'Would you work or claim benefit?' poll discussion

frmarcus

Not a useful poll: depends how much worse off you'd beas to whether you'd take the job...

gilligansyle

Does depend on HOW much worse off you'd be.

For example, were the wages low enough that you'd still get HB CTax rebate etc.

Currently I am single and own my own house. At the moment, I earn marginally more by working part time than I would get on benefit, but I have to pay my mortgage and council tax out of my redundancy money. Hopefully I will get a job before I have to think about it.

If you have children, there are all sorts of other things to factor in, like childcare costs.

Tarry

Single, and I'd take the job

SomethingWitty_2

If an employer was offering me a job that gave me less than I was getting on benefits they would be taking the michael and I would tell them where to go.

This is not a "pride" issue- there is no shame in claiming benefits if you are rightfully owed them. those before us worked hard to create a welfare state to help us in times of need. I would rather spend the time productively training myself up, getting new skills, maybe looking at starting my own business rather than taking a crap dead end job with no prospects leaving me with no time to look after those closest to me.

In any case, Job Seeker's Allowance is exactly that- it is for "Jobseekers" and you can only get the benefit if you demonstrate you are looking for work. It is not a great system by any means but I would rather get the financial support while I looked for a job or a training opportunity, or a way of starting own business (with advice from business link etc) than taking something which would be worse for me financially in the long and short term

make-do=and-mend_2

Having spent all my working life in the DHSS/DSS/Benefits Agency/DWP, I would definitely take the job. When I started work there in 1970 my take home pay was below the benefit rate, so I worked 4 evenings a week in a pub as well! Once you get out of the labour market it is very hard to get back. If you are job hunting, the best position to be in is already in work. You don't have to stay in a low paid job, you can still keep looking.

FloFlo

Been there and took the job. Hubby was working fulltime, I had just finished my maternity leave and to go back to work part time was less money than staying home and collecting family tax credits. I worked all the way through my degree course and hubby did all sorts of shifts to be there to care for our daughter. I went straight from degree into full time work.

Benefits should be there as a safety net not a way of life.

FloFlo

SomethingWitty wrote: »

If an employer was offering me a job that gave me less than I was getting on benefits they would be taking the michael and I would tell them where to go.

This is not a "pride" issue- there is no shame in claiming benefits if you are rightfully owed them. those before us worked hard to create a welfare state to help us in times of need. I would rather spend the time productively training myself up, getting new skills, maybe looking at starting my own business rather than taking a crap dead end job with no prospects leaving me with no time to look after those closest to me.

In any case, Job Seeker's Allowance is exactly that- it is for "Jobseekers" and you can only get the benefit if you demonstrate you are looking for work. It is not a great system by any means but I would rather get the financial support while I looked for a job or a training opportunity, or a way of starting own business (with advice from business link etc) than taking something which would be worse for me financially in the long and short term

There is nothing to stop you looking for a better job while you are working in a not so good one or training outside of your work hours.

Tojo_Ralph

....
As has already been noted, the failure to advise just how much less one would be earning makes the poll and the thread a tad pointless..... So we'll just have to use the thread to play, spot the unemployable.

millionaire_in_training

Work would always be the option for me. I have gone through the gamut of part time, part time/ term time and full time working to fit in with my family life but it was never an option not to work. I just adjusted my spending to my income. I take pride in the fact I have always worked and always worked hard to improve myself even when I was limited to the amount of hours etc I could do.

Tippytoes

Having pride and preferring to work is admirable. However, in my line of work I see how easy it is for people to shaft the system and they have no second thoughts about doing it. The "proud" workers are grafting and struggling to keep their heads above water whilst subsidising the spongers. Fact. Every morning my OH gets up at 5, then travels 50 miles to work, puts in 8-10 hours, comes home shattered. Do we have our pride? Yes. Does that matter when we are worse off than many benefit claimants? No.

"Only fools and horses" has never been more appropriate.