To think life shouldn’t be easier for those on benefits than those who work?

[Alwaysoverdrawn]

obviously not including the disabled, elderly etc in this

I am so fed up of being poor so I looked into doing an access course to increase my earning potential. My sister is doing one and is currently on benefits, she gets it for free with her childcare paid.

Having spoken to them, we earn too much to be considered for help. Having looked into mine and my sisters finances I think this is frankly bloody ridiculous. We are worse off than her ffs.

We make around £2,500 NET p/m, £1000 rent, £900 childcare -2 adults, 2 kids. So £600 ‘disposable’ pm with a lot of debts to pay.

She gets £670pm plus her full rent paid and a council tax reduction for her and one child.

AIBU to think life shouldn’t be ‘easier’ for those on benefits than those who work?

DP hasn’t been to the dentist despite needing to for years as he can’t afford treatment, I’m really down today. Seriously considering moving out so that I can claim benefits and get out of this horrible rut.

StarUtopia PIP isn't means tested so someone being married or not is irrelevant.

Your nbu op.
Not talking about the people who genuinely can't work or get a full time job.
It is grossly unfair system that means people who work full time are worse off than people on benefits ( I'm not talking about people who are high earners but the people who work in low income, or unskilled jobs). If the system was fair nurses & teacher's wouldnt need to be using food banks.

Ive got single parent clients with kids aged 5+ who get around the stringent interviews and pressure to job hunt. They just declare "self employed" with an income of £1 per week and get all the bens with no questions, no signing on and nobody pushing them into shitty jobs where they can't get childcare because it's night shift.
Why hasn't this been questioned?

The problem is the economy and the housing crisis. Wages have not kept pace at all with the cost of living and childcare is through the roof. Your problem really is with the Bank of England and the Chancellor of the Exchequer rather than benefits claimants. It is shit that wages are so low and housing and childcare so high that subsistence level benefits look attractive.

DFOD, and all the other benefits bashing idiots can too.

StarUtopia So why arent y"all jacking it in to take minimum wage jobs then if its more money.

Why does it have to be a race to the bottom? Instead of asking why you are being paid so little that you cannot take a course or why a government funded university cannot provide education as a public service, the title is phrased in such a way as if demanding that because you are the working poor, you would like the unemployed poor to be in even worse depths of despair.

HelenaDove its an almost daily battle to keep working, I'd be so much better off on benefits over £1000 a month, but I have self respect.

Singlemingles response to my comment about minimum wage JOBS shows what she thinks of care workers and shop workers.

its an almost daily battle to keep working, I'd be so much better off on benefits over £1000 a month, but I have self respect.

Then that's a choice you've made. Some people value being able to feed and clothe their children over self respect. Others just can't afford to work and and pay for childcare so decide to put their self respect to one side.

Ive never understood why it’s calked ‘benefits.’ Benefit of what?

A benefit is something you get for something you’ve done.

Your question OP should be 'why are some workers being paid less than the minimum the (Conservative) government have decided is necessary to live.'

HelenaDove its an almost daily battle to keep working, I'd be so much better off on benefits over £1000 a month, but I have self respect

How does claiming benefits mean you have no self respect and if you would be better if just claim them FFS, no one gives you a medal for being a martyr

Single i take it you pay your childminder enough so she doesnt have to claim tax credits or UC then!

Lerner, don't think what you're talking about even remotely works with UC.

GunpowderGelatine as I work I'm not entitled to any benefits. HelenaDove I have no idea how much the nursery staff recieve but at £600 a month I assume they are well paid.

GunpowderGelatine as I work I'm not entitled to any benefits

I work. I work damn hard. Long hours with no days off. I worked 9-2, 5:30pm to 12am and I'm starting work again soon, probably for about 2/3 hours.

I'll get up at 10 tomorrow and work until midnight.

I get WTC/CTC and some HB.

@Singletomingle I thought you'd be £1000 better off? I've maybe mis-read.

£600 a month is a lot, can I ask how many hours? Because I bet the hourly rate you're paying doesn't even cover minimum wage. Hardly "well paid"

The way I see it is there are people on benefits who need to be and there is a small proportion of people who make it a lifestyle choice.

Neither of them concern me. I choose to work because I can and I make the best life I can for my family.

I am happy with my choices and comparing yourself to others is a road to resentment. So dont. Concentrate on your own life choices, be happy that benefits are there for those who need them ( it could be any of us, somehow, some day) and get on with making your own life the best it can be

It wasn't 'obvious' at all - if it were myself AND SEVERAL OTHERS wouldn't have asked!

I never said your sister was poor either, although it is cheaper per person when there's several people living together inc 2 earning adults.

No you didn't explain why you're paying a high rent, why you chose that property, just that you looked into moving and decided against. Excepting if you live somewhere very rural I'm not sure what not having a car has to do with it.

I genuinely don't understand why you're not eligible for help if your circumstances are truly as you claim. Because on a few calculators it's coming back you would be entitled to help. Have you included child benefit in your income you stated to us? I think you'd get help with childcare too. But that's based on the info you gave, the only bit I guessed/assumed was you and your families ages.

StarUtopia - pip is nothing to do with financial need and isn't means tested. The old version was DLA which famously even David Cameron's family claimed (for his son Ivan). It's money to (slightly) offset the extra costs of being disabled.

"as I work I'm not entitled to any benefits." Not true. Depends how much you earn. Lots of people in full time work are eligible for and receive benefits.

"I have no idea how much the nursery staff recieve but at £600 a month I assume they are well paid." 😂😂😂😂 yea cos nursery staff are SO well paid! Please!

Makes you wonder why Single wants to leave her kids with low paid workers she obviously despises and looks down on.

Singletomingle is a father apparently?

Singletomingle- you are wrong, having worked in many nurseries over the years I know many of them only pay minimum wage, maybe a bit more in places such as London etc.

OP I can understand your frustration, although I’m single and have no children I still struggle financially. I work full time 40+ hours per week in a minimum wage job. I’m not entitled to any help, even working tax credits as supposedly I earn too much. I pay all my rent, council tax, water rates, electricity, gas, food as well as keeping a car on top with insurance, tax and petrol, It all adds up. I’m not left with much after all my bills have been paid but I have always been good at budgeting (so I like to think!).

Over the years people have said to me “if you want more money then go out and get a better paid job”, it is definitely easier said than done. For example, I’ve always wanted to be a teaching assistant (although I realise it’s not much more money than a minimum wage job), it’s always something that I’ve been interested in. I’ve applied for lots of TA roles but been rejected due to not having any experience of working in a school, fair enough. I tried looking into doing a night course at my local college but the issue was I needed to be employed in a school to be able to take the course. It really was a catch 22 as I couldn’t get the job without the qualification but I couldn’t get the qualification without having the job first!

IMO there definitely needs to be more help for people in regards to education and training, not just for people on benefits but for people who are already in work but want to progress their career/experience etc. I definitely do not envy people on benefits as I actually enjoy going out to work and earning my own money. I wouldn’t like to stay at home every day and stare at the same four walls, it really must not be very good for their mental health.

I can’t afford holidays or new cars like my friends but I just try to be happy and enjoy what I do have.

Good luck to you and your family x

@Thomlin I'm a single mum on minimum wage living in a flat above a shop and was on unemployment benefits myself for 3 years. I definitely do not live in a middle class area 😂 I didn't say fraudulent claims don't happen, I just don't believe everyone on these threads know so much information about random people's finances. I do volunteer work with homeless and vulnerable people in society and I see way more people struggling on benefits than I do "living it up."

I have self respect!!! - ODFOD.