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 am angry that someone above gets 2k a month. That's twice what I earn for working full time. Sometimes I feel like a mug.

Seriously? You're angry that someone with a disabled child is financially supported?

Jeezus! I wouldn't like to be your mate.

I too am on benefits and get full rent paid for.
My mum who works pt, only pays 20 towards her rent, the rest is paid for

Ignoring all the benefit talk, if you’re serious about completing an access course, there is a loan called the 24+ learning loan available from student finance England. As it’s title suggests you must be 24 years old or above to be eligible and it covers the cost of the course. Also if you then progress to degree level at uni and graduate, the access course loan is written off.

I completed an access course using this loan and am now in the second year of my degree - again funded through student finance England (like everyone else on my course, whatever their background - we have all got our tuition fee loans through SFE)

Are you sure your sis hasn’t used the 24+ learning loan? I know some courses are funded when students are benefit claimants but not an access course as they’re around £4000.

I find it crazy how some people on mumsent seem outraged that they are not entitled to a council house and/or benefits. Life has to be pretty shit to be entitled to either - I grew up in that situation and I could write a book about my life. I am not denying that some people claim fraudulently and some do make a career out of benefit claiming but those cases are pretty rare, it is only due to the amount of programmes that exploit vulnerable people on channel 4 and 5 that portray benefit claimants and council tenants in a certain way and claim that everyone in that situation is the same.

I have grown up with the stigma of living in a council house and not being able to afford food - it is NOT a luxury lifestyle choice, believe me.

Ooh! Do let me pull up a chair!

Life "on benefits" is sooo easy - yup! I work full time bit need a benefits top up because my wage is too low to live on (My employer is huge) and I am constantly filling out forms, justifying tax credits. I have never over-claimed or been found to have claimed anything I wasn't eligible for. Each "enquiry" takes about 4 hours to complete and I have the fortune of peace and quiet, ICT skills for spreadsheets and Literacy skills for letter-writing. They call it "brown-envelope-syndrome". Life on benefits is awful and that's just when they're a top-up. Like I say, my multi-billionaire employer chooses to pay low wages because the local job market will allow them to.

Be glad the money you have if yours, sort out your debts (your responsibility) and stop with the crappy, goady benefit-bashing

I think the issue people have is that there is very little difference between working full time at minimum wage and claiming benefits. That is because if either were any less then living would be almost impossible. The issue is with minimum wage not with benefits.

I did an access course (science) last year as a single parent to 3DC on benefits.

My tuition fee was paid via a Student Loan, which everyone without a Level 3 qualification is entitled to, regardless of income. So you’re wrong that she only gets that due to being on benefits.

My college paid for my 1 year olds childcare. That varies by each individual college.

Plus you have a DH who assumedly looks after your D.C. which would enable you to study at evenings/weekends, whereas she doesn’t have that support.

They did not pay for my elder 2; I had to pay that myself.

That £670 - that’s not after bills though is it? That’s before she’s fed and clothed her child, and paid basic bills. How can you think that’s a lot for 2 people?

I lived off Smart Price food, I didn’t buy a single thing for myself that year, I lost a lot of weight due to barely eating and was stuck with clothes 3 sizes too big. I never had luxuries anyway after escaping DV but I was living well below the poverty line, and barely sleeping to ensure I got the grades I needed.

I’m now at an RG Uni and not on benefits

I think comparatively your life is way easier - you have a DH and 2.5k. You got yourself into debt, your choice.

PipeTheFuckDown - I understand your username.
The £670 is before bills after rent. My £600 is also before bills and debts but after rent and childcare. Perhaps you should read. She does get the course free as she’s on benefits/low income.
Her child also has a father who takes care of her but they are not together.
She was an example.
My debts were not included in anything so don’t know why everyone keeps mentioning them.

pipe if £670 isn't a lot of money for 2 People, how is OP supposed to manage on £600 for 4 People? That is the OPs point (i think) not that benefits are a lovely luxury life but that you can have two people work full time and still be worse off.

Cross post

Holidayfromreal I absolutely agree, it is the families who are just floating above the thresholds for help that are struggling. Jobs do not pay enough to live, how sad is that?! That someone grating 40+ hours per week is barely getting by - outrageous really.

BUT if you know that giving up your benefits will put you in that situation, of course people are not going to do that. I do not begrudge anyone getting the help they need to survive. There will always be people who take the piss but when there are multi million pound companies dodging tax everyday, I find it really hard to get worked up about a family watching their 50+ inch tv which quite frankly, in my experience of that life, is either being paid for weekly from companies like BrightHouse, is stolen or the family spends some periods of their life hiding behind their couch when the bailiffs are knocking at the door! Or maybe they just want a bloody big TV.

Look at the actual statistics of benefit claimants in this country and you will be surprised at the top percentage of claimants age brackets and total percentage of the population actually claiming benefits.

*grafting not grating

You really think you’re the working poor with 2.5k a month

My sister is also doing an access course. She is employed pt. Her husband is employed ft on £35k pa. She already has a degree. She is getting her course paid for via a loan from student finance England.

I think you need to go back to student services and ask to speak to their financial advisor or get in touch with SFE. Unless it is level 2 course you are entitled to a loan, no matter what your income is.

The course is NOT free because she’s on benefits.

The course is free because she doesn’t have a Level 3 qualification. There were people on my course who’s combined income with their partners was 40k or higher and they got the tuition fee loan for the course.

It’s on the Student Finance website

Level 3 course loans IF you do not currently hold a Level 3 or high qualification already

It’s a loan, not free, and everyone is entitled to one regardless of income if they have no other Level 3 or higher qualification. It’s wiped out IF you complete a degree.

Your college have given you crap advice I think. Student Finance will talk you through the application.

Do you already have Level 3 or higher?

I work and claim benefits.
How easy or hard should my life be?
Most people receiving housing benefit are in work.
In my area access courses are funded by loan which is written off if you go on to do a degree.

I agree with you op , no one on benefits should have a better quality of life than someone working . Hopefully universal credit will level the playing field .
I can think of several families who give two addresses to their childrens primary school so that if checked up on it would appear that the parents live separately . They don’t .
The women are also very careful not to put any photos of them with their husband / boyfriend / father of their children on social media . If you don’t believe this happens you are beyond naive .

Its via the open uni as I can’t afford extra childcare to attend actual college, my sisters is also via them and they pay the childcare. I will call them back but I’ve spoken to them several times.
Yes I absolutely think I’m the working poor with £2.5k a month because as I’ve explained of that, I’m left with £600 to pay all bills including full council tax, food, transport, loans and 2 kids to support. As you’ve just made quite clear that £670 isn’t enough to live on, why is my £600 alright? Because I’m working and ignorant people hear the figure and dismiss that people like me may need help, and it pisses me off that everyone’s in such a bubble that believes your either on benefits and struggling or working and rich and refuse to accept those in the middle as being worthy of support.

I was a carer on benefits for years. Not one single holiday in a decade of benefits. Not one large screen TV. Don't smoke. Don't drink. Don't go out. Cut my own hair. Clothes from supermarket sales. I was obviously not benfitting right.

Every few years got a bill for about £6000 for claiming benefits they stated 'I wasn't entitled to'. The same benefits I had to fill out endless forms for and WAS entitled to when I claimed them. Just fuckery because they can.

Are there people who swing the system? You betcha.
Are the vast majority of people claiming benefits and living in poverty? You betcha.

I also did an Access course which I applied for a loan to cover from student finance. I DID NOT GET IT BECAUSE I WAS ON BENEFITS. I attend my graduation from uni tomorrow and now have a good job with good pay to go to because of it.

I had no idea OU funded childcare. They certainly didn’t when I was studying with them. FWIW an OU Access will not get you into University. They are not even close to the same as the ones that Access to HE.

I get this op. I have a sibling on benefits. He and his wife havent worked for years. They definitely have more than dp and i working full time. We would struggle to pull £30 out at the drop of a hat. They've bought two cars in as many months. Admittedly cheap ones in the lower hundreds but dp and i would never have access to that kind of money.

I would hate them to be suffering financially and dont think anyone should but it does annoy me they livea more luxurious life than us both financially and time wise.

I agree with you op , no one on benefits should have a better quality of life than someone working . Hopefully universal credit will level the playing field

Really? you would be happy to steam roller more people into living below the bread line? Rather than questioning why their are 1000s of families like the OP with 2 adults working and struggling like shit to make ends meet. You wouldn't question low wages v the cost of living? why people are paying through the noise for insecure rents?

you see nothing wrong at all? just well if you have it bad then fuckum everyone else should suffer too?

The Access OU course is GCSE Level. Nothing like Access HE.

Benefits don't last forever!

You're working and have good prospects long term. Children grow up, the money stops.