to be pissed off that they seem to have lots more disposable cash than me?

[JRmumma]

Just to be clear, in not 'benefits bashing' but a friend of mine who chose not to return to work after DC3 as she worked out that tax credits and housing benefit would make her family 'no worse off', seems to have lots more money than me.

To explain my situation, i have 1DC and am on mat leave at present. When i go back to work, we will have less money than we do at the moment after work travel costs and childcare is paid for. I have to go back full time to enable us to survive even though i didn't want to, but accept that children are expensive and needs must. We are also having to seriously cut back on the few luxuries that we currently have (memberships/subscriptions).

Ive just discovered that my friend has just booked her second holiday for this year. Without saying where it is for fear of outing myself, its a v expensive holiday for her and hubby. The other holiday is a European all inclusive jobby for the whole family. All 3 DC also had expensive electronics for Xmas.

This really fucks me off. Where am i going wrong? If they have enough money for exotic holidays and all the latest mod cons, why are they receiving tax credits and housing benefit? And why oh why will the only holiday i get this year be a £9.50 sun holiday if both me and DH work full time and claim nothing?

I think the point I was making is that should I be claiming benefits I would have NO chance of saving for my baby's surgery.

Real life happens to those on benefits too. Emergencies, broken boilers, unfair policies hits them too with no way of funding their way out.

I think the point is holiday or no holiday you aren't better off in work. Maybe full time hours against someone on JSA but as someone who works 27 hours a week, it's a real case of is it worth it?
Actually when you consider I now pay half my rent,my council tax and put£40 into petrol a week (regardless of now having to had to buy a car). Actually I'm not.
I also have to get up at 6am to walk the dog whereas I could walk him after the school run. I can't potter round the shops to find bargains, be it clothes or food. I have to find money for packed lunches or school dinners and I have to pay for school trips (including £250 residential which would have been paid for me if I stayed unemployed).
So maybe it's part time but it still requires full time commitment followed by full time looking after my child.
You can see why Op and others are cross TBH.

It's a complex situation but one thing is clear: the scenarios advanced where two foreign holidays for a couple and three kids have been paid for by saving up £400 and then buying both said holidays from the Magical Bargain Holiday Company, are just implausible. It's either gone on a credit card or some other means of funding a lifestyle they can't really afford.

Is it really only 3 years?? So if you get a high paying job/inheritance/whatever after that period you don't have to pay back any of your debt? That seems bonkers to me. I'm not saying people should be chained to debt for the rest of their lives, but 3 years is no time at all

A bankruptcy could be discharged after a year it could also place a restriction order on you for up to 15 years.

Even after discharge any large lump sum can be taken so not just within the time your bankrupt for.

"Even after discharge any large lump sum can be taken so not just within the time your bankrupt for."

Yes, any time within an Income Payments Agreement/Order (3 years).

There is also a clause that if you come to know about an inheritance or lump sum during the time between bankruptcy and discharge, you forfeit it, even if it is paid out afterwards.

So, for example, if someone dies the day before discharge, but probate doesn't go through for 3 years, they will still take the money because you knew about the inheritance while bankrupt.

notthefirst YOu do have a point about the cost of working though. When I worked I figured about a 3rd of my income went on making work possible. i.e. commute during peak times, work suits, not being able to shop at markets during the day, after dinner drinks that were an expectation if you wanted to appear committed, prepared veg as no time to peel etc etc.

For those with childcare costs it must be considerably more for the average person.

None of that has anything to do with whether or not people on benefits should have holidays though.

MrsDeVere You can't "give up work" then you have made yourself unemployed and get jack.

So basically if you can have enough under 5's to keep your self out of the job market. Or like I did,go to Uni. £23,000 a year I got for doing that (will need to repay half when I earn enough) for 8 hours a week.

MrsDeVere it's not about living the life of Riley. It's about how undervalued work is.
That's why people who do work, get pissed off with those that don't. I don't care if people on benefits can scrape a holiday together. it's when working makes me not able too.

Well put some money aside for a few years in order to sort out your long term plan of living the life of Riley on benefits.

Oh I can't because I'm working...so I can't save because it's going on rent and council tax and lunches.
Unlike getting full housing benefit and tax credit at Uni when I'd paid off my credit cards and another friend got her roof re tiled.

MrsDeVere You can't "give up work" then you have made yourself unemployed and get jack

Of course you can, you just need to put up with the up to 26 week sanction just like everybody else who claims has to.

notthefirst

I don't think work is undervalued by most of society tbh.
in fact a lot of workers are receiving benefit.
I don't value working for an employer and I'm sure others don't but there are many reasons for this, many that are personal to that person.
FWIW, If I worked I couldn't afford holidays either.

It is obviously reasonable to question why someone who seems to work less has more than you. Because if it is true then you should do whatever it is that they are doing too. We're pretty comfortably off but that doesn't mean I wouldn't prefer to work less but somehow magically have more.

Unfortunately I can't find my Ben and Holly money box....

In this case, however, it seems pretty obvious that they are sacrificing long term security (no house, savings or pension) for short term gain. (How many holidays could you have bought if you spent all your pension fund on them?)

I also suspect that they are sacrificing short term security for short term fun. I don't see someone who regularly gets their phone cut off through lack of paying their bill as being someone who carefully saves up for their hols. In which case you too could have a lovely holiday abroad in the same way they do....

1 Choose a holiday
2 Stick it on your credit card
3 Pack your suncream

DH works two jobs and we're on benefits and we have a child with a disability and we still can't afford a holiday.

Where do I go to get my medal?

MrsDeVere what on earth are you talking about?

I have been a single working parent since my son was 2 weeks old.I know all about working and getting benefits thanks. i went to Uni because it was too hard working 40 hour weeks, still needing benefits and being too poor to run the car.I have also been unemployed (3 months when Uni finished).
And actually if I could have stayed on benefits I would have. Unfortunately staying on them when you have a good current CV and a new degree is harder than you think. But trust me I am worse off in work.

I think the point is, notthefirst... that you were given full housing benefit and tax credit while you chose to study, yet are complaining about people who are choosing not to work.

Er no! I'm saying the opposite. I'm complaining about work meaning you have less than someone who doesn't work.

I don't think most people choose not to work either. There are either no jobs or they are idiots like me who can't play the system (have another child for example).

And yes I am complaining about the system that gives single parents much more than is needed at Uni but bleeds them dry in work. How can I get given over £4,000 a term (3 months) and get free school meals (£40 a month) but now that I earn £580 a month I don't? And pay rent and CT.
It's ridiculous.

Well you get full Child Tax Credits/Working Tax Credits/Childcare Tax credits, bar £221, because you only earn £6960 per year.

Working Tax Credit £1970 (if working over 16 hours per week)

Child Tax Credit £545 Family element
£2720 child element.

Total: £5235 - £221 = £5014 (£96.42 per week)

You earn £133 per week.

Total Income: £229.42 per week.

For Housing Benefit, the personal allowance for a lone parent is £71.70, plus £65.62 for your child, plus £17.40 family/lone parent element, plus £25 earnings disregard = £179.72

£229.42-£179.72 = £49.70 excess

Deduction from HB is 65p per pound excess. £49.70 x 65% = £32

So you should only be paying £32 per week for rent. Unless your rent exceeds the Local Housing Allowance for your area or you are living in a house bigger than allowed.

The Council Tax deduction is 20p per pound excess. £49.70 x 20%= £9.94

So you should be paying around £10 towards your Council Tax.

If you are paying vastly more than that, then I'd ask for a reassessment.

OP and others with similar issues, why not shop these people anonymously if you think they're up to something? Won't do any harm if they're only claiming what they're legitimately entitled to.

secure.dwp.gov.uk/benefitfraud/

"Won't do any harm if they're only claiming what they're legitimately entitled to."

It can do huge amounts of harm. The benefits are stopped while investigations happen, then only reinstated from the day they are cleared. No back pay for the time of the investigation.

For the people who are reported falsely it can mean the difference between having a roof over their head and not.

Unless you have clear evidence never report as you have no idea what can happen..even false reports can put people in dire straights with nothing to go back on.

IIRC - a new policy in in the tubes that even false reports can mean that that claimant can loose everything and not able to claim again for a certain period of time.

Lougle spot on!
Total Income: £229.42 per week.

So the things I now pay for in work are; £42 to pay for my rent and council tax. £40 to pay for petrol to get to work. Insurance and car tax -no idea.£10 a week for school lunches.
So that's easily over £90 .
Leaving me a conservative £139 a week.

On JSA I get £70 plus £64 child tax credit= £134.
On JSA I don't need to pay for any of the above. I don't have to get up at 6am to walk the dog.I don't have to worry about the car tyres needing replacing.I don't have to pay £250 for a school residential trip. I can attend school assemblies/sports days etc.

See why I have a problem now.

holla i don't think they are up to anything i just think its worked out 'well' for them.