To think relying on working tax credits and housing benefit is a bad idea

[InkedGreen]

My sister has a very decent amount coming in every month - similar to what I have as a professional with 10+ years experience.

However it's all top up earnings and she's on a low paid job two days a week.

She's quite happy to stay on 2 days even though all her children are at school.

Aibu to think she's foolish to rely on these topups and not try to get a better job or increase her hours? If they try to reform benefits she could very quickly be very poor and I'm concerned even if she isn't!

God forbid anyone should want to spend as much time as possible with their children

That’s fine but other tax payers shouldn’t be paying for that choice.

Given children are in school for thirty hours, a full time job isn’t going to take away many hours from them anyway.

My daughter has just moved from income support to full time work. Her wages get doubled by UC due to her being a single mother to 2 and she is way better off then before

Read a book called Nickel and Dimed about how poor people in the USA are literally paying to go out to work because there is no benefit support, then see how judgey you feel.

Is she declaring her earnings properly?
Unfortunately I'm currently reliant on benefits and it's really not very much.
I have £10 spare month.

I can't afford things like a TV licence for example because benefits don't give you that much money.

I'm very surprised that her income is as high as you say

Most women who work ft do it because they need to pay mortgages, utilities etc once their children are older. I doubt many of them do it to avoid spending time with their family..why should they subsidise women who decide not to work as much as possible so they can ‘spend as much time as possible with their children’.

Employers are the ones who benefit from our benefits system - means they don't have to worry about living wage or sound contracts because the government will fill the gaps. Except they don't of course and benefits are being cut under UC, which was always the plan, and a huge majority of benefits claimants are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Add to that the fact that caring roles - paid or unpaid - are not valued, and you have where we are now.

Why are people blaming the people caught in this trap?

I've always loved being a full time mum.

Your sister is happy and so are the kids.

Happy mum happy family

When benefit reviews are conducted you cant force someone to apply for a job or attend a job interview you can only suggest

Unhappy taxpayer who is working like a dog to pay for this "lifestyle" but hey so long as shes ok

Why are people blaming the people caught in this trap

Because people are responsible for their own choices, not the government whoever is in power.

Not really a trap is it? More of don’t want to lose benefits.

Welfare benefits are there as a safety net for those who really need them. It is a misuse of public funds if you can work but choose to exploit the system and make yourself dependent on the hard work of others.

bigmums Where are you posting from 1994?

I don't understand what they think they'll do when the kids are older, when they have less benefits. Less job prospects due to being out of the job market and no pension contributions.
As a single parent I am the only role model in the house, I want dd to have a good work ethic and not expect to be supported.

Its funny how right wingers never get their knickers in a twist about things that cost even more like temp accomodation £270 a WEEK to live in a shipping container. The reason for this is because they see this as a punishment so are happy for it to cost more.

Its less about money and more about ideology

Sumlove I agree with you. I claim WTC and work minimum hours. My children have SN which is why I didn't work full time as soon as I could.
I had a reality check a few years ago when I started looking for full time work that I wasn't qualified for any decent living.
I'm lucky that I didn't go to university when I was younger so I'm retraining but not everyone has this option.

I am on WTC and work full time. I am aiming to get myself into a position where I don’t feel the pinch when they start dropping off, by trying to get a salary raise every time I move jobs. Still have some headway and it’s a worry.

Other than that I would say there there are many low paying jobs (like mine - am on 21K at the moment) that need doing so I am not sure what the solution is. I can’t see most employers paying a lot more than that for administrators for example...

Interestingly i saw a really nasty post about tenants on fb from someone who works with vulnerable young people in the same situation. He obviously does not share his employers ethos.

It’s not ideology....just that most people believe if you can work, you should and support yourself. The welfare system should support those who cannot work through illness, disability, caring responsibilities etc. Not those who fancy working part time and let the rest of us pay for their choice and reduce the funding available for those really cannot work.

part time

A lot of contracts ARE part time. You cannot force someone to give you more hours. Zero hour contracts.

As we are such fans of doing the right thing on this thread i will take that on board re. my post of 20.00 hours.

Thank You for making my decision so much easier

Following to have a catch up later. I'm heavily invested.

Surely having 'a very decent amount coming in every month' is in the eye of the beholder?

Two days per week, having your basic earnings topped up with credits and benefits means in many parts of the UK that you'd also be relying on charities for canned foods and second hand clothing. Few relish being in this situation.

Maybe she appears content and satisfied to you. Perhaps she hides how she struggles to get by week to week. Perhaps you could recommend her for a job in your well paying company?

The tussle between those just getting by on full time mediocre salaries and long hours v those on minimum wage but receiving credits and benefits so they just about get by, is pretty much what holds our society back.

If you think she's languishing on benefits, try getting your employer to hire her on flexi - let her start work after she's taken kids to school/ leave at a time to pick them up from school - allow her to log on to system at 8pm from home to complete work when the kids are in bed!

I work nights because it's the only shift that I can do that works without paying a fortune in childcare. Morning shift doesn't finish till 3pm too late, evening shift starts at 3pm. Three hour gap before hubby gets back to the area and no good. Night shift 8 till 8 is the only one that works. I feel trapped in nights until the kids are in high school. Too be honest if I could live on benefits I would in all honesty I'd love that life but I doubt it's ever going to happen. I can't judge her but I'd love to live like her I'm jealous. 😁

So tell me, angstridden, are children not a caring responsibility? Can you begin to comprehend how difficult it can be for one parent, no transport, minimum wage, 3 young children - one in a nursery, one in an infant school and one in a junior school - to actually make work work? Never mind the financial logistics, just how do you get children in three different settings, several miles on foot a part, not on a bus route into school and then get yourself to work for 9am? And then do it all the other way before the after school club closes at 5 when work finishes at 5? It’s very easy to scoff but actually look at people’s lives. Often we work part time because it’s all that we are able to manage.

Hopefully certain people on this thread have the same vitriol for the NRPs that don't bother contributing to their child's upbringing, either financially or with childcare, which is often why single parents end up in these situations.