Benefits for young couple

superwoman4

LunaLady wrote: »

Dont let [STRIKE]Andy[/STRIKE] Helen wind you up.

I've noticed that Helen is a prolific poster!!

helentay wrote: »

It has to be a minimum 0f 35 hours every week!!!!

Carers Allowance is quite honestly one big fiddle for some people.

The claim form is a joke.

'Do you provide at least 35 hours of care every week' Oh Yes!

LunaLady

superwoman4 wrote: »

I've noticed that Helen is a prolific poster!!

She will be for a few more days, then will disappear and come back as someone completely new, with similar stories but slightly different details.

margaretclare

I wonder why this thread, which started off being about a young couple with a sick baby, went to an acrimonious slanging match about older people.

Older people are completely different. For example, DH and I both get SRP and SERPS in our own right. We don't get any means-tested benefits but we do each receive AA. We have enough. We're not rich but nowhere near being poor.

I've recently learned, from another thread, that if one of us was an Alzheimer's sufferer there would be a 'disregard' for council tax. Not having to pay council tax would save us £115 a month, but I wouldn't wish Alzheimer's on my worst enemy. However, some people are not paying council tax because they're on means-tested benefits. They may be said to be 'doing quite well', have enough to save, maybe spend the colder months in a warmer climate, and so what? None of this helps the young couple with a sick baby.

I understand that, with a sick baby, you have a lot of expenses which you didn't budget for and can't control. Been there (many years ago), done that...

None of this is helpful to the young couple, for whom I have the greatest sympathy, and I apologise for not being able to help.

BTW, if everyone is declaring their political affiliations, we're members of the English Democrats' party. Not that any of this is of the slightest relevance to the young couple.

superwoman4

margaretclare wrote: »

I wonder why this thread, which started off being about a young couple with a sick baby, went to an acrimonious slanging match about older people.

I think you'll find it's "helentay" never missing an opportunity to boast about how much her pensioner parents receive!!
Starting to get tiresome now.

I feel sorry for the young couple with the sick baby.

mumps

margaretclare wrote: »

.

I've recently learned, from another thread, that if one of us was an Alzheimer's sufferer there would be a 'disregard' for council tax. Not having to pay council tax would save us £115 a month, but I wouldn't wish Alzheimer's on my worst enemy.

When my uncle had Alzheimer's he got the council tax disregard but it was for his council tax, i.e. my aunt was still eligible to pay 75% as a single occupant. I don't know if this goes for all councils but I am assuming your council tax isn't £460 a month but I suppose it might be.

inspirespirit

Just thought I would give a brief background so you will realise just why they are struggling on 25k which I understand would infuriate some people who are living on a lot less.
The lad is 26. He started working as an apprentice at 16 and by the age of 25 was top engineer on a salary of 35k. His girlfriend also earned and obviously they got by fine. Just after his girlfriend found out she was pregnant his bosses offered him an amazing opportunity. They offered to take him out of the toolroom and into Management...... pay for him to do a degree and train him as a Manager. However, as a trainee they could not keep him on 35k and he had to take a drop to 25k which will go straight back up to 35k on completion of degree and training. Within 5 years the chances are this salary could well double. If he had not taken it, it would have gone to someone else. They had a discussion and decided to go for it. Obviously life throws us curve balls and they didn't know that the girl wouldn't be able to go back to work because of the baby being poorly. So they have lost his 10k plus her salary. They don't smoke, drink or have a car. They only require some temporary help. No doubt they will end up paying more tax in their lifetimes than most of us so I don't see why people have such a problem with youngsters getting a bit of help.

FBaby

They (though you), don't have to justify his choices. It is clear that they are not lazy, unwilling to work, expecting to be supported.

The issue here is purely one of budget management, whether they are indeed handling their finances in the best way they can, or still wanting the same life they had before, but because they can't afford to for the time being, expecting benefits to keep them in the same lifestyle.

seven-day-weekend

helentay wrote: »

I agree and I am going to leave it at that before my anger over takes my good sense and I say something I shouldn't do to EVANS-ANUS who clearly is only on here to disrespect the older generation.

I will not comment on the disrespect you have shown to another poster. £580 a week is loadsamoney ia anyone's book, but it does not help the young couple mentioned in the OP

(ETA: As we are declaring our age and political colours, I am a 63-year-old floating voter who will probably vote UKIP in the next General Election)>

margaretclare

mumps wrote: »

When my uncle had Alzheimer's he got the council tax disregard but it was for his council tax, i.e. my aunt was still eligible to pay 75% as a single occupant. I don't know if this goes for all councils but I am assuming your council tax isn't £460 a month but I suppose it might be.

No, our council tax is £115 a month, not £460. It's 'C' band bungalow not a mansion!! Actually my GD lives in a one-bedroom council flat and she pays about the same that we do. She gets some CTB (called something different from 1st April).

mumps

margaretclare wrote: »

No, our council tax is £115 a month, not £460. It's 'C' band bungalow not a mansion!! Actually my GD lives in a one-bedroom council flat and she pays about the same that we do. She gets some CTB (called something different from 1st April).

So presumably the saving would be less than £30 a month, unless authorities apply the disregard in different ways. My uncle got attendance allowance, not sure how much that worth, and the 25% saving on council tax. No other help and they had to pay for him to go to a day centre twice a week to give her a break. Of course lots of other costs, fortunately he had quite a good pension so they managed.