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

[Hidijihidoho]

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 ?

Somebody suffering burnout after working in the NHS deserves to be supported by the benefits system.

But if you don't want to be, that's your choice. Friends are bound to encourage you to claim what you're entitled to, because they care about you. Best not to discuss your finances with them.

1. Yes, those are indeed benefits.
2. If you became disabled and unable to work, would you just starve to death then? Or would your family be less ashamed if you just went out begging on the streets?

Op, you don't seem to understand that you can't claim benefits anyway. If you want to feel smug about not claiming, that's up to you, but you wouldn't be entitled to them and would have your claim rejected.

Possibly you are confusing them with benefits people with children used to receive, such as tax credits, which were less linked to hours worked.

To claim universal credit you need to be actively looking for work 35 hours a week or working 35 hours a week. So the time you now spend on leisure would be spent documenting your job applications and CV writing, and you would have regular meets with a work coach who would challenge you if you hadn't done enough that week.

Free money but you need to work for it.

You also need less than £16k savings to be eligible . I'm not sure if that applies?

And as you claim as a couple, even on part time wages you probably earn too much anyway but that's a bit more complicated as it depends if you also rent etc.

Have just seen your updates. Your original post didn't make it clear that you were only talking about in work benefits.
I think if employers paid a living wage, people wouldn't need in-work benefit top-ups. What makes me sad is that my carers work extremely hard for a very low wage and aren't entitled to any of the cost of living payments.

It's not clear if OP would even be entitled to any benefits. They're not there to support holidays, going out etc. If your income is low enough to have a reduction in council tax for example then it would be foolish not to claim this as it's simply reducing a tax.

Many of us do live a simpler life due to reduced income, for example don't have coffee out when shopping but take a flask or picnic, people cycle or walk, do hobbies, their own housework instead of having a cleaner. You might use the library instead of buying books, buy things in the charity shop.

@Hidijihidoho

In our view ( disability etc apart) the benefit system is for emergencies etc not to support a lifestyle and we feel it is our choice to work part time and others should nit have to fund this.

And the system agrees with you. You won't be eligible for benefits if you choose to continue working part time and have no dependents. Multiple people have explained that on the thread but you haven't acknowledged it? What do you think you would be entitled to that wouldn't involve you being required to spend the equivalent of full time hours looking for full time work?

Well I doubt you can claim much if anything so there you go problem solved 🙄

Why is it odd? The government take from us as much as they can. They don't care.
We don't live in a fair society.
If you are entitled, then you should claim.
You get one life, no medals for making life harder than necessary

It is up to you. It used to be very shameful in the UK to claim benefits - in fact quite a lot of very old people refuse to claim any on principle. I certainly would have no problem claiming as I have paid vast amounts of tax and if the system is at fault in paying out to people who don't work then we change the system, not criticise people working the system

Even working minimum wage, with no disability or children your unlikely to get top up benefits. A colleague took on a 2nd because she gets no help at all, not even towards her rent and it was a struggle to pay everything. So you probably wouldn't be entitled anyway.

I'm glad you happy with your choice because

YOU WOULDN'T BE ENTITLED TO ANY BENEFITS ANYWAY

You don't get benefits just because you work part time 🤦‍♀️

😂😂😂

I think of you had some insight into how the economy is working you would claim it.

Here’s a good video

Why don't you use all your spare time to check with the on-line benefits calculator. Excluding housing costs, for a couple each working 17.5 hours for minimum wage, your benefit entitlement is a big fat zero. In my area, in a band C property, you wouldn't even qualify for a council tax reduction. Unless, between you, you earn less than that, this thread is really totally redundant!

You would only get to p up benefits if you had children under 18 in the household.I

I do agree with you ref benefit claims though. If you can manage without them then do not claim.

You don't get benefits just because you work part time

You can do but it would be mainly help with housing costs.

I think of you had some insight into how the economy is working you would claim it.

Although OP has not revealed many specifics about her finances, I don't actually think it exists in her circumstances.

It’s like you can’t read the comments, as in irs not a choice in all likely hood as you’d not be entitled. 😂

But you said you and your family would consider it shameful to claim - you didnt specify means tested ones.

So yes child benefit and pensions are benefits. You can't cherry pick. If you or your family have ever claimed these but judge those on others that is beyond hypocritical.

OP- not sure you have answered my question about housing costs? Most people claiming benefits during working age do so in part becuase rent is expensive. (If rents were lower there would be less money spent by government on benefits but this rarely seems to be part of the narrative of reducing public spending )

Should I assume you have paid off your mortgage?

Yes, OP has told us a lot but has been extremely coy about her actual finances.

And yet she discussing them down the pub!

What do you want to actually know about my finances ?!
i have not discussed any specific things in the pub .. only that we buy our own and cant afford big rounds .

Yes , we have no mortgage, but plenty of other normal bills. The car has just failed its mot for eg and its £ 500 to fix .

Guess what.

You aren't entitled to benefits.

How could you not get a job for 6 months and how did you survive for six months?

If you tell us how much you each earn, how many hours work that is, and how much you pay in rent ... we can tell you that you are not entitled to benefits!

OP have you done a benefits check?
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/benefits-calculator/

I doubt that at least one of you wouldn't be pushed in to a job that would mean no top ups, anyway. Do your friends claim? People seem to think that money is just handed out and are often shocked at how little people are expected to live on.