Could claim benefits...but choose not to! Why?

AimeesMum_2

i have read more and more often on this forum people saying

"I could claim benefits but I choose not to"

Can I ask the reason why you choose not to? Is it pride? do you feel like the government is stretched enough already?

If it is the CTC that you don't claim...do you not think it would be a good idea to claim it and at least put it into savings for your kids future?

Thanks all xxx

dmg24

Turning the question around - if you have alternatives, such as work, why would someone choose to claim benefits?

AimeesMum_2

i mean like benefits that people are entitled to. CTC, WTC, CB, DLA etc x

dibblersan

why are you entitled if you don't NEED them. just because you CAN, why does that mean you SHOULD

michelle1506

Well of course we only have their word for that?? To make a such a statement I think they must be trying to justify a derogatory statement which they have made regarding someone else seeking/or claiming benefits. I find it difficult to believe that the vast majority of people would not purposefully claim cash benefits if they were entitled.

Well I don't care what anyone on here has to say about it, once I have had my twins, then I will be claiming WTC, WFTC and Child Benefit. Tough if others don't like it!!

AimeesMum wrote: »

i have read more and more often on this forum people saying

"I could claim benefits but I choose not to"

Can I ask the reason why you choose not to? Is it pride? do you feel like the government is stretched enough already?

If it is the CTC that you don't claim...do you not think it would be a good idea to claim it and at least put it into savings for your kids future?

Thanks all xxx

pipscot

AimeesMum wrote: »

i have read more and more often on this forum people saying

"I could claim benefits but I choose not to"

Can I ask the reason why you choose not to? Is it pride? do you feel like the government is stretched enough already?

If it is the CTC that you don't claim...do you not think it would be a good idea to claim it and at least put it into savings for your kids future?

Thanks all xxx

I have seen only 1 or 2 people on this board say that they choose not to claim a particular benefit and in real life I can't think of anyone I know who has chosen not to claim a benefit!

I guess the point of a benefit is that it is there if you need it, so presumably the people who "choose" not to claim don't "need" the money that the benefit would give them and that's their choice.

I would not like to see them imposing that view on others or trying to claim the moral high ground because of a "choice" they have made.

dibblersan

I know a couple of people in RL who don't claim - my Oh for example - he could claim low rate DLA (or has been told he has a very good chance) but he doesn't want to as he doesn't consider himself disabled or in need of extra money to make him 'equal' to others. he works and spends his money in the way he needs to in order to have a 'normal' life.

this doesn't mean he can't change his mind if his condition gets worse or if he gets fired, or if he just wants to, but for now he doesn't and I don't see that he needs to justify that.

anguk

I would think that those who choose not to claim something they're entitled to either do it for moral reasons or they really don't need it.

Take something like the winter fuel allowance, how many wealthy pensioners get that who don't need it? I know my grandmother did and she certainly didn't need it, she chose to claim it and donate it to her local Mother's Union group.

Some people also choose not to claim if it would only be a small amount that they could manage without because they don't want the hassle of filling in all the forms.

PasturesNew

I have a low income but could, perhaps, qualify for WTC. But not HB because I have savings.

I don't claim because I couldn't face all the paperwork and I don't know what figures to put down for income because I am self-employed, so right now I know how much I earnt in 2009-2010 from my tax return, but I can't even do the 2010-2011 one yet as I haven't had all my annual statements from my savings accounts (which have started arriving today).

Also, I think the Govt take my interest into account - but they assume I get about 10-15x as much as I actually get; which they then decide is income, so I'd not qualify for WTC. So there's no point going through it all, for them to assume I have a big lot of interest coming in (that I don't).

So it'd all 'do my head in'. So I figure I should suffer a low income because I could go out and 'get a proper job' if it hurts that much.

Rent is pricey in my area (£500-600/month for a 1-bed flat) - and most people would assume I'd get HB, but savings mean I don't. And I wouldn't want to waste my house savings on paying for a Landlord's foreign holiday. So I am at my parents' house at the moment.

meluvnext

Is it worth the hassle of phone calls and form filling and then panicking if you are no longer entitled to the benefit if it is only going to be a few pound a week your entitled to. If I was on a comfortable 25,000 a year I wouldnt know what to do with myself and would happily not claim benefits even if I was entitled to them

dmg24

AimeesMum wrote: »

i mean like benefits that people are entitled to. CTC, WTC, CB, DLA etc x

So did I.

There was an example the other day where someone wanted to find a way to still qualify for CB once the rules changed. I suggested that as an alternative his wife seek part time work (less than ten hours at minimum wage, so no need for childcare). The outrage expressed by some* that someone would choose to work rather than claiming benefits spoke volumes.

* Not the OP, he was willing to consider other options.