AIBU to be a tad [hmm] about my neighbours new car?

[DairyleaAndPickleOnAStick]

First off, this is absolutely NOT a benefits bashing thread.

I am probably BVU and this will show me up to be a nasty, mean spirited and bitter aul crone, BUT my neighbours just took delivery of a brand new car today- (think 3 letter, premium marque) - which they receive AFAIK through the motibility scheme. (Where I live this is very common practice.) Neither of them work and presumably receive benefits and HB. They definitely rent their house as we know the owner.

My DH and I were both high earning professionals before the recession hit and paid a very considerable sum for our own house, unfortunately we were both made redundant (within weeks of each other) several years ago and have fought tooth and nail to keep our home (both working very low paid unskilled jobs, taking in lodgers and DH moving away for a year to retrain.)

Obviously we are very fortunate to have been able to hold on to our home but it has been an incredibly tough few years- the pressures of redundancy, unemployment, and being on the breadline have taken a massive toll on our mental health, wellbeing and relationships- both with each other and family/friends.
My DH came home today soaked through after being out all afternoon in the pouring rain selling electricity door to door.

As I said upthread this is not a benefits bashing thread- I am fully aware that being on benefits is no picnic- DH and I spent 6 months on the dole and it was beyond grim, however AIBU to want to weep out of frustration seeing my neighbours new beemer parked in the driveway??

Maybe the easiest way to avoid the bizarre jealousy that surrounds motability cars would be to have a standard car. For example, if you need a car but not a wheelchair you get a Fiesta. If you need a car and a wheelchair (and therefore greater boot space) you get a Mondeo estate with a standard spec/engine. If you need a car and a wheelchair and you can't drive it yourself (therefore need a wheelchair accessible car) you get an adapted car such as a Peugeot Partner. Everyone gets the same selection, no additional costs, no way to "upgrade". It might then stop people harping on about their mother's cousin's next door neighbour's ferret's breeders sister who gets a brand new Audi every three years despite the fact that she tiles her own roof.

I think carers allowance should be paid to carers irrespective of how many hours they work. the vast majority of us have lives so limited that it is always our caring responsibilities that come first anyway and we save the government billions usually at a cost to our own health

I think the vast majority of people do go for the cheapest thing they can afford anyway desperately as most people who have severe disability and illness in their are the likeliest people to be living in poverty

there are a lot more NEEDS than some realise, so a bog standard car won't fit all

Wannabe I am just relaying what I see and hear from those around me. I have no idea how this tally's with other parts of the UK . I was under the impression that benefit fraud was more of a problem here . Maybe it's not.Maybe I am surrounded by nasty bastards who lie compulsively.

Dairylea in your op you come across terribly bitter and jealous.
You will be flamed to high hell and do you know what you deserve it.
You are going to have to accept your new poor status, the loss of your previous entitled existance and the fact that you cant have a BMW

The car companies are making money out of the scheme. Hence the variety available.

They arent just being kind.

sorry I meant, in their lives

but yes quite devientengma. My daughter has to have a risk assessment before any outside agency will take her even out in a car, any car, not even specifically just a motability car :o

Then dont talk about NI like you know all the facts and figures, thanks.

If you ask me it is NOT hard to get DLA as my sister gets it and there is naff All wrong with her

But people have different sized families. I have three kids, and I have to have the option to separate ds1 from his brothers on long journeys. He gets very upset by traffic jams and lashes out at himself and all around him and the windows etc. He doesn't have a wheelchair.

Providing a car suitable for him but not the rest of the family wouldn't work.

I'm as owl describes - choose the cheapest car I can. Unfortunately the upfront payments for larger cars appear to have increased dramatically and I am going to struggle to find a car I can afford that will transport us all safely.

Oh I agree owl. I just think fucking hell, if i, god forbid, had a disability, I'd be so bloody paranoid about the neighbours reporting me out of daft jealousy and having to defend my claim that I'd be genuinely worried about what car I chose. And how ridiculous is that?

Personally, I'll keep my shabby, ten year old Scenic and my health. These threads annoy the life out of me.

Yabu get yourself up to the car auctions north of belfast you often find great ex motability cars in great nick with v low mileage :)

Well if you ask the many people on here to have to claim it it is bloody hard to get

Higher rate care Charlie? They usually want doctor's letters etc for that.

We've always had to provide evidence and last time they wrote to ds1's SLD/PMLD school as well to check on his needs.

Charlie if you think it's so easy to get, give it a go, if you want I'll give you some tips on how to do it if you want, just think if you are awarded it you might get yourself a brand new BMW for free.

Here's something to nibble on while you fill the form out

apoligise for the mistype but i ment to or put 35 hours, was getting sidetracked by a different dwp rule.

saintly no you cant get ca because you earn over £100 a week after tax. you can work more than 15 hours as long as you dont earn more than £100 after certain deductions have been done (50% of any pension,50% of any childcare,tax,

they are not very clear about deductions on the letters. i had no idea I could pay into a pension and have that deducted off!

think she will need a packet of while you fill in the forms

Oh sorry you're right. (Actually I don't always earn over £100 a week as I can't work in the school holidays - so I earn nothing then, but that became too complicated).

I lost it because I was studying for more than 15 hours a week. I haven't bothered to claim it again because some weeks I earn more than £100.

maybe they've won it or maybe they have had an inheritance, or maybe they've saved very hard.You know nothing about their circumstances!!

I may well earn less than £100 a week - (I didn't know about the deductions either), but I work for myself as I cannot get childcare for ds1 and there is no way in the land I could hold down a regular job with ds1's needs. This means my earnings vary each week/month. So I didn't bother.

I initially lost it because of the studying rule though - which iirc is 15 hours a week. So no chance of carers improving their qualifications very easily.

Binky my suspicions are not solely based on their car. I have good reason to suspect that there may be fraud but didn't feel the need to outline them.

First off, this is absolutely NOT a benefits bashing thread

bash bash bash

AIBU to want to weep out of frustration seeing my neighbours new beemer parked in the driveway

If you ask me it is NOT hard to get DLA as my sister gets it and there is naff All wrong with her

It is an intense form to fill in and needs medical back up to be awarded it.

If that is the case Charlie then you are from a family that is good at committing fraud, sort that out, don't attack others.