MSE News: 'I'm on benefits but I'm no scrounger'

lilmofie84

How do I block users?

*N/M - I have found the 'ignore user' feature

Derivative

rellarips wrote: »

I really hope you haven't now appeared solely for a spot of entertainment for the evening.... .

I don't find this thread entertaining. I like to understand the issues that people face and yes, as I may be in that situation someday, it is useful to know how much people are able to claim!

Most people don't want a complete financial breakdown, but a complete figure would be helpful, given that forum posters seem to come out with numbers far higher than stated in the article.

If you want to argue against Daily Mail hate rag headlines - you need to be accurate in what you are posting, and not exaggerate to appeal to emotions. That's exactly what those screaming "benefit scrounger" are doing and should be avoided. Facts are king - I can make up my own mind, I don't need you to do it for me, and obscuring the facts makes me less likely to believe your position - what is being hidden?

The issue I have is with the claim that people should "try to live on £11k" before complaining that it's too much. Posters on this thread have pointed out that it seems to be a misrepresentation of the facts, a strawman to bolster the argument, a figure which Ross himself isn't actually living on.

I don't think that £11k total including housing is too much for a 4 person family - I do think that they are missing things from their figures because quite frankly, I do not see how rent, food, CT, utility bills, a car, and the rest (medical bills?) for 4 people can actually fit under £11k at all. Not 'struggling', simply a mathematical impossibility.

Lilmofie84, there is an 'Ignore List' in the 'User CP'. Ignorance is bliss.

poppy10_2

zagfles wrote: »

I can't see how he'd only get that:

IS/JSA for a couple: 5500
DLA [STRIKE]1000 (at least - probably more)[/STRIKE] £1800
Child ben: 1752
CTC: 5655
Council tax benefit: 1000 (at least)

That's nearly £15,000, and that doesn't include housing benefit/SMI.

To be honest, after 588 replies, this one early on probably says it best. The figures given in the article are tosh. No point arguing any more, the couple clearly aren't prepared to be upfront and no amount of questioning is going to change that.

Mupette

poppy10 wrote: »

To be honest, after 588 replies, this one early on probably says it best. The figures given in the article are tosh. No point arguing any more, the couple clearly aren't prepared to be upfront and no amount of questioning is going to change that.

They did say earlier that they were told not to go into financial details.

Derivative

Mupette wrote: »

They did say earlier that they were told not to go into financial details.

Then maybe they shouldn't have claimed in the article that they are living on a total of £11000.

It doesn't invalidate the article, but it makes it a lot more inflammatory and introduces a bias. The intent is clearly to make the reader feel sympathy upon wondering how a family of four could live on such a low amount - when they clearly aren't.

beanielou

goodcommonsense wrote: »

Just to clarify, in case it helps anyone else in the OPs position, a family with one disabled parent, a dependant partner and two school age children should receive the following:

IB
Age Addition
Dependant Addition
Maximum Child Tax Credit
Housing Benefit (small deduction as income greater than applicable amount)
Council Tax Benefit (small deduction)
DLA (rate varies according to care needs)

I won't post the amounts, but there is no doubt that it comes to more than £11,000 pa.

Your information is incorrect.Fact.

goodcommonsense wrote: »

I have stated your entitlement. It is you that is unable/ unwilling to explain why it is wrong.



I do not work for a "benefits agency". Reading things that aren't there?

Right, I'm off. Best tell Ross not to give up his day job, eh?

You make me ashamed to be part of MSE.

Joyful

I too think this thread has run its course and should be closed. If the family have been advised not to post any more information then that is their right. Those of us that deal with benefits on a daily basis know that the figures are not adding up and I agree that money should have never been mentioned in the first article as we cannot get away from it now. For those that are interested here is a link to some information on the DWP website http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_200634

I used to ( 2011) take all income details from people getting all types of benefits to assess for social tariffs and many times people with children were over £26000, sometimes by as much as £50,000 although this often included a couple of disabled people. Many times this included a high level of Child tax credits or rent so I can see why benefits have to be looked at now. The people I always felt sorry for was those single people without children as they seem to struggle more on benefits.

I know that most of us wish the family well but I personally feel that the whole purpose of Ross's blog has been blurred. If all the info had been put out in the beginning this whole thread would have been different.

For anyone needing to claim benefits please either use the turn2us website or the link above to see what you may be entitled to.

Edinburghlass_2

beanielou wrote: »

Your information is incorrect.Fact.


[/B]
You make me ashamed to be part of MSE.

That user you quoted beanielou never thinks her information is incorrect.

ditto

zigzigzag

As someone who has virtually no knowledge of benefits, I wondered what a family in this situation would be likely to receive (since I am doubtful of the £11k cited in the article). Based on another article that gives amounts (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16812185), I would estimate that a family in the situation in the MSE article would receive something along the lines of the following - but with some disability allowance as well, the amount of which I don't know:

Child Benefit 1,752
Child tax credit 5,219
JSA/IB ? 5,200
Council tax benefit 702
Housing benefit 2,964
Total 15,837 + DLA

So already we're looking at quite a bit more than £11k. This is more in line with what I would imagine being the case (this article could have cleared this up for me, but I am left with nothing but conjecture). Right then, since the family seem to have put their information in the public domain for sympathy but have not wanted to receive any comments or questions, I'm going to think this is what a family in that situation would receive. Ross I am willing to come back to this discussion for a constructive, informative exchange of views if you are, but at the moment it doesn't seem that you are willing.

leogee1marksdad

If this man is on only £11000 total benefits for him and all his family then he has my heartfelt sympathy. It is unfortunate that we do not have more details on how this is made up as I like many others think he should be entitled to more when non-cash benefits are included . I assume he has contacted people and organisations who can guide him through the benefits jungle.
Having said that I do not think more than 5% of people believe all claimants are on £ 26,000 or more. If the State does cap all benefits at £26,000 there should be more money available to pay higher benefits than the £11000 this man appears to be getting.
I am a former supervisor at an old style Employment Exchange so know there are thousands of genuine,needy claimants.But I also know that if well-meaning politicians do not encourage a robust approach to fraud and abuses of the benefits system then the whole system will (and IS)brought into disrepute and then we are ALL potential losers.