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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be on low income , but dont want to claim benefit's

182 replies

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:18

We are on low income working oart time each And live very simply . We have a 15 year old car , live on very simple food and enjoy being creative. No heating on ! …
we could claim top up benefits , but having paid taxes as public service workers paying tax for many years ,we don't Feel that it is right for the system to support us when we choose to work part time .. its nit the taxpayers job to pay for the choice We have made as we have got older and cant hack working in the public sector full time anymore .
people keep telling us we should claim .. we are not wearing hair shirts .. we simply feel it does not fit with us .. are we bu ? Is it normal to expect our income to be supplemented now that we feel burnout and need to do less hours ? For us , we would rather cut our cloth and although the lack of money can be hard it feels the right thing to do . We do not feel comfortable working oart time but expecting others to supplement our income as ultimately its out choice ?

OP posts:
keffie12 · 27/04/2023 02:19

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:25

The point is if we choose to work part time why should we expect those who work full tome to support us . Doesn’t feel right .

If you don't want the money, I would still claim it and then donate it monthly to a charity of your choice. The foodbanks, for example, are struggling as people are poorer and can't afford to give as much. That money would help feed some desperate families

viques · 27/04/2023 02:22

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:23

Its not virtue signalling at all . We are used to looking after ourself and find it odd that people seem to push us to claim benefits

Just say no. Apparently it is a complete sentence.

Freefall212 · 27/04/2023 02:27

You don’t have to claim them at all…they are there for those who need them and would benefit but it isn’t required. No one needs to know the ins and outs of your finances. If you enjoy a very frugal simple life that is all self made then live it! That isn’t everyone’s choice and many people do not see accepting help as a weakness so they make a different choice.

Groggygymdodger · 27/04/2023 06:20

AllOfThemWitches · 26/04/2023 23:44

Hmm that's so odd.

"Is it your round @Hidijihidoho?"

"Sorry, can't afford that."

"Have you thought about claiming benefits?"

Strange conversation.

Show quote history

Yes, especially since it’s overwhelmingly likely they aren’t even entitled.

the op and her friends mindset appears to be if they work part time and are a bit skint they must be entitled. I suspect she’d get a bit of a shock if she checked.

and op, I’d Really stop telling the world you are doing this noble thing and not claiming,benefits isn’t some savings account you dip into if you work part time. That’s not how the system works

HistoryFanatic · 27/04/2023 06:23

You need to find a different topic of conversation with your friends. We claim. I don't see why you wouldn't. It is what they are there for.

sunsunpleasecomeout · 27/04/2023 06:26

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:25

The point is if we choose to work part time why should we expect those who work full tome to support us . Doesn’t feel right .

Okay then 🙄

Either work full time or carry on with part time and struggle if you don't want to claim benefits.

I'm not understanding the point in this post.

Coxspurplepippin · 27/04/2023 06:28

I'm getting a definite whiff of govt research dept from this first time poster.....

HistoryFanatic · 27/04/2023 06:29

RandomSunday · 27/04/2023 01:43

YANBU OP. Not everyone holds their hands out for the state to provide for them and theirs.

Lots of families do their very best to provide for the children they chose to have.

The Government is to blame for enabling the entitled among us. It won’t last. It can’t. So many families now rely on benefits and cost of living payments. Regardless that the bread winner of the family lives elsewhere, yet stays over at his partners a few times a week and gets her pregnant every year so she can claim benefits whilst he gets a full time wage 🙄

Sooner or later the powers that be will wake up and put an end to it. Otherwise everyone will be giving up their jobs in favour of benefits. Where will we be if everyone jumps aboard the gravy train?

You are aware of the child cap on UC?

Mortimercat · 27/04/2023 06:31

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:25

The point is if we choose to work part time why should we expect those who work full tome to support us . Doesn’t feel right .

You are quite right in your thinking. Although I am not sure what benefits you could claim if you are working part time anyway.

Lougle · 27/04/2023 06:31

Universal credit would expect you to seek work at the equivalent of 35xNMW unless you have a good reason not to.

garlictwist · 27/04/2023 06:35

I don't think you can just claim benefits for working part time, can you? I work part time through choice and subsequently struggle along on a low wage. But I don't think there are any benefits that you can just get just like that.

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 27/04/2023 06:35

Yes, heaven forbid people suggest something that might make your lives easier 🙄

ShoesoftheWorld · 27/04/2023 06:37

OP, your halos are in the post. They'll need regular polishing.

I expect what you were hoping for was for this scenario (real or invented) to elicit a lot of 'quite right too, that's the spirit, all you need to do is be frugal, this proves that those claiming benefits are simply feckless with their money and/or workshy'. Either so you could feel better about yourself personally, or to further the discourse of a deeply unpleasant agenda whose aim is to demonise poverty and stigmatise people on benefits as not contributing to society (your jobs are in 'public services', of course).

flutterbyebaby · 27/04/2023 06:38

Just keep your finances private and don't discuss them with others, problem solved

Dyrne · 27/04/2023 06:41

What benefits do you think you’re entitled to?

Sorry to bring you down from whatever pedestal your over inflated ego has raised you to, but it’s unlikely you’d actually qualify for much, if anything, so your smugness and superiority is severely misplaced.

If you were to read news media other than the Daily Mail, you might find out that benefits aren’t just given out willy nilly to anyone that can’t be arsed to work.

Yes, there are people who play the system, but they are in the minority and the vast majority of benefit claimants are just people trying to do the best they can to manage in a world where wages are stagnating and prices are skyrocketing.

hattie43 · 27/04/2023 06:42

I would never claim benefits , it would be a sign of shame in my family or with my friends . No-one I know has ever been on benefits accept child allowance or in receipt of state pension but I don't know if they are called benefits.
It's your choice to work part time and it's your choice whether to get benefits or not .

hattie43 · 27/04/2023 06:44

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:52

Sevenbyseven yes thats exactly what i am saying . We choose to work part time due to burn out in public service jobs .. so we see this as out choice and Not the respons of others .

There are other jobs out there !!

ArcticSkewer · 27/04/2023 06:53

Put in a claim - find out you are not eligible. Then you have something else to tell people when they ask why it's your round but you are leaving.

QuillBill · 27/04/2023 07:01

So, the two of you only work part time because you feel burnout and live accordingly, having less income than average as you only work part time.

You tell people you can't afford to do something and their response is 'claim benefits'?

Why is their response not 'work full time like Janet and I do ' or 'ok, let's go for a walk next Thursday'? That's such a strange thing for them to say.

I've got a friend who doesn't work so we only go for walks or to each others houses. It's never occurred to me to suggest to her how to up her income.

Willyoujustbequiet · 27/04/2023 07:05

Hidijihidoho · 26/04/2023 22:23

Its not virtue signalling at all . We are used to looking after ourself and find it odd that people seem to push us to claim benefits

People on benefits look after themselves.

Your post is goady and smacks of ignorance. Daily Mail journalist?

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 27/04/2023 07:05

Of course do what you feel comfortable with
From an entirely pragmatic view, I would claim and tuck some money away. There will be a time when you can't work and will find the benefits don't stretch so far.

transformandriseup · 27/04/2023 07:06

I'm not sure what is the point of this post, someone's part time salary may be more that the salary of someone working full time. If the OP and partner no longer have children living at home, possible with a smaller or even no mortgage they may easily be able to afford to live without claiming benefits. They may have savings too.

There is almost no wrap around child care at all where I live so lots of people have to work part time and maybe some of them claim benefits. Their situation is very different to the OP's.

Morph22010 · 27/04/2023 07:09

hattie43 · 27/04/2023 06:42

I would never claim benefits , it would be a sign of shame in my family or with my friends . No-one I know has ever been on benefits accept child allowance or in receipt of state pension but I don't know if they are called benefits.
It's your choice to work part time and it's your choice whether to get benefits or not .

What if you had an accident and became disabled so could no longer work, would that be your choice?

Willyoujustbequiet · 27/04/2023 07:09

hattie43 · 27/04/2023 06:42

I would never claim benefits , it would be a sign of shame in my family or with my friends . No-one I know has ever been on benefits accept child allowance or in receipt of state pension but I don't know if they are called benefits.
It's your choice to work part time and it's your choice whether to get benefits or not .

Does your family all die before they claim a state pension?

Child benefit is as the name suggests a benefit so anyone who had children claimed it.

Seeing benefits as a source of shame is ableist. I guess you have no disabled people in your family.

BadgerFacedCoo · 27/04/2023 07:12

hattie43 · 27/04/2023 06:42

I would never claim benefits , it would be a sign of shame in my family or with my friends . No-one I know has ever been on benefits accept child allowance or in receipt of state pension but I don't know if they are called benefits.
It's your choice to work part time and it's your choice whether to get benefits or not .

It's the state's choice whether she gets benefits and it's a no, because they don't pay for people to work part time for no reason.

I have a disability. I could not work. I work part time and also claims benefits. I'm proud to claim. Proud to live in a country that sees my income is low and looks after me. Proud to do what I can. Got my cossie-livs payment today. 👅Life is good..