'Would you work or claim benefit?' poll discussion

BigSpider

I think the fact that this is possible means that the benefits system needs to change. And from a personal view point, having been on benefits (but not any more), I can't understand how anyone could struggle on benefits. Well not in the UK anyway.
My answer would be to stay on the benefits until a job that paid more came along. Of course that might not happen for some people. But its what actually happened to us. We were only on benefits for a few months though.

mobilejo

supermonkey wrote: »

However, if "comfortable" on benefits I can understand why someone would be reluctant to take a job and lose money especially if it's a job they didnt want to do anyway!

This I understand too, I don't like the idea of 40yr old who have spent 24yrs on benefits and now have 5 bed houses, but if the government will give it, people will take it.

There is no point in even 99% of the country having the "too proud to claim" mentality, when the other 1% will happily take everything in the pot that the 99% have put in. So IMHO, everyone should try and get a little instead of a few getting a lot. In a time of need and while you're better off doing so, take the damned benefits!

Tete_en_l'Air

FloFlo wrote: »

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

Exactly. I think the problem in this country is that what you get on benefits and what you get on min wage is too similar so there's no incentive to work. Benefits should pay enough to feed, clothe and house you, and if you want a car, a holiday, a big telly... then you should have to work for it.

I'm in a couple with no kids and would take a job every time, even if it was working in McDonalds - it's not just a pride thing, although that's a big part of it, but it's also about getting out and interacting with people and not just spending your life indoors with Jeremy Kyle.

mobilejo

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

but it's also about getting out and interacting with people and not just spending your life indoors with Jeremy Kyle.

Erm ,head down to any pub on a weekday at 12.00pm, you'll see plenty of people on benefits 'interacting' with each other. :rotfl:

Although jokes aside, I have become much more sociable since losing my job, I visit family and friends on a regular basis and generally leave the house alot more (even though I have little money to spend when I'm out), when I worked I was like a hermit, and there was only 1 other person in my particular department at work and I hated her - so zero interaction there.

just22

If you're already stuggling, learn to live on less, take the job rather than being a scab on this country, we have more than enough of them already!

"Jobseekers allowance" is for job seekers, not for you to wait until a job you deem good enough for you comes along. Anyway, if you're going to claim the benefits you might as well go claim disability allowance instead of jobseekers, join the rest of the scabs who've already worked that out. If you have no pride in yourself you might as well go the whole hog.

mobilejo

just22 wrote: »

If you're already stuggling, learn to live on less, take the job rather than being a scab on this country, we have more than enough of them already!

Why? Because you said so? Because it makes you mad that some people have figured out how to live a better life than those that work, without actually working?

The bottom line is, the money is there for the taking - call them scabs, call them scroungers, call them devoid of pride, but they are laughing at pretty much everyone earning the same as what they get each month when they get to sit at home all day for it.

We have a pretty good life - nice house, 2 nice cars, lots of nice things and we worked to acquire them but they obviously need maintaining now. I don't really care how it sounds to say this, but i'm not going to give up any of those nice things to work for less, when I can keep them by claiming benefits until the right job comes along.

Sorry, but my own sense of survival sort of eclipses what others think of me. Anyone that cares more about being called a scab than they do about getting the most for themselves is an idiot.

mobilejo

just22 wrote: »

Anyway, if you're going to claim the benefits you might as well go claim disability allowance instead of jobseekers, join the rest of the scabs who've already worked that out. If you have no pride in yourself you might as well go the whole hog.

Isn't that fraud if you are not disabled? It'd be better to enjoy your 'legitimate' benefits than to live in fear of prosecution for some fraudulent ones.

wildthing01

i'd take the job, even tho i have two children to support, as you're more likely to get a better-paid job later once you're already in employment, as you'll have fewer gaps on your cv, and more experience, plus you're more likely to find opportunities if you're out in a workplace already. i've never understood the attitude of jobless people who won't take certain jobs, as they don't want to do it, or they feel their over-qualified. it's much easier to find work if you're already in work, of any kind, you're always building up your tranferable skill base, and you're more likely to meet people who can offer opportunities. e.g. get a job serving in maccy d's and even if you think it's beneath you, you'll soon be able to progress to supervisor/manager etc, and then you have more to put on your CV...

it's hard tho - when i was a student in london, i lived with my now-husband. he was unemplyed for a while,and then got a job - and we were much worse off financially when he started work, as all our benefits stopped. so i can see why the temptation is to stay on benefits, but you have to think long-term.

bubbles0169

living together with two children, one is 9 YO the other is 3
ive been in the situation where when we had our first child we got our rent and council tax paid as the company OH worked for closed
he then got a full time job so we had to pay most of the housing costs
then i got a part time one so now we pay 100% of living costs-we do get tax credits so that helps
what im saying is we were effectivly 'rolling' in it when the major bills were being paid but now-as do most peoples-money goes on the bills with a little left over
we were better off on benefits but are more than capable of working, OH in the day and me in the evening when he comes home
its only right that this is how we live and not scrounge every last drop off the government

Lily_The_Legend

'Struggling on benefits'

You're having a laugh aren't you?! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: