On benefits - effect of a low paid job

jdturk

andyandflo wrote: »

Hey, does that apply to all? I gave up my full time employment (£25,000pa) to go on to benefits because of illness and the fact that the net household income was to be no different from when working! I know we are talking about younger people, but please explain how at 60 my social skills will improve. I've already given up on people after 44 years of working life! Seen too much and prefer my wife, garden and dog to anything else. Working makes makes me feel good in myself? It darned nearly killed me!! I don't think at my age I need worry about CV's - never had them before. Hey after 44 years of putting something into the Government pot, never before claiming anything, don't you think that the Government should pay something back to me? Organised regime, been there done that - many years as a (volunteer) member of the TA and seen action in Northern Ireland!!!!
Talking through your R********

If you went onto benefits due to illness then that is not going onto them due to a way of life and if someone is of work due to being sick then they need all the help possible because I am fairly sure that most people on the sick would rather not be on the sick and living a 'normal' life.

Just because you pay into the government does not give an automatic right to take back, you already take back via the NHS, POLICE, Education etc etc etc

Even at 60 if you could work you cannot tell me that by working it could help your social skills, self esteem etc, I thought we lived in a non discriminatory age now where age discrimination was a thing of the past.....if you are willing even at 60 you can increase the above criteria

So actually not talking through my R******** really am I.

74jax

I was made redundant from a 32 hour job, I took an 18 hour job share to have an incoming. It is unbelieveably hard (for me) to manage on this and am slowly each month going overdrawn. I am looking for other work to either top up this job or another one to replace it.
I would probably be better off not working, but the social side and the reason to get up in a morning far outways sitting at home and doing nothing.

jdturk

74jax wrote: »

I would probably be better off not working, but the social side and the reason to get up in a morning far outways sitting at home and doing nothing.

Exactly.........

andyandflo

jdturk wrote: »

If you went onto benefits due to illness then that is not going onto them due to a way of life and if someone is of work due to being sick then they need all the help possible because I am fairly sure that most people on the sick would rather not be on the sick and living a 'normal' life.

Just because you pay into the government does not give an automatic right to take back, you already take back via the NHS, POLICE, Education etc etc etc

Even at 60 if you could work you cannot tell me that by working it could help your social skills, self esteem etc, I thought we lived in a non discriminatory age now where age discrimination was a thing of the past.....if you are willing even at 60 you can increase the above criteria

So actually not talking through my R******** really am I.

In a way I agree, but you have to look at it another way. What would you sooner do, leave home at 7.30am and get back at 7.00pm, 5 days a week, tired, stressed and thinking that there must be more to life than this. OR get up when you want to, enjoy a hobby, spend more time with your wife, see friends, have days out etc., AND enjoy the same level of net income? It's no different than winning the Lottery, giving up your job and realising that life is not all about working for someone elses profit. Being ill, whilst it is not something I would wish for, it has given me freedom to live! I probably see more of my family and friends in a given week than you do. And why, after working for 44 years should I not enjoy my life. Ask any Civil Servant or Council worker what he/she would do when they get to 60. I am sure that most if not all would retire on their pension and if need be get a part time job. That is what I am intending to do, and earning up to £90+ pw without it affecting my benefits. This idea of working till you drop is certainly not for me. In a way, my illness has opened up a complete new way of life.

jdturk

andyandflo wrote: »

In a way I agree, but you have to look at it another way. What would you sooner do, leave home at 7.30am and get back at 7.00pm, 5 days a week, tired, stressed and thinking that there must be more to life than this. OR get up when you want to, enjoy a hobby, spend more time with your wife, see friends, have days out etc., AND enjoy the same level of net income? It's no different than winning the Lottery, giving up your job and realising that life is not all about working for someone elses profit. Being ill, whilst it is not something I would wish for, it has given me freedom to live! I probably see more of my family and friends in a given week than you do. And why, after working for 44 years should I not enjoy my life. Ask any Civil Servant or Council worker what he/she would do when they get to 60. I am sure that most if not all would retire on their pension and if need be get a part time job. That is what I am intending to do, and earning up to £90+ pw without it affecting my benefits. This idea of working till you drop is certainly not for me. In a way, my illness has opened up a complete new way of life.

I've nothing against people retiring on ill health because that is what the benefits system should be there for, it is people who can work are able to work who just choose not to work and expect others to pay their way that I don't agree with.

I am happy to hear it has provided you with a better way of life but I suspect that if you were not ill you would still be working now and its really not a choice that you don't work but a neccessity.

Also there is a differance between a pension and benefits because your working in the civil service has paid the dues into this and I agree most would do what you do and work part time whilst drawing a pension (which then brings my points about social, routine etc etc back into play)

So in the end we weren't to far of the same view really

teagan1966

hi im a single parent one child and i work 20 hrs a week , i have found that the more hours i work the more i pay out and im worse off , my friend at work was working 32 hrs same situation as me and has just dropped to 17 hrs as she was a lot worse off, the way the system works is wrong , if you have a 2 yr old i would maybe try part time and see how u get on
teagan