to be really annoyed that my kitchen's costing thousands while a friends having hers done free - AND she's moaning about it.

[Jamum]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

My friends has a HA house, and this years has had new double glazing and guttering - all paid for. And is now just had a lovely new kitchen fitted.

She chose the units and tiles. Has had a team of fitters, and is now waiting for the inspection team to check all the finishing touches.

AND then she's going to buy the house - but only once all the work has been completed for free.

Sorry but this makes my blood boil. We have had to save up for years to afford a new kitchen and certainly won't end up with a nice a one as she has got that my taxes have paid for.

(yes I know - it's jealousy and sour grapes)

Anyway - rant over.

[Jacobsdad]

Hi Hippmummy

I apreciate your comments but there are a few facts here. Firstly, I dont have a huge mortgage but the fact that interest rates keep rising means that we have less and less a month. The second is that if we were to have a second child the child care cost for 2 would be around £700 per month. As im sure you can imagine thats just not do-able. My problem isnt with people claiming benefits or getting any amount of financial help for that matter. Infact may problem is with the council/goverment - whoever it is who takes so much of my money and gives none of it back, even though I want to have more children.

Its worth saying again that I have no problem whatsoever with apying taxes so that people get a roof over their heads - I dont believe that people on a low income should be refused that - whatever the circumstances.

[2shoesonanegghunt]

same round here

[magicfarawaytree]

isnt the reality here that there are a number of ( not all) people whether ha or private tenants or mortgage owners are just ungrateful for what they have. so its much easier to generalise and moan about who getting is getting what for nothing or who is lucky to have it all ( or at least more of it).

[oliveoil]

oh good god is this still rumbling on?????

Monty Python anyone?

[ScoobyDooooo]

But hold on a minute jacobsdad you will get exactly the same money as would someone who lives in a council/ha house who is also working fulltime so how is anyone better off than you in this situation?

Are we taling about people who are on FULL benefits here if so then so what they get bloody peanuts anyway find it very hard to make ends meet, so either way you are always gonna come out better because at least you own you own house!

It is the way you choose in life, you choose to buy a house if you were that strapped for cash why do it? If you can't afford it then take another route.

You will get the same child benefit that we all get till our kids are 16, someone who is working fulltime has another child does not get more money than you because they live in a council/HA house.

So i still don't get your point?

[BarbieLovesKen]

God, I can completely see his point..

[zippitippitoes]

I can't see jacobsdad point either

it seems to come down to what people consider necessary for having children and that varies hugely

but don't see that he is less well off than another person because of the benefit system

as i said earlier his answer would be to change his own circumstances

[Jacobsdad]

So whats being suggested is that I sell my house and go in council or HA property - or rented where the rent is as much as my mortgage. Surely the benefit system is stretched enough already.

[zippitippitoes]

no but I don't understand your problem..except you believe you would have another child if you received benefits..rather odd but there you go

[Jacobsdad]

My problem is that because I have my own home its assumed that I am better off than others that dont. I get next to nothing in tax credits compared to low income earners who may only receive a little more than I do but the assumption is that because I earn more I deserve less.

This isnt a go at individuals - its a go at the system that probably means wel all get jack at the end of the day.

[zippitippitoes]

tax credits are there to bridge the way in to work so a lower earner is broguht closer to someone earning the pay which takes them out of poverty

logically someone could be paid more for eg working in a pub kitchen or for cleaning by their employers so that they earned similar pay to eg a local council employee

and then the government wouldn't be obliged to make up the pay through tax credits

but they end up with a minimum pay not more than a better qualified person would get working in a bank for example

[Jacobsdad]

But it also works in reverse - The monthly cost of a mortgage makes my wage that of someone with a much lower income but that isnt taken into account when the tax credits are worked out. They just ask how much you earn and base it on that and that alone.

[Dan4Han]

wow is this still going????

If everyone had the same life would be very boring...

I would rather have a state system than kids being left on streets begging because they have nothing. I was on benefits because my marriage broke up, it was really hard had no spare cash at all. But it's enough to live on. My dp now works for £5.50 an hour 37 hours a week. not lot of money we do get tax credits too. Forgotten where i'm going with this,..oh yeah,..there are people that abuse the system but there are more people that had no choice. At least if you own your own home you have something to leave your children, whilst rented places will have nothing will they? If people have gone down the lets buy a house route, then brilliant but not everyone wants to, some can't . My road is a HA road and i can say the mojarity of it works by some means. Most have cars, most have nice gardens. i think i've rambled on enough. lol

[zippitippitoes]

for some people and it sounds like you and your family may be in this position it is actually cheaper for one of the aprents not to work and stay at home to look after the children when all the costs are taken into account buit thatis a personal decision...it can work against you in the long term

[Dan4Han]

I understand that but don't intend to stay at home forever and would like to go to work when my two are older. that's my choice though. I did own my own home before i moved here, but my ex deidn't pay mortgage and was reposssed. I did also work before too. i can understand all sides of the argument. And understand that it must be really annoying if you're knocking your balls off paying a mortgage and not having any money and can't afford the things you want. All i'm saying is that everyone is different.

[magicfarawaytree]

die thread die - thought for the day. last sunday a 34 year old father of four died leaving his wife and four children ranging from 3 to 11. I bet she wishes all she had to worry about was whether she had a new kitchen or not or whether she was ha or home owner.

[zippitippitoes]

I was answering jacobsdad again

[lisad123]

Sorry I do get Jacobsmums point. Child tax credit is worked out on what yoiu earn, not what you pay out. Mortgage payments are huge right now, my wages go to paying the mortgage (all of my wages) and DH wages pay everything else, including council tax, water, ect ect.
Sometimes it is hard to manage and i truely wish i had a coucil or HA house, because rent is cheaper than mortgage.
I dont think anyone is saying people dont deserve HA or council property, but I just wish my mortgage payments are on par with HA rents
We have thought very carefully about planning our 2nd baby (IM 13 weeks) and have work out how we can afford it.

[Jacobsdad]

Congratulations Lisa! Really pleased for you.

[Purpleparrot]

When I split with my DH, I could not afford the house we lived in on my own and ex had run up debt of about £20,000 which he stuck me with so I moved into a HA 2 bedroom upstairs flat with my now 8 year old DS in August of 2003. I was lucky in that the flat had been turned down by 3 people before it was offered to me as I was told I would wait ages to get one so I was looking at private rentals too. I went back to work and had my hours fitted around my son but this meant that I did not qualify for any benefits. I paid full rent, council tax less the single person allowance and had to fully furnish the flat myself. It was completely bare. I did get a small grant to cover paint and brushes but the furniture, carpets, curtains and other house hold items had to be purchased myself. Imagine my delight at being told I could pick the new kitchen they were installing in all their properties! I picked the colour scheme, tiles, work tops and handles from their selections and then put up with 2 weeks of sheer hell. They put in new lino despite the fact that I had to pay for the first one myself at a cost of £180.00. They just ripped it up and stuck some tacky yellow, slippy stuff down and I had no choice. Then they used my bathroom but did not flush repeatedly over the day - or else one of them was incredibly ill - and my son found this when we came home from work and school. They left my front door open and the key sitting on the electricity meter instead of locking it and posting the key. They had said that they seal up the kitchen door to prevent mess but did not and chucks of plaster and plaster dust was spread the length of my living room and hallway. Even plaster footprints showing where they had walked about my livingroom which was unnecessary for travelling from the kitchen to the hallway. Then, when my son was ill and I had to stay home they still didn't tape up the kitchen so we choked on the dust and listened to their child unfriendly banter all day. At one point I was in my bedroom and a guy was talking to his colleague, he turned, saw me and then shut my bedroom door so I wouldn't hear the end of his story! Hello... my house, mister. When they went for lunch they locked the front door. Thank heavens I had spare keys or we would have been stuck until they came back!

[Harryjake]

My mum is in a HA flat on a really nice street in a posh area and pays a fraction of what she'd pay in private rented accommodation. She's also just had the flat completely renovated (new kitchen, bathroon, flooring, plastering, windows, decoration etc) with everything paid for by the HA. They even moved her into another of their flats while the work was being carried out. But I don't begrudge her any of it. If you care about someone then you want them to have good fortune surely. I'm just pleased my mum has somewhere nice to live.

[Natalieday1]

That's a awful attitude to have op..if she pays her rent then what right have u to moan about her getting a new kitchen? some people aren't in a position to buy a house(like me) so my house is HA..doesn't mean u r any better than me, me and my partner both work and pay our rent..only difference is at the end of the day ur house is yours ours will never be..

[Stealthpolarbear]

Zombie thread!

[AboutTimeIChangedMyNameAgain]

This thread is 8 years old!