to think many benefits punish the prudent people that do the right thing

[ladygingina]

Aibu to think that many benefits are counter productive and reward people that don't do the right thing?

I mean why bother saving any money because I'd you have a five figure amount in the bank you won't get many benefits. But if you just waste all your money and have zero in the bank the government will give you money.

Also it seems better to rent rather than buy so the government will pay all of your housing costs if you loose your job.

I just think many of these reward people that we silly with money and it doesn't encourage people to behave responsibly.

Of course the landlord knows! If you can get a tenancy whilst claiming benefits (like hens teeth) and if it's an existing one you may find yourself in breach of contract if you don't tell them.

I haven't rented for a while, but why would the landlord care where the money comes from? Surely if its paid directly by the government that would be better for them?

I said "relative" security.

Pay mortgage, stay in house.
Pay rent, stay in house at landlord's whim.

Yy, naturally, council housing. What's left is great. After you sit in a hostel or B&B for a year, then you get to live well, wherever they put you. And if you are in London, that might be Birmingham.

I understand what OP is saying

Person A is prudent saves carefully then when down on luck for whatever reason is forced by the system to use their savings (right or wrong I dont know)

Whereas....

Person B spends their earnings on clothes, holidays etc and then claims the full amount benefits.

I dont know but you can't dictate to people how they spend their money. But I see how this may seem unfair.

Thanks that's exactly what I'm saying, it just isn't fair.

Housing benefit is no longer paid direct to the LL in most cases. The insurance for LL's tends to be higher for HB claimants and in many cases, if the property is mortgaged, the the lender will refuse HB tenants.

How exactly can you pay a mortgage when your on JSA and that leaves you with about 2 pounds a day after normal bills? Feed, cloth and pay the mortgage on 2 pounds a day?

The LL cares because often enough his lender and insurance forbids LHA tenants, or he does not want them because if it turns out they were not entitled to the LHA they received, he gets chased for it, so he just states No DSS.

Oh, I forgot inspections! Those are fun.

Same way you have to pay everything when you rent! It's not enough either way, but don't assume those renting are automatically better off.

We rent because dh does not earn enough for a mortgage and probably will never. I get paid a tiny amount irregularly in commission despite working full time because there are barely any paid jobs in my field and all of them want huge amounts of experience rather than a degree but nowhere likes to give experience. Being pregnant there is no longer point in me applying to a new internship/job as my current work are understanding and will let me keep dabbling in the field and I would certainly not be employed or able to take a job any more as will stay with baby as can't afford child care and even on starting wage for my field I couldn't.

We do get housing benefit. It isn't our whole rent. We are frugal people and good at budgeting. Dh happens to be in computing - a field with a high number of jobs available - because of this he got a job but it took months and we nearly lost our rented flat.

Where do you suggest we live while we save the money we spend on renting? Oh, you're going to pay for us to stay at a hotel out of your pocket are you, op! Thanks so much!

Either you are deliberately goading or you've lived such a 'privileged' life you are out of touch with many peoples reality - in which case I hope you start learning about them and also hope you don't have children that you're teaching these stunted views to.

OK I didn't know that, fair enough.

But I still think I would be better off if I was renting. If landlord didn't fix the boiler I'd start legal action.

Fucking hell, next time I have my hand down the back of the sofa trying to find an extra quid to put in the meter before it runs out, I'll remember to save it so that i can come off benefits instead of spending it so that my child and I can eat and shower

And I work. For the record.

Gosh why do you all take this as a benefits bashing when actually I'm talking of increasing them?

Yeah. The moral choices of people on benefits are terrible. Caring for their relatives with disabilities, living off benefits rather than stealing things or dealing drugs, caring for their children, taking insecure and poorly paid but vital jobs like cleaning and care work...

Some btl mortgages don't allow hb and people are right - you have to pay to get decent housing that's maintained properly. There's plenty of people living in awful rented conditions through fear of eviction/lack of other options - social housing can be the worst offenders in some areas.

I do sympathise with you lady, things are clearly tough for you at the moment. But to my mind this is greener grass talk. anyone finding themselves losing an income has a hard time adjusting or having to cope with a complete change of circumstance and it's awful.

A family member is severely disabled through sudden illness and owns their own home - the drop in income means maintenance is a pipe dream, I help where I can but am not rolling in cash as it is and have had many sleepless nights over the state of their finances and circumstances - I do really sympathise with your situation but there isn't a solution to be found by thinking others have it easier. They really don't and it's unhelpful to get bogged down in that way of thinking.

Some people genuinely do not save to be entitled to benefits, not all obviously and I've never said this!

So sell your house. What's stopping you? Then you'd have a bond, perhaps, after the LL. served you two months notice when you took legal action and you could find out how easy it is to find accommodation when you are in receipt of LHA.

Go for it!

I do really sympathise with your situation but there isn't a solution to be found by thinking others have it easier. They really don't and it's unhelpful to get bogged down in that way of thinking.

Thanks. I'm trying to compare my life saving vs spending not critise someone that can't afford to save.

For instance I really regret not going on that stupidly expensive cruise last year with my friends, 1800 seemed like a lot. But if I had of done I would get more in benefits now. Im not saying everyone on benefits is there because they wasted money.

Legal action costs money and civil courts mean precisely fuck all to a large amount of shyster landlords. Oh and suing your ll while in situ is a great way to get kicked out and having to come up with agency fees and 2.5 months worth of rent for a deposit plus moving costs.

If I don't get a job on enough I will have to sell my house, does that make you happy? It might now just be worth about what I paid for it

You can even do it without ethical scruples! Sell your house and give the money and all your savings to charity. Then start looking for a zero hours contract job as a care assistant. A life of stress-free ease awaits AND you get to help other people!

Sorry. I think I didn't RTFT.

You say there isn't a solution to be found by thinking others have it easier, but that's what you are doing.

Why on Earth would I care if you sold up? You seem to think you'd be better off renting, so why not do it? Seems logical.

But lady if you'd gone on that cruise and were now getting benefits that wouldn't cover the cost of a new boiler either. You'd maybe get more paid but would that stretch to getting a boiler or would you be sitting in the cold wondering how the heck you were going to scrape enough pennies together?

Housing benefit only gets paid direct to the LL in special circumstances, for instance if the tenant has gambling/drug issues and is likely to spend it rather than pay their rent. I work but get a small amount of LHA (like housing benefit but for private tenants) and it's paid into my back account every fortnight. My rent is paid monthly by SO to my LL's account the day after my salary goes into my account. LL's need to know if tenants are on benefits because some BTL mortgages don't allow it, which is why lots of LL's don't accept benefit recipients.

Fwiw, I used to own a house but needed to move closer to family for various reasons and I couldn't afford to buy in the new area. I sold during the recession and only made £1700 profit , which just about paid for my legal fees, deposit and first months' rent. As I work part time and am single, I've got fuck all chance of getting back on the housing ladder as I'd need to save about £60-70k deposit. Sometimes I wish I'd kept the house. A lifetime of renting does not fill me with joy, I can tell you.