Worked 50 hour week fed up AIBU

[itsahardknocklife87]

Having just worked 50 hours this week and completed a ten hour shift today, I look on Facebook to discover that a friend who hasn't worked for years and is on benefits has had a weekend away. I like my job but I'm fed up of working so hard in a low paid job and still skint. Never see my kids or Husband and there isn't no option to stop working at least 49 hours a week. I had to do overtime this week to pay a Uber expensive garage bill (I live in a very rural area so car essential to get to work) AIBU to get upset that people who don't work on benefits and tax credits have a better quality of life?

Benefits is not alot of money at all, certainly not enough to buy a holiday. Unless she claims disability, then that would help. Her parents could have paid for her holiday or been gifted some money? I wouldnt assume benefits paid for it, at all. My sister lived in a council house on benefits for a few years. I worked long hours and felt a little jealous of all the time she got to spend with her son. Shes now met someone who works and is giving up her council house to live with him. She said she didn't have much of a life, as benefits limits what you can afford to do. She really wanted to be a family unit (like you and I) and have more money to go on holiday. Comparison really is the thief of joy.

Who are these people that are on benefits as a lifestyle choice?

If we are referring to the single parents who choose not to work due to high childcare costs while their DC are young - whose fault is that?

deciding to have kids when you cannot afford them is a lifestyle choice.

Finding yourself stuck because your husband just died is one thing. Deciding to have kids without financial security another one entirely.

I love the hypocrisis of these threads pretending that of course it doesn't happen, no one is a benefit cheat, no one blatantly refuse to work because they don't have to. Who are you trying to convince?

The only people I can think of who are on 'good money' from benefits are single people with maximum PIP and in social housing - that way you'd be getting about £340/wk with no rent or council tax bill. Not the life of luxury but enough to afford a weekend away.

But I wouldn't trade with them, would you?

I think you are mad at the wrong person. We are fighting each other for crumbs while corporations get away with paying minimal tax and low wages. The problem is not benefits, it's low wages. Making work pay should not include lowering benefits so people are poorer than those working but to address in-work poverty and raise wages. Real income has steadily dropped since the 80s. Wages need to be higher not benefits lowered or scrapped.

@blubelle7
Agree

Well I work between 5 and 10 hours less a week than you, and get tax credits because I'm in a low paid job and a single parent, and don't receive any maintenance and never have (thanks CMS for writing his debt off - care to do the same for the debts I have accumulated through not getting maintenance? No? Thought not!) My standard of living is more surviving than living. Paying bills that increases big company profits while not having anything worth speaking about. And then get told that because I'm on tax credits I have it easy and have a better standard of living than those who are so 'hardworking'.
Oh, I did have 4 days in London staying at family and my mum paid my train fare, for my birthday. First time I've been away in about 5 years. Sorry about that. Clearly don't deserve it.

Wages need to be higher not benefits lowered or scrapped.

That simplistic solution ignores that we are a globalised economy with the added realisation of automation on the horizon. It is also considered by most economists as a can kicking exercise without addressing any of the fundamental issues (which is far more nuanced than just taxing corporations more as well)

If we stopped wasting all this money on the benefits

The welfare bill is tiny in comparison to others and the biggest recover is pensioners.. followed by those in work..
Go look it up, then tell us it's a waste giving money to the elderly and those in work..

How dare these pesky people on benefits have a weekend away!
Yabu. I get that life is tough but comparison is the theft of joy.

YANBU, but agree with what blubelle says also.

Some people who are well paid think they really deserve it as they work sooo hard. They need a bit of a reality check as to who really works hard in society.

I do some debt work and I would say 99% of the people I see are on benefits. Your friend may very well go on lots of holidays, have nice things and seem to have a better life than you but I'm willing to bet that she has massive amount of debt. On average I see debt of about 20-25K.

People on benefits don't have extra money to spend once they have paid all their bills. The ones that do are getting it from somewhere else (cc's, loans). I'm not saying people on benefits can't manage money. I am just saying I've seen a lot who spend like crazy and are up to their neck in it.

Also, those on benefits get their NI paid but they won't have a private pension, other savings. Being in work is much better than being on benefits no matter what you think.

OP you wont get anywhere on here for suggesting anything other than that people on benefits are completely entitled to them, deserving of more and that some people in work should be grateful for a meager wage for a hard graft.

I think that after a bloody hard week of work and seeing others enjoying luxuries that appear at first glance tax payer funded and not earned, while you struggle YANBU to feel that there is a certain unfairness going on.

However without knowing the other persons circumstances it is unfair to make a direct comparison. This might be their first trip in a long time, funded by friends/family etc. Social media can be manipulated to make it look more extravagant than it really is. The reality experienced by the majority reliant on benefits is somewhat different, but the 'widescreen tv and Iphone' claimants do exist. I know the mail/sun etc. love to jump on these examples to be sensationalist, but they do exist and its galling. I remember in the heat wave, sitting in a hot office for 12 hours and being nagged at all day, and paying £25 for a late overcrowded train home, opening facebook on the way home to see that my 'associate' who had never done a days work in their life aged 34 due to epilepsy and anxiety, had spent the afternoon drinking cider in a beer garden. I don't know what they get, but if they spend an afternoon on the piss its too much! But I don't think its typical.

I completely feel for you OP, but don't fall in to the trap of thinking that claimants are living the life of Riley.

Right so from some of you are saying us working people should struggle along, fuck them! They are working, least they can pay there own council tax and rent and everything else, get fucking taxed on there hard earned money THEY HAVE WORKED FOR, but hey if they are struggling and are in debt and can hardly pay there Bills then hey learn to manage a bit better! FUCK OFF! Like I said in my pp I understand that some people need to be on them fair enough but some DONT! Oh I know lets have another child when we are on benefits, yea good idea oh let's say we are single so we get more money yea good idea... surely you get my drift. ( and just to clarify I know all people on benefits are NOT like that) my neighbour has 2 cars! 2!! She doesn't work, she had a delivery of a sofa and big tv and some sort of big speakers gosh shes struggled to get that as shes just had her house done up!!! but hey they might be gifts🤦‍♀️

Maybe I should reduce my hours by half and get benefits to pick up the difference, is that what you are suggesting? Actually, maybe I should, why do I bother after all.

I know on MN some posters have decided that the only hard workers in the country are on minimum wage, and that the more you earn, the less you do. How do they think that it's even possible, I am not sure
Maybe they think the only high earners mean the royal family?

There are a number of members of staff where I work who limit their working hours to 16 and will not do any extra or work full time because it affects their benefits, they seem to enjoy a reasonable lifestyle. Being able to afford a weekend away need not involve a lot of money, maybe they put aside a few pounds a week and go away when they have enough, maybe a friend or relation chipped in to help them. If you are working more than full time and have family responsibilities then perhaps you should get a benefits review via CAB, it might be that you are entitled to something and could reduce your hours to a more manageable level and still be better off.

Oh come on. Campaigning for the election has just started and someone starts a thread about benefits.

My DP was made redundant a few years ago, and got JSA for six months - I think it was just over £50 a week. After six months, my salary was deemed sufficient, and he got nothing. My salary was enough, but our outgoings are pretty high, and it was a tough time, which wiped out our savings. Things like dental bills were a nightmare - unexpected and expensive!

It made me cross that he had paid into the "pot" for almost 20 years as a fairly high earner, and got so little back. I realise we were lucky to be able to manage on one salary.

I know on MN some posters have decided that the only hard workers in the country are on minimum wage, and that the more you earn, the less you do. How do they think that it's even possible, I am not sure

On the contrary I find those that earn a lot go on about 'working hard' and seem to think that low wage means low effort and zero hard work. No doubt that people earning good money do work hard, but that doesn't automatically mean those not earning good money don't work hard too.
And that's the assumption that leads to people like me getting utterly fucked off by being told I'm a lazy layabout scrounger because I get a small amount of tax credits, live very frugally through necessity, while working 40-50 hours a week. Why is the OP and anyone else who works 40-50 hours a week amazing, yet (because SOMEONE ELSE chose to walk away from their responsibility, meaning I need the tax credits in the first place) someone working the same hours but earning less is the devil incarnate because to live I need a bit of a top up.
Big hint - without that top up it wouldn't just be a case of not affording that wide screen TV or new tattoo - I'd likely end up homeless. Then jobless. How, exactly, is that going to benefit anyone? Child in care costing money, my tax and NI contributions lost, and the cost of shelters/temp accomodation I'd need to be provided with. Because for people like me that's the alternative.
I wonder how many of you go to shops and cafes and restaurants and make use of the services provided by low wage earners, and don't think twice about what they earn and if it's actually enough to live on.

Campaigning for the election has just started and someone starts a thread about benefits.

as these threads regularly pop out, it's obvious that some of the will be written around election time too. People have opinion even when there are no election! Some do at least.

I find those that earn a lot go on about 'working hard' and seem to think that low wage means low effort and zero hard work.

how many threads about people refusing to take on over-time
how many threads about people outraged because they get a phone call on their day off
how many threads about people shocked that they could have some work related task to finish at weekends or on holiday?
how many threads laughing at the idiots who "claim" not to be home before 8,9 or 10pm?

Calling some people lazy is not necessarily related to benefit and their pay - but accusing someone earning more than you to work less is childish and boring.

@Justanotherlurker

Yes my simplistic solution requires far more nuance than explained in my quick post. Somehow every economist seems to ignore when we discuss this issue that corporations e.g. Amazon are the biggest welfare recipients through tax breaks and even government subsidies in return for providing a couple hundred low quality jobs wherever they we are so fortunate for them to set up their fulfilment centres. I would argue as well the metrics we choose to signify the improvement of the economy are not relevant as they rarely mean more money in the average person's pocket but more dividends to investors instead, hence the temptation to be attractive to investors with low taxes, and high ease of business metrics. Trickle down and Reganomics do not work. We have created more millionaires and billionaires in the last 30 years but the average person is poorer because these outdated policies only serve the already rich. More money in the average person's pocket will actually improve the economy as people actually spend that money and participate in the economy that when it ends up in a bloated billionaires account who can only buy so many yachts. The problem is we vote against our own self-interest because we believe there are major differences among people on benefits/average wage/ high earners when we are all fighting for crumbs amongst ourselves while the billionaire class gets away with buying politicians to serve their agenda and enrich themselves further.

And have somehow been convinced that policies benefiting billionaires are in our self-interest as we will also somehow get there. The likelihood is we won't. And I speak as someone who pays less tax in proportion to my income than a minimum wage worker. That's not okay in my view.

There are a number of members of staff where I work who limit their working hours to 16 and will not do any extra or work full time because it affects their benefits, they seem to enjoy a reasonable lifestyle.

On TC taking overtime or upping your contract was an easy process to negotiate.

On UC it is an unmitigated nightmare. One collauage was scheduled for overtime, though she said no because it would mess her money up (the following month she'd get less UC and the extra wages from the overtime wouldn't actually cover that shortfall). Because she didn't turn up for that overtime management took a dim view of it and disciplined her. Management weren't sympathetic, even though it was their error. Her MH got worse so she took sick leave. Now she's at risk of loosing her job altogether.

This is not a 'reasonable lifestyle' but is the reality of working/benefits system.

Have none of you heard of the benifit cap? If you don't work you can only claim a maximum of 20k a year. How many of you could survive on that? I know I couldn't my rent is 13k!

The only people I can think of who are on 'good money' from benefits are single people with maximum PIP and in social housing - that way you'd be getting about £340/wk with no rent or council tax bill.
It’s no where near £340 a week!