Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

David Cameron welfare reforms-no family will receive more than £25,000 a year.

748 replies

Hammy02 · 11/06/2011 16:12

Good idea? I think so. I can't believe a single family receives this much already in benefits. It is about the same as the average income so it would be ridiculous for any one family to have more in benefits than someone that works?

OP posts:
TheFrogs · 13/06/2011 23:51

I know, i've walked out of that place in tears most times. I dont understand how the fraudulent claimants get away with it. One woman I know has been claiming for 16 years...surely you'd think her lack of job history might give something away, but no.

I am nothing like her but i'm treated badly regardless.

xstitch · 13/06/2011 23:52

TBH it has got to the stage where I can't see it getting better:(

xstitch · 13/06/2011 23:54

If you know someone is definitely committing fraud report them.

buttonmoon78 · 13/06/2011 23:55

Which is exactly the sort of spiral that leads you to give up hope and become 'one of the scum who never intend to work'. I should think that many of them started off like you, wanting to work etc.

The system, whilst providing basic needs also seems to spectacularly fail to progress people beyond that.

xstitch · 13/06/2011 23:58

I have managed to keep going apply for 3 years so far.

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:00

It's so sad that you have had bad experiences at the jobcentre...it's so easy for everyone to be lumped into the same space and treated like crap..i have experienced myself...I treat each client as I would want to be treated...but people get jaded on both sides of the desk...

TheFrogs · 14/06/2011 00:00

She's not exactly committing fraud though in their eyes xstitch, i'm assuming she's filling out her little book with a lot of lies, three reasonable steps a week to employment. They cant prove she didn't call several local companies looking for work.

My biggest mistake, not knowing the system was honesty, in that I hadn't found anything for that period with hours I could physically do.

She has her jobseekers, I cant claim it anymore.

It's a flawed system, but i'm unsure of the answer.

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:01

Please don't give up or stop trying to find employment...

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:03

Why can't you claim anymore Frogs?

manicinsomniac · 14/06/2011 00:09

Some good points made about some working people also being able to claim housing, child and tax benefits.

For the majority of families, I don't think that should be the case either though.

As much as I think any normal, healthy family, of any size, should be able to function on far less than £25000, I also think people who earn £25000 shouldn't be able to claim a penny in benefits.

The government should concentrate on paying every person who needs help everything that they need. They shouldn't give anybody a penny more than they need and they shouldn't give anything at all to people already on a livable wage.

TheFrogs · 14/06/2011 00:10

I was sanctioned mumcentre, the stress was too much for me to the point where I was having panic attacks in the jobcentre so I chose to end my claim. My health is more important, I need to be healthy to work and to look after my kids. So I now dont claim and continue to look for work Smile

xstitch · 14/06/2011 00:10

You do tend to be punished for honesty however I could never bring myself to be anything but. The past few months I have been recording every step of job hunting on a spreadsheet.

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:12

But you are financially ok Frogs?...you probably were not sanctioned for long 2 weeks at most unless you left work or were sacked...but i understand the stress can be so much

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:14

I agree xstitch..but sometimes it works in your favour and having a complete and comprehensive jobsearch is important...just don't let it get to you or take it too personally (I know that's hard)

xstitch · 14/06/2011 00:16

They punish you for the most ridiculous things though. They told me off for refusing to apply for a particular job. I had refused because it was in Essex. Nothing against Essex, its just I live 500miles away. Its like the staff have some game to find a reason to punish you with points for the bet reason. At least that's how it feels.

TheFrogs · 14/06/2011 00:19

I'm not financially ok tbh, really struggling. I've suffered from depression for over ten years and still worked when probably i've not been well enough, but I know when i've hit my limit and any more stress from them would have been detrimental to me and my kids. I just hope I can find something soon because spending all day every day on my own isn't much fun at all, what i'd give to have a job!

xstitch · 14/06/2011 00:19

It gets depressing as the numbers count up. I have a feasibility analysis for each job to prove I have read every single new advert. I avoid applying for jobs like 'gas safe engineer' as I have no training in the field and am not registered and apply for all jobs where my qualifications match and all jobs where I am marginally under the requirement epsecially when they say preferred rather than essential.

I check all the transport options so I have a plan B in case of difficulty and research the company. Usually a waste of time as I rarely get an interview.

TheFrogs · 14/06/2011 00:20

and no, four redundancies in four years, talk about bad luck! Grin

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:25

xstitch what I will say is never agree to apply for a job that is too far away/unsuitable for you...what may happen is if you are matched to a position and you do not or later decide not to apply for this matched* vacancy this can affect your benefit...apply and agree to jobs that meet your needs do not feel compelled to agree to apply for jobs that you are unable to reasonably travel to daily

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:27

Frogs you may have an entitlement to Employment Support Allowance if you have a health condition that effects how much you can work or if you can work then you can make an application at least...you have paid your credits and you should get help in this time of need..please consider it...

TheFrogs · 14/06/2011 00:34

mumcentre, can I just ask...assuming you are savvy on this Smile. I was sanctioned even though I tried to explain to the jobcentre advisor that the reason I hadn't applied for certain jobs was because the travel/hours were something I could not manage. Single mum, early starts, no childcare available for early starts. I looked into this and was informed I shouldn't have been sanctioned at all...is this correct?

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:42

Yes that is the case if you are a single mother you have to be accommodated and reasonable childcare etc taken into account..you should complete a reconsideration for the periods you have been sanctioned explaining your situation and reason for not applying to vacancies...they will have to look at their decisions again...

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 00:43

but tbh if you had a good and reasonable Adviser you should not have been sanctioned at all..

TheFrogs · 14/06/2011 00:54

I wish you were my advisor mumcentre! It's a no win situation for many of us. Well you probably know that anyway. I had a great lone parent advisor years ago (my first redundancy...). Sadly, the bad outweigh the good.

Mumcentreplus · 14/06/2011 01:06

Like anything Frogs! and now staff are under even more pressure to achieve targets that are set not by the government per ce but sometimes by individual jobcentres..the pressure is great and tbh some people are not considerate...