The recession, benefits, the safety net, and the learning curve

Phirefly

Off topic completely, but some of the pieces on here are TDF

fc123

I have decided not to ID the stylist and photographer as why they both ended up out of work and, then, re-training and slogging it out for very little for quite a few years is a more inspiring post....which is what I want to do...inspire and to not lose The Faith.

Photo man always did it as a hobby but needed to earn a a living. Bought a cafe with a large loan and life savings. Bought as a going concern with his wife to then discover, within a few weeks they had been sold a dud. Accounts weren't true.
I am sure he had to go BR too. Had problems finding other work and started developing the fashion photography.

Stylist worked as a buyer (or could have been trainee) for big High St chain. In her late 20's, she was ordered to return a style (that hadn't sold despite design being that of the High St Store) and find a flaw, any flaw.

She then had to sit in factory and tell owner that 1000's of said style were being returned and he wasn't going to get paid.
He was late 50's and begged her not to do this to his business as he couldn't survive the loss. He then cried in front of her.

She gave in her notice next day despite having nothing in the pipeline at all.

I am so glad she has done well over the past 10 years.

Max_Headroom_3

Phirefly wrote: »

Off topic completely, but some of the pieces on here are TDF

That's an absolutely fantastic site, but the Elle Macpherson 'Spree ' Lace Detail Chemise (for example, ahem), only goes up to a size 12-14.

Oh well.

LizzieS_2

Max_Headroom wrote: »

And what do I get? £64-30/week. That's less than £3.5K a year. That's £279 a month. I can also claim help with my council tax. And that, I'm told, is it.

So, like many others, I find myself questioning.

Why is this "safety net" failing a hard working tax paying single man? What were all those tens of thousands of pounds I've put into the system for?

And how is the single girl I know who's been living on benefits as long as I've known her (several years) able to afford to run a car and has just bought a pair of £130 Nike trainers for her sons birthday? I can't afford to eat on my benefits!

There is something very messed up with this system. And I think that as this recession bites deeper and deeper and people like myself suddenly become face to face with a reality they thought would never affect them, there's going to be a sharp learning curve as to what the benefit system actually is and a lot of people like myself are going to have the benefit system brought into sharp focus.

And what they (we) will see is that it's not a safety net at all. It won't save you when you need it, it won't provide temporary support at all, it just doesn't work that way. But yet it does at the same time allow many many people to live quite happily for years carving out a reasonable standard of living from it.

Something here is very very wrong.

And it desperately needs to change.

Too many pages, so sorry if I repeat something already said.

1. You are not comparing like with like - single girl gets a lot more benefits due to having a son.

2. Lifetime claimers know how to spend - you on the other hand have had a massive reduction in income and no time to adjust.

3. Your NI counts for little - you pay for todays claimants, not yourself. This is certainly wrong as you should get more based on what you've paid even if only for a short time.

Hope you have been lucky on the job front.

dopester

fc123 wrote: »

Can I have a brag? Just to inspire people?

I honestly find your entrepreneurial spirit very inspiring fc123. Your business tales are some of the best.

Many years successfully running your own business, creating values, and also employing others.. giving them jobs and opportunity. I'm happy you're happy in getting this result, and hope it results in orders/profit for your business.

carolt

fc123 wrote: »

OK, I know it's bad manners to quote oneself but !!!!!!....but I just googled them both which puts me in a dilemma as I recall the circumstances they were in a decade ago that prompted the move to go self employed for both of them.

I will have to choose which anecdotal to post. The past or the present??.
They have both done really well BTW.

Plus I am in a diff place now too.

Can I have a brag? Just to inspire people? Front page of the 'a' site right hand side. Click pink text ''Best of Brands''. Makes the slog worth it for those brief moments off 'apreciation'. I have been desp to tell someone.:o

Well done, fc! :T

Which are yours? First page top? Just guessing..

Of course I remember offending you - glad you forgave me. Certainly didn't realise your typing was a sensitive spot - it always looks immaculate to me.

Glad that PN found a spelling error in mine - even teachers get it wrong! (In my defence, as I was typing, v upset 3 year old came in to unburden his woes on my lap - think a bigger person had been mean to him... but can never remember how to spell entrepreneur anyway. Is that right? Looks right - got it off dopester, BTW - cheers, dopester. )

dopester

carolt wrote: »

can never remember how to spell entrepreneur anyway. Is that right? Looks right - got it off dopester, BTW - cheers, dopester. )

I cheat slightly. Or at least I rely on technology to help me with words I may otherwise misspell. If I hadn't got that plugin installed, I would have misspelt it.

An inbuilt dictionary (British) for my browser (firefox) red-squiggles any word which it does not recognise.

Clicking the squiggle offers one, or sometimes more alternatives. You click an alternative and it replaces your word with the one from the dictionary.

Apart from that, I'm not perfect. It was NDG who reminded me about the less and fewer rule. I'm glad she did. Had let my standards slip and don't mind being told where I've got something wrong.

Max_Headroom_3

dopester wrote: »

I honestly find your entrepreneurial spirit very inspiring fc123. Your business tales are some of the best.

Many years successfully running your own business, creating values, and also employing others.. giving them jobs and opportunity. I'm happy you're happy in getting this result, and hope it results in orders/profit for your business.

Would the person that stole Dopesters log in please untie him from the cupboard under the stairs and let him back to his computer?

You're not fooling us with your positive well wishing messages!

Honestly, not one hint of "sell your house immediately we're all doomed", who do these people take us for?

dopester

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Honestly, not one hint of "sell your house immediately we're all doomed", who do these people take us for?

Well I have also thought to myself, maybe the blonde could STR, and you take her in as a paying lodger?

Max, if you must know, my mind has been whirling to come up with useful suggestions for you. Still thinking.

Then I read PasturesNew post about your area.. not near unis, are of tourism/seasonal work ect. Standby.

Max_Headroom_3

dopester wrote: »

Well I have also thought to myself, maybe the blonde could STR, and you take her in as a paying lodger?

Aaaand you're back in the room!

Welcome back Dopester.