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?

@Devon01 As I said above, disabled people are exempt from the benefit cap. However without kids she cannot get £2600pm even if 50% was wages. Those payments don't exist.

I however am disabled and a widowed parent to a child with special needs. Therefore my total amount is just under £30k. However I'd give up half of it to be able to go back to the career I adored before the accident which killed my husband and made me disabled for life

From what you describe, you're not getting everything you're entitled to. If you pm me, I can help If you'd rather not, I understand but please look into DLA for your child. Not only will you receive that but you also then receive added UC for having a disabled child and caring for them 30+ hours per week. This is in addition to Carer's allowance

There seems to be some sad opinion that those of us who work should shut up and not complain.
Complain about shit wages, don't complain about people who get very minimal benefits.

This really made me giggle!

Dab! 👏🏻

I can’t think of any jobs that are expecting a pay rise in line with inflation
CEOs got 39% in 2021 - way ahead of inflation.
highpaycentre.org/ceo-pay-increased-by-39-in-2021-the-reaction/

Will Great Britain’s 12.5 million pensioners be affected by a real-terms cut in the value of benefits? So far the prime minister, Liz Truss, has indicated there will be no real-terms cut in the level of the state pension next April. However, it could be tricky explaining why there should be a cut for low-income working-age people but not pensioners.

Oh that one’s easy, it’s because they’re more likely to be Tory voters and they can’t risk upsetting them by forcing the most entitled generation in history to suffer any decline in living standards. No, much better to pay for the mistakes of the old with the blood and sweat of the young.

• Quite simply Op those of us who are working class are expected to fund every one, the titch dodge it and the poor expect it. God forbid we are not happy being cash cows working out fingers to the bone. To be honest I'm sick of being in n the group of people who work dam hard and expected to pay for others lives and alit of the time chosen life styles.

Also before others start quoting me, first of all me and my dh have not had children because we have decided we want to be financially viable first and second we don't drink, don't smoke and have not had a holiday in years and years. We work dam hard to save up for a mortgage and sick of being cash cows buy every government.*

I HOPE TO GOD that if you ever fell on hard times, become physically or mentally unwell that there are fewer people with your stinking attitude around to beat you further down. In fact I'm sure you will change your mind pretty sharpish.

A single parent with 2 DC with the housing element will always get more than £1000 per month, even using the lowest figures.

Standard element for under 25 £265.31
2 children born after 6th April 2017 £244.50 x2
The lowest housing element for a 2 bed is £87.45 per week so £378.95 per month.
= £1133.26.

So if they are over 25, have an older DC, live somewhere with a higher rate/eligible for 3 bed rate it is perfectly possible to receive £1400 per month.

They would care if it was the other way round.

Pensioners are peoples’ parents and grandparents.

The begrudging at the inequality comes from knowing that pensioners are protected because they are statistically likely to vote Tory. Liz Truss is protecting her voter base.

The decision to give pensions a rise in line with inflation has more to do with the politics of staying in power than doing what is right and fair in civilised society.

I use to get housing benefit and tax credits aswell in the past before getting married back then I had an income of 12k per year (so double what it is now), then I had to declare changes in curcumstance that DH had moved in and has a job that pays £18k after tax and that then switched to UC and wiped out pretty much everything (carers and child benefit are seperate so werent effected).

It sounds like the UC award was incorrect.

Standard allowance - £525.72
First child - £290
2nd child - £244.58
Carer element - £168.81
Housing element - £400 (may be higher)
Total = £1629.11

DH’s earnings £1500

Earnings minus work allowance
£1629.11 - £344 = £1285.11

Earnings x 0.55 = Earnings deduction
£1285.11 x 0.55 = £706.81

Total allowed - earnings deductions - carer’s allowance = total UC for month
£1629.11 - £706.81 - £302.03 = £620.27

Then your earnings would be deducted on top. I didn’t include these are you said they were variable.

Can you please explain how some people on benefits are affording these things, apparently? Genuinely don't understand because the rates are set nationally and apply to everyone so how can anybody be getting a sufficient amount to fun designer clothes and luxury holidays when others can't afford to eat properly?

I haven’t met anyone on benefits who dress their kids in designer gear or go on flash holidays, I’m sure those who do would be in debt and have borrowed money? I couldn’t afford to take my dc abroad, we do go on holiday but cheap uk holidays or camping (have booked a week away in a couple weeks time for £89), no way could I afford to go abroad, even getting passports would cost a fortune. So I’m not sure where people get the idea that people in benefits are living a life of luxury 🤔, we can’t even afford luxury’s like sky tv or Netflix (they are not really priority either).

The government sets the rate of benefits and the government controls the economy.

If the government tank the economy they have to help the people on benefits.

See also nurses, doctors, police, teachers, etc, etc, etc......

It’s not a race to the bottom.

also you cannot possibly know what incomes people receive, especially if they have children and are single parents. Eg my friend gets UC for her +2 kids, but then gets a massive £600 pm combined from cm payments from the absent fathers…..off which cm payments are not included as income…..she is substantially better off than many single parents on uc….

Data from the Resolution Foundation

How much will people lose? RF analysis finds that if all working-age benefits were uprated by earnings (5.5%) rather than inflation (10.1%) next year, a single unemployed adult would lose £185, a disabled adult lose £380 and a working couple with two kids lose £752.

twitter.com/resfoundation/status/1577991308345384961?t=ih1HhULIH0aiyp_ecIGtUQ&s=19

I won’t be getting a pay rise but I think benefits claimants absolutely should receive an increase equivalent to inflation.

People on benefits are receiving the minimum, of course it should increase so that they can continue to afford the basics.

It’s really sad that people view money ‘given’ to one group as ‘taken’ from them, but they don’t even bat an eyelid when the government pisses it away on contracts for their mates. We are a wealthy country and people should not be suffering as much as they are. We can’t in good conscience allow the government to scrimp on these increases and make the situation worse.

A famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi springs to mind here: 'the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members'.

But have you seen how India treats its most vulnerable?

It’s very upsetting.

@Thebestwaytoscareatory ’most entitled generation’? As an over 70 I don’t think so. Much depends on your health, your education/job/career, where you live etc. In my years of working in the public sector, I saw entitlement grow and personal responsibility shrink. Made sure my kids had a strong work ethic though!

I wish people with seriously debilitating conditions were better supported financially, the same for those whose children need much more parental involvement due to illness/disability. I wish there was a more stringent system of equable child support, and free childcare for low income workers. I wish there was more social housing. I also wish there were fewer unplanned children, who often are the main sufferers in the poverty stakes.

A lot of benefits is not claimed. We didn't know we could claim anything for nearly 4 years for my severely autistic daughter who had to go into hospital, 100 miles away. All the cost was payed for by my husband who is a higher tax payer. I am sure there are many people who would be legible but don't claim anything.

Also in an ideal world there would be trained people/places day centres for disabled children/adults, so that the parent could work. This would require dedicated properties run by the council.they are too busy profiteering building flats everywhere. It suits government and saves money by palming off the disabled person to their family.

UK has one of the least generous benefit systems so not rising in line with inflation will likely lead to more child poverty. Also it has one of the lowest unemployment rates, so reducing benefits very unlikely to lead to lower unemployment.

UK's benefit system is one of the least generous compared to other similar countries

As of july this year, only 11% of benefit recipients were not working when they could have been. The rest are disabled and assessed as unable to work, have caring responsibilities that mean they are unable to work, over state pension age or are working but claiming top up benefits because their employers pay so little.
The unemployment figures are extremely low at the moment

That's a joke. More must be done to suppose this who are leaving care. Support both financial and emotional until 25