AIBU to think I would be better off on benefits

[parno]

I know I am going to get flamed and I promise I am not a Daily Mail reader, just really cross and a trifle pissed off......however.......

I have just read letter from DD's school advising that this coming school year they will be setting a budget for school trips - £30 pr yr. Parents whose kids are on free school meals do not have to contribute a bean, plus get packed lunches provided when off on trips. It got me thinking. I work full time and earn just over £20k. Get a little bit of maintenance for 2 DC plus a bit of CTC to put towards childcare. However I went on line and filled in the Direct Gov benefits caluculator (not much on tv until Wallander comes on).

It told me very proudly that I would be entitled to over £415 approx per week or £1800 approx pcmonth. That doesn't take into account Council Tax Benefit, free schol meals, money towards uniforms either. I take home about £1300 pcm but have to pay rent and CT out of that. I would effectively be about

I just don't understand why I have spent the last 13 yrs working F/T in order to amke ends meet, missing out spending time with my DC and generally meeting my arse on the way back round every single day.

Have I got this wrong? Is my maths really roobash? Am I turning into Katie Hopkins? Please shout at me and stop me being so right wing.

Agreed, house prices and renting princes are absurd.

Yeah, and David Cameron blamed Andy Murray's loss on the last Labour Government.

Not so though. I am a carer. For three disabled children.
I am being forced to attend a work focused interview despite the kids' needs making it practically impossible to attend. Failure to attend will mean benefits are cut off.

We're not safe. Not any more.

People who need benefits are made to live in uncertainty and on often not enough money. Look at the cuts to disability benefits. People in real, dire need. And what carer says about low wages, which don't buy what people need. That's what I mean about people being made to live this way, which is wrong.

If you are only earning £250 a week you should be entitled to tax credits. Make sure you are claiming all you can. As a single mum, it would be extremely difficult for me to work without tax credits.

You come here bandying around figures and talking about benefits......and you have got it wrong!!!!

This is an example of why benefit claimants get bashed so much!!

ProPerformer yes with Jobseekers you are required to attend their offices every week. I have been there with service users and it is demoralising and demeaning. I have seen all types of people there including business people, university graduates parents etc really trying to look for work.

KatherineKavanagh During the time my hubby claimed benefits I was still doing my part time job and trying to keep my son's nursery place by doing so. My husband did not 'litter pick' but did help out the nursery with computer stuff and volunteered to help out at various things. If he had been unem

YANBU to be peeved. This irks me too. (I have a family member who, along with her DP, has never worked and appears never to intend to. I didn't see her agonising over when to start trying for DC2, and whether the money would stretch to two sets of nursery fees.)

"So why do you mind people getting benefits, exactly? You don't envy them, you claim, they're not lucky ... and yet, you're doing a remarkable impression of someone who minds that they get benefits."

I think you've done that thing that so often happens which is lumping the entire social security system together

this is not about "resenting benefits" it's about people working and paying tax having less disposable income than people not working and taking that tax off the people who have less disposable income

that's what this is about, so it's not that puzzling really

I still do not understand your resentment at all. I feel proud of being able to work. I'd like to think that is normal.

Shera04 - sorry tired to insert some humour and yes honestly those figures are correct.

LRD - I am getting confused with all the comments flying around but if you are refering to me I'm not sure where I have indicated I am envious or resentful of those on benefits. I was just pointing out a numerical and financial fact. I was not and am not passing judgement on anyone, again I'm not sure where I have stated any judgement. May be it's just a case of misinterpretation.

• unemployed for longer he would have taken whatever job he could as an interim measure so that he was working! When I was out of work for a while I earned my living cleaning and de-staining commode pans 3 days a week for 6 months!!

parno then what is the point your trying to make with your post?

I don't get the point that is repeatedly made about how soul destroying it is to be unemployed.

For some people, I'm sure it is horrible, and I recognise that it can be very damaging to mental health to be unemployed when you desperately want and need to work.

But let's not pretend that it's that way for everyone that lives entirely on benefits. It's not. I work part time, but I'd be quite happy to give up my job, so would my dh. We do enough voluntary work that could easily be increased if we didn't have to do paid work. There will be plenty of people who are happy that they don't have to work. Otherwise why would so many families choose to have a SAHP?

If you feel proud of working then you must find it easy to understand that there is no envy involved, no feeling that someone is luckier - more like resentment that someone has more money than you ,off the backs of taxes you pay ,when you end up with less than they do.

I think the benefits system does need overhauling. And vulnerable people should be protected first and foremost. Major things wrong that should be tackled. Huge subsidies from state for private rental going straight into pockets of greedy landlords. Low wages being subsidised by the state thus enabling bigger profits for corporate firms. Wrong wrong wrong.

op you are not correct!!'

outraged yes, same for me but I think when you're young it must be particularly hard, and for some people work does have that central role which is difficult to replace or imitate

Being a SAHP is working, though, and so is doing voluntary work. Surely? It just happens not to cover costs.

I doubt you'd get benefits if you went down the job centre and said 'well, I really could carry on working but actually, I do fancy doing a shift in the local Oxfam, could you cover that please?'

I mean, replicate

Why would I resent someone for what they were legally due?

Just to say again I have nothing against the people who claim benifits...99% of whom I'm sure are perfectly genuine people who would love to be able to work - it's the system that gets me! And whoever it was who said we should be blaming the fact that minimum wage is not liveable wage (sorry can't remember who that was) has hit the nail on the head! Why should people slog their guts out for such a pittance!?

I think too many people on here watch Jeremy vile

Good, go on benefits then. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time.