Benefit Britain - the irony

[Mhoys]

Years ago there was no Housing Benefit as far as I remember - talking about growing up in the 1960s. Or even Child Tax Benefits, etc etc. Now it seems so many people get these, even people working in reasonably good jobs. The Government is meant to be anti-benefits but expenditure on all this must be significant. Some of this may be due to a small rise in living standards since then. But also have wages become so low relative to living costs, that the state is effectively subsidising private enterprise? There is nothing necessarily wrong with this I guess, but isn't the government "in denial" when few ordinary people could afford a family or rent or buy a home in the South at least , so the taxpayer/State has to stump up? I have some thoughts but am also genuinely puzzled ...

[smallfox2002]

I don't know anyone who gets paid extra for Christmas eve or boxing day either.

In a lot of places they say your lucky to have a shift.

[RufusTheSpartacusReindeer]

Actually small if you joined retail (some shops) probably 4+ years ago (at least) they did time and a half on bank holidays

Go back 10+ and you might get double time

That probably is the same for most jobs

Get a job in the last 2/3 years though and chrismas eve and boxing days are just normal days...all bank holidays are normal days

Its a shitty state of affairs

[smallfox2002]

Which is why I'm saying I don't know own anyone. To stay in jobs with very high levels of staff turnover for so long is rare.

Which is why saying you can work over Christmas and get paid more is erroneous. Ithe only applies to a small number of people with paticularly circumstances, not available to your normal person.

[Pisssssedofff]

So now we apparently have high turn over - wrong btw - plenty of super market staff stay for 10 plus years. If you constantly look at the world with such negativity I don't know. How you get out of bed in the morning tbh.

[RufusTheSpartacusReindeer]

Oh i completely agree with you small

I dont know anybody who gets any of that now

But i can see how pissed might know someone

Which is what i was asking pissed

[smallfox2002]

You do have high turnover of staff.

[SukeyTakeItOffAgain]

Pisssssedofff Christ, could you be any more insulting? The childless have nothing more worthwhile to do in their free time so really it behoves them to work every single hour god sends? Have you ever thought they might have chosen not to procreate to avoid this joyless domestic drudgery you describe, to actually you know, enjoy life a bit? Alternatively they could be looking after families just like you are. Just because they haven't popped out a few kids, doesn't mean they don't have family commitments.

Is this really how parents regard non parents?

[Pisssssedofff]

Oh ffs, if you are in dire straights and kids or no kids, enjoyment isn't a priority sorting your life out is. Be that study, extra work, whatever it takes.

[Pisssssedofff]

I didn't really want to say it but if I didn't have kids I'd be living the ducking dream not moaning in a parenting site about my lot.

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Trouble is, Pissed, you might not be actually physically childless, if you see what I mean. I'm now only childless because my kids have grown up and (mostly - at Uni) left home. Unfortunately, bringing up five of them has knackered me, I've got dodgy hips and chronic asthma (which isn't their fault, but I shall find a way to pin it on them one of these days), and I am so far the wrong side of fifty that I can't even see it in the mirror.

I understand what you mean that those young and mobile and childless can find work and study etc, but not all those without children have never had them. Oh, and I work retail, it's time and a half Christmas Eve after 5, and Boxing Day, but the longer-term staff get those shifts.

[Pisssssedofff]

Zap I do understand I only have one less than you and it is exhausting. But the way im looking at this is, it's only going to get worse so I'm saving like a squirrel so that when I'm in your shoes I'll be mortgage free.
I'm not digging at you personally I'm really not but its not going to miraculously get better without something changing and it's clearly not going to be a government lead change.

[Pisssssedofff]

If anything you'd think the younger, childless ones would look at our situation and think stuff that I won't end up like those two I'll work all the hours God sends in my 20/30's and make sure I'm never in their position wouldn't you?

[FarAwayHills]

We must also remember that employers are now required to make pension contributions for employees which gradually increase over the next few years. The impact of this cannot be underestimated. I know many employers are simply not giving pay rises for this reason, saying 'we are not giving you a pay rise as we are paying into pension instead'. Also the more employees earn the more employers have to contribute as a percentage of salary and any employees earning over the threshold have to be added to the pension scheme.

It is in employers interest to keep wages low. The government really really do need to address this.

[BillSykesDog]

The problem with childless people being in poverty is a hangover from Labour's method of calculating child/pensioner poverty. There was talk about scrapping the measure, not sure if it's happened yet but it's hardly referred to know.

Poverty was measured by % of national average wage received. Which meant that there would always be someone in poverty. As they wanted to be able to ensure that their election gumph could make claims about lifting pensioners and children out of poverty they had to make sure someone was in poverty for their figures to work. And that always had to be low waged childless people under retirement age, and suppressing their income and pushing them into poverty was a very deliberate act.

[WarholsLittleQueen]

I think the people that really miss out are the childless on low wages....I work full time on a very low salary. My friend works part time, yet takes home more than me because she gets all these top ups....I am sorry, but that breeds resentment

Heron, but she has children to pay for? (Am assuming from your post that you do not) So Do you think your colleague spends it on shoes and nights out? Childcare alone is crippling let alone feeding and clothing the little buggers. ;)

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Pissed...we can be a MN 'Cautionary Tale'... (and I haven't taken anything you've said as getting at me, just expressing your own opinion!)

I don't even have a house, we sold to move here for exh's job, to rent, then he went and left me with no money in rented accommodation. I will never own my own home. Ever. And that is a horrible realisation.

[HelenaDove]

Pissed I wasnt being condescending at all. I was simply responding to your attitude towards childless people.

You are also the one who called me a current sex worker on a previous thread even though i made i clear i had the sex chatline job between 2001 and 2003.



As for Xmas working i know ppl who have to get cabs into their retail work on Boxing Day due to no public transport and their wages for that day pays their cab fare.

The only one i know who gets double time signed an employment contract in 1994.

[Ikillallplants]

I have dc more than half the time but officially ExH has residence. He has been too thick to notice how much time I have dc. However this means he gets the child benefit and tax credits and I pay maintenance.

I would be £700 a month better off if I could claim for ds. I pay for and organise all of dc's hobbies, haircuts, school shoes, play dates , parties etc.

ExH is an arsehole who would involve dc in any argument and I would prefer time with dc than the cash. It means we are living hand to mouth. Especially as I took the debts with me when we divorced.

Wages haven't gone up in years but everything else has. People who can't claim tax credits are fucked. If I did get tax credits they would disappear when dc was 18. That would be a massive drop in income and with the government pushing uni at one end of the scale and ridiculously low wages for being a receptionist, hotel housekeeping, caring etc dressed up as apprenticeships dc aren't able to contribute anything near that amount if at all.

It is shit that businesses use tax credits to top up low wages, even more so for their staff who don't qualify.

[LakieLady]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I work in housing/social welfare and often despair at the struggles faced by people with low wages and high rents.

It's been very heartening to read posts from so many who think the present situation is wrong, unfair and downright fucking ridiculous.

Ikillallplants, you can challenge who gets the CB/CTC if you are genuinely the primary carer for the children. You need to evidence that they spend most of their time with you, what you spend on them and so on. If you pay maintenance through the CMS, start with them. If you don't, stop paying and put in a child benefit claim and explain that there has been a change in circumstances.

They'll look into every aspect of how and where the children are cared for, including things like which parent is on record with schools, GP, dentist etc and who takes them for appointments, and where their clothes etc are kept. You can get your ducks in a row before you start challenging who gets what.

[AwaywiththePixies27]

There is nothing necessarily wrong with this I guess, but isn't the government "in denial" when few ordinary people could afford a family or rent or buy a home in the South at least confused, so the taxpayer/State has to stump up?

If you're having to rely on state funded top ups to get by I doubt they'd be able to stump up a deposit for a house in the first place.

[Dustbunnies]

I get you OP. I often refer to myself as the 'middleman' when it comes to benefits - stuck between low wages and high rent so the tax credits that get paid to me effectively only benefit my employer and landlord. It's shit.

[Coughandsplutter]

What does the 'jammy dodger biscuit ' like symbol mean??

[RachelRagged]

If there was an applause icon you would get it . . Piscivorus .

As for those "shows" they disgust me to my very core . And as for the DH of a previous poster , he should be bloody ashamed of himself criticising those less fortunate .. Does he think he is superior ??

[RachelRagged]

I have noted that, Channel 5 in particular , pick the most vulnerable , or those who are gobby with a million tattoos (I too can not understand that though , on benefits and that but loads of tattoos?) or those who are simply talked round by the offers of alcohol and fags .. The condescending tone by that woman on Channel 5 who talksover really pisses me off too . .Hope she loses her job , bitch

[user1490465531]

for everyone moaning about single parents only working 16 hours to get working tax credit......the reality is that since claiming the above I now pay nearly full council tax and a fair portion of my rent so in reality the little extra help they give you is taken back in other ways so it's not like we are coining it in on tax credits.
And people love to remind you that we are in for a shock when our kids get to 18......
ffs we all know that and when the time comes we will look for full time work.
Bur for now working full time would leave me worse of and even less time with my child.
Why would anyone opt for that?.