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

wellynever

I find it funny watching the benefit bashers blood boil

Steady now you may find you end it with blood pressure and unable to work and having to sign on

Paul_Herring

MSE_Martin wrote: »

It isn't about the pounds and the pence...

But it is Martin.

Those of us who do actually work (ultimately) pay tax to fund those who don't, for whatever reason.

As numerous comments here have pointed out, the article is inaccurate, and does a disservice to those for whom it purports to portray in a good light.

To pick a quote at random from the article:

I have two young children and a partner to support on a smidgen over £11,000 a year.

Are *both* of them on state hand-outs? Why are two (apparently - as portrayed) disabled people, with two kids (why choose to have kids in that situation?! ), not being handed more money out of the tax-payers' purse?

Clearly anyone 'earning' less than the equivalent of the minimum wage while not in work must be suffering, and that places this family .. £6.08x40x52 - £12,600 - erm, twice - that's £25k.

And yes Martin, we (those of us who pay tax) would like a breakdown of that £11k to determine if it's accurate in such an article.
Does it include council tax?
Does it include housing benefit?
Is it what's paid to them, or the notional equivalent of what those of us who work would have to earn then get taxed to end up in our pockets?

[...]my partner's systemic lupus erythematosus and plus my son's reflex anoxic seizures and my daughter's issue with only having one kidney

I'm finding it difficult to believe that they're only 'supporting themselves' on 'only' £11,000 a year.

And I'm only slightly less surprised that he didn't bring in his other relatives' problems like his third cousin twice removed's nut allergy which prevents them from watching Jeremy Kyle.

Or his sister's mother in law's cousin's grandmother who gets a little short of breath when they have to open the letters from the council demanding council tax when they already know it's going to be paid by others.

While I'd encourage the use of real-life situations to get points like 'not everyone on DLA is a scrounger' - it appears that the way this choice of subject has come across, and has been received, has not helped.

MSE_Martin

smiler03 wrote: »

I knew before I even got to this forum that the MSE Nazis would be on this guys back from the very start. Perfectly on cue comes the smoking/foreign holidays/Sky TV abuse with the "thank you for this post" button clicked.

I despise this forum, it is even worse then the Daily Telegraph comments. I recommend anybody who finds any of these comments distasteful to never come here again. I haven't been here for years for the sake of my sanity. I'm actually surprised that Martin still allows these "hate" threads to continue, it is very much to his detriment as far as I'm concerned.

I won't be reading any of your replies but I can be sure that at least one of you will reply so that you can earn those "thank you for this post" clicks. What a sorrowful bunch you are.

Good riddance.

We are an open forum. Personally I resolutely disagree with many of the posts above - and had my say earlier.

Yet as long as the posts aren't rude or abusive or illegal, in a MoneySaving forum we need to allow people their opinions on moneysaving issues. That applies whether they're slating the site or anything else.

However there is a specific rule in the benefits board to protect posters asking for help. Unfortunately a relatively new member of my team did the link there - I've only just noticed which board it was in (having clicked from the news story).

I've now moved it to a different board to be more consistent (it cant go in discussion time as only logged in readers can see that).

If we started deleting any posts we didnt agree with or didint like, we'd have a very small forum - that simply isnt how social networking works. Though of course if anyone is rude or abusive then please report it.

I too find the attitude towards benefits claimants here tough to stomach sometimes - but then these boards reflect society - those are real views and as long as they're not within the benefits board attackign those asking for help - then they are entitled to their view.

martin

krisskross

wellynever wrote: »

I find it funny watching the benefit bashers blood boil

Steady now you may find you end it with blood pressure and unable to work and having to sign on

I don't think anyone's blood is boiling. You are reading stuff that isn't there.

I think the overwhelming opinions are that the family is fully entitled to their benefits........no one has even vaguely suggested the family isn't.

However concerns have been raised about the accuracy of the article. Surely that is a legitimate concern and is in no way this 'benefit bashing' label that gets trotted out almost as often as cit-k's nazis.

Who knows the family might not be claiming as much as they are entitled to and some good could come of the so called benefit bashing comments by encouraging Ross to have a proper benefits check done.

cazpost

Yet another thread where we all presume to know everything about disability and the benefits system. How clever and perfect we all are and how much right we have to cast judgement on this man,who quite clearly has a very distressing condition,a family in difficult circumstances ,and yet is still trying to get a job.
We haven't been given all the facts about his circumstances, maybe he does have his rent paid etc. Instead, let me tell you my story, and see if I'm a scrounger .
3 years ago I had a car accident,which shattered my right arm, literally breaking all the bones into several pieces, damaging nerves and tendons. The bones are all held together with metal,the humerus is still broken meaning I cannot raise the arm and I have no feeling from the elbow down. The tendon damage also means I have very limited use of my hand,as well as no feeling. At the time of the accident I was working full time and earning a good salary. My partner was disabled,unable to work,but had no income or benefits as I 'earned so much' My employers gave me full pay for a year,as it was an industrial accident,ie I was driving for work when the accident happened. I was then assessed as being suitable for medical severance, which I took as my partners condition had worsened,and I needed yet more surgery myself it was obvious I couldnt return to work. I then claimed ESA, and IIB,and the lower rate of DLA (care).As I had savings I didnt expect anything else,and in fact was surprised and grateful for what I did receive. I was advised to apply for Carers Allowance for my partner as he was by now very ill,and had both legs amputated.I received that for about 2 months before he died . I went for a 3rd operation the week after he died. This operation also failed,and again I was unable to use my arm. I have an income of £883.91 a month,purely from benefits. My morgage payment is £596 a month. I do not qualify for any help with my mortgage etc as I have savings, currently £10k and rapidy dwindling as I use them to keep my mortgage going in the hope that the 4th operation (last November) will enable me to use my arm enough to get a job. The only other help I get is free precriptions etc as I am diabetic. Having worked and paid taxes since I left school,I defy anyone to say Im scrounging. As for the argument that
'everyone can do some kind of work' I agree, and would quite happily do some kind of work if I was given any opportunity. However,as soon as prospective employers see there is something 'wrong' with me they don't want to know. Oh, and before you ask,no I didnt get a massive compensation payout as there was nobody else involved and the accident was purely due to poor road conditions.

Dunroamin

cazpost wrote: »

Yet another thread where we all presume to know everything about disability and the benefits system. How clever and perfect we all are and how much right we have to cast judgement on this man,who quite clearly has a very distressing condition,a family in difficult circumstances ,and yet is still trying to get a job.

This article was originally posted on the Benefits Board where many people do have a great deal of knowledge of the benefits system. Why would people post here for information if that knowledge wasn't there?

You have totally missed the point of what people have been saying.

sassyblue

I can't understand anyone thinking this man is a benefit scrounger what can he do with that arm/hand?!

It's the people who are playing the system with for instance backache or depression (now, l suffer with depression and everyone who has it isn't a benefit scrounger but l mention it because it's one of those disabilities that people can pretend to suffer with to play the system) - l'm sure many of us know someone who is doing this...

I don't understand why the gentleman hasn't been operated on? Can't leave someone like that, maybe that's another thread. I hope it all works out well for him and his family though. x

meher

Disability allowances are offered to make life equitable and so it should be. This story teller however offered to tell us his story, not as if anyone asked him to account for it; but if he wants to say his story, it has to be at least a representation of one if not a true picture and not a plausible sounding one. I think it is a mistake to underestimate the viewers and readers because people are quite aware of legality as much as those who are of their entitlements these days.

TheNickster

zagfles wrote: »

It also says he gets IB which I missed so should be even higher than the £15k

If he gets IB he would not also get IS/JSA.

emmadragon

Very good and interesting article, a brilliant example of where benefits are working at their best! I think some of the issues arise from the confusion of the system and then it becomes easy to 'cheat' the system and not realising they are. Those reported in the press are the extreme cases and we need to remember that there are many people who claim by the book.

However I see no reason why they shouldn't be capped. £26k a year is more than many people actually earn through legitimate work and so the benefits should be capped to minimum wage (i.e. £12k/annum) therefore making returning to work more attractive. I do feel people get too used to getting their payments and much as they say they want to go back to work it is a scary prospect when you have been out of work for so long. On the flip side employeers need to be understanding when people have been out of work for some time, perhaps limiting their hours to start with to ease them back into a full day.

This is only my opinion, but at my small company I have 2 work opportunities at my place in my sales team and I am struggling to fill them as I can only afford to pay minimum wage and people's benefits offer them more than that...