Whole families on UC, PIP, DLA and carers' allowance for each other?

No these people were buying them from JD sports etc, for about £100 a time....then moaned that they couldn't afford to buy their son a birthday cake :(
They had the latest mobiles, fancy bikes, Home entertainment system etc etc.Both had never worked a day in their life and didn't intend to.The dad inparticular was more than capable of doing so, but why would he when the state was bank rolling his luxury lifestyle...

Nobody has a luxury lifestyle on universal credit .

Relative to most of the world and most of history they do... if it was really that awful to live on, we wouldn't have increasing numbers doing it.

I think you misinterpreted what I said about India. People who don't have a safety net (or benefits) have to find work whatever that might be to eat. I think that it's great we have a safety net so the most vulnerable don't suffer. However it's open to abuse and doesn't make people have to work in order to eat. There are people who abuse the system, present as homeless at 16/18 get themselves into the system of council housing and benefits and find themselves trapped in that cycle. In other countries the poorest are still aspirational as they know they will have to work whatever happens.

Well its all relative
But its not enough the latest phones ,
Gadgets
£100 pair of trainers.

It might keep people aspiring to work but India has one of the lowest rankings in the world for upwards mobility. (UK is 21, India 76 - out of 82 countries evaluated)

There are also millions of children doing things like selling pens or flowers on the streets to support thier parents who dont make enough to feed them.

I know you said that you are glad there is a safety net so you arent suggesting we have street children but I don't really believe the poorest in India are aspiring to do the type of work they do, they are wanting to not starve. Its a funny turn of phrase. Really its poor people have to do unpleasant work and rely on child labour not to starve and the majority will remain in that lifestyle. I think they aspire to break out of that.

Isn't it? If you say so.

I think you misinterpreted what I said about India. People who don't have a safety net (or benefits) have to find work whatever that might be to eat. I think that it's great we have a safety net so the most vulnerable don't suffer. However it's open to abuse and doesn't make people have to work in order to eat. There are people who abuse the system, present as homeless at 16/18 get themselves into the system of council housing and benefits and find themselves trapped in that cycle. In other countries the poorest are still aspirational as they know they will have to work whatever happens.

A single person on UC gets just over 434 pounds a month. in my area being pregnant doesn't give you any more priority for a council house. At the moment where I live there are 14k people waiting for a council flat or house. Some have been waiting decades which is why so many people end up in private rented accommodation

Im not suggesting that no one abuses the benefits system but the majority of people do not. As I said earlier in the thread if they think getting LCWRA or Pip is easy they should go through the process of trying to get it.

You seem to be suggesting that having no safety net is a good thing. There are people in India who live in abject poverty. They do jobs for peanuts that have been outsourced by companies who make millions because it's cheaper to hire them than hire UK staff. I don't see that as much to celebrate. If someone presented as homeless in my area they would be placed into a B and B. Not given the keys to a council house

But where did OP say that we should be like India? Looking at other ways of doing things and finding a middle ground isnt the same as saying "I wish we had street kids"... this sort of hyperbole is really unnecessary.

I know as i get it
And having a severly disabled child
We get more than most
Ww can afford to live
But im not swanning around in designer gear none of us are.
My phone was £69.99 from samsung
So not the latest I phone or whatever

Getting ESA is not difficult.

I am working full time and have a cracked ancient phone and my trainers were from the bargain bin in decathlon.

None of that is unusual. Many of us don't have much money and work.

I don't think anyone is disputing that. The issue is that a lot of people look at people on UC and disability benefits as people with the latest iPhones and who live luxury lifestyles. It's been stated in this thread that that's the lifestyle you live if you are on benefits and get Pip.

That's if you qualify for new style ESA. I don't.

I don't think anyone is disputing that. The issue is that a lot of people look at people on UC and disability benefits as people with the latest iPhones and who live luxury lifestyles. It's been stated in this thread that that's the lifestyle you live if you are on benefits and get Pip.

Exactly. People know workers have a range of lifestyles some very poor.

People believe people on universal credit with DLA/PIP and Carers are living luxury lifestyles.

People can be very poor on benefits, but not everyone

Then you get UC

This isn't a bashing, rather a genuine observation and we're privileged in the UK to have support with benefits and disabilities.

Having adopted 2 siblings with special needs over a decade ago it opened me up to a whole new world to me. With DC in specialist schools and needing a lot of intervention from agencies and medical support I've met so many parents and children. As a teacher this was so insightful and, while having always been extra devoted to students who had difficulties, my own experience as a parent took it to another level.

Teaching, I was always aware and sympathetic to those who barely made it to lesson, almost fell asleep but professionally had to adhere to the 'not participating' and when told to 'fuck off' it was call out. I knew there would be further investigation as to why they act like this by more able and senior colleagues. Didn't take it personally but, as you can imagine, it's difficult when you have several students like this while under the pressure of teaching a tricky maths part of the syllabus.

So as a parent of ND DC I experienced it from the other side. It was very difficult because our DC were causing disruptions due to their severe diagnosis.

Throughout our journey and specialist schools I saw a lot of reality. This comes (finally) back to my point. Year after year it became blatantly obvious that the vast majority of children have parents with their own issues, whether hereditary or learnt behaviour.

I got a job at the primary school as a liason officer so met most parents. All lovely and care about their DC but sadly struggled with managing themselves, their homes etc. Those few who weren't eligible for taxis and escorts (walkable distance) relied heavily on GPs to take and pick up from school. There were some parents who did drive and drop off, like me, but it was about 5%.

So mostly the parents were on UC, claimed PIp for anxiety and MH, got DLA for all DC and also carers' allowance for looking after DC. While i visited it was clear they were were reclusive, their days were spent watching TV, gaming, DC picked up in a taxi and they had struggled to get out of bed, knew they are provided breakfast at school, went back to bed. Yes I've seen this on an early morning visit multiple times.

I understand but also a part of me felt frustrated that they had fallen into a rut, able bodied, could have long conversations, but have had so much support that has enabled this.

As a school we reached out to parents to come and integrate, provided workshops, held informal educational classes how we can help our DC. As a parent and before being employed there I attended these and it so nice to meet other parents. The reality... they just sat there, being served coffee by an already busy TA, talked all the way through the presentations then left, after already leaving several times for a smoke during an hour and half get together. Still as an attending parent at this point I could see TA was struggling so stepped in to help serve the refreshments, set up equipment and clear up afterwards. One Mum asked me to open a window, another asked to give her some biscuits...I was the same as them, a parent, but they were just totally oblivious to the situation.

Then walking out, having cleaned up and they were chatting outside, all I heard was that was so boring, I know how to bring up my kids, waste of time coming out, so what you doing now, probably Netflix.

Then getting the role and seeing deeper into their lifestyles it confirmed that actually so many of these parents had come from a generational cycle with low aspirations and no encouragement within modern education, social workers or support from us all could change their mindsets of behaviour. Sadly it really is a case of we get money, DC have their consoles, school provides meals and exercise, bags of amazing stuff at Christmas and end of year which we don't even say thank you for, we can complain online if we don't like something etc.

This is just the basic circumstances, delve deeper and you would be shocked at how some of these poor kids live. A whole different thread would have to be made about drug dealing, violence, not allowing DC in the house so they have to become one of the balaclava gangs and so much more.

As parents, even if we have our own issues, we all need to put our DC first, not rely on others to do it for us.

This isn't a bashing, rather a genuine observation and we're privileged in the UK to have support with benefits and disabilities.

Having adopted 2 siblings with special needs over a decade ago it opened me up to a whole new world to me. With DC in specialist schools and needing a lot of intervention from agencies and medical support I've met so many parents and children. As a teacher this was so insightful and, while having always been extra devoted to students who had difficulties, my own experience as a parent took it to another level.

Teaching, I was always aware and sympathetic to those who barely made it to lesson, almost fell asleep but professionally had to adhere to the 'not participating' and when told to 'fuck off' it was call out. I knew there would be further investigation as to why they act like this by more able and senior colleagues. Didn't take it personally but, as you can imagine, it's difficult when you have several students like this while under the pressure of teaching a tricky maths part of the syllabus.

So as a parent of ND DC I experienced it from the other side. It was very difficult because our DC were causing disruptions due to their severe diagnosis.

Throughout our journey and specialist schools I saw a lot of reality. This comes (finally) back to my point. Year after year it became blatantly obvious that the vast majority of children have parents with their own issues, whether hereditary or learnt behaviour.

I got a job at the primary school as a liason officer so met most parents. All lovely and care about their DC but sadly struggled with managing themselves, their homes etc. Those few who weren't eligible for taxis and escorts (walkable distance) relied heavily on GPs to take and pick up from school. There were some parents who did drive and drop off, like me, but it was about 5%.

So mostly the parents were on UC, claimed PIp for anxiety and MH, got DLA for all DC and also carers' allowance for looking after DC. While i visited it was clear they were were reclusive, their days were spent watching TV, gaming, DC picked up in a taxi and they had struggled to get out of bed, knew they are provided breakfast at school, went back to bed. Yes I've seen this on an early morning visit multiple times.

I understand but also a part of me felt frustrated that they had fallen into a rut, able bodied, could have long conversations, but have had so much support that has enabled this.

As a school we reached out to parents to come and integrate, provided workshops, held informal educational classes how we can help our DC. As a parent and before being employed there I attended these and it so nice to meet other parents. The reality... they just sat there, being served coffee by an already busy TA, talked all the way through the presentations then left, after already leaving several times for a smoke during an hour and half get together. Still as an attending parent at this point I could see TA was struggling so stepped in to help serve the refreshments, set up equipment and clear up afterwards. One Mum asked me to open a window, another asked to give her some biscuits...I was the same as them, a parent, but they were just totally oblivious to the situation.

Then walking out, having cleaned up and they were chatting outside, all I heard was that was so boring, I know how to bring up my kids, waste of time coming out, so what you doing now, probably Netflix.

Then getting the role and seeing deeper into their lifestyles it confirmed that actually so many of these parents had come from a generational cycle with low aspirations and no encouragement within modern education, social workers or support from us all could change their mindsets of behaviour. Sadly it really is a case of we get money, DC have their consoles, school provides meals and exercise, bags of amazing stuff at Christmas and end of year which we don't even say thank you for, we can complain online if we don't like something etc.

This is just the basic circumstances, delve deeper and you would be shocked at how some of these poor kids live. A whole different thread would have to be made about drug dealing, violence, not allowing DC in the house so they have to become one of the balaclava gangs and so much more.

As parents, even if we have our own issues, we all need to put our DC first, not rely on others to do it for us.

I didn't say everyone. Until 18 months ago I was running a home on 396 pounds a month. I was poor. A single person on UC is not going to be living in luxury.

Been very depressing not having the first days of school because your child is doing a reduced timetable whilst all the other kids have fun.