Job Fears: I am about to become part of the working poor?

jayII

coin_operated_girl wrote: »

I've just done a quick calculation and I earn around the same amount each month as I was recieving in benefits- I live in London so rent and travel is stupidly high plus I have to pay for my prescriptions etc Vs incapacity benefit, housing benefit, free prescriptions etc. But do you know what? I don't care. I love my job. I have self respect. I am able to support myself. All of that is worth so much more to me than the fact that I could sit on my !!!! all day for the same amount of money.

You need to look at the bigger picture. Taking this job could provide new opportunities and it would be the first step in progressing up the career ladder. As of yesterday, my manager has increased my hours from 35/week to 39/week (increasing my salary by £2,000) because I asked him to and he was happy to do so as it gave him an excuse to raise my wage as he knows I don't earn much. My colleagues all earn more than me even though we do the exact same job as I joined the team after cuts were made. As soon as one of my colleagues leave (2 are likely to leave v soon) my manager said he will bump me up to their salary, which will give me a £4,000 pay rise. So I'm looking at a £6,000 difference to my starting salary. Not bad considering I've only been working there for 8 months and prior to this job I was unemployed for 3 years due to ill health. The point I am making is that if you work hard, you don't know what could happen.

Benefits aren't there as a life style choice, they are there as an absolute last resort. Anyone who choses to stay on benefits (which is what you would be doing if you don't go for this job) are a waste of space and are an insult to those who have no choice but to be on benefits.

I totally agree with this post. :T

We earned a similar amount to benefits (we have children) for years but we're now in a great position: we have loads of experience in our fields, jobs we enjoy, are well paid, highly valued at work and are both getting regular pay rises in a time of recession. It has been really hard at times but we'd never be in this position if we hadn't hung in there through the hard times.

That is on top of all the other benefits of working, such as high self esteem, having great colleagues to work and socialise with, self respect and so on. If people, (who are able bodied and fully able to work), want to lower themselves to living on charity from the taxpayer without trying to find a job to support themselves, then that really is their problem.

I certainly wouldn't swap with them!! :cool:

bankhater_1965

jayII wrote: »

I totally agree with this post. :T

We earned a similar amount to benefits (we have children) for years but we're now in a great position: we have loads of experience in our fields, jobs we enjoy, are well paid, highly valued at work and are both getting regular pay rises in a time of recession. It has been really hard at times but we'd never be in this position if we hadn't hung in there through the hard times.

That is on top of all the other benefits of working, such as high self esteem, having great colleagues to work and socialise with, self respect and so on. If people, (who are able bodied and fully able to work), want to lower themselves to living on charity from the taxpayer without trying to find a job to support themselves, then that really is their problem.

I certainly wouldn't swap with them!! :cool:

why have people who prefer to get £300 per week on benefits as to work for £300 a week have a problem or as you say lower themselves ?? theres alot more people who work who get more paid in benefits dont you think ! do they also have a problem
i think you need to look close at yourselfs regards to a statement of living off taxpayers charity as yourselfs have had child benefit and perhaps child tax credits charity also

Macca83_2

bankhater_1965 wrote: »

personaly i think the people who go to work for the same £ as to claiming benefits are the idiots dont you think and has no advantage what so ever for no financail gain ! if you are happy to go to work for the same thats your silly fault but dont critacise others that think differant who can claerly do there maths , who prob laugh at you for doing so including me ! theres nothing good in to days world for doing so

Fanny......

morganedge

people dream about winning the lottery so that they can give up their jobs and live a life of luxury.

So, people who get a similar amount in benefits AND without having to go to work are in a rather nice situation.

coin_operated_girl

dark_lady wrote: »

People on Incapacity Benefit have to pay for their prescriptions. It says so on the prescriptions themselves.

Ah yeah you're right, I forgot because I was moved on to ESA a while before coming off benefits so got free prescriptions then.

bankhater_1965 wrote: »

personaly i think the people who go to work for the same £ as to claiming benefits are the idiots dont you think and has no advantage what so ever for no financail gain ! if you are happy to go to work for the same thats your silly fault but dont critacise others that think differant who can claerly do there maths , who prob laugh at you for doing so including me ! theres nothing good in to days world for doing so

I disagree. There are lots of positives to having a job- its not just about money. It creates a sense of self worth, you get to met new people, you feel like you are contributing to society etc. I mean I am lucky because I absolutely love my job, but I have had jobs I hated too and it was still preferable to me to work in a job I hate than to be unemployed. I spent 3 years of my life completely bored out of my mind because I was unable to work. My idea of hell is going back on to benefits. It was so depressing having nothing to do day in, day out. I hated having no structure to my day, not having a reason to get out of bed. In my job, I could quite easily spend a lot of time sitting around talking and watching TV, but I don't want to do that, I get bored. So if I really have nothing to do, then I will help the cleaner out because its just not in my nature to sit around doing nothing, I can't stand it.

So you're telling me not to criticise people who leech off society because they are lazy and CBA with getting a job if it pays NMW, yet its fine for you to call people 'idiots' for working when they earn the same amount as they would receive on benefits?

Also, I have done the maths. I already said that from a rough calculation I know that I don't earn much more than what I was receiving on benefits- but I chose to work.

Whatever way you dress it up, people who choose not to work are a strain on society. As I said in my other post, benefits are not there as a lifestyle choice, they are there to help those out who really need it. It is unfair for someone who is capable of working to turn down a job because they think the pay is too low. Why should tax payers support those who don't want to work?- I would seriously love you to answer that question because I just cannot understand the mind set of people who think thats OK.

jayII wrote: »

I totally agree with this post. :T

We earned a similar amount to benefits (we have children) for years but we're now in a great position: we have loads of experience in our fields, jobs we enjoy, are well paid, highly valued at work and are both getting regular pay rises in a time of recession. It has been really hard at times but we'd never be in this position if we hadn't hung in there through the hard times.

That is on top of all the other benefits of working, such as high self esteem, having great colleagues to work and socialise with, self respect and so on. If people, (who are able bodied and fully able to work), want to lower themselves to living on charity from the taxpayer without trying to find a job to support themselves, then that really is their problem.

I certainly wouldn't swap with them!! :cool:

Exactly!

bankhater_1965

Macca83 wrote: »

Fanny......

pride or a concence does not in anyway put food on the table or pay bills ,i would still not be in business for 14 years if i thought like that

Macca83_2

bankhater_1965 wrote: »

pride or a concence does not in anyway put food on the table or pay bills

no but a job does.

bankhater_1965

coin_operated_girl wrote: »

Ah yeah you're right, I forgot because I was moved on to ESA a while before coming off benefits so got free prescriptions then.



I disagree. There are lots of positives to having a job- its not just about money. It creates a sense of self worth, you get to met new people, you feel like you are contributing to society etc. I mean I am lucky because I absolutely love my job, but I have had jobs I hated too and it was still preferable to me to work in a job I hate than to be unemployed. I spent 3 years of my life completely bored out of my mind because I was unable to work. My idea of hell is going back on to benefits. It was so depressing having nothing to do day in, day out. I hated having no structure to my day, not having a reason to get out of bed. In my job, I could quite easily spend a lot of time sitting around talking and watching TV, but I don't want to do that, I get bored. So if I really have nothing to do, then I will help the cleaner out because its just not in my nature to sit around doing nothing, I can't stand it.

So you're telling me not to criticise people who leech off society because they are lazy and CBA with getting a job if it pays NMW, yet its fine for you to call people 'idiots' for working when they earn the same amount as they would receive on benefits?

Also, I have done the maths. I already said that from a rough calculation I know that I don't earn much more than what I was receiving on benefits- but I chose to work.

Whatever way you dress it up, people who choose not to work are a strain on society. As I said in my other post, benefits are not there as a lifestyle choice, they are there to help those out who really need it. It is unfair for someone who is capable of working to turn down a job because they think the pay is too low. Why should tax payers support those who don't want to work?- I would seriously love you to answer that question because I just cannot understand the mind set of people who think thats OK.




Exactly!

the answer to your question ...why should tax payers support those who dont want to work ! most situations you are referring to are them people just dont get the pay by working anymore than benefits, to work you have overheads ,ie traveling to work etc , for someone to equal £300 a week on benefits would prob have to earn £350 a week to equal it ! if i worked that way in running my business i simply would not survive to take the overhead option to earn the same ! are you aiming your post at the cost to the taxpayer by people not working?? or people just not working ?? as there is a differance !
your quote .. people who dont work are a strain on society ! well did you no a married man with children working on the NMW costs the taxpayer more in benefits than a single person who carnt be bothered to work !

bankhater_1965

Macca83 wrote: »

no but a job does.

so does benefits , you cannot hide the fact that , benefits can sometimes pay more than a low paid job, also working is not a way out of poverty , as most lower wage earners are in poverty aswell as some middle earners , there is no insentive to work for alot of people caught in this trap

Macca83_2

The incentive is not to be reliant on other people footing the bill for your existence