Trying to get my head around it

Pobby

As a certain T. Wogan would say, I`m bandjaxed. Just visited the debt board and it`s so upsetting. I know a lot of you will say it`s there fault they are in debt but not everyone their has gone over board on daftness or stupid spending. Just trying to live life at a decent standard. By and large both partners working, one loses their job and things go horribly wrong.

I have quite an extended family and loads of God children. Last night it was one of my God childs, brothers birthday. I popped down to the flat with a little prezzie and it got me thinking. Mum has 3 kids, same absent father who is on invalidity. Don`t get me wrong, she is good, sober, responsible mother but some how I feel uncomfortable that the state is paying for a flat, ct, and all the rest, car parked outside and plasma tv, X box 360 and and so on.

Regardless of what goes on, at the moment this very nice lady picks up her cash each month come rain or come shine, yet many, once working people are suddenly finding themselves plunged into a world of terror due to job losses, illness or similar.

That`s a problem this lady, providing there are no government changes, will never have. Btw, she also has some stuff on credit but that`s part of her budget.

Somehow I just can`t see that it`s a right to have 3 kids, as much as they are really nice kids, paid for by a working community, who might well fall on hard times, but little is given to them to help them through.

Something has, to my mind, gone horribly wrong and I see no time soon how it would ever be addressed.

Snooze

Oh noes! Another benefits vs. anti-benefits thread which will once again turn into another full-blown mud-slinging fest by page 2, just like all the other threads on this subject!

But fwiw I agree with you Pobby.

R

Emy1501

The system should protect all those that really need it but it does not unfortunately.

Not sure people on benefit should be able to afford a car, Plasma and x box 360's etc when there are pensioners freezing to death and people losing their jobs and being made homeless but is seems that just how life is.

I get the impression that in this country you are OK if you are well off, You are also OK if you are at the bottom and know how to milk the benefit system. The problem is the really needy ie the old aged, the disabled, the young and vulnerable and those who get themselves in to debt through no fault of their own. These people seem to be neglected and something needs to be done to protect these people.

doire_2

A man up the road from me has a mother on disability allowance or whatever its called. As the mother, who doesn't even live with him, is on it she gets a brand new car. The son uses it. Its parked outside his house and he uses it like its his own car.

I doubt his mother has ever actually driven it! :mad:

I know a few other people who do this. Now if the mother doesn't use the car then why the hell do the govenment it to her?

shellsuit

doire wrote: »

A man up the road from me has a mother on disability allowance or whatever its called. As the mother, who doesn't even live with him, is on it she gets a brand new car. The son uses it. Its parked outside his house and he uses it like its his own car.

I doubt his mother has ever actually driven it! :mad:

I know a few other people who do this. Now if the mother doesn't use the car then why the hell do the govenment it to her?

He might have it because his Mum can't drive. Nothing wrong with that.

My Dad had my Nans car when she had one (before she died, rest her soul). He would pick her up and take her out in it, take her shopping, pick prescriptions up for her, take her to appointments etc.

And the government give it to her, because she is entitled to it.

the_ash_and_the_oak

subsidy to the car industry?

not sure why some here are quite so against benefits - its good for your BTLs its good for consumer spending and its a pretty good anti-deflationary tool

doire_2

shellsuit wrote: »

He might have it because his Mum can't drive. Nothing wrong with that.

My Dad had my Nans car when she had one (before she died, rest her soul). He would pick her up and take her out in it, take her shopping, pick prescriptions up for her, take her to appointments etc.

And the government give it to her, because she is entitled to it.

I really doubt that to be honest. If she cant drive then why does she get a car?

He works fulltime and uses the car as his own. As i said, i know of a few people who do this. Its their way of getting a free car

shellsuit

doire wrote: »

I really doubt that to be honest. If she cant drive then why does she get a car?

He works fulltime and uses the car as his own. As i said, i know of a few people who do this. Its their way of getting a free car

She gets the car because she is entitled to it, like I said before. It doesn't matter that she can't drive. She gets money that she can use in exchange for a car. Everyone who is on that can do the same.

I said in my other post that my Nan couldn't drive and my Dad had her's to ferry her about.

My Uncle had my other Nan's car as she couldn't drive either.

They might think it's a free car, but it won't be so free if they get caught using it when they shouldn't be.

SingleSue

We have an Xbox 360 and a Wii in the house....but they are not items that have been bought by myself.

My middle and eldest sons saved their pocket money for over a year, did extra jobs for friends, family and neighbours and asked for only money from all relatives for their birthdays and Christmas to be able to buy them.

We do have a car but it is an essential for us due to the boys disabilities..it is not a motability car (youngest gets low rate mobility although in light of his recent admission to hospital, he should really get it looked at again but doubt we will bother). The car itself cost £461 over two years ago to buy and the fuel we use is strictly limited.

Without the car, the boys would not be able to get to school in the morning (youngest does also have mobility problems on top of his other problems) and getting to the myriad of hospital appointments (which is becoming more like block bookings we are up there so often right now!) would be an impossibility.

I had my work focused interview at the job centre yesterday, the lone parent advisor spent more time working on my guilt about claiming the little extras I am entitled to (hospital travel, dentistry, optician and prescriptions) than anything else...the reason being is that I am made to feel (not by everyone I hasten to add), as if I am the scourge of society and somehow a lesser person, so am reluctant to claim these extras even if they would make things easier for us as a family.

To give an example, I have put up with horrendous migraine headaches several times a week for some time but felt too embarrassed to go to the opticians for an eye test because I would have to admit to being on income support...I finally went two weeks ago and discovered my glasses needed to be changed (I hadn't been since my working and married days and 2 years before my divorce), now I have a new pair of glasses and only one headache since.

Another example, in the last two months, there have been at least two visits to the big hospital a week (round trip of approx 30 miles) plus smaller appointments at other medical centres which require travel and finally a hospital admittance last week for youngest, I am entitled to claim back fuel and parking costs which would help amazingly with my budget but I just can't bring myself to do it.

All because of how I am made to feel about claiming benefits.

People will say that I shouldn't personalise it, that it's ok because I am a carer but anyone on benefits, regardless of the reason, is made to feel this way and we shouldn't have to give our life stories to have a bit of understanding.

inspector_monkfish

doire wrote: »

A man up the road from me has a mother on disability allowance or whatever its called. As the mother, who doesn't even live with him, is on it she gets a brand new car. The son uses it. Its parked outside his house and he uses it like its his own car.

I doubt his mother has ever actually driven it! :mad:

I know a few other people who do this. Now if the mother doesn't use the car then why the hell do the govenment it to her?

probably so that he can drive her places (hospital appointments) if necessary, as she prob finds it difficult to get on public transport

doire_2

inspector_monkfish wrote: »

probably so that he can drive her places (hospital appointments) if necessary, as she prob finds it difficult to get on public transport

I see what your saying but getting to use it as his own car. Is that OK?