 examples I know of

2 blokes who frequent my local

Both drive very nice Ford Focus Hatchbacks, both paid for by the Governments motability scheme with no tax, insurance or maintenance to pay.

One guy is in his mid 20's lives entirely on benefits in a HA property due to his disabled daughter (7yo has Cistic Fibrosis), mother not on scene. Will be getting another 09 reg Focus in April when his current one is 3 years old.

Other guy in his 50's works full time as does his wife who 'apparantly' is registered as disabled. She can't drive, so she get's the Bus to and from work, while he uses the Motability Focus.

Both of them freely admit that the system is a joke, the younger one knows he could easily get at least a part time job whilst his daughter is at school, but admits he can't be bothered, the other one thinks getting a free Car in their situation is a farce but won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I doubt even the Ministers in charge of these departments have a clue what is being paid out for, and given to whom.

To be fair to the first bloke knowing someone who suffers from CF and other people whose children have had life threatening conditions, he would have problems working as his child unless she is extremely lucky would have lots of hospital appointments and hospital stays. No employer especially if they have a choice between someone who is there all the time and someone with a sick child, would be happy to take that on.

115K

!!!!!!? wrote: »

Plenty of people who work full time paying the taxes that support the welfare state will by extension miss out on a large part of their kids' childhoods.
I don't see why the average working person should have to miss out on time with their own kids that so that welfare claimants get to spend more time with their kids.
Sorry but welfare is supposed to be a safety net for victims of circumstance, not something to make your life nicer.

I actually agree with this, I don't have children but it seems unfair to me that some people with kids work hard and pay tax whilst other people with kids sit at home on benefits and get to see their children more often whilst other people have to pay childminders.

I agree with the welfare state but I think there are too many abuses within it at the moment. People in this country do seem to have a sense of entitlement which I find annoying. Obviously those who are in genuine need should get help in a civilised society but some people take the mickey. I also think that people shouldn't be allowed to buy their council houses and that they should be passed on to another needy person once the person/ family is back on their feet.

I don't agree with the negative comments about single mothers however, I don't deny that some girls/ women do play the system and try to get housing with a pregnancy but many single mothers and fathers are single because the other partner has left or just refused to take any responsibility for the child.

MrsE_2

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1379775

Should this thread not be moved to DT & merged with this one?

mewbie_2

I'm reading this thread getting more and more annoyed.

Do you think we should help those less fortunate than ourselves? Even if some chancers slip through the net? Can you imagine being disabled or disadvantaged in some way? So what if it's their 'fault'? So what if some nieve young girl gets pregnant and the father does a runner? !!!!!! happens sometimes and society is supposed to be there to pick up the pieces.

I hope someone will help me if and when I need it.