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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you rely on state support , you should have a great quality of life, not the breadline

261 replies

confidenceboost · 07/03/2025 09:50

Aibu? Can we have a healthy chat on this one:

I will set my position out so nobody can say I've drip fed. I would say I have quite socialist mindset to be honest although I have grown up very privileged due to my parents hard work
I am from the uk but moved around as a child coming back to England age 18 for uni

I have been always lucky enough not to need help from the government. I think some people probably do claim help and don't need it but mostly I would say the cases are very genuine

Here's where I don't know if I am different

I think you should be given a high , highest quality of life by the govt if you genuinely for whatever reason need it.
Why should you live on the breadline?
Why should you turn down your heating?
Why should you not get treatment or help that would improve your life ?

Is it degrading to give state benefit as a breadline type lifestyle? I say yes

I think I am not being unreasonable saying that benefits and state support should be increased as it is unfair to resign people to a poor quality of life due to them needing help?

Thank you

OP posts:
Bjorkdidit · 07/03/2025 10:04

Most working people on decent incomes either can't afford or can't access what you are proposing.

It's unaffordable and impractical. The Nordic countries are probably closest but they have small populations, generally oil wealth (Norway) or geothermal (Iceland), and high taxation levels plus a completely different mindset re personal responsibility and sense of community.

BravebutBroken · 07/03/2025 10:04

I would be inclined to agree. I say that as someone who has lost my whole livelihood due to a disability which has left me completely unable to work, thus affecting my children's lives too. I also personally know several people who are absolutely able to work yet choose to live on benefits and, in my view, defraud the system. That's where the problem lies. The system needs to be able to differentiate. Those who are able to work, should have an incentive to do so and therefore have a better quality of life.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 07/03/2025 10:04

State benefits should be enough to pay basic needs. So a single person should get enough for rent, bills, clothing etc and provisions for single people with no children fall very short.

But on the whole, no there is no need to provide an extravagant lifestyle on benefits.

Maverickess · 07/03/2025 10:03

I agree in principle, however I work 45 hours a week and live that sort of 'breadline' lifestyle too.

Why should you live on the breadline?
Why should you turn down your heating?
Why should you not get treatment or help that would improve your life ?

All those things apply to me too. I can't afford the dental treatment I need, I had to go into debt to get a tooth removed that was causing pain and infection and I've got other issues brewing but I need to pay that off first.

I think people forget that it's not just people on benefits that live on the breadline. I've no issue with people who need benefits getting them and having a decent standard of living, but everyone should have that too.

DrudgeJedd · 07/03/2025 10:02

confidenceboost · 07/03/2025 09:50

Aibu? Can we have a healthy chat on this one:

I will set my position out so nobody can say I've drip fed. I would say I have quite socialist mindset to be honest although I have grown up very privileged due to my parents hard work
I am from the uk but moved around as a child coming back to England age 18 for uni

I have been always lucky enough not to need help from the government. I think some people probably do claim help and don't need it but mostly I would say the cases are very genuine

Here's where I don't know if I am different

I think you should be given a high , highest quality of life by the govt if you genuinely for whatever reason need it.
Why should you live on the breadline?
Why should you turn down your heating?
Why should you not get treatment or help that would improve your life ?

Is it degrading to give state benefit as a breadline type lifestyle? I say yes

I think I am not being unreasonable saying that benefits and state support should be increased as it is unfair to resign people to a poor quality of life due to them needing help?

Thank you

Did you forget to put the poll in your OP?

Viviennemary · 07/03/2025 09:58

State benefits are ridiculous. They need to be drastically cut back in certain circumstances

LadyKenya · 07/03/2025 09:58

🤔

Iamallowedtodisagreewithyou · 07/03/2025 09:54

No you should just get the basics if you don't work otherwise there's no incentive to work

Greenqueen40 · 07/03/2025 09:53

Shouldn't people who work hard also get these things?? Because there is many many people out there doing just this and literally living week to week.

Wugglesworth · 07/03/2025 09:53

Cool. How are we paying for it? Working people taxed to an extent that they then have a poor quality of life?

LittleOddSock · 07/03/2025 09:52

How do you propose it's paid for?

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