to think that too many people rely on the Tax Credits for their income.

[IdRatherBeInBed]

Bit of background first

My sister and her boyfriend has got back together after they split up last year. She was then claiming income support.

He has moved back in with her so her benefits have all stopped. she works 13.5 hours a week, he works over 30 hours. They earn £17k between them. Which lets be honest in this climate is not alot of money.

Shes just called Tax Credits to let them know hes moved back in and wanted to know what she would be entitled to WTC wise. Due to her HB/CTB stopping. Her rent is £500 per month, CT £100 per month. She is entitled to £4.90 per week.

I am sad for her because after all rent, ct, bills have gone out shes isnt left with anything. her food bill for the month has had to be cut to £200 per month. She has a car on finance (through my dad) which is shagging her tbh due to engine size (she got it when still with partner before splitting up and he had to get a 1.8 sport^^) her insurance with just her on it is £115p/m. - (she isnt 25 yet)

Anyway she called them last week to ask how much she could be entitled to, they told her £80 per week so she was like
"ooh we can afford this, we can afford that" so went out and spent £100 on clothes for her, him and nephew. I told her not to rely on what they have said because it could be wrong but she wouldn't listen and was saying 'it will be right'. Today she rings me bollocking me as to why she is only entitled to £4.90 per week.

FFS why bollock me - i dont work for them.

WIHBU to have said to her 'cancel your £24p/m gym membership, get rid of the car or change it if you can, stop getting things from catalogues that you cant pay for and get your arse of a boyfriend to stop spending money you don't have on shit like £5.50 magazines each week, stop getting shit for the garden you dont need, you don't need so many fucking flowery things to make a garden look nice.

Or what i come across as a complete and utter bitch.

She is one of these who says "oh i have no money" but yet has enough for new clothes or go out for a meal, or takeaway"

WTF?

Say what to your face?

That have you thought about nursing courses?!

Geez what a cow I truly am.

No coco your last post 'says it all' about what shirley said. You give practical advice last night then today make a comment like that hence me saying you are blowing hot and cold.

I was talking about Shirley. I ask you a practical question and she still finds a way to twist it and be abusive. Says it all about her

Oooh, this is still going, brilliant. Who's winning? Is it me?

I hope it's me.

Xstitch when was the last time you had a job? Three years ago did you say?

A full time job yes 3 years.

Cocoflower, the reason I said I wouldn't be surprised if your tale is a total fabrication, or at least an extension of the truth:

• You don't appear to understand the stresses (mental, physical) that go hand in hand with poverty
• You backtrack on things you've said, and claim to be "misunderstood" when statements are called into question
• You absolutely ignore direct, practical questions that address the main argument you're making
• You seem to want to come across as kind and caring (for e.g. xstitch) whilst being obtuse and, frankly, rude to a huge segment of the posters here who were nothing but polite to you initially - this thread has raised some perfectly valid, eager to be addressed, ideas - yet you ignore all of those and nitpick about whether people should "rely" on tax credits, despite a huge amount of time, typing and effort from posters who are trying to engage you in discussion (as opposed to "I'll say X, then ignore any replies to it, and just keep repeating X, until I can claim I've been misunderstood").

To be honest, this will be my last post on this thread. You sound a bit dim, or trolling, and frankly there are enough nutters on the internet without stimulating another one on here.

Ciao.

wow.

Didnt realise the stress of someone sensibly pointing out that you the goverment might stop tax credits go so utterly loopy they imagine an entire thread!

You sound utterly paranoid.

What a daft post, it really is!

I don't understand why nobody understands ccoco really I don't ?

I have read back the entire thing I can not see where she was being difficult ?

Surely the only thing she has pointed out ,is not to get too reliant on tax credits as they are not that stable .

not that you shouldn't rely on them for income .

I am aslo upset at the vile language hurled at a pregnant woman .

I would like to know who gets 400pm for 50k per year.

We're on much less that that, are dont even get a fraction of that amount.

I do understand Coco's point, that tax credits could be withdrawn, that they often balls up and that overpayments are frequent.

BUT I also understand why everyone else is so frustrated because presumably the majority of people who claim, do so because they need the money. If they get highish payments, then they need the money to supplement their income, if the payments are low then the chances are they are not so needed and can be put side in case the twazzoks tax credits fuck up get the claims confused.

The fact is, if they were withdrawn, then a huge heap of people would suddeny find themselves in very desperate situations because standards of living have fallen in recent years and most people do not have a buffer zone they can dip into should they lose any income.

We have the highest income we have ever had but are struggling way more now than 2 years ago - everything seems to cost so much more at the moment and we are particularly hit by petrol and food costs alongside gas, electricity and insurance hikes.

Bugger me Shirl I wish I had read this thread last night instead of posting and running.

"Are you calling me a wanker? Your calling a pregant woman a wanker?"

£400 a month on a 50K salary?

Coco? I should fucking coco, mate.

There is no way you would get that much on that salary. i was earning just shy of that a year ago, when it came out about middle classes on tax credits (haven't claimed it for years as I assumed that I earned too much), I went on the calcuator thingy and I think I was entitled to a couple of quid child tax credit a week.

Your friend is talking bollocks. And so are you, I may add.

People understand Coco, it's just her point is, er... pointless.

Yes, TCs could be withdrawn any minute. Yes, lots of people would be fucked. What can we do with that brilliant insight though? If you need TCs to pay rent, fuel, food, childcare etc you can't just choose not to rely on them and exist on thin air instead.

You might as well warn people not to rely on money.

The problem here is that anyone who dares to utter a word against tax credits gets lynched and that's probably why Coco is getting it in the neck.

How dare she not understand, i can't eat, i can't pay rent etc etc blah blah.

I know people are struggling but if you look at the problem abstractly, the real issue is money or the lack of.

The problem is so many people are wedded to the idea that without tax credits they cannot survive, they fail to understand that it's not an all or nothing thing. There are many other ways the govt can help without having such a bizarre system in place.

For example, they could pay childcare directly like schools rather than pay you most of the cash. Most of us would find it rather bizarre if the govt suggested they give us £x per month and we have to pay 30% of school costs.

They could add a family element to income support rather than have IS and tax credits.

They could raise the income tax threshold (to be fair this is being done) so people pay less tax and fewer people rely on handouts.

They could have a streamlined, easy to understand formula so we all know where we stand so there's no risk of clawbacks/overpayments, underpayments, long waits whilst people struggle.

For me at least, the issue is not "I hate tax credits because I am well off and hate poor people. Let them eat cake!", the issue is we have a bizarrely complicated system which traps people, discourages work, confusing and costs a fortune to implement.

I disagree niceguy - pointing out that there are faults in the tax credit system/it could be done better is fine. I doubt anyone would say it's problem free.

Telling people they shouldn't rely on TCs is just silly.

How ironic "yes I realise there is problems in the system yet I still want to rely a system with problems"

Nail. Head.

Who said I want to rely on anything? You are yet to tell me what I should do instead.

You are missing that whole choice thing again.

Oh give it up Rita, honestly, it's not worth trying to speak to someone with the understanding of a small hard boiled egg. Come and talk to me over on the thread about eating udders.

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for Coco's solution to living outside the system though!

FFS

I lived on the system. Well as much as it would 'let' me. But shock horror....now I dont. GASP.

As do plently of people who dont live on the system in the UK and even world.Not hard to work out.

Bored now. Good luck.

You aren't very bright for a teacher.

Bravo, here's a big clap for you.

Classic sign of all time you lost an argument: Implying the other poster is well thick innit.

But still no answer...

Good niceguy you are back. Any chance you could answer my question from yesterday.. What do you suggest I cut from my supposedly extravagant lifestyle in order to cut my cloth better. Seriously because I am obviously too thick to work it out.