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"We get £17,680 per year, why work?"

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Original post by frankieboy
Then - I'm sorry to be pedantic, but surely that means you weren't using it right either? I think the deal is you're meant to be looking for work...


not on income support as a single mother - i wasn't on job seekers i did night classes and short courses and most places offer child care during your class time and in the case that the nursery is full you could bring the children to class (something not available while trawling job interviews)
Original post by VanillaTwilight
I know it's not the norm for people on benefits to get this amount of money. I actually wonder how on earth they get so much!?

A family member of mine is disabled, and they get a fraction of what the article quotes per year. The system is well and truly screwed. I'm all for people who actually need it (disabilities etc).. but they can actually go out and work and they chose not to. That annoys me.

How is it they get 17 grand a year whilst they are perfectly capable of going out and earn a living.. yet someone who has a severe disability and needs everything done for them only gets 1/4 of that? Does that sound fair? I don't think so.


is the family member part of a couple and do they have a child? If not, you're comparing two completely different situations.
Original post by You Failed
Except student finance isn't a benefit, it's a loan, so that's hardly a reasonable comparison.


It's not a benefit, and I didn't say it was, my point was that the government expects a single mother of two to live on less that a student with no responsibilities or dependents.
I don't know what sane person would vote labour, after reading this.
Reply 84
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rmpr97
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Original post by frankieboy
Surely that's a little bit of wordplay though?


If that's word play then your quote about benefit scroungers cost less is just numb rhetoric.

I understand how the rich do this, but how is it that the rich "tax avoidance" does this?


I meant that usually the rich tax avoiders are wealth creators, which they are. Take Phillip Green.

Why should I work at Waitrose for £17,000 a year when a friend of mine landed a £40,000 a year working for his Dad's company and is no more qualified than I am?


Wow, big whoop, deal with it and move on. The world isn't fair, people do have connections. You can either complain about it or move on and better yourself as a person. And you should work there because it's better than being a leeching parasite.

If you start getting indignant that someone has it better than you, you'll drive yourself mad.


It's not that they have it better which is the issue, it's that it completely wrong that people can leech of hard working people.
Original post by Jadelyndsey
It's not a benefit, and I didn't say it was, my point was that the government expects a single mother of two to live on less that a student with no responsibilities or dependents.


Sorry, but I don't believe this!

I have never met an unemployed single parent who was not significantly better off then me.

I know one who has a car and goes on holidays abroad.

My cousin and his wife work, have a mortgage in london and are still entitled to some benefits in the form of tax credits (its so greedy to claim what you don't need!0
Original post by sevchenko
This country is too liberal. The government is afraid to tread on citizens toes. It can be seen in Immigration, the Justice system, welfare and in society. Why can't we get a leader like Thatcher again, a no nonsense leader that advocates meritocracy, hard work and respect.


:rolleyes:

Yes, what we need is a leader who will put more people out of work and reliant on benefits... Hello David!
Original post by Martyn*
The welfare state is there to support those out of work. It isn't generous. It's barely just enough to live on.



I wouldn't say support... But I understand what you're getting at. However, I did mention that my mother is living on less than I am, and struggles to do so. I know that benefits, on the whole, are nearby impossible to live on. However, in some cases, people can beat the system and manage to (happily) swindle 17K per year, so I should probably re-phrase what I said.

People who know how to work the system reap the rewards. They have been on benefits for so long, that they understand how to manipulate assessments, fill in forms, and apply for help they don't even need. The government isn't generous in the slightest, but it seems that way when you read articles like that^.
Original post by breakeven
Please don't read this article and think that this amount of money is the norm for people on benefits.


Yes!!!! This is not the norm whatsoever, yet people read an article about a single case (a case so extreme that it gets printed in a national newspaper) and believe it to be the norm for everyone. So ignorant.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 89
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Martyn*
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Original post by EffieFlowers
People who don't work get too much and those on income support in low income jobs don't get enough. They need to sort it out.


Disregarding Housing Benefit, your statement is just not true. People who are not in work only get the minimum that the government say they should live on. The cost of living has gone up whilst income benefit for those out of work has virtually remained the same.
Original post by Elissabeth
Sorry, but I don't believe this!

I have never met an unemployed single parent who was not significantly better off then me.

I know one who has a car and goes on holidays abroad.

My cousin and his wife work, have a mortgage in london and are still entitled to some benefits in the form of tax credits (its so greedy to claim what you don't need!0


It wasn't a hypothesise to be believed or not, it's a fact.

I can afford to spend £90 per week on whatever I wish after bills, rent, travel costs, money for books, a gym membership, my monthly phone bill, and everything else. My mother on the other hand has £34 to spend on food bills and anything that my sister may need. She can't afford to top her phone up most months, she doesn't have the luxury of a gym membership, she most certainly CANNOT afford to go on holiday abroad and she has to feed more than one person with less than I have for just me.

"It's so greedy to claim what you don't need" is an opinion. David Beckham earns a substantial amount of money, but child tax credits are given for anyone with children and isn't means tested, meaning anyone can claim it. The money is specifically for his child, and in his mind, it's his right to claim - which by law it is. I personally think anyone that earns more than say 45K shouldn't be given it, because I know families that earn this much and say they put it into a bank account for their child and never need to use it. This benefit is to be used to help raise your child, and if you aren't using it, you don't need it.
1360 a month
625 for rent leaves 735
100 for council tax 635
100 water rates and utility bills 535
400 for food leaves 135
35 nappies and other baby paraphernalia leaves 100 a month

I have estimated costs based on what my son pays for his £400 a month flat

I would agree that this seems like a lot but in reality they have about 100 a month for non-essentials (including clothes etc)
Original post by TenOfThem
1360 a month
625 for rent leaves 735
100 for council tax 635
100 water rates and utility bills 535
400 for food leaves 135
35 nappies and other baby paraphernalia leaves 100 a month

I have estimated costs based on what my son pays for his £400 a month flat

I would agree that this seems like a lot but in reality they have about 100 a month for non-essentials (including clothes etc)


They only pay £25 per month for rent for a £625 flat!
Original post by VanillaTwilight
They only pay £25 per month for rent for a £625 flat!


No

they pay 625 but 600 of that is housing benefit

that is just a way of the Sun trying to fool us
Original post by Martyn*
Disregarding Housing Benefit, your statement is just not true. People who are not in work only get the minimum that the government say they should live on. The cost of living has gone up whilst income benefit for those out of work has virtually remained the same.


I know of an out work couple with a child who live in a 3 bedroom house and had grants to furnish their house. Whilst my mum who is on a low income will struggle a hell of a lot more even though it's just her. Now I admit that my comment was a personal one and obviously isn't true for a lot of cases, (I actually deleted it because it was a bit of an outburst) but I've heard numerous times that in some cases, it's easier to just not work.
Original post by Martyn*
Disregarding Housing Benefit, your statement is just not true. People who are not in work only get the minimum that the government say they should live on. The cost of living has gone up whilst income benefit for those out of work has virtually remained the same.


My mother had a letter last week to inform her that "In line with the ever inflating cost of living, your income support is being raised as of April 20th by £0.04 per week." Inititally, we thought this was a joke or typing error, and therefore rang up a 50p per minute number to double check. Nope, they were deadly serious, a rise of 4p... Ah well, by the end of the year she will have a massive extra £1.58 or whatever to buy an extra box of cereal for Christmas.

Just in case you thought I was slating your comment, I wasn't, just re-instating it.
Reply 96
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Martyn*
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Original post by EffieFlowers
I know of an out work couple with a child who live in a 3 bedroom house and had grants to furnish their house. Whilst my mum who is on a low income will struggle a hell of a lot more even though it's just her. Now I admit that my comment was a personal one and obviously isn't true for a lot of cases, (I actually deleted it because it was a bit of an outburst) but I've heard numerous times that in some cases, it's easier to just not work.


A grant is given for those who cannot afford a washing machine,a fridge, utensils, etc, and your chances of getting that grant are greater if you have children or you are disabled. Your mother might have struggled on her low income but these children should not face struggle. There is nothing worse than child poverty or of seeing children denied basic necessities. People should be given help. I'm sure your mother would get help being on low income, no?
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 97
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Martyn*
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Original post by Jadelyndsey
My mother had a letter last week to inform her that "In line with the ever inflating cost of living, your income support is being raised as of April 20th by £0.04 per week." Inititally, we thought this was a joke or typing error, and therefore rang up a 50p per minute number to double check. Nope, they were deadly serious, a rise of 4p... Ah well, by the end of the year she will have a massive extra £1.58 or whatever to buy an extra box of cereal for Christmas.

Just in case you thought I was slating your comment, I wasn't, just re-instating it.


I say virtually the same because income based benefits (I am not mistaken) rise to meet inflation. They have not risen very much since I was 25 years old when JSA was about £52 per week for an adult. Everything has gone up in price since then so it isn't that much different today (about £71).
Original post by Martyn*
I say virtually the same because income based benefits (I am not mistaken) rise to meet inflation. They have not risen very much since I was 25 years old when JSA was about £52 per week for an adult. Everything has gone up in price since then so it isn't that much different today (about £71).


I agree, but I don't think they have a right to say "in line with inflation" when the extra cash given is barely enough to buy a tin of soup. In fact, I think my mother spent more on that one phone call than she would be getting extra this year...
Original post by Jadelyndsey
It's true though isn't it? Why would you work if you live in a country with such a generous welfare state.

Although I don't agree with it, I'm not angry with the people claiming this money, I am angry with the government for letting things like this happen. My mother has worked since age 16, and relatively recently had to be put on benefits. For her, and two daughters, her income is less than mine: A student with no dependents or responsibilities.

The government is screwed up....


Have you ever heard of personal responsibility? I'm not sure about you, but there is a lot of pride in working. Don't blame the government, blame the actual benefit scroungers, because they can still get jobs, they just refuse.

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