to think benefits are pretty LOW actually. How much do you get?

[ItsGraceActually]

I'm on ESA (used to be 'sick benefit'). I get £90 a week, plus my rent (£400/month) and council tax (£100/month).

With my £90 a week, I pay for heating - it's an all-electric house on a pre-pay meter; water rates; phone, internet, mobile, etc; TV licence; everything else.

I can't afford to run a car or, indeed, use public transport. I smoke, which I pay for with 'permitted work' (about £20/week) from home. I NEVER go out, except for one coffee a fortnight. I don't know how I'm going to afford heating in the winter.

I am extremely grateful for the welfare system, don't get me wrong! I feel fine about claiming: I paid in for 30 years, in the belief that anyone who needs it can get it.
Just now and again, there's one thread too many in here about people on a "welfare lifestyle" , living it up on benefits. Chance'd be a fine thing ...

Also, I believe that Australia at least prefers younger immigrants and/or people with a recognised trade or hard cash.

EU shopuld technically be OK Riv but outside- nope

Soggy, you sound like my Mum when she used to tell us she got sixpence pocket money a week.

Yes mother, in the 1950s...

SS it wasn't that long ago and I've taken inflation into account :)

I hate being on benefits, and I hate the way people make me feel guilty about being on them. I wish I was well enough to work, and support my son without any benefits, but I haven't got a choice. The constant "benefit scroungers, get them back into work" cries upset and frustrate me no end, because its not that simple.

There will always be people that screw over the system, regardless of what that system is. Some people are (sadly) conditioned to do it, and some just aren't happy to live within their means, or do something to actively change it.

But no, I don't think they are that much. I get DLA, CB and will soon be getting CTC (having only just found out I am eligible - thought you had to have been working pre-pregnancy to get it.), and whilst what I will be getting when that comes through will make my life easier, and I won't be having to count the pennies every day, it is still not much.

I agree with whoever it was who said that those who appear to be living the Good Life on benefits are either ripping off the system or in huge amounts of debt. Any way, its a miserable state to be in.

So if youw ere supporting 2 children on that much then surely you qualified for eitehr TCs or family credit?

I don;t think tehre's any point feeling guilty about claiming benefits (though I do feel it) as it's self defeating: if you are going to battle out you need to be incontrol not defeated.

And if you are genuinely unabel to battle out- well who would seriously begrudge a living income to soemone who was disbaled or genuinely sick? certainly not me.

It was "that long ago", Soggy, as you said you were on a low income for 9 years (in the past, presumably).

£10,000 in the year 2000 was worth £1,280 in today's money; the reverse calculation: £10,000 ten years ago = £7,813 today. So if you were running around to keep warm then, with your cat in a little jumper [aaah], imagine how strapped you'd be today, on 22% LESS money in real terms!

i would say that the main issue is benefits provide for some very specific people reaonably well, and some people appallingly badly.

minor rises/falls in income/ amount of work/ slight changes of circumstances can leave people vastly better or worse off - people definitely fall through the cracks, whilst others find themselves able to claim for wide varieties of benefits.

Also the system is complex so people can - whilst acting in completely good faith - wind up overclaiming or underclaiming simply because they don't understand the interaction of different benefits, and don't understand the terms of the exemptions/ qualifications.

as an example - i didn't tell council tax relief people about our change in CTC. I didn't realise i needed to (as had already told them the previous years figures) - this lead to us paying £900 in 3 months in council tax! Also i didn't realise here was an exepmtion for Maternity pay on WTC/CTC - thanks to a fellow Mumsnetter i realised in time to claim £800 back....

these swings and roundabouts for people in marginal incomes can push from 'managing' to 'screwed'

So far, I've been lucky to keep my over 16 hours - reasonably low paid- job, and fall in the 'managing' category. If i lost my job, we'd definitely be in the 'screwed' category.

and for so many claimants, the reality (paticularly for Mothers) is that there isn't a workplace that wants them. So many employers pretty much just want someone to come in who has just walked out of an identical jo.

We get ESA for a couple, and DP get IB (in the way of not paying taxes), then we get HB. And borrow a fair bit from parents, as we have to top up rent out of the ESA. Off the top of my head I can't remember the amounts - they keep mucking us about with our rate. And sending us indecipherable letters about it in the process.

Most of our purchases (food shopping included) is on credit.

Although we are doing ok right now, luckily for us someone died

Yeah, I don't feel guilty though I do get upset by the endless claimant-bashing in the meeja (and in the Government )

I think it's hard for people who earn a living wage to grasp just how much of a trap it is. Everything is more expensive, so we don't even make savings available to the better-off.

Aside from the confidence-wrecking effects of being penniless and (usually) isolated, it's harder for people to get back into work when they haven't got decent interview clothes and are geographically restricted. Around here, the bus fare from any village to the nearest city (if there is a bus at all) is a minimum £5 each way.

Plus, of course, employers generally prefer to hire someone who's already in work.

I'm supposed to be recovering from a long-term illness. This is a help, of course - I was homeless for a while and certainly got sicker faster - but, all the same, this constant anxiety works against recovery. it's no wonder depression is such a huge problem in low-income groups. I work, so as to keep my skills up-to-date-ish, but the only work I can get locally is unpaid!

You're right about swings & roundabouts, too, EAP. £900??!!! How on earth did they expect you pay that? I get pushed off the 'precipice' every few weeks by BT changing my payment plan without telling me, and that's "only" about £30 a time.

£60 odd a week IS
£80 a week Housing Benefit
£33 a week Child Benefit
£20 a week Council Tax Benefit.

£15 a week goes on water rates.
whatever is needed on gas and electric meters.
Food for myself and two toddlers.

I do not have a car, do not go out anywhere .

I don't get how some people can say that lone parents like me get too much money

You're keeping yourself AND 2 DCs on just a few quid more than I've got.

How the hell do you do that? Is this really all you're entitled to?

Yup.

My dad is a massive help to me, and exp as and when he has something spare.

Actually, I have just found something out about ctc that I am bloody entitled to, when exp had said he was the only one to be able to claim them as he works

was just about to say you should be getting CTC - £2,300 per child plus £545 family element.

me and 3DS

£138 ctc
£45 cb
£65 is
£30 ct

weekly

no rent or morgage as morgage paid of

so roughly £240 cash,but do get extras school meals etc

i manage pretty well ,but do cook from scratch,visit 2-3-4 supermarkets a wk for offers and DONT drive,but as said when things break (as my tumble dryer has today it
throughs an already pretty tight budget amiss

£5,153.80 I should be getting....

get a claim in asap, it does get backdated a bit (cant remember how much)

I used to earn £10k a year in 1995! I cannot even contemplate surviving on that amount now. I have the deepest respect for anyone that can/does!

Knickers your ex is talking out of his arse. Call them: 0845 300 3900.

Can be backdated for three months max.

Benefits arent that much are they? Its just people who abuse the system or work on the side or have loads of kids who seem to be the ones with loads of money coming in while doing nothing

im not going lie and say we dont mange on what get on Benefits
, but no wide screen tv or designer clothes life style and ds3 sn means no worrying about being able to afford to go out as no babysitters