not lack of jobs - lack of ambition!

[eggs11]

I know very, very little about politics, and if you can help me see this from a different perspective, please do!

A friend is a labour party member, and we recently had a row.I have a good friend (I like her for her personality, not for her life choices) who had a baby at 16 and is on benefits. She has a now 4 year old, starting school in September. She has a huge two bed flat in london (we would love to live where she does! but couldn't afford it), sky tv, the child has a nintendo ds, new clothes all the time, constant days out. I said it makes me angry that me and DP work (we also had a baby young) really really hard. Firstly, I had to go back after 9months, while she gets to sit on her bum until her kid is 5. Secondly, she gets free childcare! She had 2year old funding and 3 year old funding, while the £50 a day to put my 1year old in nursery makes it barely worth me working.

This is the point where we had a row. My labour friend said that it's not her fault that she's on benefits, there's no jobs to make it worth her working. However, if you spoke to my other friend, she has never even considered working. She said to me last week, when her daughter goes to full time school in sept, she has two options: 1) have another baby and get another 5years 6months, which she's planning on doing. 2)Wait until sept, then she has another 6months on job seekers to get pregnant. HOW IS THAT FAIR????? she isn't even looking after her daughter for the past two years, because she's in nursery. Why does this woman get to sit on her bum with free childcare? Why isn't she made to do voluntary work as a fully abled 22 year old with 10 gcse's, or at least made to go with her daughter to nursery and learn parenting skills, which is what I assume they think she lacks if her daughter gets so much funding!

I'm not saying that everyone on benefits/job seekers allowance isn't looking for work. I know how hard it was for DP to find work, it took months of hundreds of applications. I'm saying that while a life on benefits is so cushty and just relies on a baby every five years, no one has the incentive to work! labours answer was increase the working wage. I disagree, she's comfortable, why would she go out to work just for a few extra quid a week?

Again, what difference does it make? It's not like your LL is allowed to throw you out because you don't pay your rent on time once. They have a hard enough time getting rid of tenants that don't pay at all for months.

'Again, what difference does it make? It's not like your LL is allowed to throw you out because you don't pay your rent on time once. They have a hard enough time getting rid of tenants that don't pay at all for months.'

What difference does it make? Well, now you have a record of not paying rent on time, so when your BTL landlord serves you your two-months notice because he's sick of your problems paying the rent on time, you get to try to find someone else to take you on with that on your record, and pay your moving costs again. But hey, it's all your fault for being working poor.

Clouds, it makes a huge difference because the LL can evict them at the end of their tenancy and get someone else in. Someone who doesnt claim HB, which is why it is next to impossible now to get a private rent that takes HB.

The LLs dont want to wait 8 weeks for rent to be paid, especially if they are paying a mortgage on the property, so will just refuse to accept claimaints. I remember all the property ads saying "No children, no pets, no DSS" when I was looking for somewhere as a single mother on benefits. We ended up staying at my mothers for 2 years.

Kidsrule, you didnt need to tell me what you live one!

But yes I imagine the £75 a week maintenance makes a massive difference, as you may know the majority of single parents [working and non working] dont get any at all from the NRP.

Everyone that keeps telling their stories of benefit claiming fraudsters, you do know how low benefit fraud actually is dont you?

clouds I literally sink into depression that when I read ALL your posts about pretty much everything, you are the DM in human form.

I've never wanted the hide a poster button till now.

These problems with HB aren't going to apply to people that don't bother to get jobs and decide to just have another baby instead though, are they?

That's the point.

The people who are deliberately scrounging make it harder for the genuine claimants to be treated well.

And as thekidsrule has kindly proved, it is possible to save to cover expenses.

It's not like it's any easier for people who are in work and have a mortage when they have their children, so why should it be made so easy for people that have been living on benefits? We all money worries at times, I don't see why people who have had their lives entirely funded by benefits should expect to be exempt from that.

ssd

Unless your neighbours bf has a very good job, if she has more money from the benefit system than you would no what to do with

Then you have a distinct lack of imagination

akaemmfrost, and isn't she amazingly prolific for a newbie?

No clouds, people like you make it harder for genuine people to get treated well,because of the utter shite you spout

me and my dh split up when i was pregnany wih ds1 and i went on to benefits for abuot 3 months,the last month of pregnancy and 2 months after.

i got about 120 a week,would of got more if i needed housing etc.

i went back to work when ds was 8 weeks old,(went to work full time for royal mail)they actually replaced income support with wtc which was more than is as i was a single mum,i obviously had ctc and cb,plus maintanance from dh,wages were about 280-300 after tax.

so what i am saying is i was a lot better off working,i know there are different situations but for a lot of people with just one child it is possible to work if you want to,they also offered to pay 80per cent of childcare costs which i didnt need as my mum looked after him.

YABU and a bit of a shit-stirrer to be honest.

We used to live on benefits, including HB. We had one DS at the time. It was hard. Once a week DH and I treated ourselves to a coffee out and a shared piece of cheesecake. I used to walk everywhere - even in the rain with shopping bags and my toddler because our money would only just cover the basics - whioch didn't include a bus ride at £1.40. We both work now and have done for the last 10 years, we don't have a huge income but are SO much better off than we were on benefits. It just does not compare and I can't understand why so many people buy into the myths about this fantastic 'liefstyle' you can lead on benefits. It is hard, relentless and depressing. We pay taxes and I do not for one second begrudge my share going towards someone's benefits. I despise this goverment.

from my humble experience

1 child = worth financially going back to work for

2= probably

3 = not really,especially if no help from ex or relatives etc and you really are truly on your own

although maybe not right,most people will and do whatever is best for their circumstances,life is tough sometimes and it's only natural that people look out for themselves,even if they dont think of the long term implications

Excellent post ConstantCraving.
Yes, that is the reality of living on benefits.

Thanks lady . I'll never forget that period of my life and am forever thankful that we were able to climb out of it - I know that if we were in that situation today it would be so much harder. The good thing was that it really made my son appreciate the things we had, he took nothing for granted and has a really strong work ethic now. Yes - shock, horror - the child that grew up with parents on benefits for much of his early childhood actually had to forgo many of the things his friends took for granted - computed games, trendy clothes etc.... and would you believe that we didn't even have a TV as we couldn't afford the licence fee? (Sorry to burst the myth bubble OP).

Bunkum

I just don't think people should have children when they can't afford to provide anything for them.
1)Yes. Myriad reasons, none of them any business of yours.
2)This is called Eugenics.
It's not a hysterical reaction, it's a reaction after reading an accumulation of your posts. As I said on another thread in which you were benefit bashing, you are Marie Stopes in disguise.

Sockreturningpixie , yes he did have a good job, when he choose to work, he was freelance

obviously you find it hard to believe a couple not married, a few kids, her claiming as a single parent, getting every benefit going as she knew how to play the system, him getting job seekers and working now and then and not declaring it, but living together = more disposable income than a married couple with a few kids, him on £17k her on £5k, paying all bills at full whack

why say I have a distinct lack of imagination? you are the one who seems to think this is fantasy

it doesnt matter anyway, as I said for every one like my neighbour there are thousands being honest and in the shit

She's a criminal, ssd. So shop her.