To wonder why benefits should rise in line with inflation when no job is?

[Bananil]

Massively struggling with food prices and absolutely no chance the heating is going on for a long time yet. DH and I work full time but have not had a pay rise since before the pandemic and wouldn’t ask for one as our industry has taken a real hit. I can’t think of any jobs that are expecting a pay rise in line with inflation so why do much fuss about making sure benefits do?

If they changed benefits system, allowed a set amount of time to find work (for those able) before stopping it, do you think it would work?

And then what? Do we leave people to starve? That will up the crime figures nicely as desperate people turn to burglary and mugging. Or maybe we could have workhouses. Or euthanasia for the long term unemployed.

There is so much wrong with this, it is hard to know where to start. Misinformation about benefits has been fed to people for years.

Are you happy for people on benefits to die in greater numbers than they would if their benefits were uprated in line with inflation? Because that is what is expected to happen this year - that is why many Tories are in favour of uprating in line with inflation.

Your views are at the extreme right-wing on this issue and you are entitled to that but when Tory Ministers are to the left of you, you have to own your politics - your views are genuinely disgusting to me as they are based on things made up to turn the working poor against those on benefits.

I would urge everyone to read sources like the Resolution Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to hear the other side of the issue.

I see someone has left the gate open at the cunt farm again...

There's so much bullshit on this thread it's unbelievable/. People who are on benefits don't have a better life than those who are in work. The vast majority of people claiming UC are in work. Pensioners receive the most in benefits.

I get PIP. I can't work because of my disabilities. I'd love to be able to, but I can't. I live a very lonely life in a lot of pain, unable to do the simplest of tasks. I have an adapted cat so in theory I can go out, but that rarely happens. My husband works, he's always worked. There's times when I've been left in very dangerous situations so he could continue working. He's had a substantial pay rise this year and will be getting a bonus at Christmas.

If life on benefits is so great then maybe people would like to swap with some of us disabled people, or some carers who get less than £70 a week, or some families who have bills larger than what they receive on UC?

The problem in this country isn't the people on benefits, it's the people at the top, hence why everything when tits up when the Govt announced the 45% tax cut. Look up, instead of down, because that's where the real problems are.

If your not getting a fair pay deal then fight against it

Yes, exactly. But no, people will prefer the poor and vulnerable are mistreated and blamed. Which is exactly how the government likes it.

People who choose not to work even though they can are already sanctioned.

Do you know what someone on 'the dole' is required to do in 2022? No, thought not. Just spouting bollocks.

Many people in work rely on benefits to top them up in order to live. Yes, wages should go up to stop this being the case, as well as benefits needing to increase.

As above, you can have my £70 a week carers allowance if you'll do the 24/7 care my child needs. And it really is 24/7, I don't sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. If I stop caring for her she needs a specialist nursing placement that would cost the state over £100k a year. Carers save the public purse so much money, that's why we should make sure they can at least eat.

This is a genuine question, but isn't it weird that the current generations are paying for pensioners (state pension)?

Cost of living and everything has been going up steadily while wages have been stagnant. Especially things like housing.

Older generations were able to save, buy a home at a reasonable proportion to their salary, etc. so why have so many of them not saved for retirement? I'm not from the UK so beyond interest rates in the 70s and recessions I'm not familiar with how different generations were off financially, and I genuinely don't mean offense. Did people get screwed over with their pensions back then? As I also thought many In that generation would be on a final salary pension, which younger people have missed out on.

I think in these awful times, when people quite a long way up the income scale are starting to worry about their bills and their futures, if you are the sort of person who looks at someone worse off than you financially and says I want them to struggle even more then you are a total cock. Therapy might help, but you are probably too far gone into the land of bitter bastards.

I'm really worried about my own finances, but I can see those with less than me are going to struggle more and my natural human instinct is to want people to be OK.

I suspect this is just a goady post, but if the OP really thinks that they can live on benefits, they should perhaps try it.

I can’t think of any jobs that are expecting a pay rise in line with inflation so why do much fuss about making sure benefits do?

So lets all accept a lower standard of living but we will only happily do so if the very poorest in society freeze and starve first?

I think people are twisting the point of the OP's original statement.

I don't think she is criticising benefit rises or begrugding anyone anything. Her point is that the working poor are never listened to.

To those who say the working poor can claim UC, they're poor after their deductions which are not taken into account. My daughter's travel to work (£90), tax, NI, pension and student loan amount to £200 per week. That's £10K per year she doesn't see. Fair enough - but it brings her to a take home level which is less than I've seen quoted for UC.

@Bananil I agree with you. However, you will never, ever get away with saying anything like this on MN because, like the NHS, 'defending people on benefits' is a quasi religion here.

And so the answer is to not increase benefits in line with inflation?

Or is it that your daughter should look at her employer and start asking questions?

I agree with this and think people are piling in on the OP a bit too much. If you look at her poll results on page 1 it is clear that over 40% of people reading her statement agree with her so the issue of whether she raises a valid point is not as clear cut as some people seem to think.

And what in there means it’s ok to leave people on much less struggling then?

Perfectly put

Do not even go that route OP. In this country whoever questions anything about the benefits system better move away. I personally thing the system needs a proper shake up. With only disabled, carers and people who loose their jobs for a certain period receiving it. People should be paid enough to live without tax credits. However, this unsustainable situation can only get worse as nobody in government would dare to have a honest conversation. The people once in benefits need to have them raise with the inflation. Otherwise, they would be extremely poor which is pointless. Less people on benefits and raise the amount for those in the system to have a good standard of life. Pensioners are receiving back what they put in so they should still get protection.

No, I don't think so. The OP started a goady thread and fucked off. It is yet another benefits attack IMO.

We can all find people in any category who are having a hard time. It is a universal cost of living crisis and the government is doing too little - and has done too little for the last 12 years since they decided to cut all the support that used to be there, both for individuals and for services.

Your daughter's issues are worsened by the high costs of student loans and the high cost of transport in this country - both political choices made by the Tories.

But your DD's issues do not change the fact that benefits should rise in line with inflation.

@happyinherts
I have to agree, I think there is a section of society who are being overlooked.

Why wouldn't you ask for a pay rise? You sell your labour for money right? Or do you go to work to keep yourself occupied despite being a multi millionaire? You're worth a lot more than you think you are.

A lot of people receive benefits simply due to the high cost of childcare and/or rent. They pay tax/ni.

I think what we’ve needed as a country for a long time is an increase in social housing and subsidised childcare. Many European countries provide subsidised childcare enabling both parents to work. Expensive in the short term worthwhile in the long term

Under this government, a whole host of groups are being overlooked! Don't fall into to the trap of looking at someone else with fuck all and squabbling with them.

If you are a Tory, be proud of it. But if you are not a Tory don't fall for this again.

We are ALMOST ALL being overlooked, except for home-owning pensioners and the rich i.e. core Tory voters.

@YoSofi and Sirzy

You're both missing my point

Sirzy - I have never 'benefit bashed.' I've NEVER said it's okay to leave people struggling. Please point out where I have.

YoSoFI - My daughter's employer doesn't pay a bad wage. He has to raise a certain amount of turnover to be able to pay staff, and of course that's never guaranteed. Plus, he doesn't care - and why should he - that staff pay £90 a week to get there. My point is that the government take, take, take off this section of the community until there's nothing left. They're left below UC levels and cannot claim.

Nowhere have I begrudged benefit claimants their money.

Many on benefits struggle but some don't and do get all the various extra add ons. If you are on tax credits with a child with ADHD and get DLA for child, then carers allowance, then disability extra on Tax credit and working tax credit if one works over 16 hours you would be surprised how much you get - friend shared with me.

However, many do not get those add ons.