What would happen to you/your family if there were NO benefits/welfare system?

[Mamajoycewig]

As there's been a lot of talk around benefits in the news and a lot of strong opinions on it I was interested to know what would happen to most people if there were no welfare system in place?

Would your family suffer? Would you be on the streets?

Would you have still had kids knowing if you couldn't work there'd be no government backup?

Would you have made different life choices?

Personally, if all benefits were to be removed tomorrow then we'd be the same financially other than losing child benefit which we use for nappies/wipes etc.

My mum and brother would be screwed as he's disabled. Although if I'm honest I don't think she'd have had as many kids as she did without any top ups (4 kids). She's always worked but needed top ups.

I actually disagree with you about 'top up' benefits OP. I think it's an absolute scandal that people working full time need money from the tax payer so that they can feed their children and keep a roof over their head. Meanwhile their employers are hoarding profits for themselves. It's not the benefits system that needs reform, its the distribution of the company profits so that workers also get a fair share.

Perhaps she wouldn't be able to work full time. Not everyone can. She must be working at least 30 hours a week though, to be getting single parent universal credit, surely? Or has it gone up to 35 now?

Almost half of our total monthly income of £4k is made up of benefits.

Our total outgoings come to around £3k.

And we will spend the remainder however we please. Even on Starbucks! 😲

Oh and we have a lovely 4 bed detached new build house, 2 cars and 3 kids with another one on the way.

The profits are taxed. It makes no difference which is why labour haven’t leapt in to change the NMW

I'd be dead.

I wouldn't be able to afford the free healthcare that saved my life.

Surely the problem is wages paying so little and rents being so high that around 50% of families have to have benefits top-ups?

You're actually better off working full time on UC so you're talking mince. It's also none of your business what she spends it on. Who do you think you are saying she shouldn't be having a costa 🙄

Not in terms of work life balance you’re not. And it was Starbucks not Costa 🤪

Wouldn't impact me. Financially independent and mortgage paid off

Most people on UC don’t work

Believe what you will, it’s a small place, people talk. I would gladly help people in real need, but not people who happily abuse the system, no wonder there’s no money left in the coffins. As someone said above, effective benefits system is what’s needed.

Yes, I agree, housing is a massive issue. We need and absolutly huge council house building programme. And I say this as a private LL.

She could get drunk on coffee for all I care with her own money but not taxpayers money.

We'd all be impacted if we stopped supporting the most vulnerable in society. 😔

Personally absolutely no impact on me but my daughter who is a SW for child protection team really relies on Child Benefit and wrap around care for her child.
She can’t do her job without the extra help…she is spending crazy hours helping others !

I reallyhopes that's a typo....coffins? You mean coffers, right?

Many are vulnerable but drug users who are in & out of court/A&E and burgle houses are not ‘vulnerable’. And there are many of them

Lots of folk on UC work.

Yes but not most.

Yes, sorry, coffers🤣

Wouldn’t affect us, never been on benefits. More than happy to pay taxes though so that those who need them can be in receipt.

I would lose my job as I am a PA for a disabled person.

Couldn't family look after him/her?

In the event of no benefits I think multi generational households would come back as they were years ago. i.e grandparents looking after kids whilst parents worked. Daughters getting pregnant at 16 staying at home instead of getting council flats etc.

In Asian cultures multi generational living is quite common, the welfare state allowed everyone to get their own place.

If she was working full time she would still need top ups!

Not so much now but at one point I was wheelchair bound after a no fault car accident and I had no way of supporting myself. It wasn't easy to get support either (apparently 2 severely broken legs, neck and pelvis isn't a clear cut case for PIP - but eventually did get help)

I get that's it's hard to understand as someone who doesn't need it but the process is horrible, demeaning and terrifying when you're relying on an under-qualified agency employee to decide whether you are bashed up enough to warrant a measly few hundred pounds a month. Especially when you're dealing with the trauma of nearly dying in a car crash.