AIBU to think that I shouldn't have bothered working and paying into National Insurance for the 35 years I have done so?

[HauntedBungalow]

When all I will get is the bare State Pension. Whereas other people who did not make these contributions and/or did not work will get Pension Credit plus all the other nice little add ons like Council Tax Support, free boilers and now Winter Fuel Allowance? AIBU to think I'm a mug for bothering to work all those years?

Actually, there are comments on this very thread about people on benefits just being given bed and board, and being forced to work in the day.

So… like working people, basically.

Nothing like it. The PP also said that people who have not paid in, should get nothing as it is their fault, including NHS treatment.

It happens on every thread about welfare. People on benefits do read them, and see that you think we are all workshy scum who are swinging the lead. You can't even be too poorly too work... as someone on this thread has said that if you "can think, you can be an author".

I wasn’t the one who originally posted about the mother of 5 kids but I believe the poster said they have fibromyalgia, but if you mean my friend who has 3 kids and works 0-16 hours , I don’t know! 🤷‍♀️

She has no diagnosis for anything. She never worked at all from age 18 then she had her first kid around 21.

Then when her youngest was 6 - she was about 30 by that time - she began volunteer work and then paid work a year later and she’s always worked no more than 16 hours a week.

I remember when she first started working her saying some kind of back to work /benefits advisor had told her not to work more than 16 hours. Her kids were primary school aged by then and childcare in London is expensive, so I guess that was why she was advised to limit work hours?

Again I think we need to work pay and have more wraparound services in schools.

I’m quite surprised she isn’t upping her hours now her kids are all 13+ and the younger kids father does live with her but doesn’t really pull his weight . AFAIK no government agency has asked her to work more. No idea how it all works 🤷‍♀️

And just to add none of her kids have diagnoses either. Her youngest was very poorly behaved (slapped a teaching staff once in primary school ) and had suspected ADHD, but she actually challenged that and didn’t agree her child had ADHD.

In the end her child's behaviour improved and settled significantly, and the professionals also agreed that the kids didn’t have ADHD or anything like that.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9rzvwrn30ko.amp

I have no recent experience of the benefits system as vast majority of people I know are on average or above average wages and some with children don’t even get child benefits, so I could be wrong here but it seems until recently you could get UC and work 15 hours and it’s not a problem?

It’s only recently gone up to 18 hours. I’ve not spoken to my friend since spring , maybe she’s working 18 hours now. If so, I can imagine she’ll moan and groan about that extra two hours 😆

Does anyone else know if this is correct or not?

Exactly this. It’s a really odd way to look at stuff I think.

she will be required to substantially increase hours now the children post 13 and if she has not… it will be for a reason that you are not privy to

I don’t know. She’s a family friend I know pretty well since childhood and she’s pretty open about everything.

According to the article I’ve posted if you’re on UC it was only an issue if people worked less than 15 hours. And now it’s working less than 18 hours which will trigger being asked to work more.

It depends what you get paid. With UC, the DWP are concerned with what you earn, and not what hours you do.

Yeah I just saw that in the article. She is in a low-ish paid job but it’s slightly above minimum wage.

The 18 hours thing, is based on minimum wage so it’s possible her 16 hours is still enough as it could be equivalent to 18 hours NMW.

anyway my original main point was she works part-time (by choice) be it 15, 16 or 18 hours and is topped up by benefits.

If she is on those hours and still being left alone by the Job Centre then she could well be on PIP and has not disclosed it to you.

Ah ok interesting..,well without being too outing her youngest child turned 13 fairly recently (in the past few months) and I’ve not spoken to her much this year so maybe she is working that now! It will be a shock to the system I’m sure since she never stops complaining about the 16 hours she does lol

🙄 or it’s because one of her kids was under 13 until recently.

All your income is taxed at the prevailing rate regardless of whether it is the state pension or a private pension.

That’s completely irrelevant 🤦🏽‍♀️😂 she may well be an “enemy” or a chatty work colleague and I’m describing her as a “friend” for the purpose of an anonymous board. That is neither here nor there, the point is I’m using some facts of her situation as an example to discuss the topic at hand.

no actually a pp answered it upthread after I Asked the question 😆

Having a responsible older teen kid, and a partner who does casual work and being able to WFH a lot, she’s not needed to use childcare since pre-covid so she could’ve easily worked more hours before the younger turned 13.

As I’ve said upthread its not necessarily the person at fault as people do what’s best for themselves, but we need to look at the system.

My relationship to her is irrelevant as I’ve stated, this isn’t the relationship board.

I’m talking using someone I know as an example for the purpose of the topic thread. And then another poster asked me questions on it which I answered. Honestly don’t worry about whether I have judgement or not next time I see her.

My comment above your one still applies - there’s a problem with the system.