To think this is ridiculous?

[silverfisher]

I took a look on the Turn2Us calculator to see what a family with the same makeup as our own, living in the same area, with the same housings situation as us, would be able to get in benefits on a £15,000 wage. It turns out that a family on a £15,000 salary would get so many top ups with tax credits and housing benefit etc that they would get the same income (including child benefit) as ours on a £45,000 wage (after tax).

So basically, these days you are not necessarily better off by working more and getting better pay as low incomes are always topped up so heavily that it makes little difference to your after tax income whether you dropped out of school and got a low paying job or whether you went to university, got into loads of debt and then did loads of 40+ hour weeks, you will end up with the same take home pay.

I know I will probably get a lot of criticism for this but I think it is totally demoralising to think that there is very little point in going to University or striving if you want to be better off economically and basically work doesn't actually pay.

Do you know what I find demoralising OP?

It's sticking in at school, going to University, working all hours you can to try and get on then being made redundant any way. Losing everything including the roof over our head and having nothing to eat because I could only afford to feed me or the DC.

It's then trying to do the right thing by taking any job rather than staying unemployed. That job is very low paid but no matter what you think OP I work very hard for that pay. The most demoralising thing of all is after all that people like you feel you have some devine right to look down on us and slag us off.

Yes my salary is topped up by tax credits in total it comes to about 18K certainly no more than 19k. Nothing like the figures you suggest and most of that is my actual salary. It makes the difference between the adults of the house eating or not, it means I'm likely to be able to still afford my commute at the end of the month, it means we have power to cook the food and in winter can put heating on sometimes.

No one I know is entirely happy about claiming benefits. Obviously they're happier than if they were starving and sleeping on the streets. Would you prefer that OP?

I live for the day when we can cancel our claim. We're working on it but can't be sure how long it will take. How much would we have to suffer for you to feel better OP? Does it help if I tell you that I cry myself to sleep at night because of the guilt or that I hurt myself as punishment for my failure?

Please at least try and engage that educated brain you are so keen to point out you have and at least realise that low pay does not equal lazy and stupid.