To think there is little incentive to work hard in the UK

[BeachTree]

Context. 30's, no kids, single, work full time.

Just a bit disheartened. I have never claimed benefits, or any type of support, I work hard to make sure I can support myself (Not disputing those who genuinely require benefits/support) I have always paid all my taxes, and national insurance. I expect by the time I reach retirement age, the 'state pension' may look very different to what it does now and may not be available despite having paid in my whole life.

I feel sometimes that I pay so much into the 'system' and get very little return and don't 'take' from it, whereas there are many people claiming every benefit possible, and constantly 'taking' from the system they don't pay into. There are so many ways to extract money from the system but only for those who don't work full time. I know someone who worked for about 1 or 2 year in late teens in the UK, then worked abroad for a number of years, during this time did not keep up with national insurance payments and obviously not paying UK tax as no in the country, also didn't pay tax in the country they resided in. Returned to England to have a baby on the NHS, now residing back in England, claiming benefits as a single parent for 2+ years, gets assistance with rent council tax etc despite having paid next to nothing in to the system. I cannot compute how this is fair.

For example the cost of living payment, people who claim benefits will get £650, where as those who work and do not claim benefits will get £400. The cost of living crisis affects all of us - perhaps more so the people who work their socks off and aren't 'entitled' to 'support' The system is backwards and not in favour of people who work full time to support our ridiculous benefit system. So many examples - ie. people get help with rent, council tax, working tax credits etc etc etc - however those who work get zero, zilch.

AIBU?

Why don’t you drop to part time then? Seems easy enough…..
Perhaps those who work part time do so because they’re disabled, a parent or a carer - any combination of those.

Actually, the amount for a single person over 25 to live on 'after rent' (often some excess rent has to be paid out of this as rents are high) is £77 a week. Out of this all bills have to be paid and some council tax also. Oh, and you don't get anything for the first 5 weeks. Oh, and up to 30% can be taken at source if you have any debts.

But yeah OP - quit your job and live a life of luxury on this amount!!

Some of the attitudes on here are disgusting, just kicking down and trying to stir up hatred of those less fortunate, whilst ignoring those evading billions in tax.

There are so many ways to extract money from the system but only for those who don't work full time

Seriously love, get a bloody grip. I am a full time teacher and single parent with an entitlement to tax credits and one of my children gets DLA because he is disabled. So no, not only for those who work part time. Some of us are more than doing our bit - I could stop work or reduce my hours and claim as a carer if I felt so inclined

As for people on benefits getting more for the cost of living crisis, yes, we're getting more because disabled child needs equipment that uses electricity. Happy to trade you my life in full time work as a single parent with a disabled child if you want the extra £250. How about it?

Very little incentive to work hard I agree - you can easily be doing 40+ hours a week and still need state benefits to pay your rent/your landlord's mortgage. Meanwhile there are plenty of bone idle people - like our PM, who doesn't seem to rise much before 11 am and then spends his time lawbreaking, philandering and cosplaying Churchill - who somehow seem to have loads of money.

Married, no kids. Worked my "socks off" for 35 years. Now claim Carer's Allowance to look after disabled DH who (after also working his socks off for 35 years) receives PIP etc.

It's great fun for us both and SO much less stressful than working our socks off. I only wish DH had become too disabled to work years ago so we could have started living the high life on benefits earlier.

Let's hope you never find yourself becoming disabled then OP. Or pregnant unexpectedly. Or lose your job due the industry changing. Or any other of the many reasons people claim benefits.

If there's little incentive to work full time, try going part time and living off that wage and the benefits you get. You'd be wanting to work full time again pretty soon I imagine.

It's not an easy life these days being under the DWP. I am not but was in the past.
You are expected to look for work 35 hours a week, you are under pressure all the time and can be sanctioned for any little thing plus everyone knows your financial business.

the 'state pension' may look very different to what it does now and may not be available despite having paid in my whole life.

You don't pay in to your pension. You don't have a pension pot. You pay the pensions of current pensioners. Should not get sucked into deliberately goady threads like these from CCHQ/Tufton Street activists

Good Post.

Well me and my DH worked hard and payed into the system.
Then out of no where our lives got turned upside down when he became disabled. Now we are on benefits and I am his caregiver.
We are in our 40s and our life has changed forever.
We have no choice but to live stuck in the benefit system, and trust me it's not a bed of roses.
My mental health has understandably suffered as has his. If you are that envious of us and our benefits then we would gladly swap our lives with you.
Let's hope nothing is lurking around the corner in your future op or you could be eating your words right now.

It is. The millions of lazy, feckless, able bodied people living it up on UC don't exist. It's a lie from the lying liars in the Conservative Party.🤷‍♀️

It's just one of their many, many, many lies designed to distract fuckwits from their shambolic, chaotic, degradation of the UK over the past twelve years.

@BeachTree, I'm sorry you feel so despondent about investing in the UK. That isn't the fault of poor people (who have little/no power). Its the fault of an arrogant, incompetent, corrupt Conservative government.

I know more self employed or employees with company credit cards that fiddle their expenses to their advantage than people that falsely claim benefits.

I think benefit claimants get pulled through the mill for their claims these days and those that do claim, deserve every measly penny this government gives them.

Most people can't say they will never claim benefits and get too hoity toity about it, a serious illness, car crash, bereavement, redundancy etc. and they'd be in that boat too.

Agree with that @girlfriend44 I was on the rock+roll for a bit around ten years ago, after I got made redundant. Not something I'd recommend doing. I got sanctioned as in had my money stopped for a month because I missed an appointment. The appointment letter actually arrived at my house after the sanction letter arrived, with the appointment date on it being in the past. They are tricksy devils alright.

Really feel for all of you who rely on benefits long term. It's horrendously stressful.

Don't forget the flat screen TVs! All of us feckless bennies have 100 foot flat screen TVs in our council houses.

You are a nasty piece of work OP.

Well your kid isn't going to catch ADHD off of a subscription to the Royal Opera House, are they? You need a fucking great big telly for that.

And as for the person who complained about ppl on benefits going abroad, why the hell shouldn't we?
Should we just have a totally joyless life just to make you feel better about yours?

@crazyplanet I know you mean well but come on, be realistic. You'd have to really go some to be even a bit as joyless as the OP.

Sackcloth and ashes is too good for the likes of us crazyplanet.

It is the cost of healthcare and pensions sucking up all the money OP: not benefits paid to families with children, or people with disabilities.
we have an aging population which demands feather bedding - and they are electorally important so they get what they want. Triple lock in place despite soar away inflation etc. That’s why you feel you’re working for nowt.

If any of the benefit recipients do get a job, they had better make sure it is not as a grocery picker as OP doesn't like them either.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4480873-Grocery-Pickers-in-Tesco

Haha let's hope they never have to feel the absolute joy of a life on benefit

I think your being a bit too generous foxandbee

The fact so many people on benefits are working full time shows there is a major fundamental issue that needs to be resolved in out labour market. The use of benefits to supplement these people in full time work is just a bandaid solution.

Yes just give up work and live the high life on benefits... I expect the reality of what a 30 year old single women gets on benefits might make you readjust your feelings on this.
In fact go do the benefits calculator based on my area and the information you have written it appears you are entitled to £180 a week, benefits for 6 months then you would lose the JS and 78.80 a week from housing benefit because as a single person you only qualify for the shared room allowance.

Feeling rich?

Let's be fair, she has a point.
All us benefit scrounges should be doing her shopping for her, what with all our millions in the bank.