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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

999 replies

Bellerina2 · 09/03/2015 11:31

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 Sad

OP posts:
ScrambledEggAndToast · 10/03/2015 08:57

I would say it is, I mean why would some of these people bother to work for £15k a year when they can get £25k a year on benefits. There's no incentive.

I don't know why I watch those benefits programmes, they make me want to throw the remote at the TV. I detest it when they complain that they haven't been "paid". It's not being "paid" because they haven't earned it. They are being GIVEN it.

Rant over.

Suzannewithaplan · 10/03/2015 08:58

What will happen Brenda when we have increasing numbers of elderly with dementia and none of the young people want to do care work?
And who can blame them, it's as grim as hell working with such patients

, we encourage young people to get an education degrees and suchlike, but most of the work available is menial and unpleasant with no prospects ?

morethanpotatoprints · 10/03/2015 09:20

ironically and very sadly the people most in need of benefit are those who can't work, are unemployed, carers, and yet this gov are making so many benefits available to the elite and extremely well off.
In some cases paying for nannies, nursery, etc, now some of these people are having a lifestyle supported by benefits.
It's a shambles but typical of a conservative government wh after all are renowned for taking off the poor to support the rich.

SunnyBaudelaire · 10/03/2015 09:29

yes and then demonising the poor and spreading evil lies about how we are too 'lazy' to work.

IceBeing · 10/03/2015 09:45

Has anyone come up with a number of people actually choosing to live off benefits yet?

I mean we are upto about 20 on this thread....

Apparently there are 400,000 job vacancies...although you have to factor in that it takes time for a job to be filled even if they are overwhelmed with applicants...so how many jobs are really sitting there untaken because people are workshy? And those jobs will be overwhelmed by applicants because the ratio of free jobs to unemployed is about 1:6.

So how many unemployed wouldn't take one of the precious free jobs above? 100,000? So that is 0.2% of the population.

Why are we even bothering to get in a lather about 0.2% of the population, possible even less?

Would sanctions get them into work? Probably not because the other 6 people going for the same job may indicate some enthusiasm and hence beat them to the position!

Dawndonnaagain · 10/03/2015 10:04

Scrambledegg those benefits programmes are skewed to encourage people like you to think the worst. The people that would get 25k on benefits would get 25k ish, if working, they would get a 15k job and it would be topped up with tax credits etc.
Young single people do not get 25k on benefits. They get fuck all.

morethanpotatoprints · 10/03/2015 10:06

I think the highest percentage of people on benefits have at least one person in a couple who work.
It is hard to get benefits for not working now and this type of person has a full time job filling in forms, attending interviews, and gaining sanctions if they don't.
Of course there are people who will never work, purposely do badly in interviews so as not to be offered the job, but i think these are getting fewer and fewer by the day.
The reason why we are bothered about this 0.2% of the population is because gov controlled media want to detract from other proposals where they aim to support the really rich through a lifestyle choice of benefit.

SunnyBaudelaire · 10/03/2015 10:08

"when they can get £25k a year on benefits. "
oh really who gets 25k a year? a tiny handful of people.
These programs are aired to deflect the attention of the populace away from cheating bankers and lying scheming politicians. Seems that they work too.

rise above it people, rise above it.

Suzannewithaplan · 10/03/2015 10:12

YYY to what Sunny and Morethan said!!

Flipchart · 10/03/2015 10:28

Can't speak for the whole population but my brother is 52 and has never worked and doesn't see why he should. He has a nice life abd reasonable flat that is all paid for. That's his life style choice.

From 2004 to 2011 I worked within a Social Service team and one of the things I offered was support to long term unemployed people. Many turned down the help of finding work. One of the reasons I were given were ' I like not working' 'why would I want a job, i happy as I am' ' thanks for your help love, but I don't want a job'

I live in a small town and I still see many of the people around and they still haven't a job and they are still happy not working ( I often bump into them and have a quick chat) my colleagues had the same expierence.
So yes, for some people life on benefits is a lifestyle choice just as working is for many others.

Flipchart · 10/03/2015 10:29

Can't speak for the whole population but my brother is 52 and has never worked and doesn't see why he should. He has a nice life abd reasonable flat that is all paid for. That's his life style choice.

From 2004 to 2011 I worked within a Social Service team and one of the things I offered was support to long term unemployed people. Many turned down the help of finding work. One of the reasons I were given were ' I like not working' 'why would I want a job, i happy as I am' ' thanks for your help love, but I don't want a job'

I live in a small town and I still see many of the people around and they still haven't a job and they are still happy not working ( I often bump into them and have a quick chat) my colleagues had the same expierence.
So yes, for some people life on benefits is a lifestyle choice just as working is for many others.

Arsenic · 10/03/2015 10:35

A 'nice life' flipchart? On benefits only? Hmm

SunnyBaudelaire · 10/03/2015 10:40

define 'nice life' please flipchart?

For me it would be not having to count the pennies in the supermarket, having a car that I could afford to run, a nice hair cut regularly, good shoes, a holiday once a year, not worrying about heating the house, being able to sit in a cafe and read the paper if I choose... and those things are nothing really compared to what some would consider to be a 'nice life' are they?

Trust me NOBODY on benefits has a 'nice life'. And these things do not happen in a vacuum as others on this thread have pointed out. Yet you get some thickie coming along and saying ' well my brother, blah blah'

Dawndonnaagain · 10/03/2015 10:45

The joy of being on benefits

Dawndonnaagain · 10/03/2015 10:47

Please try a bit harder flipchart. I work harder than you ever have and ever will for my £65 quid a week.

merrymouse · 10/03/2015 10:53

I think 'happy not working' might mean 'go away I am involved in criminal activities which I do not want to disclose'.

TheWordFactory · 10/03/2015 11:13

Of course there are people who don't want to work. Or, more accurately, can certainly never envisage themselves in the work force.

On a cold winter's morning, they probably feel they've got it fairly ok, not having to drag their arse out into the dark.

But actually, it's no life. It's an existence. These people are utterly marginalised from main stream society and have no control over themselves and that's no way to be.

Even the ones who do something on the side are living a life of dodge and shuffle, watching their backs.

BrendaBlackhead · 10/03/2015 11:24

"Trust me NOBODY on benefits has a 'nice life'."

Well, that is patently untrue. Living solely on benefits may not be that great, but as I posted upthread, relative of mine lives on benefits plus is heavily subsidised by her parents - new car, nice clothes, holidays etc. As I said, I don't care if she or her boyfriend do nothing, but I do care that they get housing benefit and income support when they choose not to work.

Also, it may not be a 'nice life' on benefits, but when weighing up the options, it is often an economic decision. If a young couple both work and want to set up home - well, goodbye to that in most places, or at least say goodbye to the majority of your income in rent. But if you are single and have kids, then you get a flat or house. And don't anyone roar that that's not true because it most definitely is the case in this area.

SunnyBaudelaire · 10/03/2015 11:26

ok another thickie with an anecdote about a scrounging relative - great.

Dawndonnaagain · 10/03/2015 11:27

Is it Brenda? You have empirical evidence do you? Or do you happen to live in the only area in Briatain where local authority/housing association properties are freely available?

Dawndonnaagain · 10/03/2015 11:30

My benefits lifestyle: Sat here on the 'phone, hanging on for an educational advice line to be free so that I can make the school record A level lessons for narcoleptic dd, inbetween toiletting dh, reassuring dd that all will be well and providing drinks etc. for both. But hey, the advantage of being on the 'phone is I can actually sit for a bit, and post, inbetween the tasks that need doing. I guess that makes me lazy a benefits scrounger. Hurrah! Hmm

SunnyBaudelaire · 10/03/2015 11:32

"But if you are single and have kids, then you get a flat or house. And don't anyone roar that that's not true"
where do you live then? Maybe I will move there and get a 'free' house lol.

Dawndonnaagain · 10/03/2015 11:34

I reckon she lives in cloud cuckoo land, Sunny

Flipchart · 10/03/2015 11:38

Ok I was asked to define a nice life. With regard to my brother he has a nice respectable 1 bed place, he lives by himself and will go away at a moments notice to gigs in Europe or across theUK. he often mocks me when he has has a drink for being so straight and respectable. He says there is no reason to change as he gets enough money to do what he likes. He spends his days doing his passion which cycling the Trough of Bowland and Ribble Valley. He has had nearly 35 years on benefits and has turned down all suggestions of training and will deliberately make himself unappealing when he has been forced to go for an interview.
He refers to his life as being nice - not what I want for my self but everyone has different ideas.

As for being told to try harder. I know that most people do not choose to have the life they are currently having and have a shit time. I know of people,through my work that are in desperate situations and can hardly feed themselve or their kids andwoulddo anything to get out of that rut.
For millions being unemployed is one oftheworstthings that could happen to them. We know someone 8 years ago that killed themselves due tobeingoutofwork and the hurt still ripples through that family is unbearable.

All I am saying is that there are somepeoplewho don't want to work. I have a friend who has no intention of working. I have met many who openly admit that and it appears to be true because they have been one fits for more than 20 years.

I'm not benefit bashing. I have the lifestyle I want. I struggled about 15 years ago and had benefits for 8 months and was grateful.
Generally speaking its no skin off my nose. I just think some people are naive to think that every single person on benefits wishes they had a job. They don't.

Flipchart · 10/03/2015 11:40

Please try a bit harder flipchart. I work harder than you ever have and ever will for my £65 quid a week.
How do you know what I do?
I have said whats i have done in the past.