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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Benefit Bashing

823 replies

Kendodd · 18/02/2011 16:40

A mum I know and her DP with two children live in a two bed (nice) HA house. Neither of them work and have not worked for as long as I've known them (two years) I don't know about before then. She has told me they are trying for another baby, not to get a bigger house or anything, just because they want four children eventally. I would love four children but can't have that many because for one we just can't afford four.

AIBU to feel a bit pissed off that they can have more children and I can't or am I just a jealous benefit basher.

ps They are both nice and don't have a flatscreen TV.

OP posts:
georgeorwell · 19/02/2011 21:17

you all still here? get out on the streets and start protesting!!!!!!!!!!

A1980 · 19/02/2011 21:27

YANBU

I welcome the benefit reforms that will hopefully severely restrict the amount of housing benefit that can be claimed.

Everyone is up in arms saying they'll have to move to cheaper areas, etc and wont afford to live in cities as they're too expensive..... How is this ANY different to the way working tax payers live? Working people pay for what they can afford.

They cut their coat according to their cloth. People who work live somewhere they can afford to pay for and have as many children as they can afford to have.

SunshineisSorry · 19/02/2011 21:28

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I

TheSecondComing · 19/02/2011 21:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ScramVonChubby · 19/02/2011 21:42

A1980

I don;t know if youa re aware but 80% of housing benefit claimants are not unemployed; elderly, disabled, or low income working.

So amny are working tax payers then.

Also, a lot of teh Hb stuff is being backtracked on. And there are different groups within HB; do I ahve major issues with a single eprson who never worked moving? Nope. Do I ahve issues with an elderly eprson being moved outside their support network and the state incurring likely extra costs for their care (ditto disabled people) yes. Do I have problems with people being moved far away from a palce of work and incurring transport costs that might just amke work undoable? yes. System should make work more feasible not less. As an example a friend of mine was just gioven HA housing 50 miles away from her home village and as such had to give up her job and nursery provision. Now in her case it was unavoidable (DV, exH released from prison, LA had to make sure she was gone from their former shared house) but repeating that for many is just silly.

Likewise my Grandad who si cared for by my Mum; had he to move then mum couldn;t do it any more- she doesn;t drive. how much 'tab' can SSD pick up I wonder?

Another point from a different angle: when all this started LAs booked 200,000 B&B places across MArgate, Hastings and the South East. What on earth are the chances of those aplces having an inrastructure- GP offices, schools, social services- that can absorb those extra people? Seriosuly- don;t the already-resident people of the cheaper areas deserve a chance to keep soem semblance of infrastructure too?

And this isn't something that will affect us I know but i still feel it's yet another policy messed up by the sin of seeing all claimants as one homogenous group and failing to be able to distinguish the elderly person who ash worked all their life from the carer from the disabled from the lazy fecker.

That just can;t be fair. Well no more less than assumptions that all claimants never paid any taxes I suppose.

ScramVonChubby · 19/02/2011 21:43

TSC we are the same age LOL

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 21:43

Then why is it acceptable to call me a pole-dancer then? What relevance do my looks have to this? That made no sense to me.

ScramVonChubby · 19/02/2011 21:50

Your looks have no relevance SP, although your 'shoot me down' on your profile page (and I only looked when you posted the alst bit) might make people think you are up for a fight........

ScramVonChubby · 19/02/2011 21:50

Oh was it so shoot me

summat like that

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 21:53

Oh, I only changed that yesterday. In light of this thread actually. I was slightly pissed off at the insinuation that I take my clothes off for money and that I'm not a grown up, at TSC put it. I'm a 23 year old mother of two, not a child.

Wook · 19/02/2011 21:53

A1980 you are not on a sure footing with your facts: many housing benefit claimants are the hard working, law abiding citizens you are talking about.

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 21:53

I really should change it though as I've cheered up since then, thanks for reminding me!

BooyFuckingHoo · 19/02/2011 21:56

your profile does come over as a bit agressive. when you hover over your name it says 'jealous much?' and then you call yourself a bitch on the profile page. it isn't teh friendliest of welocmes and i mean this in teh nicest way possible. people do look at profiles abnd form their opinions based on it.

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 21:59

Fair enough, I see your point, I was mildly annoyed and it made me feel better at the time. Silly, I know! But I still don't get where poledancer could come from that? Why does me wearing a low cut vest top equate to me stripping for cash?

TheSecondComing · 19/02/2011 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jenandberry · 19/02/2011 22:01

I think it is a little odd to have a cleavage shot as your opening shot on a parenting forum.

But I am old.

jenandberry · 19/02/2011 22:03

And you are lieing on a sofa with stripperesque shoes on. Hardly your average mumsnet photo.

I say that as someone why punctured her husbands thigh last week with my stripperesque shoes. I have felt no need to post myself in the said shoes onto mumsnet though.

jenandberry · 19/02/2011 22:04

lying sorry

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 22:04

Answer my question TSC and I might answer yours Smile

I didn't realise there was a law about wearing the clothes that you want to wear...but hey, use it as a stick to beat me with by all means.

BooyFuckingHoo · 19/02/2011 22:04

jen I've done that too, to an EX!

Wook · 19/02/2011 22:04

Oh TheSecondComing you beat me to it! At 23 I'd paid tax as a hardworkingdecentperson for 12 months and livedoffthetaxesofhardworkingdecentpeopleexpectingthemtofundmylifestylechoiceseventhoughasastudentiwasexpectingabusdrivertopayformyeducationandwhythefuckshouldhe for four years!

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 22:05

I say that as someone why punctured her husbands thigh last week with my stripperesque shoes. I have felt no need to post myself in the said shoes onto mumsnet though.

That's you though. That's your decision. I like that picture, I look good in it, therefore I put it on my profile.

Wook · 19/02/2011 22:06

So, starlight what have you personally contributed to the treasury's coffers so far?

StarlightPrincess · 19/02/2011 22:06

And, for the record, I've said everything there is to be said about this topic. I only came on here to respond to what TSC said. I'm not debating it anymore.

jenandberry · 19/02/2011 22:07

I am not beating you with a stick, I a commenting on why others may be making assumptions about your profile.

Grin booy. I was trying to be seductive, I think it was all a little deranged especially as I am pregnant as well.