Wouldn't wish on anyone suddenly finding yourself on your own with DC reliant on benefits. My DC were 1 and 3 when XH decided he couldn't cope. I'd just secured funding for a business that gave us as a family financial stability potential. I lost most of my funding because XH walked out, i then had tax credits to help the shortfall.
Before DC i had paid higher rate tax for some years. DS1 was born with various issues and whilst I returned to my career after he was born XH couldn't cope with his care, feeding/ suckling issues. Nurseries couldn't cope with him either but he was 6 before his disability was fully diagnosed, 3 when school called in the experts with quite a clear understanding it was ASD and he had full time 1-1 support.
I'm remarried and with diagnosis we are able to get more support as a family now. The thing is we are able to put food on the table even with blips in support.
Before diagnosis things were hand to mouth, DS has sleep issues, i was shattered dealing with divorce and trying to keep the house (we sold it in the end), i tried to keep my business going but never managed two days without going i to school to deal with an issue around DS and nursery/ wrap around care wasn't available for him diagnosis or not. Politely I was told by more than one place, after he'd tried out session that they were full. My younger sons nurseries manager agreed to have him in her office with her 1 day a week so I could attempt to work. Life was so tough, we didn't turn the heating on at home unless we had to. We made choices between value nappies/ basic brands (more washing for leaky value nappies) and luxuries like value yogurts.
I can sort of understand people talking about benefit choices and that people shouldn't choose to live on them as a lifestyle choice but i've never met a person who has.
Its not as clear cut as the government currently appear to be implying it is.
Like couthys position when you're in the process of being assessed between being disabled and not being. You're still the same person, you still need to eat, be warm, have a roof over your head.
The realities are that over a period of a year or so the benefits are leveled out but you can be left in horrendous limbo whilst investigated where the rug is pulled from under you, everything stops whilst you're supposed to be a benefits expert and know what you can apply for instead. Even if you do then apply for the things you're then entitled to theres a payment delay. You may then get a big payout that if you're lucky enables you to pay back family/ friends if unlucky pays back the payday loan type companies but leaves nothing for you resulting in more loans and a vicious circle is created.
I'm scared for how people will cope and how society will cope with the strain of the knock on behaviour of people struggling. Be it misbehaving children at school whose lives are being turned upside down or those who feel that crime for a quick buck is there only option.