"Benefits are a lifestyle choice for so many these days"

[Bellerina2]

I'm on the bus and two women behind me are having a long conversation about perceived benefit cheats and one of them just said the above phrase. WIBU to hit her over the head with a rolled up copy of the Guardian??

But seriously, it's so depressing that people think this. Well done to the government and likes of the Sun and Daily Mail for convincing people that those on benefits are leading some sort of charmed life

I think tax credits are being stopped if you want to work part time unless your child is very young, they are being phased out to encourage part timers to apply for full time work

ssd

I heard this too. The main difference is that you claim individually rather than a family. So nothing changes really in terms of family finance, the same amount as the earnings will be the same, or so I believe.
Just aa different name I think, although I know the new conditionality stuff will make it harder for the unemployed and self employed.

With two-parent families the disincentive story is the same. In a family with two young children, if one partner works there is no incentive in universal credit for the second partner to take a job. Don't glaze over, look at these figures: if one parent is working full-time on the minimum wage taking home £346 a week, when the other gets a full-time job, their income generally only improves by £29 for her five days at work. (And she earns less full-time than if she worked three days).

Taken from Guardian report.
It isn't about making work pay, because for many it doesn't.
It is government punishing the poor.

"There would be no welfare state if the majority of the population chose to do hobbies than work. FACT."
if your "argument' even made sense it would help. I have no idea what it is you are trying to say, sillie millie.

The notion of that too many people are lying cheating and stealing for free money is not daily mail propaganda.
I've lived with them, I've gone to school with them.
It's very rare that I've met someone who has been on benefits for ages who would genuinely do anything for a job. Rarely. The ones who do find jobs clean, they sweep streets, they go from being a construction worker to a checkout person at McDonalds because they truly want to work . Work at McDonalds for a year and keep on applying for what you want. You get 28 days of holiday - take it and use it for interviews for the job you want goddammit!
Social rent , free school dinners, free school uniform, subsidized travel for your kids what more.......do .....you.....want???????????????????????? The government to personally come to your home and wipe your bum?
If you knew the free shit on top of the benefits you can swindle out of the system....you wouldn't believe me. You really wouldn't.

I've cleaned toilets, I've been a waitress, I've worked in call centers, I've picked up clothes in Topshop with managers talking to me like i was shit - all with qualifications up to my eyeballs. All with the desire to do the actual job i had studied for and wanted.

But guess what - I said let me clean tables and pick up clothes before i take the tax payers money. Because its the right thing to do.

Bang goes the theory that CandidKate is Kate Middleton

Why is there this weird in pride in being exploited?

Sunny If no one pays into the pot, the pot may as well not exist. Not sure why it's so difficult to understand that. Not sure Merkel would be prepared to bail the UK out there.

Arsenic

It's great that candidlate is proud... because she's not reliant on anyone else. She's able to stand on her own feet. Why shouldn't one be proud

You start sounding like an entitled teenager who has done nothing his or her life, but think everything is beneath them. Jesus.

Arsenic

Kate Middleton .

I also don't understand the pride in being exploited or working for no financial gain.

I think in terms of UC and tax credits a lot of those shouting about funding sahps lifestyle clearly don't understand the system at all, they can't otherwise they wouldn't make themselves look so stupid.

I've been on here all day, I'm a right lazy scrounging bugger.

House done before 10.00 this morning, prepped dds lessons for next week, meeting with colleague in NY, dd's and dh diaries, seen to ds language tutor/ received feedback etc. General office paperwork and home finances, emailed responses for dds work, spoke to bursar and arranged visit for dd, prepped lunch and tea, helped with English, still got Geography to do as dd gone out with dh. swept paths, taken several business calls, spoke to accountant.

i'm such a scrounging lazy bastard. Oh well, they're back now, time for Geography. Laters

ssd I heard that too and it made me laugh, a hollow bitter laugh, because the government are ideologically opposed to the creation of well paid full time jobs. It's bad for inflation, innit?

Middle class jobs are vanishing and are being replaced with badly paid part-time positions. These are the amazing jobs created by our wonderful government that they are continually boasting about. Rather than acknowledge that this is a problem and put pressure on businesses to up their game, it's now the workers fault for obviously not trying hard enough to find these rare as hens teeth full time jobs with decent salaries.

I don't, truly I don't, understand how if the only jobs being created in any great number are part-time or zero hour contract jobs, how it is the fault of the people working in those jobs that they aren't in full time employment? Or why the government have decided that it's these people who need to be sanctioned, and not the companies who refuse to offer full time work.

Sunny If no one pays into the pot, the pot may as well not exist

A person earning NMW for 38 hours week would earn £11,856 per year.

Meaning 468.00 NICs to pay annually and 371.00 of Income tax.

The current NMW level is no good to the 'pot' or to the people who have to try to live on it.

Increasing it would solve many problems.

It's great that candidlate is proud... because she's not reliant on anyone else. She's able to stand on her own feet. Why shouldn't one be proud

I meant the detail about being 'spoken to like shit'. God knows I did some rubbish low paid jobs in my time. But boasting about enduring personal abuse in a game of 'four internet yorkshiremen' is just odd. Allowing people to treat you like that doesn't add to your virtue

As usual Zero hour contracts being brought up, maybe read some more data on it.

fullfact.org/article/zero_hour_contracts-38391

I do find it interesting that 65% of ZHC people do not want more hours , 'only' 27% dissatisfied with having no minimum contracted hours and only 11% wanting a new job.
There is a lot of demonization of ZHC on this sub about the abuses of people on them but it seems the majority are okay with the hours.
35% are not, but to what extent? Can make assumptions based off the wording of the other 3 options but it would only be assumption.

Also this one from last year
fullfact.org/economy/zero_hours_contracts_surge_rise_guardian_mirror-2033

Arsenic and morethanpotatoprints

Working and paying in isn't something to be sneered at.

All banter aside shame on you. The Average UK wage is £26,500. After tax we are looking at even 18k in some cases. It's these proudly exploited people who pay in and make sure your DC gets the care they need when they fall off their bike and break their leg. Shame shame shame on you. Disgusting.

I did these jobs when I was younger and would do them again in a heartbeat.

I'm not here to out myself or be cringey but I say in all humility that I earn a lot of money now and don't see the days when I was a waitress as humiliating, exploitative or silly.

MN is like the land of the lunatic fringes.

Of course having useful work is a good thing; healthwise, psychologically, maybe economically.

But people take things to the edge of insanity here. Why is being verbally abused by your manager a great thing? Why is paid work intrinsically more virtuous than being a volunteer or trustee? It isn't.

Elsewhere we have people howling that the royal family mustn't be criticised for conducting just seven engagements per quarter and that any consideration that this is a bit idle is hatred-fuelled inverted snobbery.

On a SAHM/WOHM thread once there was outrage that a woman might choose to 'live off her husband' for a few years but widespread approval of the same grown women balancing their books by accepting free childcare from their parents.

It makes no sense.

All banter aside shame on you. The Average UK wage is £26,500. After tax we are looking at even 18k in some cases. It's these proudly exploited people who pay in and make sure your DC gets the care they need when they fall off their bike and break their leg. Shame shame shame on you. Disgusting.

Are you ok?

Shame on me for what? I earn well over the UK average wage and create employment too. You bizarre little woman.

Arsenic - I wasnt boasting, I was saying its silly to sit your arse at home because you dont want to work in a certain industry or have a certain job title. Get out there, roll your eyes at the bastard manger, get paid and go home. The tax payer should not pay for you to stay at home because you dont like retail, or because your a construction worker and that only, or because you want to be with DD1 and DS1. I've sucked a lot of shit up because that's what life is about. Not scrounging using the logic of a teenager. Some people will work in topshop until the day they bloody die. So what. There's pride in that. There's pride in bloody volunteering. Theres no pride in living off the tax payers hard earned money.

Arsenic Shame on you for sneering upon people who earn low wages as happily exploited people.

That's the other bizarre assumption the right wing frothers always try to pretend to make - that only the poor support equality, opportunity or a safety net.

And morethan's DH works so I don't know what you're having histrionics at her for either.

SAHPs generally, will have worked before their SAHPdom and will return to work afterwards. It's piss-poor attempt at twisting things to portray SAHMing as something that typically endures for a lifetime.

Arsenic Shame on you for sneering upon people who earn low wages as happily exploited people.

Your posts are getting more idiotic.

I post in support of the low paid all the time. I frequently harp on about the need for a living wage. I never pay less than a living wage.

That isn't what I just called you out on.

You're the one sneering at the badly off.

candid I was gawping Candid at you BOASTING ABOUR BEING VERBALLY ABUSED BY YOUR EMPLOYERS as if that enhances the moral high ground you so obviously think you occupy.

Arsenic More idiotic? If we can teach our kids to be polite and not say mean things online I think we can do the same.
Or no?
You clearly said that you do not see the logic in people being proud of being exploited.
I'm saying to you it's shameful to say this, no one is proud of exploitation,but proud of their very much needed contribution towards society. Stop avoiding what you said.

Arsenic
- I wasnt boasting, I was saying its silly to sit your arse at home because you dont want to work in a certain industry or have a certain job title, or deal with an annoying boss.

Ha Ha, what a load of bollox, nobody is sneering at low paid workers, my dh is one and he works all the hours God sends.
It was the competitive I've done shit jobs, so why shouldn't you crap.
How do you know what type of shitty jobs other people have done? Oh of course, you don't.
I agree that you are sneering at low paid workers because they have tax credits and assuming their partner is supported/ paid money to be a sahp.

Arsenic FFS what moral highground? If your kid says to a bully stop bullying xyz are they on a highhorse? Do they occupy a moral highground? Right is right and wrong wrong is wrong.
Nevermind please have a nice day x