£70 out of pocket because I work

elliemoo

I too got a letter about the unifrom grants for primary schools and it is disappointing that most of us in work cannot get help. My kids get uniforms as cheap as I can buy them and I try very hard to pass the older ones jumpers down to the younger ones and they don't have designer shoes or trainers. We just have to grit our teeth and get on with it but at least our children are being set a good example.

wifeforlife

rjh090384 wrote: »

a girl i know claims she is a single parent because even though she is living with her boyfriend she is still registered at her parents address she gets about £500 if not more tax credits a month , free dental tx etc plus her benefit - she also works full time and her mum takes car eof the wee one so no childcare and is living a life of luxury in designer clothes etc - whereas ai know we are better off than a lot but i have to work to pay my mortgage so the governemnt give us £40 a month- she doesnt even have a mortgage!! and my kid gets clothes off ebay and the last tshirt i bought was 4 years ago and my jeans are from asda - and she paid for her dental tx last time because she couldnt be bothered fill out the form and anyway its only £20 she said
£20 is a lot to most people
agreed it also infuriates me

This girl must be working cash in hand to be claiming that amount of benefits!!

I am a single mum who works full time as a civil servant bottom rung of the ladder, I certainly dont receive anywhere near that amount of Tax Credits. Yes I get my dental care and prescriptions but as neither myself or my child requires anything other than a check up it's no 'benefit' to us. I certainly pay for my own over the counter medication when needed.

Also my DD does not qualify for free school meals because I work full time so we will not qualify for any of these new school fee's either.

I remember reading in the paper before that if your child is not entitled to free school meals then you where considered affluant :rotfl:

Cate

Golden_Anemone

Cate, it could be that she has more children than you as that would increase her Tax Credits entitlement too.

I'm a full-time civil servant too and have also brought my kids up as a single parent, always following the rules to the letter and often missing out on entitlements along the way and struggling to buy the essentials at times never mind luxuries.

I can only hope and pray that they've learned from the example as I have to believe that is more important in the long run than them having designer trainers.

Fingers crossed the equal pay thing will be settled soon Cate and there will be some back pay coming your way.

Money_Grabber13579

Golden_Anemone wrote: »

Cate, it could be that she has more children than you as that would increase her Tax Credits entitlement too.

I'm a full-time civil servant too and have also brought my kids up as a single parent, always following the rules to the letter and often missing out on entitlements along the way and struggling to buy the essentials at times never mind luxuries.

I can only hope and pray that they've learned from the example as I have to believe that is more important in the long run than them having designer trainers.

Fingers crossed the equal pay thing will be settled soon Cate and there will be some back pay coming your way.

At least you can tell them apart now! All the ones who don't bother to work have all the flashy clothes and jewellery, whereas those who work their sods off only can afford the normal stuff.

As for getting it in the first place, they just change their circumstances (and are even told to do so!) in a way that will maximise their return. Heard recently that 2 people were told that they'd get more benefit if they separated, as she'd get an allowance for being a single parent, they'd get allowance for requiring 2 houses, plus a host of other stuff. So they've got their 2 houses, rent 1 out and both live together!

christine.pearce25

When I was in 6th year, many people got the £30 Education Maintenance Allowance. I didn't because my parents actually earned their way in life rather than sponging off everyone else.

Hey Moneygrabber

You sound like a spoiled brat. My son is entitled to EMA, not because my husband and I SPONGE. I am a full time carer for my younger son earning a whole £50 a week now - about a £300 drop from when I could still work. My husband was made redundant and at the age of 38 told he was TOO OLD at most interviews. So he decided to start his own business which unfortunately isnt a multi million pound success just yet.

So please think before making twatty statements again.

Money_Grabber13579

christine.pearce25 wrote: »

When I was in 6th year, many people got the £30 Education Maintenance Allowance. I didn't because my parents actually earned their way in life rather than sponging off everyone else.

Hey Moneygrabber

You sound like a spoiled brat. My son is entitled to EMA, not because my husband and I SPONGE. I am a full time carer for my younger son earning a whole £50 a week now - about a £300 drop from when I could still work. My husband was made redundant and at the age of 38 told he was TOO OLD at most interviews. So he decided to start his own business which unfortunately isnt a multi million pound success just yet.

So please think before making twatty statements again.

Thanks.:rolleyes: And I'm very sorry to see that you haven't as yet understood the meaning of sponger. I really am. :rolleyes:

Maybe you should learn to read as well. I didn't say that everyone who got EMA were lazy !!!!!!s. All I said was that the reason I didn't get it was because my parents worked. I have absolutely no objection to people getting benefits if there is a genuine reason they can't work i.e. disability. However, there were several in my year who openly discussed about how their family's income was doctored, so they could get the full amount.

Another thing you could do with reading a bit better was about how I never said people who tried to work were spongers. So stop mis-interpreting posts just for your own benefit.

christine.pearce25

ruffled your snotty little feathers have I??? looking at your reply, not sure its me who has to learn to read. show some respect to your elders and stop paddying:p

boopydoo

I was another one that never got EMA when I was at school because my mum and dad worked- we were by no means rich as my mum and dad have 8 kids but nothing like that is taken into account. A friend of mine got it and his dad was a millionaire- he retired at 45 or something ridiculous and was living off the interest of his money and that didn't count as income!!

Personally if I knew someone was sitting scrounging benefits and was working as well I would be reporting them. Fair enough some people do genuinely need benefits and fair play to them- claim away. But for the rest of the scroungers- ring the number and report them.

Also for the cases where the people are better off not working, I think benefits should be capped at whatever the minimum wage for a 40 hour week is. They don't get tax credits or whatever else- if they want that benefit, they should have to earn it

Money_Grabber13579

christine.pearce25 wrote: »

ruffled your snotty little feathers have I??? looking at your reply, not sure its me who has to learn to read. show some respect to your elders and stop paddying:p

No it takes more than personal attacks to knock a REAL person down.

Pretani

Artofdookie wrote: »

How does he get away without going to interviews etc, My daughter signed on for 6 weeks after she left college until she found a job and everytime she signed on they were at her to prove she was looking for work?

I've never asked him that question but I'm almost certain he's on the sick. I know different people who claim sick allowance because they say they're alcoholic or drug addicts and people who are suffering from depression and Sciatica also get it.

As much as I detest seeing people claiming benefits when they could be working, I do think its all down to bad decision making by the Government. There seems to be a policy by the government to play about with the working class sector. They seem to think getting people off jobseekers/sick and placing them into a scheme for a few weeks will help them. The truth is it doesn't help the working class person, it only makes the Government look good when they show the statistics.

Generally speaking, unless the working class person actually takes it upon themselves to go to college or university (where they have to take out student loans and pay their own N.I. stamp), the prospects of earning enough money to tempt them away from claiming benefits, is low.

Now, I know there has to be a social structure in society, that's just how things naturally are, but the country is going to have massive problems if it doesn't sort out the working class section properly. The lure of claiming benefits for that group outways the attraction to actually go out and work. The minimun wage needs to rise yet again.