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Original poster

To be quite shocked at how much benefits bil receives!

212 replies

Santandery · 06/05/2018 10:46

Before I begin, this isn't a benefits bashing post. I have been on benefits during hard times and am extremely grateful that we have this in this country. I am just very surprised at how the system is very messed up. It seems fair and unfair too if that makes sense.

It's after discussing this with family that I came to realise. I am quite shocked at the amount that BIL is getting. He has 4 kids, earns around 21k and receives around £13k in benefits. £10k from tax credits and around £3k child benefit. So his total income is £34k! He has no mortgage as he bought a house through buy to let. I know all this because he told us. He also refuses to get a higher paid job as he says he'll receive less tax credits so the extra commute responsibility isn't worth it to him. The increase in income woukd be quite small anyway.

I just think that's a bit too much to be honest. I mean there will be ppl in smaller homes with mortgages with similar size family who earn more in wages but because of tax take home less money.

I think this is really unfair.

OP posts:
Heyduggeesflipflop · 06/05/2018 13:58

Roomba

We live (as you say) in a wealthy country. It is also a wealthy country at almost full employment.

Don’t like your minimum wage job? Then sort your life out and move up the ladder... the state isn’t responsible for lack of individual gumption...

Heyduggeesflipflop · 06/05/2018 13:59

And tax credits exist because it was a convenient way for new labour to extend the welfare state and their voter base...

Confusssed · 06/05/2018 14:16

If you only earn £23000 a year, and your wife is a SAHM then don't have children that you personally can't afford to support on your own income. Don't expect the state to top up your income to the tune of thousands of pounds just because you fancy extra children. No one has a God given right to have a child. Having a child is a privilege that you should be able to adequately fund yourself.

I'm all for benefits being in place for those and their children who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, until they find their feet again. I totally disagree with people working, but glibly deciding to have two, three, four children knowing that with various tax credits and benefits it's doable.

Justanotherlurker · 06/05/2018 14:20

Tax credits etc exist because pay in this country is so low.

Nope you have it the other way round unfortunately.

Bluecoatbunny · 06/05/2018 14:23

So we have tax credits because wages are high.🤔

LemonysSnicket · 06/05/2018 14:29

How does he get £10k in tax credits? I’m on £17k and get 0.

Justanotherlurker · 06/05/2018 14:30

So we have tax credits because wages are high.

Don't be silly, we have low wages because Tax credits were introduced.

At the time Brown went against many of his own and Tory backbench MP's and even the now famed anti austerity economists, they pointed out it was a can kicking exercise which would lead into the exact scenario we have now.

They could have done what the tories have done and increased the minimum wage and personal tax allowance, we are now in a situation where there is no quick fix to untangle the mess.

As @Hey pointed out, they saw it as an opportune moment to try and increase the welfare state and voter base, and it worked hence the outcry when the caps to CTC and WTC were introduced

HTH

Ivegotfamilyandidrinkcupsoftea · 06/05/2018 14:31

lemonys im guessing you dont have 4 dc

thefuckiswrongwithyou · 06/05/2018 14:33

34,000 for a family of 6 is hardly raking it in.

It used to be that you could afford a family on one salary.

The issue here is that people can work and work and it not even be worth it because we allow employers to just pay the minimum possible.

I find it interesting that we live in a society that will tell people not to have children "because they can't afford them" because the people who run the system decide the serfs don't deserve enough to support a family while working 40 hours a week.

thefuckiswrongwithyou · 06/05/2018 14:34

No one ever thinks to over haul the system instead.

TheFirstMrsDV · 06/05/2018 14:37

TheFirstMrsDV well if I kept my previous name then anyone who recognised this post could look up my previous posts. Sorry if it wasnt obvious to you

no need to be sorry.
If you are nc because you don't want your BIL to know you are broadcasting his personal details across the internet it won't make any difference if he sees it.
Or his partner sees it.

They are going to know its you regardless of name change. They don't need to look up your previous posts.

hth

Confusssed · 06/05/2018 14:37

If you are only on a low income then you don't have a right for the State to sub you thousands of pounds just so you can afford children, and a more decent place for you then all to live in. If you can't personally afford to support you and children then don't have a family until you can. Work harder, re train, get more qualifications, get promoted, whatever it takes until YOU can fund your life.

MummytoCSJH · 06/05/2018 14:37

A lot of the tax credits will be towards childcare.

Atthebottomofthesea · 06/05/2018 14:38

I work in a job with a government imposed pay scale and get tax credits. My husband is a carer for our ds.

I have a degree yet still on a relatively low wage, yet apparently I still lack personal gumption. Hmm

Confusssed · 06/05/2018 14:43

We live in a capitalist society, which is the best of a pretty rum possible societies. This means some people are always going to be in the lowest paid jobs. If that happens then they still don't have a right to have a family. My SIL and her DH don't claim any benefits for moral reasons, and they live on a grand total of £18000 a year, with one child. They live a very careful and frugal life because they've decided that SIL should be a SAHM. It is doable. Shame more people don't follow their example.

Sofabitch · 06/05/2018 14:46

Wow so many bitter people on this thread.

If he's earning 21k hes not exactly in a minimum wage job. His prospects probably aren't amazing and he will struggle to maintain his life style once the children leave home.

This is the reality for a significant number of families in the UK.

People can't even do enough when they work full time! ... alternatively he could sit on his arse for 26k of jobseekers benefits. 10k child tax credits is significantly less than that.

Only on mumsnet do people get burned for not earning a shit ton of money.

bookmum08 · 06/05/2018 14:49

confussed are you saying that only people who don't have children should work in low paid jobs? I guess we will have to have a massive steriliation scheme then for all the people in low paid jobs. Or everyone could say 'OK I won't work in a low paid job' but then who would serve you in shops, collect your rubbish, work in childcare (needed because obviously if you have a well paid job plus kids you need childcare), work in factories making goods for you, being a TA at your children's school.... shall I go on naming low paid jobs??

Heyduggeesflipflop · 06/05/2018 14:50

Atthebottomofthesea

So go and work for someone else then!

You will lose public sector job security and your government pension though...

But the point is this - nobody has a gun to your head and says you have to stay in that job

bookmum08 · 06/05/2018 14:51

And I would love to know what your sil and hubby pay for rent confussed.

Sockwomble · 06/05/2018 15:00

If the low paid can't have children there will eventually be no one who does those jobs. Where will the childcare workers come from so you can work? Where will the carers come from so that you are not having to look after your elderly parents yourself? Who will do all the jobs which enable you to have your well paid job?

happypoobum · 06/05/2018 15:03

The OPs BIL is in full time employment.

Tax credits are merely the way tax payers are being forced to subsidise businesses in paying substandard wages, below which people cannot live.

However, I do think we need some explanation as to how BIL allegedly has no mortgage. If he bought his council property surely he has a mortgage for that? Or do you mean he had saved hard and bought it outright OP? It doesn't make any sense,

Atthebottomofthesea · 06/05/2018 15:08

Oh my I wish my world was that black and white. There is no highly paid roles in my job. Higher ones but that is generally management and that is not where my skills are. I can't just get another job, not one that will take me out of the tax credit bracket anyway.

I guess it's stupid me for caring about people and going into a job which does that.

But I like my job, I am good at it, my experience in that role is paying divends as I now have a history, so for now at least I will stay there.

Heyduggeesflipflop · 06/05/2018 15:10

sockwomble

That’s a curious comment - are you saying working class breed working class?

My parents both had manual low paid occupations, I am in a well paid career

I don’t think real life is as linear as you suggest

Heyduggeesflipflop · 06/05/2018 15:12

Atthebottomofthesea

So you have made a choice to stay in a job you like, you value and are good at

But you know it is poorly paid and accept that.

You have other options - retrain, or change sector but you choose not too

You sound like you have made a sensible choice but that’s the thing - you have made a choice to stay put.

That has nothing to do with the government

GabriellaMontez · 06/05/2018 15:13

Do the carers on minimum wage 'lack gumption ? confused do we really want them all to do different jobs? Who would care for the elderly?

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