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.

I know of someone who got DLA because she over processed her hair and was traumatised. They gave her a mobility car because if her hair got tangled it would snap off, so she couldn't walk in the wind. She got the idea off her best mate who has a new kid every year to get a bigger house. She has 22 kids now and they're thinking of moving her into Buckingham Palace. True Fact. I know it is because my dog's best mate's hairdresser said their cousin knows them.

I don’t for a second consider all claimants to be the same, I know that some people really struggle and others can’t possubly do a job that would give them such a high standard of living. The system is screwed

If you honestly don’t know anyone fiddling the system, you’re a champagne socialist so deluded by wokeness thst you’re unable to admit to your lack of contact with the real world.

I do know people fiddling the system, though. Only they're not going on four star holidays every year or driving around in tax-payer funded Range Rovers. They're earning a few extra quid in menial, low paid work (often working for less than NMW) so they can keep their child clothed and fed or pay their top-up rent. They're still skint, just not quite as skint as they would otherwise be.

Nope, the ones I see aren’t going on four star holidays either. In fact I would be HAPPIER if they were. What they are doing is festering in their own filth, being utterly awful to their poorly dressed, filthy children and shouting loudly about their 2017 mobility car that they clearly don’t need. They are absolute stains upon society with nothing to do all day than bother and offend other people. It’s really depressing to watch. Not working does nothing good for them, money or no.

The Op is right. People who work should not be worse off than those on benefits. Adults of working age who are physically capable should be working.

@CantankerousCamel er, I don't know anyone fiddling the system and I'm not a "champagne socialist". I'm just not a busybody.

Bit too posh to live on a council estate? Bit too ‘woke’ to stop discussing things you’ve no actual comprehension of? Champagne Socialist.

People are really struggling to understand that DLA/PIP aren’t out of working benefits, aren’t they?!

@CantankerousCamel as I've previously stated I spent 3 years on income support myself so I know exactly how the system works. To be honest it's getting boring hearing you repeat the same phrase over and over again.

@CantankerousCamel oh, and no I don't live on a council estate but I live in a flat above a shop. Too posh for you?

Working people have every right to feel aggrieved. We're the ones that pay for all these benefits. Why shouldn't we question whether these benefits are handed out fairly and to people who really need help? Why shouldn't we comment when we see the system being played? Why does it make people busy bodies, it is my business cause it's my tax money and I should have a say on how it gets spent.

I'm not saying living on benefits is easy but it seems to me that the working poor have it tougher since they are still poor but still need to get up for work everyday and earn it.

Having once used the system is not the same as being immersed by people of different backgrounds, some who will be being fucked by the system and some who are fucking it. You clearly have no real concept of the variety of people involved in this or you wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss people sharing their experiences.

The only people gawfing at people’s misfortune and being arses, are those claiming people who have seen the system get fucked, are lying.

@CantankerousCamel It may suprise you but just because your neighbours are "fiddling the system" doesn't mean that you are the only one allowed an opinion on the subject. You have no idea about where I live or the people I associate with. I just choose to concentrate on my own life and not the lives of my neighbours. I just find it funny that in one breath you say you're not benefits bashing then in the next breath do that exact thing. You seem to have an issue with everyone - people on benefits, so called "posh" people. Odd.

YANBU People who work should have a better life than those who have no inclination to work. The benefit system was designed to support people through difficult times, until they got back on their feet. Money was not handed out to match a working wage. It just meant that those in need could scrape by and feed their families until they were fit to work again. In those days people were not out of work for long, unless they were disabled (people with disabilities were always entitled to more than those who hit a short term employment problem) The benefits system was never meant to be a life choice.

I have, in no way ‘bashed’ anyone on benefits. I say claim what you need to to survive, even if you do have to lie to do it. However, I don’t think it does people any favours (my deadbeat neighbours are a classic example of that) no ‘spying required, they were out in the lane around an hour ago having a good old shout about fuck all because they have to rant incessantly about anything that happens to them because their lives are such bollocks. I am, however, not going to allow some jumped up, not connected to reality vipers, insult, abuse and attack someone who is rightfully pissed off that they have far less support than someone on the same money as them because they dare to try and better themselves and therefore can’t tick the ‘benefit’ box. It’s a SYSTEM FAILURE and it’s happening. Attacking people who point that out and, who suffer because of it is bullshit.

Yes working people should have a nice life but then so should I being a carer on crap carers allowance and in fact I've applied for a pt job today and told social care they need to do another carer assessment as I want to return to work and it did not go down to well with them.. Oh well

And yes, if you don’t have some deadbeat, nightmare of a claimant rambling around outside your house for hours making it quite clear how ‘disabled’ they are, you’re a fucking damn sight posher than me. Get with reality, this is actually happening to some of us. You might be privileged enough to not have to notice that, some of us DONT HAVE THAT CHOICE.

Actually all people should have a decent life. Nobody wants anyone to not have a decent life. However if you can work 45 hours a week and still be on shit money and struggling to make ends meet, or like us, both working all the hours we can and only spending 1 night together a week to avoid childcare, we should be comfortable. That’s not too much to ask.

I hate all this shit about being "woke" not sure why it's used so much these days. People can have an opinion without it being some weird hidden agenda.

@CantankerousCamel has your account been hacked in the last day?
Most your posts were fair and opinionated from the beginning, stuff people might not agree with, but fair enough.
The last 2 pages have been weird, aggressive bile that honestly doesn't even seem to match your other posts in the thread and just sound bizarre.

I have been on a very low wage with DP, we were only working minimum wage and with no dependants we got no help at all. No dentists, no free prescriptions. But NHS dentists are still a reasonable price. DH got all 4 wisdom teeth removed for £49 including all consultations fees. It is hard budgeting, but you've just got to do your best.
I'm currently not working and I am at home with DS (14mo) DH works full time in a NMW job and brings home around £1000 a month after pension, NI and tax. We get £400 a month off universal credit to top us up. It's not easy, DH gets paid 4 weekly so next month he'll get paid twice in the monthly period, we've had to try and save money from our £1400 a month budget for a family of 3 to make up for the lack of universal credit we'll get next month. He doesn't actually earn more than someone getting paid monthly, and the benefit people say what we're getting is the minimum we need to survive, but are telling us we need to save some of that to have enough money for food next month.
Benefits isn't easy, but this could be because it's universal credit. I do have high anxiety and do struggle at work, but worked for 8 years before having DS and have only been on benefits for a few months as I had SMP for 9 months.
I admit I've known people on benefits smoking weed all day, leaving their kids unfed and undressed.
I know someone who has bipolar, who has 2 kids she sticks in nursery (paid for) as she quote "can't cope with them" she's gets disability benefit and her 35 stone bf who can barely walk down the street gets carers allowances for her. They eat shit, smoke, drink all day. A family member regularly babysits for them and their eldest child didn't know there were 3 meals in a day. Social services are involved and it's such a shame for the kids. I agree that some families do have kids for the benefits, and I think it's disgusting and it's so unfair on those children. But I hope not everyone is tarred with the same brush, I love my son more than anything in the world and would go without for him to have what he needs.
I would be devastated if people didn't know the facts and assumed I'd had him for money. Maybe the people I mentioned wanted kids and didn't realise how much work they'd be, i have no idea, but when you physically and mentally can't cope with one, why you'd go on to have another is completely beyond me.

MsHopey

You add a classic example of working poor.

No point being reasonable when all around you are being judgemental arseholes all bound to kick people when they’re down.

Have a look at how much better off you’d be on benefits, without your husband around and you’ll see what we mean.

I couldn't live my life looking over my shoulder incase someone was going to grass on me.
We cope on what we have, it's a struggle but we mostly manage, which is something (we do get help off MIL as she does buy us some food shopping if we're struggling which I realise most people don't have).
I just deal with the hand I'm dealt, I'll never own my own house.
It is madness and I do agree with OP on some of it.
I left school at 17 to get a job so I could move out with DH, I had good GCSEs but didn't do anything with them and have always worked NMW jobs in retail.
I wanted to train as a hairdresser as it's something I love, but we couldn't afford it while we was working as I got older the prices went up.
Now I get some UC I should be able to do my part time course in my local college for free.
It shouldn't have to come to that but I have had to wait 8 years and have a child for the government to help with my education again. It's not ideal but I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was 17.
I totally get what OP is saying. But the title has brought the benefit bashers out in force which is making most people fight amongst themselves.
It's all a bit shit really and it should definilty be put on the higher ups.
There's a lot to answer for but while the people running the country are loaded they're not going to give a shit anytime soon.

Oh I’m not suggesting you ‘lie’ about your OH being there. I’m suggesting if you don’t get why the refusal on behalf of people like graph and freq to see the reality of this situation is completely infuriating, then just have a look on entitled to at what would be available to you if your husband wasn’t there and busting his arse to support you.

Try a pension