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"

..well only if tax credits are still around... people won't be relying on them if they don't exist.

I couldnt care less if they got rid of tax credits but I think it would be terrible if they got rid of help towards childcare which comes in the form of tax credits.

Woah! niceguy2 on first page ranting about the young and money. I am a very proud young budgeter thank you very much! WTC means getting people into work (that want to) and pays less than just being on benefits would.

"Niceguy - You did well because you got given a second hand car and were allowed to live at your parents which is a luckier position than most people are in"

Hardly a beacon of independence it that's true. No wonder you didn't qualify for family income support on your low wage if your expenses were so heavily subsidised in the form of rent, council tax, utilities and food. And no wonder you could take a drop in earnings and maximise your potential.

Tut tut niceguy

Why did you and your family squeeze into your parents house (such an ideal situation) when you should have taken the housing benefit or coucil house you were entitled too?

How dare you!

^this thread really does illustrate how cushy it has all become but if you've never known the harder time it's hard for people to appreciate how it used to be.

There was no free training for anyone as far as I remember and no free childcare an dno tax credits and most workers on average and even fairly low wages got none of the family tax credits.^

Xenia such a good post. Sadly your only banging your head agaisnt a brick wall on here....

Wow.

Paranoid.

Doley apparently we are the same person!

Is this yout last resort to losing an argument or are you really this paranoid? If its the latter... sorry

Still waiting for an excuse why a single mother can't retrain on free course.

And we are all still waiting for the answers to the questions which have been put to you coco.

To remind you of it again here it is: how can someone earning MW afford rent/utilities/childcare/food without "relying" on TCs?

There are several posts about retraining for a start how could have missed that?

Its been pointed out quite a bit now.

If I, niceguy, xenia and many more got ourselves out of bind then anyone can right?

You get off MW through sheer hard work and sacrifice .

So we've establised that there were no tax credits years ago and anyone who had children then slogged their socks off for minimum wage AND paid for childcare.

Housing was cheaper
Social housing was more plentiful

Sadly everyone thinks they have it hard but I suspect some of you have selective memories and forget the perks you had not available to others. So niceguy you talk about having to live with parents but conveniently forget the subsidised rent, no council tax, reduced food bills etc etc. No wonder you could take a lower paid job and train - lucky you. This is not an option for many people.

Fact is that tax credits bump up low wages to allow people to live (not just exist). People like me who have a disabled child claim tax credits to support life and support our children. My son will not be a child forever, he might even hold down a job (jury is still out on that one developmentally) and once he has independence I can work full time again and claim NO tax credits. It's a support, nothing more and yes I do rely on it because I could not manage rent, council tax, electricity, gas, food shopping, petrol on £800 a month. Still I guess there's always Housing Benefit....

Were you not taught this stuff at school or by your parents then? Or perhaps went for advice with career counsellors?

There is plently of help available at the click of a button these days too

So who will do the MW jobs then? Because someone has to clean the toilets. What about people who are none too bright? What about people who are unable to retrain because they are having to work to keep a roof over their heads?

The fact you are unable to answer the question about people on MW and the disparity between living expenses and wages speaks volumes about how much you have educated yourself on this matter.

Yeah but you had over 10 years to sort yourself out now.

Yet you put your energy into calling other women wankers. A fine example you are.

IF your life circumstances allow it Coco...

I have a degree and my full time pay would be £35k but with a disabled child I cannot work full time. Fortunately even part time pay is good.

But if I were starting out now then there is no way I'd be able to train apart from during school hours and even then it would be hard.

Sometimes life is NOT easy - if it has been so for you and you've been able to make your way off of MW then fantastic but don't forget the same opportunities are not always there for others because of circumstances beyond their control.

There will always be minimum wage jobs and we will always need people to do them. Giving these people doing such jobs (and generally these jobs are not that wonderful) a hard time because they then need support in the form of Tax Credits is frankly a bit shitty imho.

Oh the fantastic joke.....

Three people sitting at a table, a banker, a Daily Mail reader and a benefits claimant. A plate is served with 12 biscuits, the banker takes 11 biscuits and then says to the Daily Mail reader "watch that benefits claimant - he's after your biscuit".

Nuff said really.

And the very personal nature of your posts to TSC are really quite staggering. No wonder she is calling you names.

Yeah I been one of those people who cleaned the toilets. Worked since I was 13.

Glad and I did because it showed my how horrible life would be if that was 'my ;lot' so I worked my way up and got qualified.

If people are happy cleaning toilets so be it. If not then be prepared to work hard and I mean hard to get up the ladder.

You seem to forget many people aren not MW? Why do you think that is?

You think people on MW don't work fucking hard?

You really are clueless

Right. So if some nutter who I have been perfectly polite too calls me a wanker for no reason you think Im personal?

Makes loads of sense.

What about the people who simply aren't clever enough to retrain?

Your arguments are failing you here I'm afraid. It's quite amusing to watch though.

You think people on MW don't work fucking hard?

And I said that... where?