Page 8 | to think that 20 grand on benefits a year is loads

MrsBucketxx · 2013-07-19T07:36:18+00:00

considering they dont pay any income tax. just watching we pay your benefits program and worked out that this is over 30 grand if it was a normal tax paying salary. why was this not mentioned.

mouseymummy · 19/07/2013 14:19

Sorry, pressed post too soon

£140 a week, plus £115 ctc and then £132 4 weekly cb. All to cover the cost if 2 adults and 3 kids. 2 of which will need nappies, formula, clothes, shoes, food for all 5 of us, gas, electric, water, tv license, internet (you HAVE to have internet now, to effectively email your diary for what you've done that day to your advisor) plus bus fare for dh, money for dd1 to get to school and back and anything else I may have forgotten.

It's not something I choose, I worked up until I got made redundant at the start of 2012. Finding someone to hire you when you are classed as disabled is hard enough but the job centre honestly expect me to find somewhere to hire me when I'm 26 wks pg and have spd. Id love to know where im meant to find this amazing job!

GoodTouchBadTouch · 19/07/2013 14:23

Why didn't you train at uni before getting pregnant?

Childcare is going to be tricky for two under school age while you go to uni

martini84 · 19/07/2013 14:23

O and even well off people can be one step away from disaster. My dh is a hrt payer who earns enough for us not to even receive child benefit. He ckuld lose his job tomorrow and we would be up the creek with 3 dc to support. His boss just has.

martini84 · 19/07/2013 14:24

O and even well off people can be one step away from disaster. My dh is a hrt payer who earns enough for us not to even receive child benefit. He ckuld lose his job tomorrow and we would be up the creek with 3 dc to support. His boss just has.

CloudsAndTrees · 19/07/2013 14:25

Mousey, you say that as if there's something wrong with it?

Should they just hand over money for no reason because you went and got pregnant when neither you or your DH have a job and you have a ten month old baby already?

I hope your husband is being expected to do the same.

martini84 · 19/07/2013 14:27

Sounds hard mousey money but chb will be 188 when little one arrives. Small comfort I know.

GoodTouchBadTouch · 19/07/2013 14:30

And if its not enough, you could have another one, then another..

gordyslovesheep · 19/07/2013 14:30

exactly Martini - I had 3 children and happy marriage and between us we earned a lot - although most of my wages paid for childcare

Then my husband left me while I was on maternity leave and 12 month later his business went under

without CTC paying for childcare I would be forced to give up work, my home

or my friend who was married and had 2 kids until her other half died of cancer and she became dadada.... a lone parent on benefits

be very careful what you say about people that might one day, through no fault of your own, be you

expatinscotland · 19/07/2013 14:36

Mousy, I think the welfare system is a good thing, but c'mon.

Darkesteyes · 19/07/2013 14:36

I wonder how/if Luther was covered by insurance being as how he was signed off work ill but was doing trial shifts in the warehouse and in the lorry with the driver.
Would he have been covered by Employers Liability Insurance.

morethanpotatoprints · 19/07/2013 14:44

Surely though, all the people who say all their wages go on childcare that is totally their own choice and imo not the fault of people receiving benefit. If they were to become a sahp they wouldn't have these costs. fair enough if you have to work to pay bills and to live.

Also there are parents who don't work and their dp earns a low wage. The dp receives tax credit as low income, you can't then say that the non working is being paid to be a sahp as they clearly aren't.

filee777 · 19/07/2013 14:44

It's got to be about good insurance guys, my husband is South African and is amazed by this culture of 'no insurance the gov will support me if I loose my job

sonlypuppyfat · 19/07/2013 14:48

Its more than enough I know loads of people on benefits they have been on them for years they manage to fire tons of kids out that they supposidly can't afford to keep.

Lazyjaney · 19/07/2013 14:50

be very careful what you say about people that might one day, through no fault of your own, be you

No one is arguing for no benefits system, they are arguing for one that does not give more money than c 50% of the working population earn.

And Mouseymoney, getting pg again with 2 kids already supported by the taxpayers tab and then expecting to do nothing for (even more of) it is precisely the sort of choice that is unavailable to the people paying for you, and that is what is making most people believe the current system is badly broken and needs reform.

Pipparivers · 19/07/2013 14:54

It a ridiculous amount of money!!

I am a lone parent with a 5yr old and 1yr old triplets. We get by on just £5,000 a yr in central London.

We mend and make do.
It's all about meal planning.
Shop in the discount aisle.
I make all 'diary' products using bm it makes a lovely cheese.
We sleep under the stars. It's great for the children to get so much fresh air.

We live in such a materialistic society these days. Nobody needs £20k a yr.

Technotropic · 19/07/2013 14:55

YANBU OP

I was watching that programme and £20k is loads. In fact you don't even need to watch a TV programme to realise £20k is loads.

morethanpotatoprints · 19/07/2013 15:01

Pippa

I am in awe, as I totally agree with you, but never quite made it to sleeping under the stars. So unfortunately we do need a bit more than 5k, but totally see where you are coming from.

Indecisive90 · 19/07/2013 15:07

I'm not going to get drawn into casting judgement on people on benefits but I do think 20k is a lot of money. I don't know the circumstances you'd have to be in to get that though, I assume that's a maximum? Benefits should be a temporary solution though. It is a fact that some people work the system and never work.

The attitude that 'we are all entitled to a decent standard of living' is a problem. We live in a developed country so should all be entitled to a basic standard of living. There's a big difference. Internet, Sky TV, children with their own bedrooms, should be considered luxuries. Food and shelter is basic.

And filee, your ignorance of graduate jobs is astounding. Brits don't want to train? Just ridiculous. I think you'll find that Medicine is ridiculously competitive, all the places available at uni are filled every year so as many people as possible are training in it. There aren't the same number of jobs available for trained people, if everyone was highly trained and qualified we'd be in the exact same situation. We are in that situation to an extent, lots go to uni and come out qualified for jobs that don't exist. I studied pharmacy, you'd think that's a sensible option, and there were plenty of jobs when I chose it. That was 6 years ago. Now I'm just about to qualify and we're all really struggling to find employment. Chances are I'll be on JSA in a month. It's getting to a similar situation with doctors, there aren't enough foundation training places for all the med students.

martini84 · 19/07/2013 15:10

But what does the 5k include pippa. No way could you pay rent mortgage bills nappies food etc on 5k. Especially in london. Plus why don, t you get more. Ie chb tax credits etc.

JessicaBeatriceFletcher · 19/07/2013 15:11

mousey I'm sorry but it IS something you chose. No, you didn't choose to be made redundant at the start of 2012. But you DID choose to get pregnant 26 weeks ago when you had been redundant for the best part of 12 months and are therefore expecting taxpayers not only to part fund the two kids you already had (while you were working) but for another one.

martini84 · 19/07/2013 15:11

Sorry missed the sleeup under the stars bit.

mouseymummy · 19/07/2013 15:19

I didn't get pg by choice and I did seriously consider abortion, but for reasons I don't really want to go into, I didn't.

I've worked since I left school, I'm not saying it excuses my situation but I'm hoping once baby is here and I am over the spd etc, I can find another job but tbh, its not looking hopeful right now. Not with my lack of qualifications.

morethanpotatoprints · 19/07/2013 15:28

Jessica

How do you know mousey expects taxpayers to fund her dc, and shouldn't mousey and family be supported.
I bet you would be pleased of the help if you were entitled to it, I also bet you would take it too.

GoodTouchBadTouch · 19/07/2013 15:31

morethan - of course everyone would take it, and be glad for it (not that mousy seems glad, she is complaining actually) Nobody is criticising benefit claimants, only the shitty system that allows her to have a 3rd child when plenty of taxpayers cant afford it.

JessicaBeatriceFletcher · 19/07/2013 15:48

morethan - let's be honest here, all taxpayers part fund everyone's DC, which is why I chose the word part fund. I have no children. I won't be having any. But my taxes still pay for schools etc that all children benefit from. Which is fair enough, as hopefully one day some of those children will work in the NHS which I also pay for and although, as yet, I've hardly used, will probably have to at some point. I earn what I earn and the only support I get is 25% of the council tax as a single person. I pay more council tax than, say, three people in a house share, so I pay my fair share but get no other benefits.

But if you already have 2 children, have been out of work for over a year and choose to have another child, then yes, I think having another child is irresponsible because. In mousey's case, she says it was not by choice and she didn't want to have an abortion. However, there are people who would just have had another baby regardless because they are used to state handouts. I do wonder how mousey will fund her training and look after 3 children.

Am sorry to sound so judgemental and harsh, I think it's the heat!