To resent our benefit claiming neighbours?

[kerala]

I worked really hard for 6 years for the deposit to this flat. DH is still slaving away doing 12 hour days (at least) to pay the mortgage and support us.

Our noisy neighbours have been given the flat next door to live in by the council. It is the same as ours. They spend the afternoons messing about in the garden with their DCs, drinking stella, smoking hash and destroying the peace of the neighbourhood. They keep fighting dogs because the council pays all the vets bills for them.

My DH would love to spend time at home with us. but trots off everyday to work. I used to consider myself a left wing guardian type but beginning to resent the thousands I have paid in tax so my neighbours can loll around in the sun all day. They are all able bodied and we live in London so cant believe there no jobs they could get.

Bubble, if it had been that clear, would I have questioned it? Unlikely.

There are a few things I dont get about all these solutions:

1. I have no problems whatsoever limiting benefits to people without dependents etc. But would poeple really advocate limiting benefits / housing to famillies with children, would people really want to see those kids out on the streets? For me this is where the issue becomes cloudy and complex.

2. bd abcks- not everyone can find a job, of course most can. Some can't even leave the house, after all. Bad backs are like depression- they can go from mild to crippling. Somebody with severe depression isn't better off with something to aim for- DH was sacked because he was too ill to work. He didnt choose to leave his job.

What i dont like about this type of thread is the generalisations- and perhaps that how the group divides, those whoa re preapred to judge with what I think is amazing sweeping sattements and entire group of poeple- and those who preper to judge every case on its individual merits. I think its far worse to alienate the deserving individuals, those with severe health issues etc by judging them automaticallya s in a group with those who are skiving gits. I would prefer to be generous with my compassion (I certainly would NOT use the term dross! ). That doesn't mean i wouldn't take action against an individual benefits fraudster or be angry about specific cases- but I would want to know the relaity first.

agree with Fio

Why should people slog their guts out to provide for those who are happy to lie around smoking/drinking in their Kappa tracksuits with their pitbull dogs?

It's not right and it's not fair.

Totally agree 100% with op.

My friend is a single mum and I am so proud of her. She could have taken the easy route but she works 2 nights in a hospice to provide for her son (her parents care for her son). She does receive benefits to top up but she deserves every penny.

I'm talking about someone who has been signed off of ever working again because of a bad back, but can do the general housework, shopping, mow the garden, walk up the hill to Edinburgh Castle, etc. And his partner doesn't work because.... well... I guess she doesn't want to. They have a house, money to spend on food, low budget holidays, computer, etc. They aren't big drinkers. But we the taxpayers do pay for their cigarettes, mobile phones, internet access, etc.

They have no children.

Sometimes they take lodgers into their council house (for cash of course). Do you think they report it?

But, they have not lied (except for the lodger income). He has been signed off. And they get their money and a house to live in fair and square.

Had to name change to protect RL identity.

my mum and step dad bought an ex council house on a fairly decent estate and lived there for many years happily with a nice community of people who cared for their homes. Then a local housing association bought a few of the houses that became free after a few of the elderly residents died and moved in new people. Unfortunatly for my mum she was an ex prison officer and at the time working in the job centre, her new next door neighbour made their lives hell (his cousin had been on my mums wing in prison)Loud music at all times day and night, drugs, ranting whilst off his head (pig scum etc) directed at my mum through the wall. She called the police, reported them to the HA but nothing ever got done. Two years ago they sold and moved to a nice brand new housing estate on the other side of town. Mum was delighted to move in next to a vicar, imaging peace and quiet, friendliness etc. Wasn't to be but at least mum was able to reason with them and peace has at last be restored !!

See, michy, that's what put me off buying an ex LA home.

I'd rather rent forever.

At least then I knew I could bail hassle free if thugs moved in.

How do you get si9gned off work ever again? My ds1 has autism, even tthen he only gets dla (disability benefit) for 2 years at a time

maybe he's just on incapacity benefit?

Mum has noticed that lots of the newer residents on her council estate are somewhat more troublesome than in the apst, certainly. not all- some arevery good friends indeed- but some are really quite adept at troublemaking.

Sadly Mum and dad can't bail out, having been caught in the pensions fiasco that means they have gone from expecting a high standard early retirement funded purely by years of graft, to dad still working despite a bad leg (he doesn't drive so that's significant), the place he managed was closed on being sold and now he cleans at a meat factory- ie the job noboody wants. Not that he complains!. When he finally is pensioned off and can no longer work, they'll be dependent on housing benefit, the lot- a situation they could have done nothing to prevent.

But don't they monitor it?

I don't know, just wondering!

expat - the new estate my mum is on may not have any noisy, drug taking ravers but two of the houses have had their dogs confiscated under the dangerous dogs act !!!

Michymama - I thought your other post was going to end, 'Mum was delighted to move in next to a vicar, imaging peace and quiet, friendliness etc'.... 'but the vicar plays loud music at all hours of the day and night, is always having wild parties and never has a friendly word for her, except to swear under his breath when he sees her....'

Lol, not quite like that but they've had major problems, mainly with the vicars wife. It ended this summer with mum tearfully ringing their boss (not god !!) after she threatened my mums cat !!! Thankfully all has been resolved but mum was a bit miffed, think she imagined tea and cake afteroons etc etc