Working vs Benefits

4littleone

Fair enough NDG. I see your point.

Scoot - yes i agree there are some that don't want to work, but i think it's unfair to make a sweeping statement that implies that all people on benefits are idle.
That is of course just my own personal opinion though.

PasturesNew

If I were on benefits I'd get £60/week JSA which is £260/month
I'd get £450 LHA
I'd get £40 CT

That is £750.
As benefits aren't taxed (claimants forget that bit), I'd have to earn £10,600/year to match that.
£10,620 is minimum wage for a 37 hour job

So you can see how those living where rent is dearer would be better off even if they were single.

Also, if you're working, you have to buy clothes suitable for work, travel to and from work - and only be allowed to book off 4 weeks per year in holiday (if nobody else wants that time off).

Clothes + Travel can cost £1200/year before tax too. But I'll shave that back and say just £800. So you'd need to be earning £11,400/year to be on the same money.

And single people are the ones least likely to be able to work the system.

Jobs have been deskilled and jobs have been lost. Many more are created at minimum wage level than higher levels. There's been quite a stripping out of the sort of jobs that would have been worth £15-22k. They've gone. The jobs replacing them (while having the same titles) are paying £10,500-13,000.

scootw1

4littleone wrote: »

Fair enough NDG. I see your point.

Scoot - yes i agree there are some that don't want to work, but i think it's unfair to make a sweeping statement that implies that all people on benefits are idle.
That is of course just my own personal opinion though.

My apologies if it came over that way. I wasn't implying they are all idle at all, just a lot of those I know are.

wherediditallgo

4littleone wrote: »

I didn't see any hostility there in wherediditallgo's replies, just some questions and answers.

Thank you.

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

" I also love the example of a family with six kids just to "load" your argument"

that seemed quite hostile to me.

Which was written by blind-as-a-bat, not by me.

maxmycardagain

nuttyp wrote: »

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.....

but how many hours did you work to be £40 better off? and are you getting the top rate of disability/sick?

beelucky

this may appear off topic but i think its relevant.......it was recently announced that government agencies will be using computer software to hilight fraudsters claiming benefits, i am on benefits long term, i have a muscle wasting disease and havent worked for 13 years, but i dont/wouldnt mind being assesed for fraud etc.

having said that, why dont they introduce the same technology in the house of commons, both in the chamber and when filing their "exspense s",. we all know why they wont do it, but they have some front these MPs, claiming for TVlicenses, heating, community charge and the infamous "JOHN LEWIS LIST".

politicians just love it when they set one section of the public onto the other, it takes the spotlight of them of course. think about it.
dennis.

maxmycardagain

I find it atrocious that HMG need to spend millions weedling out a few dodgy claimants when they have opened the doors to half of europe, EU and non-EU, gypsies, workers and shirkers all of whom can claim CHB with little or no proof of parenthood!

neverdespairgirl

maxmycardagain wrote: »

I find it atrocious that HMG need to spend millions weedling out a few dodgy claimants when they have opened the doors to half of europe, EU and non-EU, gypsies, workers and shirkers all of whom can claim CHB with little or no proof of parenthood!

Non EU nationals can't just arrive and claim benefit.

blind-as-a-bat_2

And aliens (as in the UFO variety) how dare they come here and plunder our planet:p

Bayblue

My experience of claiming benefits recently was enlightening and depressing at the same time. I was made suddenly rednundant after 24 years with same company, I had no idea about what I was entitled to and didn't even know where the Jobcentre was before that day.

Having not job hunted for some years I was looking for help in finding and getting work yet all of the advice and encouragement was geared towards what benefits I could claim. When I (constantly) questioned what opportunities were suitable for me I was told to 'look on the website' and that appeared to be the sum of their efforts when it comes to actually getting people back into employment. I know of at least one ex colleague who has no computer knowledge or experience so this advice was as good as useless to him but no alternative was offered and a promised appointment for someone to help him construct a CV, which would have been a great help to him never materialised.

I can obviously only speak from my experience but to me the whole emphasis seemed to be wrong and almost encouraging of people staying on benefits. I have been in a capacity as a manager where I recruited staff and employed people and I can honestly say that over the past few years things have changed and gone are the days when the job centre is the first place and employer places any vacancies. I always wondered why the Jobcentre gave such bad returns in recent years and having seen things from the other side I can see why that is.

Having (thankfully) found a new position I am now recruiting a new team and I won't be advertising in the local Jobcentre - but I should be. When I left school it was the first point of call for those looking for work, now it just seems to be a benefit advice centre, and surely there's something wrong with the system when that happens?