Skint Britain: Friends without Benefits on C4

[amrscot]

Is anybody else watching this?

One of the couples take their dog out to hunt rabbits and squirrels that they can eat.

They've just shown him with a dead rabbit he has caught skinning it in the kitchen

Horrendous..

StevieHuckle why don't you quit your job and claim benefits if you think it's such a cushy little number?

There is no suggestion that landlords are overcharging for rent, most landlords its only a second property they own, have a mortgage on and now are undergoing re-possesion proceedings because their tenant has spent the money.

£73 a week, lets see thats around £300 a month. Council tax is covered by benefits (another handout) so out of that £300 a month that claimant has to pay gas and electric; which for aguments sake lets say is 80 in winter, water rates, say £25 a month, food lets say £80 a month (and thats eating well, at uni a could survive on a bag of pasta £2 and some sauce for a week but ive said £100)

How is that struggling to survive. The problem is they blow it on takaway food and cigarettes. Every 1 of those so called people struggling were smoking in every single scene. I recognise there is a problem, but its with how these people are brought up to manage their money.

Brilliantidiot you arn't solving any problems by capping rent or CT, for starters the government cannot dictate what is charged by businesses in a free market economy. That is determined by the people and if they were overcharging they would go out of business.

Putting wages up doesn't help either as this just increases inflation so people end up getting less for their money so having more is of no monetary benefit.

Most of these people are in this situation through their own doing. I understand not everyone is but a large number are. If theyre only getting £5 a month, again that will be because they have made some silly choises previously and owe it back to someone. Thats what you do if you're responsible. You deal with the consequenses, and thats something these people don't have the first idea how to do, its always somebodys fault, the system, the government, never theirs.

Decent, hardworking, good people have towed the line for these people long enough, why should they have to take the hit because someone cant be bothered to go out and get a job?

There's no getting through to you. You continue to have your income from your 3 tenants and not live in the real world. Must be nice looking down from your tower. I'm done

I dont quit my job because I have worked hard to get to the place i am where i am comfortable financially and i have become accustomed to the lifestyle i have worked hard for for many years. I haven't just been handed what I have. In the beginning when Ive had nothing ive had to budget and cut back and do without, so I know when I am not able to afford I could live on a fraction of what is given out to benefits claimants because regardless of how much i earn things still cost the same to everyone so i see how much food and things are.

If you cant afford it you do without until youve earned it.

Why did the girl who was living with her mum sit on the sofa crying when she realised she'd been rumbled for lying. She'd not paid a bean in rent but spunked it up the wall getting pissed!!

So how do you propose that someone working full time hours that has more expenditure than income manages? And there's thousands like that.
And yes I've been in that situation, and I'm still paying the debts off - debts like council tax and water bills an expense I can do nothing about and how did I get into that situation? By being bone idle and not 'wanting' to work while I had emergency gall bladder surgery and the time it took to recover. That was two years ago and I'm still paying the price now. But I guess that's my own fault? And for the record it's a hereditary gall bladder issue, not lifestyle. Caused pancreatitis, damed thing. Sure I could have managed though if I'd been arsed.
And don't start preaching that people should get better jobs - who's going to look after all the elderly and frail relatives of those who go and work so hard paying tax for freeloaders to get handouts? Who's going to serve them their morning coffee on their way to pay tax for the scroungers? Who's going to look after their children while they virtuously work to pay tax for these lazy spendthrifts? Who's going to serve that nice lunch?

If you can't earn enough to make ends meet then what choice is there? Of course wages need to be in line with the cost of living, otherwise we end up like this where people have to claim benefits to survive. Feeling virtuous is last on your list after a 12 hour shift on your feet when you get home to empty cupboards and heating you can't afford to have on!

And people have to pay over the odds if that's all that is charged don't they? If you need something like a home, and all the choices available to you are too expensive then you just pick one and hope for the best.
If you're so sure it's so easy why don't you do it? Give up your hard work and tax paying and claim benefits if it's such a great life?

@Brilliantidiot Totally off topic but can gall bladder issues cause reflux and trapped wind?

@userxx

It causes all sorts of issues, I had pain under my right ribs for around a year that got progressively worse and had me doubled over by the end unable to move, and radiated to just under my shoulder blade (pancreas apparently) constant heartburn and bloating so yes I guess those things could happen. I lost a lot of weight because anything I ate set it off. At least I saved money on food though!

I dont doubt its not a great life. You don't get to have a great life. To get a great life one has to EARN a great life. Life on benefits is good for what they've done to get it. That is they've been given money for doing absolutely nothing! How is that a bad thing? That is landing on the butter side up as most countries the money you get is the money you've earned.

There will always be cases where people are genuinely struggling or have an illness, but that isn't who we're talking about and wasn't what was being shown on the programme so its not really right of you to take my views out of context. We're discussing a specific group of people. Also benefits doesn't pay more than full time work, even on minimum wage.

@Brilliantidiot Hmmmmm those symptoms are sounding familiar for someone I know. His mum has also just had surgery. Thanks for that.

Stevie - actually it is sick and disabled people we're talking about, that guy who had only £5 to live on, you know the one you said must have "made some silly choices." No, he didn't do anything wrong. He's going blind and was getting benefits as a disabled person, until some heartless bastard from the DWP magically cured him of his blindness and told him to sign on, a process which isn't as simple as it sounds. If you'd actually watched the programme then you would have known that. So why don't you do some fucking research before running your mouth and talking about things you have no knowledge of.

I just know the value of a pound and have worked for every penny ive earned

No you haven't.
You've sat back and taken money from people in exchange for a roof. A roof that someone else without one could have bought.

Landlords, all private landlords, are a bigger drain and cause of poverty than any claimant.
They get money from a bank to buy a house and the tenant pays the mortgage, they get a free house paid for by someone else's hard work.

Parasitic behaviour.

They then bump up the rent to as much as they can get. Use estate agents that cripple other people with ridiculous fees.

Parasitic behaviour.

So don't bleat you've worked hard for your money, you haven't. You've drained money from the economy to the tune of 3 houses and their rental incomes.

The biggest beneficiaries of housing benefit? Private landlords. So don't pretend you're not skimming off money from the public purse.

£73 a week, lets see thats around £300 a month. Council tax is covered by benefits (another handout) so out of that £300 a month that claimant has to pay gas and electric; which for aguments sake lets say is 80 in winter, water rates, say £25 a month, food lets say £80 a month (and thats eating well, at uni a could survive on a bag of pasta £2 and some sauce for a week but ive said £100)

Your maths is wrong.

Most of these people will be on key meters for gas/electricity which cost more than gas and electricity on direct debit. Npower average yearly costs for a key meter is £1241 which is £103 per month. If someone has any every debt then they pay a higher per unit price to recover that so for quite a few people it would be more than £103 per month.

Water is a fixed rate. In my area the lowest rate is £45 a month so goodness knows where you plucked the figure of £25 a month from.

Council Tax benefit doesn't always cover the full amount of the council tax bill, it depends on how much the bill is, whether there is any outstanding debt from previous years, and so on. If someone is sanctioned, as many people on this show were, then their Council Tax benefit stops and they become liable for the full amount. Band A council tax here is £125 a month. Same for Housing Benefit, the benefit amount may not cover the entire rent and if you are sanctioned then the whole lot stops.

£80 for food? If you shop at Aldi or Lidl or have a big supermarket nearby with smart price level food, and if you're only shopping for one person then maybe. If there is more than one person in the household or children or there is no supermarket nearby then no way. That's less than £20 a week. No supermarket is walking distance means a bus trip, return bus fare for one adult where I live is £6.80 so there's nearly £7 straight out of that £20 budget. Online shopping often isn't acceptable either because you need to spend a minimum of £40 - nearly double the £20 you've so generously allocated - there is a delivery charge which increases the price, and you need a bank account with a debit card which not everyone has, especially people who are financially vulnerable. They end up shopping at the local co-op or Nisa or corner shop where it all costs more but it's local and accessible, or they get a takeaway because in a lot of cases it's actually cheaper to spend £5 on a ready-made kebab than £5 on a meter top up so you can use the stove plus another £5 on pasta, sauce, and bread.

Ah I see some of the complete nobs have surfaced on this thread...

Last nights episode really stuck in my throat and upset me. I don't really have much else to say on the matter because trying to get my head around the fact we treat human beings this way in the uk is taking a lot of head space up right now.

The biggest beneficiaries of housing benefit? Private landlords. So don't pretend you're not skimming off money from the public purse.

Totally agree @EwItsAHooman

Yes and aren't they all up in arms now about the fact they won't get their money because it gets paid to the tenant now and not the landlord, so refusing to let to anyone on UC. Regardless of track record. And yes I know about the insurance companies and they're just as bad.
So a house bought by benefits that gives a landlord a good retirement is fine, but the people actually claiming said benefits are a scourge on society? How does that work then?
Oh yes, because it's easier to blame those at the bottom for the shit hole this country is rather than those who are actually in charge of these policies or have influence.

Also agree with the rest of your post, dead easy to feed yourself on £20 a week when you have access to the right shops, not so when you have only local co-op and the like where the cheapest essentials for a week cost more than that. And key and card meters charge more, no money, no fuel. That's the reality. And these things go up at least annually, as well as CT and rent - when wages and benefits don't, how the hell do you do it then?

I have to take 19 different drugs a day and they are all prescription ones, not recreational. The cost is going up to £9 a drug! Luckily (or rather unluckily since I would rather not have the conditions that need the drugs - none of them self-inflicted) I receive ESA which paid for the drugs but last month turned 60, so I now qualify for free prescriptions. I very much doubt I could be employed as I am Wheelchair bound and live in a small village with a very limited bus service and have no car (which I am not allowed to drive anyway) and need 24h a day care. But full UC roll-out has not reached us yet and no doubt when it does I will be transformed into a disease free, fully employed, home-owning member of society. I can't wait

StevieHuckle you also casually throw around the phrase 'they should get a job'. My understanding of the area this programme focuses on, is that there are not enough jobs for the number of people in the area. So they can't just 'get a job' (ignoring the fact that if they did get a job, the wages don't cover their outgoings).

Housing benefit also doesn't cover the whole rent. You don't get a free house. You have to pay something for it out of whatever money you have each month.

And when you "just get a job" it often leaves you in an even bigger financial hole.

Full rent and full council tax become immediately payable because your counting tax and housing benefits stop while they recalculate then based on your new income.

If you have children, you need to pay childcare costs. Many childminders require fees paid in advance, I used to bill monthly in advance, so a month of childcare up front.

Then there's getting to work so a bus pass is required, again payable in advance.

Clothes suitable for work and suitable footwear need to be bought if not already owned.

This is several hundred pounds that needs to be shelled out several weeks before any wages are received during which time gas, electricty, water rates, food, etc will still need to be paid.

I used to be an engineer, working 50+ hours a week. Had to give that up when my relationship brokedown. I'm now single dad to a child that lives with me full time.
I went from £40k ish to £10k ish in the space of 3 months.

So here's my breakdown, rough and not to the absolute penny. (I don't know if I've done this before, I've just been doing my budget so figured id share it.)

UC In: £970

Out:
Rent: £500
C/tax: £60
Gas / Elec: £95
Water: £45
Internet: £40
UC Advance repay: £75
Tax credit overpayment reclaim: £30
Food for both: £100
Netflix: £7.99
Phone: £5

Total out: £957.99

Again, this is rough and I've rounded up a couple quid here or there. But it's basically my monthly ins and outs.

Unexpected bills, forget them.
Child needs school clothes? Tough tit.
Fancy a chippy tea? No way
Grab a bus to the supermarket? Fuck no.
A pint at the pub? In your dreams sunshine.

About the only thing I could drop is Netflix, but £7.99 is a drip in a flood. I could drop internet, but UC is all online and by the time I've got the bus to town to the library its cost more than £40 in the month. (based £3.50 return X 20 days)

Excerpt from a conversation with DWP staff:
"Well you should get a job then"
Cool... Good idea.. where in my budget can I save enough to pay for a month's childcare? Because UC doesn't pay child care, the claimant does and then claims back 85% the month after.

"Have friends or family watch children"
Friends are working, family are elderly or dead.

"Now you're just making excuses"
Do you want to see the death the certificates? I'll happily bring them in.

"Just get a job during school hours"
Good idea, pull up Indeed, take a look for some jobs in school hours only..
(10 minutes later)
"Well you could always apply for shop work and ask for s holiday hours only"
And also to not work weekends? Sure they'll go for that..

"I see what you mean... I don't know then... I'll book you in for a fortnight.."

Just get a job during school hours

Those jobs are as rare as rocking horse shite round here!

Also benefits doesn't pay more than full time work, even on minimum wage.

It does when you work full time and don't get any help with anything. Because on benefits you do get help with prescriptions and you presumably don't need childcare, you don't get rent or CT help, so actually someone working ft could find themselves worse off than on benefits. It comes down to a simple choice, if you can survive better on benefits than working full time then that's the choice you need to make to survive. Neither choice is great and leads to the same things - debt and poverty. But I can see how someone is better off on benefits than in full time work taking the whole thing into consideration. And again, the answer isn't cutting the benefits, it's making employers pay decent wages that reflect the cost of living. So that no one is better off on benefits, for the right reasons.
I live relatively close to Hartlepool and it's not just Hartlepool that is struggling. We've lost so much industry over the years - and why? Because companies can do it cheaper elsewhere - profit. Landlords own homes to rent for profit. Yet they're not expected to have a social conscience and forgo a bit of profit for the greater good, that's all ok because it's business. No it's those who've seen their area destroyed through loss of employment that are expected to pick up the slack and show a social conscience.

Weetinker - very helpful to see all that. I was a single mother of 5 and I work full time in the SE (I am originally from the NE).

So it looks like a lot of the problems on the thread for people who had been in reasonable work earning not too badly can be caused when they get sick. So I wonder why they couldn't in better times try to live very much under their means and put some money aside for life's disasters, the next flat's rental deposit, the 2 months off work when you are ill? Is it about the UK having lost its savings culture in good times?

So I wonder why they couldn't in better times try to live very much under their means

Because people take on bills to meet their income.
When I had cash I'd spend more on my mobile phone for a month than i do now on the food I eat, £55 for a mobile seems mental to me now. £150 car payments too or a sky package of £90 etc.

It's wasteful but you can't expect.people to live a benefits lifestyle whilst earning money, they'd wonder why they worked.

Fwiw, what savings I did have got spent moving to a cheaper house and to try and pay off what I could to make my monthly expenditure less. Iyswim.

try to live very much under their means and put some money aside for life's disasters, the next flat's rental deposit, the 2 months off work when you are ill? Is it about the UK having lost its savings culture in good times?

Because what you can save is a drop in the ocean to what you'd need in that situation, that's if there's enough left to save at all.
And tbh the council took my savings, such as they were when I fell behind with CT due to being ill. I tried talking to them, just the stock 'The full year is now payable, if you don't pay in 7 days the debt will go to the bailiffs' I had £400 - next month's rent - in my savings, they said they'd only consider 'dealing with me' if I paid them that first, then they'd see what they could do. Totally bypassing the fact that without next months rent payment I wouldn't be liable for council tax because I'd be homeless........