Living on benefits

I was watching Yorkshire job centre and this guy only had 50 pounds to live on once he paid his bills and rent. Crazy. A Tory government I guess. How are you meant to live off benefits

Reply 1

username5252758

12

With difficulty. I did it for a short period of time. I could manage my basic necessary expenses but anything unexpected like travel expenses for interviews or the fridge going on the blink caused serious troubles. It was a real eye opener to how people in poverty struggle.

I think The Chancellor and other Treasury ministers should be required to live on benefits for a period of time. Their budgeting skills and sense of fiscal responsibility would improve markedly.

Reply 2

Napp

22

You're not, thats the point...

Reply 3

L i b

19

People on out-of-work benefits are generally supposed to be poor. That's kinda the idea: it's the most basic level of income that can reasonably be provided.

Reply 4

FRS500

20

Personally I feel benefits are not fit for purpose. People should be able to afford the basics of living comfortably.

By living comfortably I mean you should be able to properly heat; eat; clothe your family; shouldn't have to worry about rent arrears and if need be you should be able to afford basic public transport (for going to work etc).

On benefit you can hardly do those let alone the basics of running a dirt cheap phone contract; paying your bills (although you can get support with energy and water in some cases) and maybe one subscription.

I really wouldn't begrudge someone who's out of work a Netflix subscription and reasonable access to the internet to help them get back on the job market.

It's not as if you can rely on libraries in these uncertain times, it's also not Dickensian Britain anymore.

Reply 5

Gundabad(good)

20

If you want to have a relatively comfortable life on benefits, you need to have lots of children. More children = More benefits. Sad system but it exists.

Reply 6

YoBoyEddie

3

The central banks want us all on Universal Basic Income anyway. They are pushing the Marxist rhetoric hard through the zionist media, hence all the Black Lives/Greta/New age stuff.

Reply 7

username1799249

19

Original post by Gundabad(good)

If you want to have a relatively comfortable life on benefits, you need to have lots of children. More children = More benefits. Sad system but it exists.

Nothing like some ignorant stereotyping.

My sister-in-law with two kids has fallen on hard times. Her benefit is about £1000 a month. That is to pay everything. Rent, food, bills, the lot. Our shopping bill (2 kids) is about £70 a week. So you tell me how having more kids makes you better off.

My kids are 7 an 10 now. I reckon I'm in the hole for around £120k so far. Kids do not make you better off whether on benefits or otherwise.

Reply 8

iNeed2p

14

Some people get into the benefit system just because of some circumstances and in matter of time those people will get out from the benefit system because they know it doesn’t suit them. And there are these people who are just okay with it and think they’re better off with the benefit system. So they just waste time and probably smoke their wacky-backy ( If they can afford it). These are the unhinged people.

Reply 9

imlikeahermit

14

Original post by YoBoyEddie

The central banks want us all on Universal Basic Income anyway. They are pushing the Marxist rhetoric hard through the zionist media, hence all the Black Lives/Greta/New age stuff.

As somebody who leans heavily towards the right, I completely support UBI or Negative Income Tax. The only slight issue I see with it is that you need to have a stringent, tough system to back it up so that people don't take a lend.

Reply 10

Gundabad(good)

20

Original post by ByEeek

Nothing like some ignorant stereotyping.

My sister-in-law with two kids has fallen on hard times. Her benefit is about £1000 a month. That is to pay everything. Rent, food, bills, the lot. Our shopping bill (2 kids) is about £70 a week. So you tell me how having more kids makes you better off.

My kids are 7 an 10 now. I reckon I'm in the hole for around £120k so far. Kids do not make you better off whether on benefits or otherwise.

Sorry, if I offended you. I mean the people on benefits who don't have a reasonable number of children like 2-3. Those people have 5-6 kids and that's where the money comes flooding in. That spend a money's worth for 3 kids on 6 kids and pocket the difference for ****/booze/drugs.

Reply 11

looloo2134

17

Original post by ByEeek

Nothing like some ignorant stereotyping.

My sister-in-law with two kids has fallen on hard times. Her benefit is about £1000 a month. That is to pay everything. Rent, food, bills, the lot. Our shopping bill (2 kids) is about £70 a week. So you tell me how having more kids makes you better off.

My kids are 7 an 10 now. I reckon I'm in the hole for around £120k so far. Kids do not make you better off whether on benefits or otherwise.

Children are mainly a benefit to society and their parents because they grow up work and look after their parents

Reply 12

imlikeahermit

14

Original post by looloo2134

Children are mainly a benefit to society and their parents because they grow up work and look after their parents

Your assumption that children will grow up to work is right in about 99.99999% of cases however some families see living on benefits as the family tradition, so in those cases, it is questionable how much of a benefit they'll be.

Reply 13

username1799249

19

Original post by Gundabad(good)

Sorry, if I offended you. I mean the people on benefits who don't have a reasonable number of children like 2-3. Those people have 5-6 kids and that's where the money comes flooding in. That spend a money's worth for 3 kids on 6 kids and pocket the difference for ****/booze/drugs.

Out of curiosity, how many people have you met who told you this is what they so?

Or is it just obvious?

Reply 14

username1799249

19

Original post by looloo2134

Children are mainly a benefit to society and their parents because they grow up work and look after their parents

Are you looking after your parents? I so, you are quite rare.

Reply 15

username1799249

19

Original post by imlikeahermit

however some families see living on benefits as the family tradition,

Or is it more that they don't know anything else and equally don't have the skills or know how to get a job. How can you fill in an application form when you can't read. And this isn't rare. The average reading she for the UK is 11 with up to about 5.1 million adults being functionally illiterate.

Reply 16

looloo2134

17

Original post by ByEeek

Out of curiosity, how many people have you met who told you this is what they so?

Or is it just obvious?

Mostly likely they never meant any person that fit that picture they just believe they exist. The birth rate per woman has gone down from 2.2 children about 1.8 children

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 17

alice544

13

I think the tory arguement is that JSA or Universal credit is only suppose to be temporary and not life dependent things. That why it is so low but it doesn't account for the fact unemployment people are actually still people that need to pay bills and rent and eat

Reply 18

looloo2134

17

Original post by alice544

I think the tory arguement is that JSA or Universal credit is only suppose to be temporary and not life dependent things. That why it is so low but it doesn't account for the fact unemployment people are actually still people that need to pay bills and rent and eat

They also need to socialize and be able to exercise.

Reply 19

username1799249

19

Original post by looloo2134

Mostly likely they never meant any person that fit that picture they just believe they exist. The birth rate per woman has gone down from 2.2 children about 1.8 children

Quite. No doubt caused by the huge cost of children in the UK and women choosing to give birth when older or deciding to pursue their career. The tabloid t scrounger is in a minority of 1 or two extreme families and even in the Daily Mail you won't get the full story.

Living on benefits

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