"Just get a better paid job"

[Frequency]

I'm genuinely interested in how, the people who post this on benefits threads, envision society working if everyone entitled to top-up benefits took their advice and got a better job.

That would be the majority of care workers, nurses, police, retail staff, street sweepers, refuse workers, factory workers, delivery drivers, hairdressers, childminders, etc etc etc e.g the people who keep our society running. The people who, not so long ago, everyone was applauding and hailing as heroes.

Could you even get to work without them?

Ditto the people who post things along the lines of "You should have thought about this before you had children. I don't want to pay for your kids."

Do you genuinely believe the childcare worker, TA, school nurse, etc who looks after your children while you work shouldn't be entitled to raise a family of their own?

And if they didn't, if only those who can afford to live without government top-ups had children would we have enough people being born to maintain society given that we are already short of young, able-bodied people to care for our elderly.

Totally agree. I work as an SEN TA. I am paid barely above minimum wage. I can only do this job (which I love, as good at and is essential for the kids I teach) because dh is a high earner.

Without the people who should just get a better paid job this country would be fucked. Who is going to serve the mega earners of MN in the supermarket? Who is going to look after their kids and care for their elderly relatives? Clean their fancy offices? etc.

Some people on here talk out of their arses.

Exactly, this is what UC is for, for those who need a supplement alongside their job, whatever they do.

I agree. It could just about work as advice for some at an individual level but it doesnt work at all at a society level.

I've sort of gone off the idea of social mobility it seems to mean that its ok for people at the bottom to be treated badly if some people are able to move out of being treated badly (or into it) even if its not possible for all to be mobile.

Obviously i want people to have job choices and opportunities but the people doing the lower paid necessary jobs need to be treated well and have homes, children, heating, food etc.

It’s a misuse of UC and the government are responsible for not putting policies in place that demand employers pay a living wage.

Agreed. The smug high earners who make these comments would have all sorts of problems if everyone on minimum wage simply "got a better job."

I agree to an extent but a lot of smaller businesses need top-ups. I do understand the argument that if you cannot pay a living wage your business is not viable but in practice this would mean a lot of smaller, independent businesses going under and a lot of jobs being lost.

The likes of Tesco and Amazon have no excuse.

It's a good thing to say to people who complain about the proposed tax increase on private school fees.....

I am a care assisstant in a care home. I enjoy my job. I always wanted to be a nurse but academically, I just do not make the grade.

I'm happier to support a worker have a better standard of living than UC for 'can but don't work' claimants. Granted they should be paid a better wage in the first place, but I don't think they should have to change jobs to be valued higher in our society.

Are there any long term can work but don't work UC claimants?

I was only on UC for a month following redundancy and I felt constantly pressured to explain why I wasn't applying to X,Y or Z job?

I was in the "lower supervision" group as in I was only recently out of work, was educated and they "trusted me to find work without their help."

I don't imagine it would be easy to get away with not looking for work longterm.

The problem on MN is none of the minimum wage jobs are valued on MN. They are all classed as 'dead end jobs' or ''shit jobs'

Completely agree op

One sticking point of the get a better paid job suggestion is the fact that not everyone has the ability to get the necessary qualifications for a better career.
Even if they did how could they take time out to study while also keeping a roof over their head and food on the table.

Well said OP!

I blame the government for politicizing everything. Imagine a government that explained the pros and cons of taking care of other people.we are not a free capitalist society. We don’t succeed by leaving people behind. The economics are complex but benefits were implemented to improve the country. Those complaining ought to ask why so much time and resources are wasted governing. Or better yet why they dont bother to learn about the history and how our social welfare state has probably helped them along the way. They’re far too simple minded to understand we all benefit. But we need to keep improving things so people need support less.

Agree. Complete respect to anyone who works FT on NMW, it must be soul destroying but those jobs are so important and crucial for society.

Agree. I think the theory is that if all carers / shop workers left to do something else, they'd have to pay people more to do those jobs (ie carers are only paid min wage because there are people willing to do that job for that money).
In practice, though, that hasn't happened. There's just a massive shortage of carers leaving a broken system & many suffering.

Only using carers as an example x

Well said OP
i work as support staff in a school so term time only. I’m paid NMW and rely on benefits to top up. I’m having to transition to UC and am worried I won’t be eligible as it’s paid pro rata. I’m pretty sure they’re going to be on at me to find another job as I won’t meet the AET…. But my school struggles to find staff as it is!! If we all felt that way then who would do these low paid jobs?!

Oh and it’s a private school too, the irony!

I work as a trained professional in the mental health sector and it's frightening how many mental health crisis support 'outreach' roles are now being advertised at NMW by the likes of MIND.

Absolutely they deserve more money and if UC is the way to achieve that then so be it. It's just a shame that the MH sector has been so decimised that important intervenition roles are now being delivered in the charity sector with notoriously low pay.

I'd rather people were paid a living wage. I am not thrilled that my taxes are effectively subsidising businesses making more profit?

Public sector workers should definitely be paid a living wage. It is all coming out of the same money. Why complicate it by topping up with UC, just pay them enough in the first place?!

People on minimum wage also pay tax.

I would say the exception would be people who work part time who reasonably work full time, no issues on them getting uc as long as they are doing their best to earn as much as they can

I don't think I suggested they didn't? But it's very inefficient to take tax off someone then pay them UC - either sort out the tax bands or sort out minimum wage.

It just shows how short sighted and hypocritical some people are. As I've said on other threads there's never a problem with people using the services those on low pay provide, people don't complain about them being available or people working in them and providing a service, only when they can't live on the wage and need top ups is it suddenly an issue and people need to get better jobs then.

It's a flippant and childish remark from people who know they're benefitting from it happening.