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

Alleycat

We currently claim Child Benefit and Housing Benefit (did claim Child Tax Credits but no longer qualify since the income changes). We could also claim DLA low rate care for our daughter but have chosen not to. We don't see how the extra money would actually help with our daughter's condition so don't feel the need. Oh the extra money would certainly help our budget but her illness doesn't actually cost us any more money really. An extra wash once a week and the time to deal with her wet clothes and hospital appointments is what is currently needed.

It's not pride, fear of being vilified (as we already claim other state benefits) or that we are rich. Just don't feel the need. Maybe if her illness was more serious or we had more financial outgoings associated with it we would, but it isn't.

jetplane

I would say it is false pride to not claim benefits one is entitled to. It's no different to opening an ISA to protect savings from tax. Or any other financial organisation one makes for one's life.

I so agree with you, we advise people to transfer to 0% credit to save interest, to sell their last possession to pay the rent, or lock their savings into the highest return et al.

This website is concerned with reducing debt and maximising income. If you don't claim the correct benefit entitlement your debt will increase while you struggle to manage living off credit cards. How can that make financial sense?

If you can afford not to claim then you have a choice, otherwise where is the pride in struggling everyday or losing your home because you were too conceited to claim a benefit?

melly1980

Spendless wrote: »

That wasn't quite the whole story though. The point being made was households on a lot higher income than him would still be able to receive it because the household had 1 x 40% taxpayer earning rather than 2x lower rate, and also despite him having a higher salary the overall money into the house was the same as someone on a lower salary due to the 'top up income' they receive. In addition the wife home-ed, which restricted working hours and the husband was away from home working so meant an evening job wasn't viable either. When CB stops she will lose 'HRP' (or whatever it's now called) and wouldn't pay NI even for a 10 hour job, unless it was fantastically well paid, as NI doesn't kick in till you earn a certain amount.
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Saying it wasnt the whole story is a bit generous. It wasnt the story at all. As you have said, the whole issue regarding the Child benefit is not it beiong taken away but the grossly unfair way in which its being done. If it goes ahead with current plans you can literally be 5000 quid gross worse off if you go so much as a fiver over a threshold. To proclaim this as some greedy benefits culture shows dmg24's inability to read simple text and understand a very simple logical point.

Blue22

allen35 wrote: »

Do we seriously want to become a third world country, i watched slumdog millionaire and it disgusted me.

There used to be a nature of helping your neighbour/friends and family through hard times with food parcels, unwanted furniture, pass down clothes in this GREAT country of ours.

I understand that a lot of people on this forum are jealous of others receiving their correct entitlement in benefits but that's what it is 'entitlement' or should we all receive a dividend every year from excluding the needy of their entitlement.
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I think that sums up the problem. Most people are happy to 'help' neighbours/friends/society but aren't so happy to have them banging on their door demanding their 'entitlement'

melly1980

allen35 wrote: »

Do we seriously want to become a third world country, i watched slumdog millionaire and it disgusted me.

There used to be a nature of helping your neighbour/friends and family through hard times with food parcels, unwanted furniture, pass down clothes in this GREAT country of ours.
.

spot on. The concept of community and helping others was destroyed a long time ago by the tory government and replaced with an Im alright jack attitude. Is it any wonder now that individuals are now looking at what they can get out of the system. Thats what they have been taught....look after number 1. Grab what you can. All courtesy of the tories.

Blue22

dseventy wrote: »

No, we do claim CB. Its one of the few benefits that does not does not require state intervention into your affairs. You have a child, you are entitled until they are not a child.

Though that will stop soon with the changes.

D70

Thank you for your reply, I was just curious.

I would also claim but think several on here may have problems with you claiming over £100/ week in 'benefits'

NMSE12

I don't see CTC as a benifit i know it is but i like to think of it as getting some of my tax back!

SingleSue

I have been told I should put a claim in for DLA (alongside apply for a blue badge) but I haven't.

Why? Well it is not the case of not needing it, blimey it would make a hell of a difference and allow me to buy the special mattress I need, aids to get in and out of the bath, aids to get in and out of the car, pay for someone to help with the housework, the boys etc but because of pride.

Pure and simple pride....I don't want to think of myself as disabled, just cannot accept that maybe where I am now will not remain where I am in the future, cannot accept that the days of long walks without pain, the days of being able to get myself out of bed etc are over.

I personally don't believe I meet the criteria to claim (others believe I do), possibly because I come from a family of make do...if something doesn't work one way, you try something else to make it work, so have developed ways around things (or just plain avoid doing it in the first place!)

Eldest is similar, he could probably put a claim in for DLA too (constantly dislocating large and small joints, a heart condition) but he doesn't because he sees things the same way I do, although like me, we have both accepted help when it comes to exams and study.

milliebear00001

When I did my Social Policy dissertation (many moons ago now, but probably still reasonably relevant) research suggested there were many many people, and especially pensioners, who chose not to claim benefits they were legally entitled to. The reasons were complicated, but a lot to do with shame about 'needing help' and the extreme complexity of applying/lack of access to information about what they could apply for. Many also had a deep seated fear of involvement with 'official agencies' such as Social Services, Benefits Agency etc and would do anything to avoid their 'interference' in their affairs.

Many of the pensioners were living in one room with a single bar on the fire in the winter, and really couldn't afford to feed themselves properly.

At that time, there was a strong culture of the 'needy' and the 'undeserving' - unfortunately, many of the people who were completely entitled to claim, felt that it was embarrassing and shameful to do so. The Local Authority I was researching for, spent a lot of time and money trying to persuade people to claim/give them info about how to claim. While the Government of the day went on and on about scroungers and whingers, and tried to force people off benefits - sound familiar?

Universal benefits, and tax related benefits mean a higher take-up. It's one of the reasons tax credits were introduced, simply because so many people before them were in real hardship and had no clue about what/how to claim, or where to get that information. Many countries 'give tax back' rather than make people apply for benefits because even though the impact financially is largely the same, there is a lot less shame (in many people's eyes) in getting 'a tax rebate' than a 'state benefit'!

jetplane

Definition of MARTYR : a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life* itself for the sake of principle.

*includes quality of life