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?

@bloodyplanes do you seriously resent disabled people being exempt from the benefit cap?

Anyone on here who works with vulnerable people - most of which will be on benefits - whilst clearly carrying so much contempt for them should fucking quit their jobs today.

My point was that if someone is earning less that the level of standard benefits they likely are eligible for something - most likely tax credits. Probably not well phrased tbh.

My bigger point is that people (especially new names it seems) regularly start threads here complaining about people on benefits, completely ignoring that most recipients are actually in work or working families. Therefore the true benefit is to the employer getting subsidised labour.

Where are all the threads saying "why am I paying so much tax to subsidies business owners?"

@Hillary17 , how do you magic up these extra hours when it's difficult to find jobs over 27 hours as it is? A lot of employers offer 16 hours and no more. Those employers want flexibility, so the old 'work two jobs' can't be done anymore. I wasn't a fan of Corbyn but he wanted to tackle large employers and put pressure on to create proper full time jobs. As for night work, it only works if it is local and there are bus routes so hand-over of children can be done. You aren't in the middle if you are having the same lifestyle as benefit claimants, you are the working poor.

The reason so many are topped up by benefits and/or are living in poverty is the lack of full time jobs. Our local hospital is always looking for staff, because most jobs are twenty hours. As for those who want benefits to stop after a certain time, how does that work in areas that have a lack of jobs?

“With ADHD” as if it’s some made up disability. PP needs to pop over to the ND board and see just what life as an adult with ADHD is like and just maybe she would realise how hard it is.

Well said CH8. When will we see headlines excoriating employers happy to keep their business running due to government subsidy in the form of UC to their low paid employees? How are those viable businesses? Those employers are exploiting the benefits system at vast expense yet I never see the whingers mention it.

Well equally I could wonder why a couple both working full time are "massively struggling" to afford food and heating. But as you haven't said what work you do, where you live or whether you have children to feed, there's no way of knowing whether any of that is down to poor money management or circumstances beyond your control.

All I'm saying is that you're unlikely to know other people's full circumstances, but one thing we do know is that those on benefits will be hit the hardest by rising prices.

Because my benefits don't even cover my current bills! I'm scared shitless of this winter. I'm self employed but my clients are cutting costs left right and centre so I'm getting less work. I also have been advised not to work full time due to a medical condition but I will if it's offered.

So should I be cold and hungry as well?

It would be interesting to know what businesses this mainly effects (taking into account the hours typically offered as well to each member of staff). I suspect its those on zero hours/very part time contracts as big retailers now favour, small businesses or underfunded sectors such as social care and childcare? Most of which lead back to corporate greed or government dismantling of essential services.

I have been a carer almost all my life, I was a child carer that go no help and still am a carer. I haven't held an employed job since 16 because its impossible but I attempt self employment alongside my care responsabilities but make only a couple of thousand a year if lucky depending on the market at the time which is then topped up buy a few benefits (carers allowence and child benefit).

My current over all income per year is £6k (thats with benefits).

Lets view carers allowence, it requires FULL TIME hours of 37 hours of care a week (when really its 24/7 but lets just take their number) for this we are paid £69.70 = £1.88 per hour.

The biggest drain cost on the NHS and emergancy services is people abandoning disabled and mentally ill family member. Us carers litrally save the country MILLIONS and they can't even be bothered to even attempt to pay us anywhere close to minimum wage.

Do you REALLY think a 9% increase instead of 4% would put us in a position of being 'better off' than those getting minimum wage?

Before trying to inform others you should ensure you are informed with the correct information yourself so your post isn’t misleading. The earnings used by UC to calculate deductions do take into account tax, NI and pension.

You can’t seriously be suggesting contributions to voluntary things such as someone’s retirement or birth should be taken into account?

@The4teddybears A fucking "lifestyle choice"?

I had to give up a 20 year career to become the fulltime carer for my DC17.

I must have missed where I "chose" for him to have SLD, unable to feed himself, dress himself, bathe, be totally non verbal and require lifetime 1:1 care.

Nope! Wish @mumsnet would deal with these repeated goady threads, they are just a wind up exercise.

Unless you have savings/capital etc. you would be eligible for UC which would give you a few hundred more each month. Unless you have a working DP whose warning would wipe out an award.

You are benefits bashing by constantly drawing comparisons. Do you think benefits should keep pace with inflation or be subject to a real-terms cut this year, given the rising costs eveyone is dealing with?

No one has to contribute to colleagues' collectons and I get my work clothes in the charity shop. Everyone can criticise the spending of other people.

Pensions are not 'taken' from anyone - they are a voluntary contribution to ones own future wealth. Tax and NI are not 'taken' - they are democratically-mandated deductions that benefit the payee by providing current services AND future pensions. Vote for the Tories if you think your DD would be benefitted by the low-tax, low-service, low-regulation madness Truss is in favour of (she won't benefit from it, obviously).

So that more division can be sown between voters. You're doing their job for them 👍

Does no one else think that rather than all turning on each other over who pays what, who claims what etc. that maybe we should start looking at mp’s and what they cost? Why do they need second homes that they then claim expenses for? Why do they get large pay rises whilst teachers etc. get none? If we are all in this together as they claim then surely they should lead by example?
And before anyone says about who you voted for, I’m not talking about individual parties, I’m talking about the system as a whole not being suitable.

I'd just like to point out a little couple details, well one mainly.

People clapped every week for the millions of workers stacking shelves so you could buy food, clapped for the people caring for your relatives,
Clapped for the nurses and porters and hospital staff that cared for your sick and dying relatives...

Now, those begrudging those same people a few extra quid a month, you should hang your heads in absolute shame.

If life on benefits is so awesome, shut up and do it. You won't though, because deep down you know it's all nonsense. The friend of a friend of a person you know is getting £££ on benefits.. find them, find out how, copy them, what's stopping you?

You all need to realise that taking food off the poorest in society won't put more food on your table, all it will do is force the poorest into desperation. If those people get desperate enough, crime, violence, burglaries, theft it'll all go up. Who will that affect? Those at the top behind guilded gates and security? Doubtful.. it'll be the very people on this thread complaining the poor have too much.

Each benefit should be raised depending in its function.

• carers and those who look after others should have a huge raise - as said before they save the country millions.
• job seekers - so many jobs around so nope
• childcare should be boosted to allow those who can work to work

not all benefit recipients are scroungers, realistically we shouldn’t need UC - living wage should be standard, with childcare (see above)it shouldn’t be needed.

it’s so depressing that benefits are needed at all for those who work or can work.

I’m disgusted by Liz, at least Boris was going to “look” at it 😡

Benefits, the minimum / living wage and public sector jobs salaries should all rise in line with inflation.

Private employers can make their own choices (obviously not below minimum wage) to ensure job retention - of the above all rise with inflation employers will need to say competitive, so would never be unfair to private sector employers. Would just make public sector more attractive than currently.

Wages and benefits are two separate issues. Benefits should provide the minimum someone needs to survive and at the moment they don't. Wages should pay enough that someone working full-time should be able to afford to live comfortably but again at the moment they don't.

Benefits should track inflation, this would give some stability to those who are the most financially vunerable. But this won't happen because in part some people have convinced themselves that benefit claimants not facing a real term reduction in income will have some sort of impact on their wages. It won't.

I am a full time Carer to a disabled person.
Therefore, I cannot work (they have High level Care needs according to PIP)
I receive £69.70 per week Carers allowance.

Food costs more than last year. Petrol costs more. Electricity costs more.
For ALL of us. Some of us have the opportunity to increase hours / change job.
For many this is hard / borderline impossible due to family circs etc.

But I CANNOT as my 'job' is already full time (& saves the Govt a fortune in fees)
Now, it's not the Govt's 'fault' I had a disabled child. Nor was it forseeable.
I can't live on £10 a day to cover my costs (yet alone a lack of pension etc)
So, I would like our Govt to increase my Carers allowance in line with inflation.
It's really a case of whether we choose to look after our most vulnerable. Or not.

(& incidentally this is a Govt that spaffed £xM on unusable PPE & has just wasted £65BN on unworkable budget proposals)

Please explain where i said i resent people with disabilities being exempt from the benefits cap......i will wait! I was merely stating a fact!

1 single parent adult not working, 2 children, £1400 UC per month, £800 to rent leaves £600. £600 for gas, electric, mobile phone, food and clothing. Electric & gas is £300pm on its own.

Where are the father's payments for his children in all this?

How about parents of disabled children who are also disabled themselves??

I'd love to work, first hurdle would be the stupid questionnaire things, that really aren't suitable for someone who has autism. I have no idea what sort of answers they want, my brain just doesn't work that way. Then I can't do anything that involves talking on a phone, or face to face or in noisy environments etc etc.

Then I have a disabled child with all the appointments that involves and occasional hospital stays without notice.

Now find me a job that I can work round that with.

Well precisely that is the first thing that needs fixing if we want to fix our benefit bill is to nail these bastards