Failure and bitterness.

Pobby

Maybe it`s a bit like this. Well it is for me. My little business has enjoyed a number of good years.

A number of years ago my wife was in a state of depression after an untimely death of a relative in unpleasant circumstances. She was unable to return to her office work. After a while she started to work for me in a multi role. Book keeper, driver and pr person. My customers found her charming. My work load has dropped off by a huge amount. My wife retrained and is now in a vital but low paying role.

No benefits were paid to her nor none were asked.

We know/ knew of a number of people "playing" the system. It kind of annoyed yet, I guess, like many, we accepted it was going on.

Things are on a down turn now. I always knew their was corruption in high places but never felt the full impact in a personal way. A nasty feeling was knowing that, with major hpi, something dodgy was going on that would bite in the rear at some time. Little did I think that it would cause a global banking crisis that has had a very direct impact on me, my savings and retirement fund.

So maybe it`s like this. I am very angry that the ponzi system called hpi has been allowed. Directly it has benefitted far less people, imho, than those it has harmed. I don`t blame the benefit fiddlers as such but here is the scenario.

Should I lose my dwindling contract there is very little chance of replacing it. After years of paying my taxes I will be entitled to zilch, diddly squat, zero.

Why? Due to savings. The thing I was brought up to understand as a prudent move in life.

The fat cats will get away with it. Life won`t change for the benny boys. They don`t have boom and bust in their world.

So, being honest here, I guess things that were, in my mind, glanced over now come to the for front of my mind. I feel very let down.

Marcheline

Neas: you are totally wrong in your beliefs about China's one child policy. It applies to EVERYONE whether they are working or not (China does not have an established welfare state, so I doubt the dole exists in the same way it does here) China uses a program of forced abortion and sterilisation and it coerces its people to tow the line by financially penalising all those who work with someone who has more than one child. This is plainly evil. The Governments of this world would just love to control the fertility of the masses (as it's pretty much the only thing they have no real control over already) and advocating a one child policy in the UK is totally irresponsible.

I believe the system in the US is that if you apply for welfare and have children already, payments are given for the number of children you have at that time. If you continue to have more children, you are only supported for the number you had at the time of your original application. This is still not perfect, but it's a long way off state control of your fertility, as used in China.

The system in the UK is not perfect either and you will always get those who abuse the system, but it allows people their freedom. I don't think living on benefits can possibly be the life of riley you all think it is. If it's such an easy ride, I suggest you all leave your jobs and hang out at the JobCentre for your free house and easy money...what's the problem, isn't it as appealing now?

All those who agree with Neas, I trust you will first in the queue at the clinic to get sterilised after you have one child (regardless of whether you can afford more or not)

I am so sick to death of all this effing tax-payer talk.

chewmylegoff

StevieJ wrote: »

that means the bad back brigade and the depressed brigade can get back to work. lazy scum. who cares if you are depressed. I ain't happy, but I work.

I am dismayed that 29 people (and rising) could thank a poster for writing the uninformed price of trash that I have pasted above :eek: Very,very sad.

perhaps it just shows that it is time for the government to properly overhaul the benefits system, rather than just tinkering with it and changing the name of certain aspects of it. there is clearly scope for it to be massively reformed.

harryhound

I think you will find that the Chinese system works like this:

Every married couple over the age of 21 is allowed one child.
"Teenagers" are expected to abort "early" pregnancies.
Rich people can afford to pay the fine for having more than one child.
"Farmers" - this means country dwellers - can wangle an extra child, as there is no social security to look after them or the "farm" in their old age.
I get the impression, though I might be wrong, that these decisions are made at the level of what we would call the "parish" and that members of the "parish" tend to form more of a community than we currently enjoy.

schueys_girl

I dont like to say it, but I am getting very bitter about some things.

I went to uni, to become a teacher, and after tax, national insurance, student loan repayments, the rest goes on rent for the one bed flat I live in on the site where I work. I have never asked for any help before, never touched my overdraft, everything I have I OWN EVERYTHING. And apart from my student loan debt which I had to have, i have no debts at all.

I have an old telly and I dont care. I have an old fiesta and I love it. And I have these things becuse I have not felt the need, like some in this country to be greedy.

However, things have taken a turn for the worse the last month. Where I work is having no staff living on site anymore (not environmentally friendly anymore!!) so we have to find somewhere else to live. My rent here was subsidised and the bills were all in.

My fiance earns £80 A WEEK WORKING 40 HOURS A WEEK on an apprenticeship - training to be a teaching assistant, and then wants to be a teacher. He like me, has no debts and no help. he works a second job in a bar 3 nights a week and is knackerd. His petrol alone costs £25 a week to get to work and as he is only 20, his car nisurance is £100 a month!

We struggle anyway, but now facing the prospect of having to rent privately (oh and I have savings for a deposit on a house that is building slowly) with all the bills etc we are really going to struggle.

I asked the council for any help - we basically get none - even if we were to become homeless because we have no kids. I do not think this is right. Of course babies and kids are priorities but we need a hand now. After speaking to a lot of differet council people I was even TOLD that i would be better off having a baby - was that a possibility!?!?

Er no!! I worked my butt off for my degree, and now my career - making other kids lives better in education - my fiance have taken the decision to wait till he is earning as a teacher and we are married before we have kids.

We have also been trying to save for our wedding as well - oh and now our savings are not earning us anything!

We have never had a holiday, we do not buy things each month, we get cards and small gifts for birthdays and Christmas.... and we cannot get any help at all!!

To make matters worse - now my fiances car has broke - head gasket blown in engine. He has my car at the moment, but when we have to relocate somewhere else in next couple of months I will need my car back to drive to work - we have NO idea what to do - cannot afford another used car or the repair bill for a compeltely new engine.... again nowhere to go for help apart from my parents who I will not put on...because they are retiring this year and my mom is quite poorly.

I am just venting because at the moment, we have no where to live soon, only one car, and my fiance neesd his car to continue his training scheme and his bar job. Because we dont have a baby or a child we do not qualify for any help and i think this is grossly unfair, when things are good for me, I save and I help others and I pay my taxes, but I'd like a bit of help from somewhere when things are crap?!??!

There isnt anywhere like this for people that earn apaprently "good salaries" but mine isnt that good when I,m supporting a fiance on a crap wage, saving for a house deposit and a wedding and there are some people who dont try and save, spend the money on things they cannot afford and those that dont work a day in their lives....

makes me angry.

Not dissing single moms at all but i think it is incredibly wrong that YOUNG girls of 14/15 can be given a flat to live in, coupled with looking after themselves for the first time on their own, AND a new baby?!?! this is not a good place to raise a child they should HAVE to stay with a parent, a guardian or a carer!!!

Marcheline

Harryhound, I'd say you're about right with your summation.

Whatever the ins and outs of the system, it's wrong for a government to say how many children its people can have and to force abortion/sterilisation on people - whether they be teenagers/in work or not. The point is if you're the average man in the Chinese street, the government (with help from the local community) is able to control you in a terrible way. The one child policy is an abuse of human rights.

longtimelurker_2

lana22 wrote: »

I earn £21,000 a year before tax. Hardly the most lucrative job in the world, is it? Less than most teachers, nurses, police officers, fire officers, traffic wardens, McDonalds managers, etc etc etc.

I am afraid I don't feel any sense of guilt for taking £21K a year of tax payers money for doing my job, and the responsibilities that the job comes with.

If you believe it to be such a well-paid career that you clearly begrudge paying taxes towards, perhaps I should forward you the details for applying for medicine via UCAS, then you too could pay your own way through 6 years of university, taking endless exams and working ridiculous hours, all for the grand sum of £21,000 a year. Tempting?

Do you not receive banding then? The F1s I know take £32k before tax, before locum work, before forms (you know the ones I mean) etc.

The career path is a solid one, with your next pay rise being £6-9k and then increasing even more as you progress. Great pension too!

I know it's not the best salary to start out on after such study and that being a doctor is a lot harder work than people give it credit for, but I think playing down pay isn't the right thing to do either.

neas

as the economy deepens, the free, easy money that has been given out to non-workers and claimants is increasingly seen by workers as a big unfair drain.

Disagree? Most likely
Is this sentiment building? Yes
Is it fair for people to 'afford' to live, eat, have food over their head without contributing? either by volunteering, community work or anything? Most likely not.

StevieJ

I do not claim any knowledge on the subject but I would be amazed if a 14yo with a baby was given a flat to live in on her own :eek:

Not dissing single moms at all but i think it is incredibly wrong that YOUNG girls of 14/15 can be given a flat to live in, coupled with looking after themselves for the first time on their own, AND a new baby?!?! this is not a good place to raise a child they should HAVE to stay with a parent, a guardian or a carer!!!

StevieJ

chewmylegoff wrote: »

perhaps it just shows that it is time for the government to properly overhaul the benefits system, rather than just tinkering with it and changing the name of certain aspects of it. there is clearly scope for it to be massively reformed.

No it just reflects the makeup of this board and their reading habits :eek: