Help for people on Universal Credit

[Bellysmackers]

OK so I'll more than likely get shot down in flames, fully prepared for that! But...it often feels to me like the more you work and try to create a decent life the more you're penalised. No handouts and help for people who are really trying in life.

My old aunt worked until retirement. She now pays ridiculous fees for her own care home. The lady in the room next to her barely worked a day in her life and it all gets paid for.

It annoys me! A lot!

Why are we not rewarded for trying to do well?

Thoughts??

In that case if I were you I'd resign from your job and apply for universal credit and let the good times roll!

Often tempted 🙄🙄

But more seriously speaking, the amount of people in this country on the breadline has increased. People are working and still living in poverty. Exponential growth of food banks and now 'warm' banks. This notion that people on benefits are living the life of riley was intentionally created to provoke exactly this kind of reaction.

Exactly, do this. No one is stopping you.
You would quickly realise that it is absolutely fucking miserable.

What makes you think people on universal credit aren’t trying in life? These things aren’t mutually exclusive.

I don’t really understand how your title relates to your post. A lot of people work full time and receive universal credit, and likely won’t get things like care home fees paid for.

I completely understand that some people are indeed working sometimes 2/3 jobs and still on the breadline. I'm not referring to these people as I would class them as trying. It's the people who don't try.

I'd hate to be at the mercy of the DWP.

I was massively better off working (just above min wage so not high paid) than I am being unemployed. I'd give anything to have good enough mental health to go back to work and not have to keep robbing Peter to pay Paul.

I do worry that life for people who work full time on low wages is increasingly crap, and often barely any better long term than people who work less & rely more on benefits.

But I'd like the focus to be on improving quality of life for those full time working low earners, often eligible for little help but scraping by ekeing out a meagre existence. Benefits aren't really the issue
Uneven wealth distribution is. Our society & economy allows far too great a proportion of our wealth to accrue to too few.

So what should we do with the elderly lady with no money... just chuck her on the street?

There are some right goady fuckers on here at the moment.

Oh good, another post about who is worthy to receive universal credit according to a random mumsnetter. I'm so interested to hear whether your greatness feels I work hard enough to deserve financial support 🙄

You do realise that vast numbers of people on UC do work, don’t you? Many of them fulltime. Some of them in supposedly ‘good’ jobs.

It’s entirely possible to work FT (even as an SEO) in DWP and to qualify for UC (as a single parent with childcare costs). That could be a job with “management responsibility for a large operational command performing a wide range of diverse related functions” (from this job advert) and still not paid enough to not qualify for UC.

Not exactly a scrounger, eh?

Although I’m sure you’ll think that the upper UC thresholds (taking into consideration things like childcare and housing costs) are too generous or something.

No handouts and help for people who are really trying in life

For this statement alone you are being incredibly offensive and reductive.

Pensioners aren't on universal credit. It's an entirely separate pension system. To prevent people who are too old to work living in poverty.

Completely separate from working age universal credit benefits.

And many older women were not allowed to work once they were married and therefore couldn't save for a pension.

I was a working single parent, now I have a lifelong disability after getting cancer.

I can assure you I was FAR better off working than now, it's definitely not an easy life

I work full time, am studying, pursuing promotions, have 3 children and have a partner with MH difficulties, and anyway he stays at home with the children and we would be entitled to a lot more UC if he worked and we claimed childcare costs. I spend all my time and money focusing on looking after my family and bettering us.

I live in an area that is incredibly expensive and unmanageable without the top up. But I guess I'm not really trying at life and am less deserving that someone who doesn't get UC to that help.

I think it's important to note that I don't think I am more deserving than people who don't get help. But I am not the one casting stones and trying to deem people unworthy of help.

Your aunt couldn't be paying "ridiculous fees" if there wasn't the money to do so. If she runs out of the money to do so, then the state will support her. What do you think she should do with her money? Pay for her care? Or leave it to you?

Actually, why not award you lot what you deserve and have free care whilst we just let the poorer, less fortunate part of the nation die an undignified death. NOW that seems really much fairer, doesn't it? Would that make you happier, dear?

Well said, completely agree

Jesus wept.

But why should the lady in the next room get everything for free just because she chose not to work?? Fair?? Not in my book.

She should be made to work for her keep, obv.