to expect to have more disposable income than single mums claiming benefits

[newnails]

i no longer know why me and dh bother, he works full time and i work part time so that i can juggle the child care.

i know of 3 single mums who stay near me who seem to have more money than i can dream of, out every weekend, always shopping and 2 of them manage to run cars.

i know the benefit system is needed by some people but it seems to be a complete joke these days, the wasters in this country are leading the life of reilly while the rest of us are left to slog our guts out to pay for there existence.

no doubt i will get flamed for this post but i have been out xmas shopping today trying to work to a budget then i stand next to these people at the school gates and hear about all the grants they are entitled to so they can buy xmas presents, one of them has even cut back the last 2 months and managed to save £800, it would take me bloody months to save that up.

ok rant over, deep down i am glad i am not one of these people and i do actually work for what i have but it still pisses me of.

So it is ok for the Government to give you a 2 bed flat rent free etc in Fulham and rent it out to others abd take the cash, not work, have 2 sun holidays a year all the latest electronic gadgets and clothes. While I go to work and my taxes pay for these people??? What an odd world. Does not sit well with me.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGH

The people that you are seeing on benefits

who are having lots and lots of money

subletting their flat

letting their partner live there undeclared

working on the side

are NOT LIVING LEGALLY

So, why is it only the single mothers profitting by illegal activity who are getting a roasting? What about the embezzlers? People who dodge council tax? Landlords who rent slums? Theives? Muggers? Shoplifters? People who copy Playstation gamers and sell them?

They are ALL breaking the law, they are ALL taking something they are not entitled to. Why is it only the single mothers who are the subject of so much bloody outrage?

Single mothers, genuine single mothers, who only claim what they are entitled to and don't lie to get it, are not richer than you. Don't panic. If they are actually (and not just apparently) richer than you, they probably would not benefit from being reported.

So go ahead, Boysontour, instead of watching this woman break the law and deciding that that's what single mothers do, bloody report her!

Oh, I believe you Kerry, I truly do. It's long been acknowledged that America is a shit place to be born poor in.

The answer to the conundrum is simple enough, but governments are more simple than the conundrum.

1. People who fiddle the system deserve to get screwed to the floor.

1. People who need benefits should get them.

1. Mothers are not unemployed. They're raising future tax payers. It should be socially unacceptable to refer to a mother as unemployed.

1. Health care should be free at the point of delivery.

FANTASTIC post COLDITZ shame no-one is bothering to actually read and comprehend it though. Its not worth it. there is no point in trying to reason with such bigoted views. They would rather rant, and talk utter bullshit, than be reasoned with. Dont waste your energy anymore.

some of these huns are seriously straying into the realm of urban myth.

'i know this single mother who . . . '

'my neighbour's pal's neighbour is a single mum who . . . '

ignore!

yawn!

Good post, Kerry. It's the politicians and the clever people who cost the tax payer their money the world over.

If you're poor and you've got kids .. well, that's a big hole to dig yourself out of.

not to mention as soapbox so eloquently stated farther down in the thread the fact that your taxes are going to subsidise corporations who don't pay a living wage - so the relatively small percentage of shareholders can earn even more profit.

Its a minefield isnt it? Perhaps the government have worked out that Tesco for example pay a minimum wage to it's mainly female workforce. Many of whom are out the of benefit systems due to having partners to support them, therefore, higher profits mean higher cut in taxes for the state. Single mums carnt afford to take the minimum wage jobs and survive on benefits. All ties into the OP post. Its the system that need changing. All mums are weighing up their options and doing whats best for their circumstances.

To me it feels the same. My SIL gave up work the moment she found out she was pregnant as her benefits would re start immediately. I'd have loved to have been able to do that. She is a single mum to her 1st child, second on the way with her live in partner. They have more disposable income than us (i know because she has told me) and they are paying for two lots of driving lessons. Meanwhile I was working nearly full time with my first son and while pregnant just to scrape by, as does dp. We do have debts but we have 'well paid' jobs by standards. She has had two foreign holidays this year. We had three days in cornwall!! I appreciate its not the case for everyone on benefits. I have to say that DP and I do wonder if she is completely honest .

she is most likely claiming as a lone parent, floss.

that is fraudulent.

I didnt understand re your SIL (hmm). Extra benefits dont start until the baby is born. But I dont know the circumstances so shouldnt comment.

Floss. I heard recently that Britain has the highest percentage of single parents in Europe. I'm not sure that we do, what I know we have is an insane system that makes it a better deal (certainly here in London) to claim rent and council tax benefit as a single parent, whilst living with a partner, than it does to take a minimum wage job. Given the choice between working and therefore having to find these costs from a minimum wage or staying at home and being £60 per week worse off I would probably stay at home, if I was only able to get minimum wage work.

The system we currently have encourages fraud, IMO.

Well, that's true, Bubble.

Agree. I know of single mums on income support who work cash in hand. And no I wouldnt dob them in. Also living with partners and claiming as single. I personally wouldnt live this way for fear of being found out. But is it so different to all the other fiddles that are going on by so called upstanding citizens, large corporates etc.

hi, sorry i havn't read the whole thread (21 pages!crikey!!)
my thoughts (for what they are worth) are:
people choose to work or not work, some people dont have a choice, some people take the piss out of benefits system. im a single mum, well i have a boyfriend but we dont live together (yet) and probably never will because of all the money we will loose from tax credits (he is a single dad who works full time) if we did live together, thats a different matter though! i support people with learning disabilities and most of the people i supported get more a month than my wage, chb, tax credits combined. people solely on benefits are probably better of than me. if i worked a few extra hours it would cost more in cm fees and tax credits would be reduced. if i decided to work full time i would be better off (which i will do next year when dd starts primary) point is everybodys different and the majority of people make choices to do what they feel is best for them. thats took so long to write i have kind of forgot my point! does that make sense??

Yes maybe. It is hard to know sometimes when she is speaking the truth. When she was working it was all about how much money she was making, how brilliantly she was doing (then she got fired!) then she got an even better job(!). We know she was not going to tell the authorities for a 'few months' about her DP living with her, but that was supposed to have been only while he settled his rent. I do think that something needs to change and people be encouraged more to work

hijack

just tired, floss, thanks for asking.

and a bit light headed when i stand up for a bit.

other than that, hopefully all will go well.

Hope so for you. Tiredness is a good sign! Hoping these first early (horribly scary IME) weeks fly by for you.

I don't think bringing in an 'across the board' minimum wage is the way to go, either. I think there should be a sliding scale whereby larger corporations should have their minimum wage set higher than small or new businesses. This should happen with employer's national insurance contributions as well. We run a small business and are paying the same NI contributions per emloyee each month as Glaxo Smith Kline. This can't be right.

If a company is earning a lot of money then they should pass some of it onto the people who have helped them earn it in the form of a higher wage. Morally all good employers should do this anyway, IMO.

Yes it makes sense Olsmum. In that you have weighed up what works for you which is what everyone does. Its just wrong that people judge others and dont look deeper into the whole picture.

Fine thanks, Floss. How's that lovely....I was going to say 'little'.... girl?

EPIS. Congratulations! I read of your news a few days ago.

She is now fast asleep after being awake for pretty much the whole day! I think she gets lovelier every day! Mostly very chilled out although I have to say a little scared of a very enthusiastic big brother! Feeling like things are evening out now. Oh and at last weigh in at 6 weeks, 12lbs 12!

How are your brood?

In an ideal world bubble. But why should someone work for a smaller company on a lower minimum wage when they can get a guaranteed higher wage with larger company. You may have problems recruiting that way.