Full benefits

janninew

mazza111 wrote: »

Don't worry, those who take the high moral ground will have further to fall. I too found myself a single parent, through no fault of my own, have always worked since leaving school, and now find myself medically retired, no doubt I'll have to go get a job too.

Are prescriptions free in NI as they are in Scotland? Wasn't sure on that one, but i sure as hell don't get anywhere near £19,000. More like £12,000 to £13,000 when everything is totted up, not that I'm complaining about it, I'm glad I'm getting anything for being unemployed and unemployable. As I live in Scotland, I have discounted the prescription charges as they are free for everyone.


I so wish I was able to go out to work and earn my money as I have done for the past 25 years, unfortunately due to a medical condition I can't. I wish I didn't wake up in pain every day, but I do. Just hate coming on these forums and seeing people getting run down for being single parents and/or on benefits. So by all means call me a benefits scrounger or whatever, just remember it could come to you at some point in your life too.

Remember not all people who are on benefits are there through choice.

I think people are talking about single parents getting very good benefits, not people who are medically unfit to work being 'scroungers!' That is a different kettle of fish entirely.

I agree that being a single parent is difficult, but the benefits are very generous compared to working a low paid job. If you had 2 children and were a single parent, surely the amounts of IS, CTC etc are the same for all?

cord123

:mad:

janninew wrote: »

I've never believed or bought into single parents getting lots of money, but seeing it all itemised and being told having 2 children and not working you can be entitled to handouts that equal a £24,000 salary!

Having 2 children isn't even usual, I dread how much single parents get if they have 4 or 5 children!

£24,000 is a very good income when you consider what young folk on min wage bring home who aren't entitled to tax credits etc.

I will always take threads I read from now on from single parents saying how much they struggle with a slight pinch of salt. My sympathy shall be saved for people struggling on min wage with no help!

What a stupid thing to say!! How and why people are struggling shouldnt come into it... how judgemental are you!

My mum had 6 children with my dad he was on £100k + a year so had a large family they could afford. My dad did a moonlit flit and left my mum... we lost the house, all 7 of us moved into a council house, my mum couldnt work because child care for 6 children made it unviable - and guess what she struggled like hell!!!
She didnt deserve what happenend to her and worked hard to get herself out of the situation she had been forced into - people like you make my blood boil! Not all single mums are in that situation out of choice!

janninew

cord123 wrote: »

:mad:

What a stupid thing to say!! How and why people are struggling shouldnt come into it... how judgemental are you!

My mum had 6 children with my dad he was on £100k + a year so had a large family they could afford. My dad did a moonlit flit and left my mum... we lost the house, all 7 of us moved into a council house, my mum couldnt work because child care for 6 children made it unviable - and guess what she struggled like hell!!!
She didnt deserve what happenend to her and worked hard to get herself out of the situation she had been forced into - people like you make my blood boil! Not all single mums are in that situation out of choice!

I didn't say I didn't understand how difficult it is rasing a family alone, but that they are well taken care of with benefits - do you not agree that benefits are very generous now? Maybe you are talking about years ago when things were different, I'm talking about now. A single parent with 2 children getting the same as somebody earning a £24,000 salary is very generous in my eyes. Sorry if that offends you, it wasn't my intention.

Would be interesting to know what benefits your mum would be entitled to if that happened today.

[Deleted User]

janninew wrote: »

I will always take threads I read from now on from single parents saying how much they struggle with a slight pinch of salt. My sympathy shall be saved for people struggling on min wage with no help!

I understand where you are coming from, I agree with you to a degree.
I rent a nice home in a nice area, I wish I could buy but on my own I doubt i'd get a Mortgage.
I drive a very old car.
I don't have all the latest gadgets, I don't have a laptop, big TV and all my furniture and appliances are old and some a bit shabby.
I don't "struggle" but I do live very frugally. I shop mostly in Home Bargains, B & M or Lidl. I buy all my clothes in the sale or on ebay. I don't buy loads of make up or magazines or CD's etc. I have had to give up most of my hobbies exept I ride someone's horse in exchange for looking after it 1 day per week. After I have paid all the bills I do have about £110 per week, but £30 goes on petrol and about £50 on food (My Son eats like a horse, growing boy plus fussy :mad:)
So I have £20 left for clothes, shoes, incidentals, haircuts, going out, it's not a great deal of money, like when I needed a new tyre last week I had to find it, Car Tax this Month. I need to look presentable for work but Primark trousers fit me well and wash lovely!

However I do appreciate the unfairness of the situation. I am lucky that I can cover my outgoing, many people can't.

But I think benefits do only give you a basic standard of living. Here's where I think the problem is with the minimum wage. You get large Companies, Say Asda, Tesco etc paying the majority of their staff minimum wage. A lot of these Familys then get these low wages subsidised by the Government (Tax Credits) yet these Companies are making MILLIONS in profit? Should they not be forced to look after the staff better. I think the minimum wage has backfired now, yet if you increase the minimum wage, this impacts on the smaller Companies who can't afford it? The minimum wage should be teired somehow according to profit or turnover... but I don't know how?!?!?

Anyway, sorry think i've gone off thread a bit now :rotfl:

BigAunty

I don't think its necessarily a particularly cushy life even though a lone parent can get more disposable income and have less basic outgoings (in terms of council tax rebate and housing benefit) than a single person working full time on the NMW.

For starters, the lone parents has more expenses - extra mouths to feed and clothe. They can also feel socially isolated compared to those in employment who form friendships and have a social outlet with their colleagues.

Secondly, many housing benefit recipients receive levels lower than their actual rent and have to make up the difference from their existing benefits. Therefore the rent is rarely entirely 'free'.

Yes, it's a shame that there is so many working poor whose standard of living will not be equal or greater than certain groups of benefit claimants but part of this is because housing, public transport and child care costs are so high and wages are so low.

People are only human, self interest is the norm and to be honest, who would want to spend 40 hours a week away from their kids, plus have to pay out for travel expenses and child care, to perform a dull/stressful/low status job when there is no need to do this.

These are system issues, despite people wanting to view them as personal or lifestyle choices. Our country needs cheaper rents, childcare and public transport, less taxation for those on low income and better wages.

When the US welfare policies changed to force lone parents to return back to work when their children reached a much younger age than in the past and introduced time limited unemployment benefits, the rate of out of married childbirth dropped for the first time in 50 years.

cord123

But what about all the debts my dad left behind that she had to struggle to pay or the rank house we were put in that she had to carpet and paint?
I understand how benefits can be a very touchy subject and I didnt mean to rant and yes I acnt understand how people on benefits have the money to drink and smoke but I do feel that people who have benefits or live in a council house are automatically judged.
This was around 10 - 15 years ago so the money way well be more but please understand, people in a couple will undoubtly have debt etc which when they are in their family unit bringing home X amount they can afford.... however when Mr goes awol and Mrs is forced to move and go on benefits etc these debts all catch up.
Personally I think that benefits needs to be completely overhauled (again) and made more transparant. There are still children living in poverty now.... My step daughter had a friend over to play whose school shoes had a huge whole in the bottom I asked her about them and she said that mum will get her some for xmas.... (her mum had had to leave an abusive partner and I know was struggling) When she came to pick her up I got chatting and said that I had a big clear out and asked if she wanted a bag of stuff.... (a few of my tesco £1 bargains!) I put a pair of my SD old shoes in there (nothing wrong only worn a couple of times) and she was so grateful she practically staretd crying! She said that she was struggling so much and couldnt see a way out. He had made her get a loan in her name for her car which she was having to pay etc.....

So although I can completely understand people getting annoyed there are genuinly people out there that do struggle and would love nothing more than to make money for themselves but if they are going to lose money if they got a job what would be the point!?
I also think that if people on benefits have more children thats up to them but their benefits will not rise to compensate this... I work and am saving for my next child so others should as well....

I guess what I am trying to say is please dont think that just becasue you may see benefits as overly generous, people may still struggle on them due to other financial commitments etc xx

BigAunty

janninew wrote: »

.. If you had 2 children and were a single parent, surely the amounts of IS, CTC etc are the same for all?

Yes, as long as the lone parent did not have capital/savings above 6k or had deductions from the DWP or HMRC for any repayment of loans or previous overpayments.

Of course, LHA varies from area to area and the shortfall between it and the rent can cause a lot of hardship.

[Deleted User]

Just done the Maths:

37.5 hours x £6.08 x 52 weeks = £11856 :eek::eek::eek:

Jesus I was earning that when I was 19 and childless!!!

I'd be devastated if that's all I was earning now 14 Years later:eek:

My full time salary would be twice that, but as I have mentioned I job share so no chance of increasing hours

janninew

cord123 wrote: »

But what about all the debts my dad left behind that she had to struggle to pay or the rank house we were put in that she had to carpet and paint?
I understand how benefits can be a very touchy subject and I didnt mean to rant and yes I acnt understand how people on benefits have the money to drink and smoke but I do feel that people who have benefits or live in a council house are automatically judged.
This was around 10 - 15 years ago so the money way well be more but please understand, people in a couple will undoubtly have debt etc which when they are in their family unit bringing home X amount they can afford.... however when Mr goes awol and Mrs is forced to move and go on benefits etc these debts all catch up.
Personally I think that benefits needs to be completely overhauled (again) and made more transparant. There are still children living in poverty now.... My step daughter had a friend over to play whose school shoes had a huge whole in the bottom I asked her about them and she said that mum will get her some for xmas.... (her mum had had to leave an abusive partner and I know was struggling) When she came to pick her up I got chatting and said that I had a big clear out and asked if she wanted a bag of stuff.... (a few of my tesco £1 bargains!) I put a pair of my SD old shoes in there (nothing wrong only worn a couple of times) and she was so grateful she practically staretd crying! She said that she was struggling so much and couldnt see a way out. He had made her get a loan in her name for her car which she was having to pay etc.....

So although I can completely understand people getting annoyed there are genuinly people out there that do struggle and would love nothing more than to make money for themselves but if they are going to lose money if they got a job what would be the point!?
I also think that if people on benefits have more children thats up to them but their benefits will not rise to compensate this... I work and am saving for my next child so others should as well....

I guess what I am trying to say is please dont think that just becasue you may see benefits as overly generous, people may still struggle on them due to other financial commitments etc xx

I agree with lots of what you have said, and that benefits can be an emotive subject!

I understand what you say about people struggling due to other financial commitments, but the same can be said for people who work in min wage jobs. Also benefits don't take in to account debt, they are there to cover day to day living costs.

I have a younger sister who is 23 years old, she works in a min wage job in a hotel, and I see how much she struggles everyday. She isn't entitled to any help, I can imagine it must be a little disheartning to know that if she had children she would get so much more money than what she gets now working awful hours in a job that she doesn't like! I can understand why some people get frustrated with this, but that's life! And certainly not a reason to have children!

I'm glad we live in a country that helps people when they need it, but I do feel at present the system isn't working and doesn't always encourage folk to work as they often get more on benefits.

[Deleted User]

BigAunty wrote: »

For starters, the lone parents has more expenses

That is a very good point! If I didn't have a child and hadn't seen a single Mum for the last 11 Years I would probably have lived in a shared house at some point, like a lot of my friends still do.

Council Tax, Water, TV Licence split between 3 would be cheaper for starters, plus heating a house.