I can't afford the trappings of a working class lifestyle

[defeatedslug]

I can't afford xboxes or nintendos for the kids. We don't have a plasma telly of any size. We don't have cable or satellite TV. The kids don't have bikes. We don't have whizzy mobile phones. We don't go on overseas holidays, not even a week on a package holiday, and can barely do youth hostels in the UK. The kids don't have the latest, greatest, trendiest clothes. Their stash under the Christmas tree is pretty conservative. The kids wear hand-me-down clothes including stuff from NCT sales and freecycle. We don't eat out more than a handful of times a year, and maybe have a takeaway every 4 months. We have two very run down and battered cars. We don't smoke. DH drinks maybe 3 or 4 beers a week.

I dress the kids neatly, get them proper fitted shoes, smart school uniform, take them to the library and museums, feed them properly, make sure they're healthy. We both work, and pay a mortgage, and nursery fees. I'm not trying to start a daily-mail-a-thon benefits bashing thread, and I know there will be people that immediately start criticising, but it seems something isn't right that you can be hard-working and be materially less well off than people who don't work - there's not going to be much of an incentive to come off the benefits, is there?

I have namechanged but am regular btw (cod, rivers of sweetcorn, nice ham etc)

All that loads a cash benefits stuff - it's not true, it's always just folks stealing or working extra cash in hand.

You know, criminals - just like the bankers.

Newsflash - there are criminals in every strata in society

It's much more fucking interesting to see once again, folks with little cash turning on each other. Every time shit like this is posted the fucking uber rich win.

OP - I can (kind of) see where you're coming from. I know a couple who have every gadget etc, always goin on hols and going out drinking. I could never work out how they could afford it all with only one parent working (or phoning in sick as it were).

However, what I didn't know was they are in approx 50 grands worth of debt on credit cards. Plus they hadn't declared him as living there which meant the non-working parent had rent council tax etc paid for. He was also working cash in hand after being signed off from work.

They are now in deep shit as her sis was recently investigated for benefit fraud and found guilty, so her Dm income was looked into also. This has terrified them into 'going straight' as it were. He's on his final warning at work and she's got to find a job in the current market with no experience at all.

Living on what they are entitled to is going to be a real struggle.

As it is for most benefit claimants. Yes you'll hear of the extreme cases and many people know someone who seems to have it all. What you don't see is the stress of it all if they are claiming fraudulantly or the credit/catalogue bills piling up and up.

I know which side of the coin I'd prefer to be...

Unbelieveable. This is the 1st MN thread I've ever read which has made me really mad. OP feeds kids "properly" - does that mean organic food, veges brought thousands of miles by plane out of season? My kids got a wii from me & saved up themselves 2 years for an xbox. They have second hand bikes -they do Council or school-run out of school activites though I kept up DC's guitar lessons cos he loved it - all that is a lot more important than busywork out of school activities or school uniforms that are identical to the others just the OP knows they were bought new or food without additives. People like me without a lot of money try & keep their kids happy at home with things like wiis & bikes & tv & second hand swing sets because they can't afford £25 to take family to cinema etc. every couple of weeks & want them to be proud to bring their friends home, too. I can't believe that in this day and age OP thinks (1) that no working class people work - denying 250 years of history & (2) {less important} that no middle class people are unemployed in a recession. I think this is a troll. She can't be for real. Don't like it that have written my first ever aggressive thread - will stop MN surfing!

Ah proud to bring friends home .. but in some parts of British society the larger you television the worse you are - it is an indicator of lack of class, a thing of derision. The smaller the better or better still be a television free home.

Anyway differences between classes are always good fun.

Haha only time the smaller the better. Only agree with one thing OP posted which is well-fitting shoes - that's fine unless you have a girl when there is absolutely nothing pride installing and well fitting after Y5 (or you want football boots which go into the realms of £50 plus for wide footed boys still there sadly). Have calmed down now - thanks.

Actually - there is no such thing as middle class.

You are blue blood aristocracy (no need to work)

Or you are working class - work for a living, and someone, somewhere makes some sort of cash or profit off your back (even if you are a professional)

OP, your medal is in the post.

the well fitting shoes is still making me

Cos us chavs dnt care bout that.

No, we are too materialistic to care about them.....

Too busy buying plasmas to look for well fitting shoes.....obviously

Nullius, in marxist terms I guess you're right but so which is bernie ecclestone or modern aristo Sir Philip Green who's worked like mad all his grown up life (guess aristo since he was sent to boarding school @ 9 but doubt if Old Etonians would agree since from Hampstead Garden suburb)?

Just come from a birthday party the mother has 4 kids and has never worked £500 she spent dd3 is 11

They all have a ds, lap top and blackberry the boys have a will and the girls a x box motion she has a sony 50 inch flat screen and had sky her bf who she donst tell the benefits office she is with as she claims as a single parent is buying her a bmw next week and they hoilday 2 wice q year

She gets income support
Job seekers for her self
Child tax credit
Housing benefit
Child benefit
50% reduction on her oyster
Uniform grant
Dinner tickets
50% on leisure pass
Council tax benefit

She is 35 with four children has never had a job a gets 10 diffrent types of benefit has no plans to start working , is claiming as a single parents but has a boyfriend and will no doubt will go on to have baby no. Five and go on to get milk tokens and maternity grant which is around £500

Me and oh work we are only entailed to £15 family tax we could only dream f living the work shy dream

We simply would never be able to spend £500 on a party for our son as we have bills to pay.

Well if she is claiming fraudulently why dont you inform the relevant authorities?

One more thing stope referring to these parasites as working class a brick layer is working class a shop girl is working class a person on the dole is a dolelite their is no working in that

Yes but at least no-one is sending their kids to your party and then secretly tutting at what you own and the fact you don't work, eh?

hmmmmm, as opposed to the trappings of a middle-class lifestyle which are so much cheaper . A mortgage, money put away for children's education, eternity rings following birth of children, 7 seaters..................

My friend has all this stuff. She and her DP will be paying off the debts until they die.

I already have 2 years ago she is very clever know her for years and only seen him once my self.

Any way its not even about the claiming as a single parent when with someone it's about living a lifestyle many working yes working class people could noT dream off

Theirs no social fund for me when my cooker breaks down.

how do you know maypole doesn't work?

No, I am saying no-one is sneering at her for not working as she is at this person who spent too much on the party.

I do work and have made it very clear how I feel sadly my lo and her lo are related due to her many children with many fathers I would be any were near someone like that normally

I work and my oh and have one lo she has for and spent £500 on a party for one of her four Los who is 11 today if it were not my lo and her lo are related we would not have been their but her children are sweet and shouldn't be punished for mum being bone ilde

You dont have to go to her house and enjoy her fraudulently paid for party just because you are related.

I wouldnt.

well if you don't want to be her, and you don't want to be near her, chill the fuck out about her posessions.

If you are really only getting £15 children's tax credit either your household is earning a LOT and you have horrendous mortage or something or they've assessed you wrongly. It is hard when you work hard and see people who aren't having more ready cash. If it's any comfort in ten years your "friend" will still be on benefits with no job and your family may be a lot better off, financially and in terms of hope etc. My point was extrapolating from this as OP did to - why should the working classes be parasites off hard working middle class people is neither correct or morally right or kind to the vast number of people on benefits who've mostly worked hard all their lives or maybe are ill and on invalidity. Will get off soapbox & go to bed.

Maybe these people are buying this stuff in a desperate attempt not to look poor? So they dont get judgemental looks and comments from people who would see them as "dolites"....