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

Graham_Devon

oneeye1 wrote: »

hard done to nah £101 a week to feed clothe house dress 4 people what ever could give you that idea

Sorry, I have no idea what you just said.

CatOnTheEdge

bo_drinker wrote: »

Doesn't it go towards pensions as well( how long for though?)

At 33 and having been working full time since I left University (and whilst doing my P/G degree), I had the happy news broken to me in my 20's that I shouldn't expect to get a state pension when I retire.

As someone who is fit, healthy and visits the doctors only once a year (used to be twice, they changed the rules ) for my mandatory pill check, I have to say that I am absolutely livid at the idea that people like the OP aren't even getting enough to live on.

Where does my NI go? It's certainly not being spent on me... and won't be in the future by the sounds of it, even if I lost my job and all went pear shaped. :mad:

This is the reason that there is so much ill feeling, not people like Sue and the OP who actually truly need the money and are doing their very best *not* to need it!!

I suppose that one could draw comparisons between the MP's and this.... do you think they would like that? Perhaps we should bring back the "Benefit Fraud" adverts and have a few Political Party adverts in the background... :rotfl: Seriously though, I think it is always the people in the middle who suffer. The ones at the top look after themselves, and everyone looks after the ones at the bottom... it's the cash cow's in the middle who are shafted...

Dithering_Dad

Max_Headroom wrote: »

I agree, and I think the thing is, people (like myself) are going to suddenly realise this.

Sorry to hear about your problems Max, and I hope things start to look up soon.

I'm hopeful that the recent uproar on MPs 'working' their expenses is evidence of a shift in people's opinions away from complacently ignoring the snouts in the troughs, and that the next target will be the people 'working' the benefit system.

As with MP's expenses, there are those who milk the system and those who don't. It's the same with benefits and we need to just weed these people out. Certainly, no one should be receiving higher than the national average wage on benefits - there should be a maximum cap on what you receive.

mitchaa

oneeye1 wrote: »

hard done to nah £101 a week to feed clothe house dress 4 people what ever could give you that idea

Come on then, please explain as frankly you are talking rubbish.

CB = £20pw for 1st child and £13.20 for every child thereafter, so straight away you have £33.20

Evidence here...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCreditsandChildBenefit/Childbenefits/DG_073828

Lets move onto the very very rewarding CTC system. A couple out of work with no earned income will get £2235pa per child and an additional £545 for family element.

Evidence here.....

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm

£2235+£2235+£545 = £5015. £5015/52 = £96.44pw

So far that is £5,015 in CTC and £1,726 in CB or in weekly terms (£33.20+£96.44) £130pw in child related benefits. (£101pw????)

Then we have your out of work benefits? Couples JSA as you rightly put it is payable at £101pw. Evidence here...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Employedorlookingforwork/DG_10018757

You have already stated you receive CTB at £25pw which works out at £1300pa

Total so far = £13,293 or £255pw

£5015 in CTC
£1726 in CB
£5252 in JSA
£1300 in CTB

Do you live in a tent? If not, where do you live as you have clearly made no mention of housing benefit or LHA? Up my neck of the woods a 3bed LHA rate is going to cost around £200pw, so there is another £10.5k to add to the above.

What about milk tokens, free school dinners, prescriptions, dental???

£101pw my ar*e!!:mad:

I wish i was homed for free and had no council tax liability. I wish i could walk into my dentist and get my fillings for free.

Typical benefit claimant thinking that 1. If it doesn't hit the bank account, its not a benefit:rolleyes:

Ill tell you what matey, a lot of hard working families would love to have your level of disposable income left over after paying housing and council tax charges. (Proven above to be around £1,000 pm)

I cant wait to hear your counter argument:D Im still in shock that you believe all that you get is £101 pw:rotfl:

Max_Headroom_3

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

It's the same with benefits and we need to just weed these people out. Certainly, no one should be receiving higher than the national average wage on benefits - there should be a maximum cap on what you receive.

I think there is an argument that no one should be receiving more than minimum wage by way of benefits, to include whatever benefits a minimum wage person might be entitled to.

However, that being said I'd be delighted to be able to claim just a minimum wage income right now I can tell you! :rolleyes:

wolvoman

mitchaa wrote: »

Come on then, please explain as frankly you are talking rubbish.

CB = £20pw for 1st child and £13.20 for every child thereafter, so straight away you have £33.20

Evidence here...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCreditsandChildBenefit/Childbenefits/DG_073828

Lets move onto the very very rewarding CTC system. A couple out of work with no earned income will get £2235pa per child and an additional £545 for family element.

Evidence here.....

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm

£2235+£2235+£545 = £5015. £5015/52 = £96.44pw

So far that is £5,015 in CTC and £1,726 in CB or in weekly terms (£33.20+£96.44) which by my maths equates to £130pw alone in child related benefits.

What about your out of work benefits? Couples JSA as you rightly put it is payable at £101pw. Evidence here...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Employedorlookingforwork/DG_10018757

You have already stated you receive CTB at £25pw which works out at £1300pa

Total so far = £13,293 or £255pw

£5015 in CTC
£1726 in CB
£5252 in JSA
£1300 in CTB

Do you live in a tent? If not, where do you live as you have clearly made no mention of housing benefit or LHA? Up my neck of the woods a 3bed LHA rate is going to cost around £200pw, so there is another £10.5k to add to the above.

What about milk tokens, free school dinners, prescriptions, dental???

£101pw my ar*e!!:mad:

I wish i was homed for free and had no council tax liability. I wish i could walk into my dentist and get my fillings for free.

Typical benefit claimant thinking that 1. If it doesn't hit the bank account, its not a benefit:rolleyes:

Ill tell you what matey, a lot of hard working families would love to have your level of disposable income left over after paying housing and council tax charges. (Proven above to be around £1,000 pm)

I cant wait to hear your counter argument:D Im still in shock that you believe all that you get is £101 pw:rotfl:

Post of the week right there.

£101 doesn't buy a lot of booze and fags though does it?

Dithering_Dad

CatOnTheEdge wrote: »

At 33 and having been working full time since I left University (and whilst doing my P/G degree), I had the happy news broken to me in my 20's that I shouldn't expect to get a state pension when I retire.

Who told you this? It's totally wong anyway. Indeed we're now more likely to get a full state pension now than our parents were. Since the recent changes in the state pension, I only have to make 30 years NI contributions instead of 44 years that my father had to. This is even more beneficial to females who take time out of work to take care of children as they have much fewer years to have to make up, plus going forward, mothers who stay at home to care for young children up to 12 years old, and full-time carers for disabled people, will get full NI credits for the years spent. This means that being carer's or a mother should not make it any more difficult to qualify for a full state pension.

mitchaa

Now i have no idea where you live but as an example oneyee1, Aberdeen LHA for 3bed home = £173.08pw

http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Benefits/ci_ben/ben_lha_jan2009.asp

£173.08 x 52 = £9,000pa

Add that onto the £13,300 i calculated earlier and there is a benefit bill of £22,300. (Not inc free dental, prescriptions, milk tokens, school dinners etc etc)

Now to earn £22,300 AFTER TAX you would be required to secure a job paying £30k to do so. That is a £30k job just to match the life of a couple on JSA.

No wonder the country is in the mess it is in. I suspect even if the above family were offered a £35k pa job they would probably refuse it and want to stay on benefits. (Taking into account work related costs, travelling expenses etc etc)

Its a shambles.

Max_Headroom_3

Meanwhile, Working Max, 25 years in employment and now out of work is hunting desperately for a job and receives £63 plus a bit toward council tax.

Not enough to even eat.

Fair? Forget fair, remotely reasonable even..?

PasturesNew

I don't claim or sign on. I spend 60-70 hours/week earning bits/bobs online instead.

I'd be 'entitled to':
- £450 - LHA
- £40 CT
- £279 JSA (based on OP saying it is £564.30 [I thought it was less])
======
£769

To take home £769/month I'd have to earn £11,000, but I do live in a bedsit.

£11,000 is £6/hour for a Mon-Fri 9-5 job, so more than minimum wage.

But, it's not just the benefits is it - there's all those other freebies you can get. And all the time to do it.

e.g. evening classes are cheap as chips for the unwaged - AND - so many great ones are during working hours.