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?

Firstly because it's not a race to the bottom and secondly because benefits recipients are the poorest in our society but their energy bills and food bills are also rising astronomically so proportionally they will be worse hit even than you. You say you and your DH are both working and presumably you are not benefits claimants so you must be earning more than the threshold for benefits. They are poorer than you.

Maybe join a union and fight for better pay. It's not your responsibility to suffer your industry and take the hit because they are struggling.

This. I think a lot of working people just think they won't be entitled to UC but the work allowances and taper rates may mean you are especially if you have kids and rent to pay or childcare. I am really surprised by some of the earnings that some couples can have and still claim UC where one is too ill to work and has the LCWRA element on the claim meaning they get a generous work allowance on the claim.

Someone earning that working full time would receive universal credit on top, as well as help with childcare costs.

If a single adult works full time on minimum wage, rents, and has two children they would be entitled to UC as well.

I think part of the problem is the unequal division of resources in the UK. Money and resources like housing are being increasingly hoarded by the wealthy, meaning there is less for everyone else. Resentment breeds because people know a lot of their value as a worker is not paid to them, but goes into the pockets of the already wealthy. It seems a lot of that money is then kept offshore in tax havens, where it doesn’t benefit the UK, whereas if the rich hadn’t been allowed to hoard it, and it had instead instead been paid as tax or higher wages to those lower down the chain, it would have mostly been spent in the UK, benefiting the economy more. Velocity of money and all that.

@Sarasandman of my life is lovely, thanks! I worked really hard for it, and enjoy every bit of it guilt free. I think it is sad that you find work ‘miserable’, and might explain why you feel so reliant on state support.

Could you work even a few hours a week ? You could earn up to £344 a month and keep all your UC and up to 85% of childcare costs. UC is rubbish for people in your situation but even working a few hours really boost your overall income.

She is referring to people that can’t be arsed to work/work very little and pop out crotch goblin after crotch goblin to get free dosh

So judgmental. How many people do you/she actually think are doing this? There are systems (quite Draconian) in place to prevent this and the number who do this is proportionally small. These people will not make a huge difference to the benefit bill for the whole country. Legislating with these people in mind instead of those who are really struggling will bring the whole country down and make no significant difference to the few who commit benefit fraud.

Stop reading the daily mail and start using some critical thinking.

How long before someone suggests the reintroduction of workhouses, that usually pops up on these threads eventually

It is a typical working class trait to need someone to look down on. OP sounds like a 'hard working' WC who resents those less fortunate. Angry little Britain.

A lot of this all over MN, albeit desperate to be perceived as middle class, I have always felt most of the participants are just fed up, bitter, UWC.

@Labraradabrador It would be easy and enjoyable to spend my day in leisure rather than work, or spend more time at leisure than work, but that doesn’t put food on the table does it? for all the grasshoppers having an easy and enjoyable life, you need twice as many worker ants

Do you really think the majority of benefit claimant's lives are enjoyable and spent 'in leisure'? Do you know how many adults and children live in poverty, in pain, unable to access the support they need and deserve. Do you lack so much empathy and compassion that you can't see that there really are people in dire need? Many of these people have worked hard for majority of their lives, served in armed forces protecting your arse, have lost jobs through no fault of their own, became ill or disabled (remember the pandemic, the wars, the cost of living crisis we've been plunged into through no fault of our own)??. But out of all these people, I feel sorry for you the most - one day the tables might turn and you'll have to swallow your pride and become a 'grasshopper' yourself and I hope you come across kinder people who will reach out and support you, not judge you and leave you cold, hungry and penniless

lettingaproperty.com/landlord/blog/epc-certificates-2022/

This explains it better., the EPC certs.

There's been a working for benefits thread recently. Was roundly stamped on.

This just isn’t how pay works in FS.

100% this. Classic distraction, so people are led to believe the problem is one thing rather than another entirely.

@Devon01 oh, I understand exactly what it is to be poor - truly poor in a way that very few in the uk ever experience. I also know what it takes to change your circumstances. There will be some for whom that is categorically not a possibility, but I also see a lot of excuses for not working more/harder. It really doesn’t mean a lifetime of toil, but knuckling down for a bit seems totally unacceptable to many here?

£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.
@RequiemForAcat
don't you think £300pm for Electric & gas is too much?
I assume you live in a big house or heater on 24/7?? (I mean long hours)
I don't turn on the heater that much, not because I ok with cold, I just saving money.
I even wear a coat at home same time. so I only pay £80pm for Electric & gas in the winter time, and £50pm for summertime.

and tbh, £600 for 1A 2kids wasn't that much but wasn't too bad.
actually, many working parents with kids live with this amount after they pay their rent/mortgage and council tax. and maybe childcare.

not only you feel hard, but other working people feel hard too, and they are also paying your bill.

I'm not sure where you got that idea. I don't receive state support other than child benefit. I thought you were describing work as miserable by claiming that in the UK people feel entitled to have it easy.
Personally I think everyone should be aiming at a society where it's possible to take things easier.

And don’t forget National Service @PinkFrogss!

for the sake of my blood pressure and sanity I must stop clicking on threads like these.

So they’re more likely to be in a 1 bed than something larger which is what’s I said in the beginning.

What benefits were they, then?

This current inflation rise was already behind the real cost of living as the benefits rates were frozen between 2015-2020 and it's not like they've ever been generous.
www.turn2us.org.uk/About-Us/News/Is-the-benefits-freeze-going-to-end

UC is all benefits in one so that they could apply cap to make working pay. Although I think saw 4/10 are working claiments. Housing benefit often doesn't cover full rent for private rentals & fewer landlords are willing to accept claiments. I think if under 35 your expected to live in shared accom so get will get less and benefit rates & min wage are less for younger people but costs aren't any different & not all can live with family for cheap.

I suspect those people who are living comfortable on benefits (not disabled) are either not declaring their working partner living with them/ making money on the side.

Sadly I think will see many more deaths of
vulnerable people.
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-hounded-disabled-woman-for-years-before-her-starvation-death-papers-show/

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/disabled-mans-body-found-six-months-after-dwp-cut-off-his-benefits/

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/mps-silence-on-deaths-evidence-shows-they-have-abandoned-benefit-claimants/

People on benefits are literally on the breadline. I work I have food in my belly put the heating on. You are free to quit your job op if you think it's a life of luxury. People are getting angry at the wrong people, the government printed billions of pounds!!They paid healthy people vast sums to sit at home and money off eating out!! It doesn't take a genius to work out this money is going to have to be paid back.

All the interventions kicked the can further down the road. The magic money tree doesn't exist the next few years are going to be very hard but let's not blame the poor who had no say in government policy

"only pay £80pm for Electric & gas in the winter time, and £50pm for summertime."

Including this summer and winter coming?

Well, benefits are theoretically the minimum it's possible to survive on, so if they don't rise, people won't be able to afford the bare necessities.

A job wage is more likely to allow some leeway for cutting back.

In practice, it's likely to be more nuanced than that and many workers will also be surviving on the bare minimum.

Benefits should rise, and so should the minimum wage.