Are other full-time working families finding there is nothing left?

You've shown here that you have completely and utterly misinterpreted much of what I'm saying so I don't see the point in continuing to engage with you when you wilfully miss every point I make and mischaracterise it so much just so it suits your own narrative. You've multiple times accused me of saying one thing when I'm saying another and I'm fed up of it. You're either doing it on purpose or this discussion is beyond you but I'm done with it.

What actually is your argument?

You started off saying income taxes such as dividend tax wouldn’t increase unemployment, I’ve explained how it does increase unemployment. You then began the usual conflating high income tax payers with billionaires and the ‘elite’, claimed billionaires are increasing and the old ‘you don’t care about poor people’ and immorality argument. Then a few posts claiming income taxes are wealth taxes. You’ve declined any questions to quantify the people should pay ‘more’ tax , what they pay now and how much ‘more’.

From what I can gather, your ‘argument’ is more tax for anyone else but you. More ‘free stuff’ as long as you are not a net tax payer. This is just bog standard Labour ideology and the consequences are playing clearly out on the UK economy as we speak.

Having paid national insurance for a certain number of years. In the same way that PIP is paid for having a certain number of disability points and job seekers is paid for spending a certain number of hours looking for work. Benefit with qualifying conditions attached.

But as I say, so many seem to think it’s not a benefit because they don’t like to be lumped with benefits claimants as they like looking down on them.

So, why did you retire if you were getting that salary?

@RedRock41

I am not yet terminally ill. I am not in fact ill enough yet to get PIP
I cannot get ESA becsuse when I left my job in 2023 to become a full time foster carer I had a full NI record. So made no more contributions. So cant get ESA. Even I could it would be reduced by half because of my of pension. I'd very happily take half- as least that would keep me in beans on toast.

My point being that the belief that benefits are handed out like sweets is mistaken.

And I think you will find there are more people like me than people sitting on houses with huge equity

It makes no difference, she is still getting (all/most) of her rent paid, which clearly is a benefit to her.
I always struggle when someone points this out, as if those who work are living rent or mortgage free!

I‘m retired. Retired two years ago on my 60th birthday. Someone said to me to claim it and I was like whit! I’d be as well still at work getting £700 for 28 hours than getting £90 for 35. There’s a reason I retired.

What conditions?

Her landlord will be getting the housing allowance.

if half of Mumsnet knows someone, then that’s a lot of people fiddling the system.

i see it in my own family: see plenty of members who know the right things to say to GPs, the school etc.

@Tiillytubby @Salledebains completely agree.

My gross salary is just under six figures. When I was in my 30s, I'd have assumed I'd basically made it in life, earning that - my sector is not highly paid.

And objectively, I'm privileged.

I now don't: get my nails or eyebrows done, drink alcohol, just buy the kids a treat. Like, ever.

We save every month, a little, and meet our bills. But that's it. If one of the cars broke down or there was a problem with the house, it would be sticky.

And I keep thinking, if I feel like this, and I'm probably top 10ish pc of earners, God it must be impossible if you own a small business or similar.

What happened to disabled children prior to so many parents giving up work and becoming full time carers?

Yeah course you do half of mumsnet
apparently knows somone whose getting disability benefits for absolutely no reason
But as you dont even have know the basics I'll beg to differ

and in your son’s circumstance; it is completely appropriate for him to be able to recieve DLA. But surely you are aware tht there are many, many, people swinging the lead and saying the right things to get DLA for their kids

It’s a benefit with conditions attached. Like many others.

What happened to disabled children prior to so many parents giving up work and becoming full time carers?

What happened to disabled children prior to so many parents giving up work and becoming full time carers?

I’m sure there are plenty of families who’s children are disabled, and they absolutely deserve it.

but come on: these days there has been an increase of people claiming for their kids having either adhd or autism, and in certain circles, plenty are playing it up to be entitled to benefits

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/children-disability-benefits-dwp-allowance-b2596221.html

i don’t know the ins and outs as I don’t claim the benefit: but I do know plenty of people who do! Family members who are fit and healthy but have barely ever worked.

I was made redundant last year, and did claim it for a few weeks; was really quite pissed off to have contributed to the system for years and then get a tiny amount back when I needed it. I got a job within a couple or months: after I applied for literally hundreds of jobs.

I bet the same will happen when retire: I have put into my pension since I was 18. Probably state pension will be means tested by the time I get to that stage in life

Well first of all " Wee Danny " wont be getting PiP aa its for people over 16 abd secondly autism and ADHD are both massive spectrum
And no one gets DLA/PIP for having a diagnosis
They get it for how that diagnosis impacts them
My son gets HRC and HRM hes autistic however he is severely autistic with severe learning disabilities, hes 16 next month
Can't speak at all ,hss a very limited understanding of the world around him
Attends a special school for children with severe and profound learning disabilities, is working at pre school levels
Exhibits extremely challenging behaviour
You get the picture

We pay league fees on top for the same. Not sure how much his dad covers that, my £50 is for extra academy training. So possibly £100 a month.
Plus boots, shin pads, winter and summer skins, gloves, balls and posts at home. (Although he gets a fair bit of this for presents).

But what to do? Pitches need lights and maintenance, their costs have gone up, you need registration and for coaches to be DBS checked, insurance and first aid covered.

It’s still on the cheaper side of extra activities. For what you get, because, as you say, there is a huge amount of volunteering involved. (Much thanks to all who do that).

Children are expensive. Life is expensive but children are even more than that. But this is why we work surely?

We’ve got one into Warhammer! Football costs are nothing compared to that.