to think that those people who moan about people on benefits

[martini84]

should take a long hard look at their own lives.
I know of as single parent who was outraged at having to pay for others not to work. Yet over the years she has generally worked part time. Has received chid benefit for her 2 children and shed loads of wtc especially when dc were young and free education for her dc.
Plus of course she has benefitted from free healthcare etc.
Even someone working on a modest income with dc is likely to actually be getting back more than they put in with dc.
aibu to be truly fed up with this attitude.
Trey being a single person living on £70 a week and still having to pay council tax and all others bills/food except rent on. The person I know doing this worked for 25 years claiming very little back as no dc.

YANBU

There's a lot of harshness about. It's upsetting tbh.

YANBU

You forgot to mention Maternity allowance!

Thought about that after I posted time of change

Who moans about "people on benefits" per se? I moan about specific people on benefits that I see misusing their money. Eg. I was a single mum on income support, I was approached by another young mum with a baby in the pushchair. Mum is smoking, wearing a coat, baby is obviously freezing cold wearing just a frilly short sleeved dress with no shoes. Mum asks me for money to buy her baby a coat as she is "on income support and it's not enough to buy one". My answer - "use YOUR coat as a blanket for her until you need another packet of cigarettes and then buy her a coat in a charity shop instead!" Sorry, but she was in the wrong. On the other hand, I don't and never would lump everyone on benefits together and assume that they are all the same. After all, I've been there.

YANBU .

I get very heated on those threads, especially as I was at one time earning a good salary. Life can change in a heartbeat.

As it is jutst myself and DS we manage on benefits but I hate the judging from others. Thankfully the people who matter most to me DO understand why I am in this position.

My only comfort is that through years of work I DO have some nice bits around me, I have the obligatory flat screen TV , it's a few years old now but hopefully will see me through the next 10 years or so.

YANBU!

TimeofChange: yy to Maternity Allowance! Unless you are really quite well off you will have claimed benefits (and if your haven't maybe you should- check your entitlements)

We will miss them when they're gone :(

YANBU on the whole but I think everyone knows someone who gives benefit claimants a bad name

Justforlaughs..I would have instantly assumed that the woman was just begging in the same vein as those who.ask.loads.of people for a pound for the bus, not that she was some person misusing her benefits.

Just because you know someone who is an arsehole on benefits, that shouldn't "give all benefit claimants a bad name". Who voted them in as representative of all benefit claimants? They'd be a lazy cheating arsehole whether they were working or had just won the Euromillions.

I hate the fact "benefit claimant" has become almost socially acceptable shorthand for "lazy out-of-work scrounger, probably faking some disability or popping out kids to numerous different fathers".

Do you know what the biggest single sector of "benefit claimants" is? Pensioners.

Do you know the second biggest? People in receipt of in-work benefits (which often includes DLA).

Doesn't fit with this Government's cosy worldview though, does it?

This was partly prompted by the nick and margaret. Programme.b Only watched the 1st bit and I am angry. Lets pick and single pdrson on jsa who doesn't have any bills to pay. They should have used someone having to pay all bills out of £70 per week including council tax.

OP you do realise there are plenty of people who pay more into the system than they take out? Your implication that everyone is a net recipient from the government is rather flawed.

YANBU.

It is worrying actually, the sheer levels of hatred some people have for benefits claimants.

I wish work paid more, so more of the people who are better off on the dole have an incentive to go to work. Greedy employers get my back up more than benefits claimants. Plus employers who will actually give someone a chance, and train them up instead of asking for loads of experience and qualifications.

People who constantly bitch and whine need to remember they're just a few unfortunate circumstances from being unemployed themselves. There's nothing more unappealing than someone with a massive chip on the shoulder or who looks down on others.

There are of course people who do take the piss, and these people need to be dealt with and assisted in getting back to work. I only know one person like this however, everyone else has just got unlucky.

I do understand some people put in more. My brother definitely does.
As he earns a good salary and doesn'have dc. Also i guess some hrt payers with dc may do too. Incidentally dh is a hrt and sadly probably share those views.

I'd like the moaners to put JSA into a spreadsheet with all their monthly outgoings on and have a good hard look at what they'd have to cut out to survive. "Well, I wouldn't go on that holiday then" they'd say. Yes, and you won't be buying branded food, Sky, car insurance or new bloody nail varnish either.

Also I only mentioned people on a modest income ie 12 to 13k who 7 am will get more out than they 9ut in. Especially 7f you take future pensions into account.

Sorry typing one handed.

Nobody survives on JSA alone long term though do they kalidanger? It simply isn't possible to live on £60 a week, unless you live rent free and don't have to pay any bills. Invariably long term claimants get other more significant benefits too, that they usually neglect to mention in these discussions.

Yes Dora when I was made redundant and on benefits I got HB and CT benefit too. And my point still stands. Every single other thing comes out of the £70 pw.

The HB goes straight to the landlord though, people dont actually see it.

I get HB but it never hits my bank.

I do get IS as DS is autistic. It works out at £45 a week. Plus Carers Allowance and Tax credits.

I still have to pay water, electricity, gas, contribution to council tax. In addition there is petrol for my old banger, tax, insurance, contents ins etc. School expenses, trips etc, clothing, shoes and food.

I paid all these things (plus rent) while in work too but was significantly better off than now.

Oh and DS gets DLA. It allows me to not work and to concentrate on his needs.

Martini I've raised this on benefits before but approximately 60 per cent of people in the uk are net recipients ie take more out of the system than they pay in. That's about 2 out of 3 of us. So I totally agree, I think people need to have a long hard look at themselves and get down from their high horses, find a bit of human decency and stop grudging others what really is a pittance.

And STOP READING THE DAILY MAIL if they are going to treat it like gospel.

Yes please read my op dora. Also what other magic benefits are there for a single person. Yes sister doesn't pay rent and only a little council tax.. but that's it. Plus grocery shopping works our more expensive for a single person. She can only fit a fridge with ice making compaartment in. Has tried to get a job and also volunteers 2 dayzs per week.
I would also love someone to come along with facts about how much you would need to earn to contribute more thanykwill get out.

O and for a number of years sis lived off redundancy and than had help from my mum. Now she is truly struggling as mum passed away.

Yanbu op

we all use tje welfare state and claim benefits of one sort or another. Far more money is paid to those in work than to those not working. In effect the government is subsiding employers who pay crap wages to theor staff including tax dodging multinationals who contribute next to nothing to the treasury.

they are the real leeches on the system not tje poor.