Why do you benefit bash?

[greyblanket76]

My family and I are working class and always have been. My friends are too and so are the people that I tend to socialise with/meet in everyday life. I've only been on MN since last year but have seen so many comments bashing people who are on/depend on benefits and I'd really like to know why?

Is this because some people on here think everyone that's on benefits is lazy and doesn't want to work therefore claim benefits? Or is it something else?

I'll talk about my situation and will keep it as brief as possible as I already know people will come in the comments to try and shame me. I'm early 20s and a single mum (didn't start out that way but your whole life can literally change overnight and that's what happened to me). I have one DC and I'm expecting another so I've been on maternity leave back to back as I'll have 2 under 2.

I've worked full time since I was 17 right up until I went on my first maternity leave. Due to the rate of SMP, I'm entitled to benefits as SMP doesn't even cover my rent which is £1200. I'm entitled to £1670 of UC which covers my rent and all my bills. During the first 9 months of my maternity leave I was receiving around £1507 UC (due to deductions) + £638 SMP = £2145 a month.
Once I give birth to my second DC, my UC entitlement should go from £1670 to £1907. This isn't 100% accurate but due to receiving SMP, let's say the deductions would be due £1700 UC + £638 SMP = £2388 a month. That would be excluding child benefit for both children btw.

When I was working full time, I was earning £1383 a month. I do plan to go back to work after my maternity leave ends as I genuinely love my work and have my whole career in front of me. However can people see the huge jump in difference between the two amounts? Nearly a grand in total! When returning back to work, I would be entitled to some benefits however because I'd be working full time, it wouldn't be a lot. That's why it's advised that you drop hours to work part time in order to get the most help available.

I've read my post back and hope it isn't too confusing but I just wanted some people who benefit bash to understand that sometimes life on benefits seems better especially as you have kids because you get so much more help. My mum keeps telling me to consider not working for a year or two just because I need to consider the quality of life my DC and I will have. I wouldn't be able to pay for rent AND childcare so what would I do? There's a lot that comes into play when deciding if you should go back to work or just be on benefits and I hope some people got that from this post. Seeing as this is an anonymous forum, if you judge/bash people on benefits, I'd really be interested to hear why. Posting in AIBU because I'm prepared to be flamed and have learnt not to take nasty comments to heart

It's amazing OP how selective you are in the posts you pick to respond to. The ones you can justify nothing is your fault.

Yep. The bare bones of it is OP is getting £2k a month from the rest of us because she chose not to use reliable contraception. And now wants us to pat her on the back and tell her she deserves it.

[quote Mumoblue]@Cheekypeach

I think people entitled to benefits should get them. I do not believe we should allow the less fortunate to starve.[/quote]
Who would be entitled to benefits though, in your fantasy utopia?

But people always come on these threads and say "make the father pay" as if it's that simple. The father SHOULD pay but if no one is going to make him then what more can OP do?

Has OP clarified that the DCs' father is refusing to pay? There seems to have been very little reference to where he is and why he isn't contributing. Apologies if I've missed it.

The issue is when people who don't work or only work part time get more income through benefits than those who don't claim and work. That system is not right and it should not be the case. You should always be better off working and working more hours.

This is exactly it. I don't understand why the system is set up in a way where you could lose more just by working. I remember when I was a preteen and my mum was working 3 jobs. She was literally advised by the people on the benefit team (I don't think it was universal credit but not sure how it worked) that she should just go on benefits instead. She would have been better off by like £400. How does that make any sense?

@Cheekypeach

It’s not a fantasy utopia. It’s the world we live in right now. You can check your entitlement online, if you are concerned.

@Sofiegiraffe

But people always come on these threads and say "make the father pay" as if it's that simple. The father SHOULD pay but if no one is going to make him then what more can OP do?

Has OP clarified that the DCs' father is refusing to pay? There seems to have been very little reference to where he is and why he isn't contributing. Apologies if I've missed it.

OP won’t answer questions about the father(s?) because she knows it would make her choices look even more foolish.

[quote Mumoblue]@Cheekypeach

It’s not a fantasy utopia. It’s the world we live in right now. You can check your entitlement online, if you are concerned.[/quote]
So you do believe everyone should be housed and fed for free?

@Cheekypeach

I believe there should be a safety net for everyone to use when they need it. If everyone believed they’d be better off on benefits they’d all be claiming benefits, but that isn’t the case. If you want to have an argument with yourself, stop quoting me to do it.

@Cheekypeach

It's amazing OP how selective you are in the posts you pick to respond to. The ones you can justify nothing is your fault.

Yep. The bare bones of it is OP is getting £2k a month from the rest of us because she chose not to use reliable contraception. And now wants us to pat her on the back and tell her she deserves it.

@Cheekypeach I really think you need to open your eyes and read properly. I'm on £1670 a month. The £2388 was an estimation of what I'd be on once I have my second baby and receive UC PLUS SMP. Without SMP I'll be on something like £1700. Only £30 more than what I'm on now with two kids. Clearly I shouldn't have put that figure there but silly me in thinking grown adults know how to read properly.

600 of the 2388 would be from statutory maternity pay. Do you understand that, yes or no. When maternity leave finishes, I'd be on £1700. Like you seriously cannot be this dumb. I've wrote it so many times

[quote Mumoblue]@Cheekypeach

I believe there should be a safety net for everyone to use when they need it. If everyone believed they’d be better off on benefits they’d all be claiming benefits, but that isn’t the case. If you want to have an argument with yourself, stop quoting me to do it.[/quote]
What is ‘need’? If I popped a baby out every other year & therefore couldn’t afford to pay my mortgage because SMP too low, would you deem me as worthy of having my mortgage paid?

My lovely hairdresser works full time, has two kids in nursery which costs £2k a month and lives in a housing association flat. This is a classic symptom of a broken society. If you work full time you should automatically be able to afford your own house and childcare should not be this disgracefully overpriced business entity in my opinion but it should be free or heavily subsidedat all agesto encourage people to continue to work
And 99.9% will agree to this. The vast majority of people will agree to pay taxes and support people who are in genuine needs, who are vulnerable through no fault or decision of theirs, who couldn't have prevented it. Those who make mistakes, but who do everything to get to a position of supporting themselves, even if they are worse off doing so.

Say, there are many people who make wrong decisions, those that give them instant gratification, and then expect others to support them and then get xaught in the vicious circle of being better off on benefits, too fearful to return or enter the world of work, who are not prepared to make sacrifices and do become more a d more dependent on others and the system because taking responsibility for themselves has become an impossible or unimaginable prospect.

@FTEngineerM

If you work full time you should automatically be able to afford your own house and childcare should not be this disgracefully overpriced

This comment/mindset is so flawed.
If everyone who works should be able to afford childcare to pay someone else a full time living wage to look after your children and a house then they need to earn more than the person they’re slaying to look after their child. It’s basic maths.

I’m a nursery is 1:3 for babies so assume you earn minimum wage you have to may someone at least 1/3 of your gross salary for them to get that. That doesn’t even include the other costs involved in running a building/business. So minimum wage sally gives 1/3 gross to someone to look after her baby whilst she works.

Agree with this. Childcare is a huge chunk of our monthly outgoings and yes it's a lot.... but ultimately my childminder earns £4.50 per hour. To keep the most precious human in the world to me happy, warm, fed, entertained and safe so I can continue my career. Small price to pay really.

@Cheekypeach

Once again, if you’re confused over entitlement, you can check it online. If you’re wanting to debate about how things “should be”, go right ahead, but leave me out of it. This is how things are and personally, I’m thankful we live in a civilised society that doesn’t think all the poor should starve on the street.

Didn’t you say you were going back to work after maternity leave?

@Fizbosshoes

The zone 1 /London bashing . London is not just for the rich. Op said her support network is there . Her Job could be there as well.

Millions of people work in zone 1. Very few can afford to live there

Because the choose to buy/have a mortgage if they rented they would get help with the rent .

But I just had a thought . I (think) op said she in a 1 bedroom 🤔 1200 actually sounds very cheap for zone 1. Then is more than that in zone 3.

Op, you get a lot of money for not working and having kids. Working people pay for UC, and a lot of working couples really consider the timing of their kids and whether or not they can afford it.

Your basic premise is, well I'm offered it, so why shouldn't I take it, and you're quite right, why shouldn't you.

However, to come on here, lay bare the very generous amount of money you receive due to your choices, and then ask why people get pissed off about it, shows a woeful understanding of the sacrifices and hardships working people (particularly on minimum wage) face.

[quote Mumoblue]@Cheekypeach

Once again, if you’re confused over entitlement, you can check it online. If you’re wanting to debate about how things “should be”, go right ahead, but leave me out of it. This is how things are and personally, I’m thankful we live in a civilised society that doesn’t think all the poor should starve on the street.[/quote]
But you can’t seem to decide what ‘the poor’ is. OP has started a thread about the morality of claiming benefits, not to check her entitlement. If you can’t hack discussing it then step away.

@Brefugee

If you could read, you'd see most of those questions have already been answered. No one's on a wind up

you do realise, OP, that idiotic entitled-sounding comments are why you are being "bashed" here, right?

You used the word entitled after having worked 3 years or so. Of course you're getting "bashed".

As many people here have said, repeatedly, they don't have any issues with benefits, they don't worry about paying tax, and they don't judge (too much, judging others is natural). But your comments ALL smack of smug entitlement. So again: great wind up, you're keeping it up well.

A million times this. You're good, OP.

This is exactly it. I don't understand why the system is set up in a way where you could lose more just by working
But you know, you are a grown up. You can make your own decisions. No-one is forcing anyone to claim benefits instead of working.

If you opt for benefits because you are a few hundreds pounds better off I the present time, when it is an obvious fact that in the longer term everyone is better off working FT.

I'm on £1670 a month.

Which is £5 more than a person earning £2000 a month would take home.

@ShinyS1

Op, you get a lot of money for not working and having kids. Working people pay for UC, and a lot of working couples really consider the timing of their kids and whether or not they can afford it.

Your basic premise is, well I'm offered it, so why shouldn't I take it, and you're quite right, why shouldn't you.

However, to come on here, lay bare the very generous amount of money you receive due to your choices, and then ask why people get pissed off about it, shows a woeful understanding of the sacrifices and hardships working people (particularly on minimum wage) face.

Spot on. 👏🏻

@Peppapigforlife

I think what no one seems to realise is that OP's UC monthly payment is high, is because rents are high. If rents were lower, she wouldn't be getting 24k a year, but the average worker would still be getting 24k and have a lot more disposable income, compared to the OP.

For example, let's say everyone's rent was £500 pm. She'd get her rent payment and around £700- £800 per month to pay for her and her two kids. After your rent was paid, you, as an average earner would have £1500 to pay for you and your two kids, and possibly a partner with £2000 a month to contribute as well. The reason OP is better off on benefits is because of the cost of renting. If renting was affordable, she would have an incentive of doubling her monthly income, to go back to work.

It's better to direct your anger to the cost of renting and those who are causing and allowing the rental costs to be so extortionate that is taking up your wages. You're not having all your money go to subsidise people on benefits, you're having all your money go to your landlord.

THIS!

What an unpleasant thread.

The Incentive to go back to work is to increase tour income over time so that once your kids are older, you are in a better position, and a secure one when they leave home.

Also why have a 2nd child when you're already on benefits? You can't afford to look after the 1st child by yourself!

This is a good question, and one you have avoided answering a few times, OP.