Working vs Benefits

viktory

maxmycardagain wrote: »

oh

my

god

do you ACTUALLY believe that?

10 years tories 10 years labour.....no real change

except MP's outrageous expense allowances are a bit more public

I know two people, one is on £5K a year part time, one is on £30K a year

guess what, that 10p tax band? they both lost the same per year when gordie chpped it out.

HOW is that fair?

I think you misunderstood my post. By generous, I meant that the Governement is extremely generous to benefit claimaints - especially those that claim disability. I am very hopeful that our current Government is outed and a new, tougher Government takes action on the benefits system.

viktory

blind-as-a-bat wrote: »

I would love to know why people think the benefit system is generous? I must be missing something:rolleyes:

I believe it because I have seen it. Some claimants are doing very nicely, thanks very much. There is one poster on here that openly admits that she gets a huge amount of money, certainly more than most can legitimately earn.

blind-as-a-bat_2

viktory wrote: »

I believe it because I have seen it. Some claimants are doing very nicely, thanks very much. There is one poster on here that openly admits that she gets a huge amount of money, certainly more than most can legitimately earn.

I see viktory so you take the word of a complete stranger on a forum like this and just assume that its an easy ride on benefits.

But have you ever actually had to try to live on benefits, or as in my case been forced (and yes i mean forced) to? i doubt you would feel that way if you did, in fact i know you wouldnt

Yes there are those that seem to do well out of the sytem but i for one cant see how, as every month we have to fight for what we are entitled to and i for one wont let the likes of you make me feel bad about it

I worked, i paid my share, i never wanted to be where i am now and would love to be back wherre i was. But the system wont let me so i wont feel guilty for that nor let someone as ignorent as you tar me with the same brush as those that do abuse the sytem. Yes you may have seen some doing alright because they are abusing the system but that is not the case for the mejorety.

Praxis99

Viktory, you do seem to be doing your best to live up to your tagline!

'Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind ~ Dr. Seuss'

However just as 'one swallow does not a summer make' one anecdotal post about someone doing alright on benefits does not mean that its an easy option for the majority who find themselves in this situation. It requires strict budgeting - if one is to get by without going under - and a stripping away of many of the things that others in better circumstances take for granted. I've been in this position as an individual and I found it very tough so I take my hat off to those struggling to raise a family in such circumstances.

I'd suggest you read again skylights post on this thread which puts the point very eloquently

dingdangdo_2

Not wanting to fuel a contentious argument but I feel angry sometimes that I have worked hard and never claimed benefits and now I'm massivley struggling whilst some, not all, some seem to be living a much easier life than I am. I'm not basing this on anything read on the forum, this is coming from a small ish town and 'knowing' a fair few peoples details as I used to work in the council tax and housing benefits department. I knew who a lot of the claimants were and yes I am afraid to say that they were a hell of a lot better off than I was at the end of the month and it disgusted me that so many were claiming incapacity benefit when they were perfectly capable of working. These are people i went to school with and they have NEVER had a job...EVER.

My Mum has a tumour in her spine and due to this has had to stop working and is unlikely to ever return. Due to the operation and illness she has had her mobility has been decreased massivley, but she also can't sit for long either. She worked for 35 years, my father is still working his backside off for 40 years, he has had a triple bypass which meant he was forced into retirement as his work would not insure him to stay on, he now works part time and will do for the rest of his life I imagine. But would you believe it they can not claim a penny from the government. It makes me so angry, they have worked all their lives and paid NI and tax all those years to be well and truly bleeped! My mother can't even get a disabled badge even though she can't walk for more than 5 minutes. When Dad tried to claim incapacity after his bypass the DWP made him feel like utter poo and actually questioned him as to why he couldn't work! I'm talking like a fortnight after here, not a year! The fit 30 something who waltzed in after him though seemed on top of the world and whizzed through his forms............. makes one wonder don't you think?

So to get to my point the system in this country seems to benefit those who 'know the system' and penalize those who genuinely need help. My parents income has reduced by 2 thirds yet they get nothing to help them, they are now living a very uncomfortable life and it won't change. The pensions they paid into suddenly have to be spread over a lot more year than they had planned for which is a blow. So I agree that some people would be better off not bothering to work, why slog your guts out for years and years to be treated like my parents have? The only answer I can think of is PRIDE and SELF WORTH. Something I know I am guilty of, as are the majority of people.That is how it should be though. The sooner this government is out and honest, hard working people get what they deserve the better. I angers me so much that a BR is more socially unaccepted than a benefit lifer! :mad:

We are all meant to be politically correct but some people really do take the mick. The benefits system is there for people that really need it and there is no shame in that. We all know the type of people my email is aimed at so please don't take this as a dig at anyone on benefits. One of my closest friends has hit a low point and has just started claiming after a failed business but she has only been on benefits for about 3 months and has already got herself back to work despite having a young baby. In her case benefits were justified, she had paid in and she needed help temporarily - benefits helped but she would never choose to stay on them even though she openly told me she was better off than she had been in a long time. Makes you think huh!

SingleSue

Ahh the old benefits system....

I am on benefits, I didn't chose to be but there you go, things change.

I hate (with a vengeance) being classed as a 3rd class person, the scourge of society, the tax nicker or any other label that people care to throw at me (believe me they do).

It is so annoying when people take things at face value and assume because you are claiming then obviously you are lazy and just out to get as much as you can from the government. In my situation, that is so way out of reality it really is mind boggling.

I have worked, I have paid oodles in taxes (I was a very high earner in the late 80's early 90's) yet am still made to feel guilty by the media about claiming in my hour (ok months) of need.

I want to work, in fact I am a workaholic but do you know what? Employers are not too keen on taking on single parents with children who would need that same parent to leave at the drop of a hat (well actually the phone call) to attend to the child because of their disabilities.

Years ago I never struggled to gain employment, it was a case of going to the interview and hey presto, job was mine...now I am not even getting past the application stage. I have been advised by the benefits agency that my place at the present time is with my children due to their needs (2 disabled children, 1 'normal') and to not worry about finding work but that is not my style at all, I hate, detest being on income support and having everyone else looking down at me.

I am trying to help myself, I volunteer at the local special needs playgroup (the same one my children went to) in the hope that the 'official' experience will help me get into paid employment in the future (very near future I hope!) plus I am also doing an ECDL course, again hoping to improve my chances but the old brick wall keeps coming up....childcare for disabled children (people just don't like the idea of taking on a former aggressive aspergic child or a very complex autistic one) and the fear from employers about having an employee who would probably need a fair bit of time off due to being the sole care giver.

Life on benefits is not the easy life that some perceive, far from it. There is not the scope to do a bit of overtime to pay for a holiday or a new telly, you can't get credit if say your washing machine goes bang (I don't like credit anyway but it would be nice to have that choice) and everything has to fit inside a very tight budget...and becoming tighter due to the ever increasing prices of everyday items!

I worked before I became a single mum (it was due to a divorce) and at that time, my children could go to afterschool activities like scouts, cubs, swimming etc...now it has had to be cut right down to the bare minimum.

So in answer to your question (if you are still awake after reading my rant!) no, benefits is not the easy option. It's horrible, depressing and completely confidence and soul destroying.

Phew, rant over.....

scootw1

For some, life on benefits is probably very difficult. It all depends on how much you are claiming. Liek others have said, some people know how to milk the system and there are a lot of people I know who are on disability benefits and are in the pub 7 days a week while I go to work every day and slog my guts out to pay for them. The Government certainly needs to take a long hard look at the benefits system and clamp down on people who claim but can actually work. They say it's difficult to catch the people abusing the system. Not really - take a look in any pub in the land and I can guarantee there will be some people in there on benefits.

SingleSue

The problem being is that they will clamp down and go for the easy targets...the honest ones.

We have seen it happen with incapacity benefit where people who genuinely are sick and really not able to work have had benefit stopped while the same can work but pretend they can't, carry on claiming. They know the system too well.

nuttyp

WOW I can understand oth sides of the equasion. Im curently out of work, not through choice - had to endure quite a horific work colegue who was verbally abusive etc.... so i neded up having to leave as it made me ill. I now have kidney problems so i cant work. My husband works, but e get WFTC, but we still are arounf £40 worse off than when i worked. So how anone can think you get loads of cash - please tell me how.

It is nice sitting in the sun today, but how i miss the banter in the shop with the customers.....

maxmycardagain

i know of one benefit claimant who has a bad back nad hasnt worked for 25 years, BUT that doesnt stop him driving his 07 plated car to spain 3 times a year for 4 or 5 weeks holiday, maybe hotel beds suit him?
oh, the dss paid for his driving lessons, the car is on mobility, my back is worse than his
he gets £1200+ a month disability, plus his rent/rates paid...