Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Edwina Currie on UC being cut

112 replies

Fizbosshoes · 08/10/2021 21:55

This week I heard Edwina Currie on the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2. (I know I am being unreasonable for listening to proffessional shit stirrer JV but the radio is on at work)

There was a single mum (who's partner had been killed in a car crash.) She worked ft and had 2 kids but was going to struggle without the £20 uplift.

Edwina Currie said she sympathised as she remembered how it was when her kids were small juggling budgeting and childcare...
Confused She was an MP and her husband was an accountant- I doubt they were struggling!

Then she said that people should tell their employer they're looking for a job elsewhere and the employer would probably want to keep them on and give them a payrise...Hmm

When challenged that a lot of the jobs available were not suitable for a single parent with childcare to sort out (eg shifts, overnight work in a warehouse etc) she said people needed to be "creative" (wtf does than mean in this instance?) and that most grandparents would love to help.
Then there was a pile on of callers telling people that they were scroungers and "to get a job".

Its literally like they're willfully not listening or sticking their fingers in their ears and saying "la la la la la not listening" and just coming out with patronising BS.

The original caller did work full time and was still struggling.
Not everyone has grandparents...at all ...or nearby, or maybe the GPS are working themselves...or don't want to do full time, or overnight childcare (not unreasonable). And where are all the employers falling over themselves to give people a payrise...? Some businesses pay NMW to cut costs, other businesses won't be able to afford payrises after covid and brexit.

And the assumption that people are sitting around waiting for handouts and that if they could just "upskill" or "better themselves" it would solve the problem....
How can they not hear what people are saying...?

OP posts:
MissM2912 · 08/10/2021 21:58

They can hear- they just don’t care. I heard her on another station last week- same crap. Apparently should just all be doing further education at home to get better paid job.

CaveMum · 08/10/2021 21:58

I heard the same interview and had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Of course granny would love to help with childcare. Sadly for my kids one granny is dead and the other lives 200 miles away so not much use!

Original poster
Fizbosshoes · 08/10/2021 22:00

I heard the same interview and had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

I wanted to throw the radio out the window, it made me so mad.

OP posts:
WormYourHonour · 08/10/2021 22:01

There's plenty of people on MN with the exact same attitude as Edwina

Babyroobs · 08/10/2021 22:06

They are so out of bloody touch with how things are for many. I personally don't think that the uplift should continue, but help should be targeted in other ways.

CorrBlimeyGG · 08/10/2021 22:07

The disingenuity about UC is everywhere. Therese Coffey suggesting people find a few more hours work, ignoring the fact that 40% of UC claimants are already in work, and that most of those claiming UC for disability cannot work at all.

Babyroobs · 08/10/2021 22:08

@CaveMum

I heard the same interview and had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Of course granny would love to help with childcare. Sadly for my kids one granny is dead and the other lives 200 miles away so not much use!

exactly, we lost 3 grandparents in a few year including my mum who helped with childcare died suddenly. We were only able to both keep working because we worked around each other, dh doing days and me doing nights and weekends but not everyone has that option, especially not lone parents, unless the other parent is very involved.
CorrBlimeyGG · 08/10/2021 22:08

Also "it was only intended to help during a period of high costs" completely disregards that costs are higher than ever, and only going to get higher.

Hullbilly · 08/10/2021 22:10

They just don't care. But STILL people vote for them. You've got to be a serious arsehole to back this.

KissedintheDark · 08/10/2021 22:11

I remember her years ago when she was in government and the elderly were dying from the cold. She said they should wear a hat.

billycorn · 08/10/2021 22:11

I heard this interview and it made me realise with absolute 100% certainty that Edwina Currie et al have no idea what the real world is like. They are so detached from reality it’s like listening/watching a horror show.

StarCat2020 · 08/10/2021 22:11

UC was "uplifted" so that it didn't look so shit if any new claimants needed it.

In 1980 Supplementary Benefit was £26.80 and rent and rates fully paid on top.

£26.80 (1980) adjusted for inflation is a few pence short of £118.

StarCat2020 · 08/10/2021 22:12

Sorry meant to add equivalent amount of UC today is around £75

Babyroobs · 08/10/2021 22:12

@CorrBlimeyGG

Also "it was only intended to help during a period of high costs" completely disregards that costs are higher than ever, and only going to get higher.
I think one of the issues is that people on legacy benefits , ESA and JSA. Income support never got an uplift at all which was grossly unfair in the first place. If they continue the uplift they are going to have to do it for that enormous group of people too and probably pay them backpay for the last 18 months. The uplift was a knee jerk reaction to a crisis and ill thought out as to the problems it would cause in the longer term. they should have looked at targeting help during covid to the most needy in other ways. Some people had no additional costs.
StarCat2020 · 08/10/2021 22:19

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9246/CBP-9246.pdf

Legacy benefits were not increased as uplift was intended to help those "new to benefits system".

Yet again, deserving and undeserving poor shit from those in power

BlackeyedSusan · 08/10/2021 23:20

gosh, I am sure the care home will not notice two autistic children staying overnight with my mum... Grin

it's that or the graveyard with my dad, or the mountain side where pils ashes were scattered...

sometimes they just try to defend the indefensible.

Maverickess · 08/10/2021 23:34

When people say the words 'Universal Credit' or 'Tax Credit' it somehow mashes around in some people's brain and what they hear is 'Benefit scrounger without a job'.
Then there's 'Get a better job' and 'Cut your cloth accordingly' as a back up that doesn't work.

gosh, I am sure the care home will not notice two autistic children staying overnight with my mum... grin

Please don't give them ideas..... I wouldn't be surprised to see this in a proposal at some point 😜😂

MopaniTree · 09/10/2021 00:00

Maybe they should focus their attention on putting a stop to all these tax free havens and target the super wealthy who deliberately avoid paying tax. Then there would be no need to target the least well off in society. Why are the likes of Tony and Cherie Blair escaping a 400k tax bill yet a £20 UC uplift is begrudged?

plinkplinkfizzer · 09/10/2021 00:29

@KissedintheDark

I remember her years ago when she was in government and the elderly were dying from the cold. She said they should wear a hat.
Absolutely I remember this . Pretty sure she told pensioners to knit woolly hats and drink hot tea . Lots of pensioners were really poor in the 80's .
jewel1968 · 09/10/2021 00:30

And if there was an election tomorrow people would still vote Tory. What can you do? Mind you not convinced Keir would be much more sympathetic. I refer the honourable gentleman/gentlewoman to the debacle of the labour resignation over minimum wage.

Graphista · 09/10/2021 00:44

I'm shocked at the people that are shocked.

She's a dyed in the wool Tory she's ALWAYS been like this why are you surprised?

For the "hard of hearing" TORIES DO NOT CARE about ordinary people, they never have and they never will!

@KissedintheDark I remember the wear a hat shite!

UC was "uplifted" so that it didn't look so shit if any new claimants needed it.

But there was a certain type of new claimant that still complained. There were even threads on here where they were bitching about the rules that had ALWAYS applied to benefit claimants and a few of them were even trying to argue that they personally shouldn't be subjected to rules like eg the rules on how much savings you're allowed to have cos they were a "different" kind of claimant a "better" kind...except of course they weren't!

@Babyroobs yea I'm on legacy benefits and I don't know if you're aware but there's a court case going through about the fact that those of us on legacy benefits never got the uplift

Yet again, deserving and undeserving poor shit from those in power

Exactly!

I return to my first main point they do NOT CARE all they care about is lining their own pockets and that of their cronies!

Pixxie7 · 09/10/2021 05:13

I remember her at the peak of her career she was always sanctimonious. However although I don’t agree with it the uplift was always temporary and the current rise in cost of living is going to affect everyone and if they are going to do a more targeted approach that may be the way to go.
As far as grandparents go it seems that with Sajid saying people should look after their ageing parents and now their grandchildren they shouldn’t have increased the retirement age.

Firstdayofautumn · 09/10/2021 05:53

Graphista and StarCar2020 are spot on. It was never about extra costs. I can't believe anyone thinks it ever was.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 09/10/2021 06:04

Yep, she's ridiculous. I'm a single parent working 28 hours a week. I genuinely cannot do any more than that as there is such a lack of childcare. DS got a place at breakfast club but there are no spaces at after school club and there is a waiting list. No childminders with availability. My ex can't be relied on as he works shifts which differ every week and of course his job is more important than mine as it pays more. Hmm

My mum would love to help with childcare but she is only 52 and still works full time herself, she wouldn't want to do childcare at the weekends as that's her time to relax and I don't blame her, she works in a hospital and it's stressful. My ex never met his dad and his mum is dead so there are no other grandparents to help.

Some people just don't get it. Personally I can manage without the extra £20 as I am fortunate to have low outgoings and receive child maintenance. I feel for the people that can't, especially heading into winter. I'm already spending over £3 a day on gas/electric.

Windows01 · 09/10/2021 06:15

I saw an interview with her and the opposition was Gary Neville. He's not a politician but he had a great way with his words, speaking very clearly and logically which absolutely fell on Edwina's deaf ears.

He was taking about the parents that are already stretched and working and the suffering they may now experience over the winter and to just give a little more time.

She was banging on about getting a job or retraining. Gary repeated about people already having jobs and that retraining takes time. Can't just walk into the better paid job tomorrows

Typical politician swerving the issues at hand.

It is frustrating and I genuinely feel for those that will have to choose between food and warmth over the winter. How are labour not jumping up and down about this? Open goal surely?