to wonder why people are entitled when it comes to benefits and general life?

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It is becoming increasingly obvious, from threads here and conversations with people IRL, that quite a lot of people are so entitled. Obviously, everyone is anxious about the budget coming out on the 8th and what the proposed cuts will be, and so most of the talk has been revolving around benefits and the Tories (the party and those who voted for them). It is beyond frustrating how much entitlement there is in this country!

Firstly, there are people who have lots of children and then complain that the government doesn’t give them enough to feed their children. Well – the government (i.e. the taxpayer) had no part in having these children so should you not be grateful for whatever amount they do give you? I firmly believe that when you have children, they are your responsibility. This is where people say ‘Should it only be the rich that have children?’. No , just those who can afford children – if you can only afford one then stop at one. If you cannot afford any , without ANY state help, then do not have any. If you choose to have more children than you can afford to have, then you accept that you and your children will suffer as a result of your selfish decision. Yes, I totally understand that sometimes you can have children that you can afford and then life changes course; these are not the circumstances that I’m talking about. I’m talking about people who are struggling with the children they have (or don’t have) and then decide to have more. Someone will talk about contraception failing – which is rare- and even then you have choices; abortion, adoption, keep your children and struggle.

Second key area I have noticed is about housing. So many people argue that they shouldn’t have to move house ( to find a job or to be in a cheaper area) because they have family around or they grew up in a certain area. Absolutely you don’t have to move – if you can afford to stay where you are without state help! If you are relying on the state to help you and complaining about lack of jobs, then you will have to move somewhere cheaper. Plenty of people move. Family will still be family wherever you are.

Finally (well there’s a lot more but I realised I’ve typed a lot) , is regarding work. There quite a few people who absolutely believe that we shouldn’t have to work more than part-time because its not family friendly. On some threads, I have noticed people make snide comments about ‘ what a shame they live to work and not work to live’ and insinuate that these are bad people. They will bitch about these people and tear down people in highly-paid jobs but then turn around and demand more from them (in tax). My point being ; if you do not approve of full time work or highly paid jobs, why then do you want to take so much from these people who earnt the money doing what you don’t approve of?

This was mainly to vent because it is getting ridiculous and I didn’t want to shout at my friends and family (the ones who also behave this way). Apologies for any typos in the very long post !

What Worra said. I'm utterly sick of people name changing just to post threads which might be contentious just so that their oh so nice normal name isn't associated with it.
It's despicable cowardly behaviour in my opinion.

My family member had a GP in the interview with him. They still decided he shouldn't be receiving benefits. He died before his savings ran out, so it all worked out in the end.

Agree with sooty

ofgs, hate thes wind up merchants.

I didn't feel entitled. I felt a lot of guilt and shame. Luckily, despite that, I was eligible.

Have gone back down the mine now, or up the chimney so to speak. I pay taxes now, which gives me more human rights than a person on benefits.

I'm not saying the system hasn't got its flaws I'm simply doing as you are and articulating my experience

And, to be perefctly blunt, we don't need the long term unemployed and unemployable to have lots of children

So you're an advocate of eugenics?

Don't talk to me about the PIP assessment the woman who assessed me basically made up lies and even though I appealed I got turned down again. The CAB helped me fill in my form and did my appeal -they said they keep getting people who just get scored 0. I score really highly, have a blue badge and walk with crutches/cane. They insisted I can walk 200 metres and there is nothing wrong so scored me 0. I've given up as I found the whole thing beyond stressful-which is what they bank on

Rant over

Thanks Lottie

It's just getting more and more common. You can tell it's just a lazy wind up because the perpetrator doesn't even create a proper user name - just one relevant to the subject.

Thankfully most people didn't vote Tory

The Tories are simply reducing the Welfare state by using the 'popular' narratives of Welfare scroungers' and have convinced many on this thread as well aswell as 24% of those able to vote.

They are taking a risk though with cuts to the disabled and working poor, these are generally not 'popular' narratives and if they go too far they risk strikes and protests not seen in decades. They also would be very unlikely to win back the low paid that were convinced to vote for them if they go too far. As it was they got in due to a long list of things and not because they were widely popular. Even some Tories are against these cuts.

The cynic in me wonders if they are deliberately trying to make it look bad so that on the day people are relieved and accept it. Eg cutting the child element to 2003 levels but by 20% a year or for new claimants only. My guess is that they will limit to three children for new claimants.

People trying hard or in difficult circumstances should not be living in fear like this. What a horrible government!

Dame that must have been incredibly frustrating.

If I lived in Cumbria..... I'd probably agree with you. But I don't.

Look up the NMW and then compare that to the rent on a flat down here in Brighton- or London or whatevs. The basic maths will show you you are U. People cannot get by any more without top up benefits.

y0la that is exactly how I feel right now. I am so embarrassed about basically losing the plot and leaving employment. I'm struggling with years of supressed misery, anger, childhood trauma etc. I hate having to claim but I will not be able to pay my bills otherwise. If I go back to work just yet I feel I will crash and burn again. I feel like I have to justify this in RL when people ask me about why I don't work. It's horrible and I do feel very worthless and less of a human and more like a leech :(

Wtaf Dame that's awful! Like I said it's the consistency across the assessors that's seriously lacking and is so frustrating.

I really do feel lucky to have had an assessor who got my condition and also made allowances for it being fluctuating. Sounds like yours was an absolute arse.

Op, life can change so suddenly so please don't vilify those on benefits and in need.

My husband was a higher rate tax payer, working long hours for a company for 15 years. Life was great. One day he went to work and came back redundant, out of the blue. His employer offered the very basic redundancy package. He is still looking for work a few months on.

All I will say is you never know what is going to happen tomorrow, this could be a situation you find your self in too.

If many people are too poor to buy products or services then the whole economy suffers.

Think about where the 'benefit' money actually goes - where does it end up? How much comes straight back to the Government in VAT? Who are the people who benefit apart from the claimants themselves.

Think about what will happen to many small business if customers dissapear because they can barely survive.

Think about all the buy to let landlords who use housing benefit to pay off their mortgages.

The economy needs people to spend money. If money stops moving, that is bad for everyone.

jam Took the words right out of my mouth. I never thought I would break down into a blubbering mess in front of my boss and supervisor, need counselling, ADs and lose the will to live. But here I am.

we got turned down for pip too although we are appealing. mental health problems where the affected person doesnt actually realise they have a mental health problem are a bit tough at interview. they didnt write to any of the specialists (esa did so we got support group) and i cant get a report myself as i am not allowed to for data protection reasons, and the actual affected person thinks they are just fine. sigh.

People seem to fall hook line and sinker for these Daily Mail stereotypes.

Couldn't agree more, jellybean :

I begrudge the people at the top who have so much more than they need but still begrudge a decent standard of living to others because 'we can't afford it' then tell the people of the bottom they are just envious then harp on about working hard for their money,

Can someone explain how we are supposed to rely on family and friends for support and move to areas where there is plenty of work and the wages are high and the streets are paved with gold ?

I think there has to be acknowledgement of the fact that there are deserving benefit claimants and undeserving ones. Failure to accept this will lead to bigger cuts. Welfare is needed for those who really do need it.

I know a proportion of posters go ape when you mention "people I know", but I do know people who thoroughly milk the system. They rent houses to each other to get housing benefit, have proverbial bad backs and one person - I kid you not - has commuting claustrophobia . Note the commuting here, meaning of course that they can be out on their boat but had to have sickness benefit because they couldn't face travelling to work .

Ok, so there are bankers avoiding tax blah de blah, but these are outliers. The main people who are adversely affected by a huge benefits bill are those on low-middle incomes, dutifully coughing up through PAYE.

The thing about 'I save the government money by looking after elderly family members' is the flip side of the insistence that anyone who is healthy and capable of working should move to an area where they can earn more money.

I'm a sahm (not entitled to any government assistance) mainly because salaries are so low where I live that I can't afford childcare. I also look after my elderly parents. I've been told repeatedly on mumsnet that people like me are a non contributing drain on society but if I moved to elsewhere in the UK and took up a job, my parents would then end up with social worker involvement, carers etc. Those things would cost a lot more than I could realistically contribute in income tax. And in the future I will be back at work. And younger women will be in the position I am in now.

I don't want a pat on the back for not working, or financial support for looking after my own family. But I would love people to look at the bigger picture and acknowledge that it is far more complex than 'you must work all hours available in order to be a functioning member of society'.

I completely agree with you on almost everything you've said OP, except the part about inheritance tax. But YWBU to think you could start a thread on about benefits and expect not to have it taken over by posters who want to go on about nothing other than disability benefits. Despite the fact that they don't need to be discussed because pretty much everyone supports those and would like them to be more generous, you can't have a mn thread about benefits without it being derailed.

On the inheritance tax thing, I think there should be an inheritance tax, but it should not be paid by the dead persons estate. It should be paid as if it were a capital gains tax by the person who is actually recieving the inheritance, because that would be much more fair and appropriate. It's just nasty to have a tax on death, but there's nothing wrong with taxing an unearned gain, but there should be a reasonable threshold.

Sanfairy - I go to a big physiotherapy clinic, 10 physios there and it's been there for years. The practice manager said she had NEVER had anyone write to ask them for evidence.

I don't believe they ever write, as it's more work for them.