To think not everyone on benefits are taking the psss

[Greydrabday]

Background...
Me and OH both have worked until 6 months ago, when he became so unwell with his condition, he became unable to gto work.
I work 23 (going up to 28) hours per week.
So for the last 6 months we've been claiming UC to help with living costs.
OH is slowly getting better and looking for work now to get us back on our feet and not having to rely on the benefit system.
(we have a 1 year old too)

Isn't it funny how people's opinions change once they know you're claiming UC?
Had a run in with a friend today, who claims I have choose this path, I should work full time, and while I'm choosing this way, the tax payer (ie her) is paying for it.
That the people who are better off, have worked hard to get there...

Basically you're made to feel like scum if youre claiming any sort of help in the form of benefits or food parcels.

AIBU to think not everyone is taking the psss out the system, and some just genuinely need a helping hand until they are able to get on their feet??

Really quite upset at her comments.

I totally understand it can cost more or equivalent to work. I went back to work after dc2 and pretty much all my wage went on childcare. I have been there. It's absolutely rubbish that that is the situation.

The solution is don't discuss any finances with others!

A series of events out of my control, including a debilitating condition (which I’m having surgery to alleviate) have led me to claim ESA. It was soul destroying having to travel to prove to a nurse what was printed on my sick note from the Dr. Fortunately, she understood that I just can’t work at the moment, and put me in a support group where I won’t have to do that again.

If it wasn’t for my husband’s financial support, I’d be homeless now.

@tictac86
“I'm under 40 and in 5 years will have paid my full state pension contribution but it says on the website I must continue to pay it as it cover benefits and others who have not contributed. How is this fair? I paid mine and worked hard even though I wanted to be at home with my baby. Why should I pay for someone that hasn't??????”

Wow. That is the most short sighted, stupid comment I’ve ever seen!

The same reason we all pay taxes for services we may not benefit from!!

And what is the alternative ? Would you really see an elderly person who hadn’t paid enough in with nothing in old age ? Die of starvation or freeze to death on the streets. Have some empathy.

@tictac86 so someone working 37.5 hours a week (full time) and getting UC top ups is a better person than someone working 30 hours a week getting UC top ups? Get a grip.

Shouldnt cover child care either. Maybe take the benefit system away or only those who chose to pay on do. I'd rather my tax went to those who need it, to sen education which is under funded. So many other ways to help. Or vouchers for those instead of money. Kids in my dd school that are from a benefit house hold have the latest phones, trainers and parents come out of the pub with a fag in there mouth at school pick up. How is this using the money for essentials? People should pay for there own lives

In answer to your comments. Why should I pay for others? I have private health care for me and my family but would still be happy to pay nhs I just disagree with paying for others lives when they dont help themselves

YABU to think that it’s ok to choose to spend extra time with your child at cost to people who take responsibility for themselves and as a result don’t get to spend that time with their children because they’re working. I appreciate that it must be thankless to be in a low paid profession but when you behave this way your taking away from others which is just not fair.

YABVU. Your friend was probably trying to help and your on here calling her out, bit immature imo. If you've time to be posting on mumsnet all day then you've too much time on your hands!

Beats me, tictac how you know the financial circumstances of all the families from your DCs school.
I hope you've got this much contempt for billionaire tax evader or is it avoider toffs.

Claiming benefits because of illness, job loss, etc - I don’t believe anybody has an issue with this, it is what it is for isn’t it?

Claiming benefits because of a choice to work part time - well I’m afraid I am judging you. Of course it is nice to be there with your DC when he is small, but if you can fund it, not if you expect the taxpayers to fund you!! And I don’t get your argument that you end up with the same amount with part time + benefits vs full time - childcare, in one case the taxpayers are funding you, in the other your employer is paying, so really it makes quite a difference! Not if you are selfish I guess... hence the judgment.

so someone working 37.5 hours a week (full time) and getting UC top ups is a better person than someone working 30 hours a week getting UC top ups
If the part time is a choice, then yes.
The amount of (taxpayer’s funded) top ups won’t be the same...

Of course most people aren't. Anyone's life can turn on a dime. I went from a well paid job and a flash apartment with pots of disposable income to being an unemployed, homeless single mother raising two children, one whom is disabled and I'm his full time carer. It wasn't always like this and it won't always be this way either.

Instead of getting angry with workers topping up their pay with UC why aren’t we getting angry with big employers paying their employees so little they have to rely on extra handouts from the government or the stream of money that flows from local councils to private landlords instead of social housing. The anger about the country’s benefit bill isn’t directed in the right places.

@WitchesGlove...... I haven't read the whole thread (I'll be doing so) but your comments are horrid.
I was an Assistant Headteacher, I earnt a good salary and myself, DH and our DD had a good lifestyle whilst still saving money for 'just incase'
At 39 I had a major stroke, I will never walk without a stick again.
My DH had to give up work to be my carer. We survive on my teachers medical pension and UC.
Life can change in the blink of an eye. I wouldn't wish our situation on anyone but if it happened you, I think your attitude towards benefits and only having children you can 'afford' would change. Your comments have made me bloody sad 😔 Nice one

@mummyrocks1. Worded that perfectly.

I used to get top up on my wages, tax credit and working tax. Im a single parent but now with grown up kids.

My 20 yr old had a job for a month back in august, she has been to so many job interviews and applied for jobs. She has now had to go to uc, as i cant keep helping her out

But if you choose not to work full time when you could earn more money through employment, then you are effectively asking others to part fund your choice. Many people will judge that, especially those families with two parents working and paying for childcare

Maybe the people judging others for their choices should get their heads round the notion that someone on minimum wage + UC theonly gets to keep just £2.06 of the money they earn for working an extra hour (£2.67 if their earnings are below the tax threshold).

I've no idea how much childcare costs are, but they'll have to have the money to pay any additional costs upfront, and only get 85% of those costs back the following month. Most of that £2.06 could go on an extra hour's childcare.

If we are to be serious about encouraging people to work more hours, the tax and NI thresholds* need to be raised well above the rate of inflation, and childcare costs for the low paid need to be met in full by the state. And the UC clawback rate (63%) needs to be reduced for the lowest earners and increase incrementally as earnings rise.

How many people are really prepared to work extra hours for next to fuck all?

*Imo, the NI threshold should be the same as the threshold for PAYE. NI is just income tax by another name.

Well, I think there should be some stigma over claiming benefits.

Can you imagine some middle-class dinner party where someone says, 'Yea, I'm planning to sell my architectural practice for half a million, then go spunk the money on a round the world trip and get myself a council house'. 'Oh, good for you, mate'. I'm not sure society would function if we all did that.

@tictac86, you haven't paid for your state pension, it doesn't work like that.

You are paying for the state pension of those already retired, and those younger than you will pay for yours.

It's not like a private pension where there's a pot of money you've paid in, and that is then used to "buy" you a pension.

Can you imagine some middle-class dinner party where someone says, 'Yea, I'm planning to sell my architectural practice for half a million, then go spunk the money on a round the world trip and get myself a council house'. 'Oh, good for you, mate

That wouldn't happen.

Someone who's spunked half a mill on a big holiday (or anything else frivolous) would be treated as though they still had it under the "deprivation of capital" rules, and wouldn't be entitled to any means-tested benefits.

I'm horrified by some of the judgmental comments on here.

I had to check this was MN, I thought I'd strayed onto the Daily Mail's comments page by mistake.

@Leafyhouse yeah, as if someone with half a million in assets would swap that for life in a council flat and £70 a week JSA. It's hardly a great life.

He didn't work even nearly full time before illness, why was that?

@tictac86 so nobody on minimum wage should be allowed to have children is essentially what you are saying.