To ask what's the beef with benefits?

I dont expect to have the winter fuel, free travel etc. I will have to wait until 68 to claim my state pension even though my parents generation had it at 60...

At 60 you get free prescriptions ( think!) I was in the chemist the other day collecting a prescription and there were shelves and shelves of medicines waiting to be claimed. After two months they open them up and redistribute but it does show that when something is seen as 'free' some people just dont bother to collect, there is no pain felt and because after all its free!

If it's based on need, why do so many people object to the reduction in housing benefit so that it only provides people with what they need? I'm aware of the valid objections to the reduction where there is a valid medical need, but a lot of people oppose it even without that part of the issue.

Child benefit isn't based on need either, and nor is widowed parents allowance.

I'm all for universal benefits btw, and I don't believe benefits should only go to the poorest, I think it's better that we have a system that everyone can be invested in and know they can rely on. But that's not what we have, which is why I think a lot of people do have beef with benefits. The system isn't fit for purpose.

Oh and the other thing about the pension is that you were not expected to live long enough to collect much of it.

Well I know what you mean. The pension part makes sense because that was the deal back in the olden days when I first went to work. I don't know why the other things are automatic.

Well, maybe I do. Lots of pensioners who vote? :)

BackOnlyBriefly, I agree that benefits should be based on needs which is why it is absurd that the state will one day be giving me a pension, free TV licence, free travel, heating allowances etc. I will be in the happy position of not needing these favours (unless struck by profound misfortune) but I will get them through entitlement.

Viviennemary The benefits are not about what you deserve, but what you need. People on benefits are already in the area they happen to live in and already have children. If they need £xx to pay the rent and feed the kids your way would have them NOT having enough to pay the rent and feed the kids. How would you handle that?

Imagine for example the 1000s of people who worked for Citylink until xmas when they found themselves out of work.

Oh and don't forget that working people who happen to need more money for rent and kids food get it too.

But the point is benefits varies so much from family to family. Some people doing quite well and others barely affording to eat. That's what I just simply do not understand. They should be moving towards a flat rate. Because let's face it people don't get pay rises because they live in a more expensive area and have more children. It's far far too complicated and has grown out of control.

Oooooo, I've now turned into benefit scum, I have TWO 32 inch tellies in my house now, along with a....gasp.......PS4. What a bad benefit scrounger I am.

I didnt buy the tellies they were given to me by family, the PS4 though was my xmas pressie to my self for working so damn hard for the ungrateful bastards that are Sainsburys.

I don't have a beef with benefits, I do have a beef with the bigoted shit shown by some on here, Derek and Donna have been treated awfully by daisy and others.
Try living on benefits then come back and tell us how you get on.

Breaking There are always people who will appear to do well out of the system, any system. I also wonder just how much debt this woman is in, there are many who are have serious levels of debt just through 'keeping up appearances'. Many in the same amount of debt because they prioritise wrongly eg. nails and hair, and many in debt because the stuff they need to ensure their disability allows them to function properly is not covered by the benefits provided.

The system needs to be looked at as some seem to be doing well e.g, mother of flaky BIL's child has 3 kids from three (flaky) fathers, often in town getting nails done, massages, goes out drinking, big screen TV, cupboards seem to have food etc. But then I know people scraping by on incapacity benefit who are legitimately ill/in pain or having to care for partners.

MagratsHair what you probably heard was that the council will take a week to collect the old washing machine for recycling. They do that for everyone. Go check and post again about it.

Your post would have been more useful if you'd said "I have seen 1 person do this and 2 people do that". It's all very well saying: There are also others who lie and commit fraud, who live with working partners and claim as single parents and there are generations of families who do not work as their parents never did. But you only 'know' there are lots of them because the Daily Mail told you so.

Handcream you said It's funny, when someone mentions that their relative or neighbour doesn't work and claims more than someone in a low paid job they are almost called liars.

I can promise you that there are people on benefits who get more than the lowest paid worker. I should bloody well hope so. It would be an atrocity if we left a penniless woman (for example) to feed 5 kids on the wage of the worst paid single person. (and let's have a thread on how a working person can be so badly paid)

Bear in mind that the single working person can also get benefits to top up their income if needed. If they had 5 kids they'd have more then the person not working.

Beef with benefits?

Do you mean when people MOOve into COWncil houses?

Hehehhe

everyone has their limits as well...,

I would really love to know what is going to happen if everyone is expected to keep upskilling, bettering their position etc.

There will be no retail or service industry (biggest offenders of zero hours contracts). There will be no one to clear litter from the parks, empty rubbish or clean. No hospital cleaners or HCAs.

Things would fall apart!

Hand, you don't know if she has a choice, you have no idea how specialised or narrow her field may be. How insecure the particular field may be. Hobson's choice isn't really a choice is it.

Good grief.

Handcream, would you like to be my employment advisor, you are sooooo knowledge about all this stuff, I have apparently being going about it for the last 2 years.

Teach me oh wise one,Teach me!!!

but its not as simple as jumping from one job to another

You have a choice here - stay where you are and accept zero hrs contracts or do something about it. The choice is yours, it really is.

Of course handcream - why on earth wouldn't you just ignore your qualifications that you worked so hard for? Just change. Just like that.

Problem solved.

Louis - go into another profession! When I first started working I was temping (secretarial work). I didn't like the constant swapping of assignments so I left and tried something else.

My heart actually goes out to those caring for children with serious issues. My ds2 has some mild problems but I can see from the dla form that I will have to jump through hoops to get it and carers allowance is an insult. Obviously I wouldn't qualify for carers allowance but those who care for others deserve so much more.

thats asham its come to that homealone