Is a single mothers benifits enough

Scarlett1

PasturesNew wrote: »

No, but they pee in them!

Seriously though, the challenges faced by older people are equally as bad as those faced by young ones, but exacerbated by feeling the cold, limited mobility. However, they understand what is a basic and a luxury. They mend and make do. They know the value of money

:rotfl: :rotfl:
yes I agree, I dont begrude anyone having money whether its lone parents or OAP's, my nan was stashing food/toiletry items up in the attic in the 1970's incase of a shortage and has only recently starting getting rid of it

weymuffred

krisskross wrote: »

So if you are not in a position to work it is rather pointless to find you a job. Can your wife not work? There will still be housing benefit and council tax benefit available.

I want to work as the stigma attached to people who claim benefits is upsetting to say the least. Yes my wife could work and really really wants to, but is not going to find a job which is going to keep us afloat.

weymuffred

viktory wrote: »

I paid £550 in tax and NI last month - because my employer was generous enough to give it's staff a bonus. My sixteen year old son paid best part of £200 and my husband about £300. That's over £1000 in tax and NI in one month from one household.

Isn't that depressing?

Yes, the level of benefits is quite generous. If I could feasibly stay at home with £120 in my pocket, no housing costs and no CT I would. Sadly I can't - so I must go and get ready for work.

Let me tell you the level of benefits is not generous at all. I would give my right arm to be able to go out and pay that amount of NI and Income tax but around here the wages are extremely low and the cost of houses, buying or rent is astronomical.
Your son is an extremely lucky boy to be earning such a good salary at his age, one which many older people in my area would be extremely jealous of and have been working for 20-30 years.

krisskross

weymuffred wrote: »

I want to work as the stigma attached to people who claim benefits is upsetting to say the least. Yes my wife could work and really really wants to, but is not going to find a job which is going to keep us afloat.

But you would still be able to claim HB and CB, plus there would be working tax credit and child tax credit. A lot of people find they are actually better off when working a minimum of 16 hours. I am very much of the mind that if you can work then you should work.

black-saturn

I was a single parent on benefit and managed quite well on it. I used to save in different 'pots' for treats such as holidays and days out. I budgeted my money by buying cheap food and buying clothes from the charity shops.

My boyfriend was also a single parent on benefit and couldnt cope at all. He was always having money worries and couldnt afford anything. He got a job when his daughter was old enough to look after herself and he now works from 7am to 4pm 6 days a week. It takes him an hour to walk there and an hour to walk back every day and he and is only £18 a week better off than he was before!!!

viktory

weymuffred wrote: »

Your son is an extremely lucky boy to be earning such a good salary at his age, one which many older people in my area would be extremely jealous of and have been working for 20-30 years.

No, he is not lucky. He is hardworking, both at school and at work. He got off his butt and literally walked the streets, going into every big car dealership in our town and asking for work/an apprenticeship, handing out copies of his CV before securing his apprenticeship. And you know why he did all that? Because his father and I had instilled the work ethic into him from a young age. I am very proud of him.

Mind you, now I have checked his wage slip I should add that the amount of tax he has paid this month is unusually high as he got six weeks wages (due to his start date being towards the end of August). Therefore, he wont pay that much every month so he isn't earning quite as much as I led you all to believe. Sorry for the misunderstanding. He is still on good wages though and will certainly pay a considerable sum in tax and NI each month, especially for a young apprentice.

When I started work I was on a low wage and I worked my way up. We all have to start somewhere.

I thought tax credits were available for those on low wages to help boost income?

krisskross wrote: »

What I used to do when i was working and paying huge amounts of tax and NI was to tell myself it was paying my Mum's pension. Made me feel a lot better about it. However that amount of money (£1000+) would pay my pension for 5 months. Thanks viktory, I will consider myself adopted.

krisskriss - before I formally adopt you, can you please confirm that you give generously at Christmas and birthday's on your pension?

shazrobo

i am a single parent, thru no choice of my own, there father walked out.
i would love to go out and work instead of claiming benefits.
i would love to hold my head high and say that i earned the money i am spending. as i have been on income support for 12 years now i can tell you its not easy, you do have to budget hard, and save for little treats.
but for some of us we have no choice, i myself have two disabled lads aged 12 (twins), and there really is no childcare available for this age in my area, and because of there disabilities there is no way i could leave them home alone, so i will continue to claim benefits, as long as i need to.

black-saturn

I don't know whether work ethic has anything to do with it. My parents both worked full time and left me to my own devices in the evenings and in the school holidays (they didn't bother with childcare) and now I just resent them for thinking their work and material possessions were more important than me. I'd hate to think I missed out on my children as much as that so i did the opposite.

Jet

krisskross wrote: »

But you would still be able to claim HB and CB, plus there would be working tax credit and child tax credit. A lot of people find they are actually better off when working a minimum of 16 hours. I am very much of the mind that if you can work then you should work.[/quot

Not necessarily. Dependent on your wages, you would find council tax benefit reduced significantly and likely the majority of your housing benefit.

Whilst, often on paper you are better off working by the time you take into account incidentals like travel and work clothes, coffees at work / lunch - you can very easily be worse off particularly if you are on minimum wage and only doing a lower amount of hours.

affordmylife

Shazrobo you are exactly the sort of person benefits are for. I am delighted to pay tax to help someone like you to be with your two. That is what benefits are designed for.

I wish you and your family well.