To wonder why everyone else on benefits appears to be living the high life...

[dizietsma]

and we're literally emptying the penny tin to pay for groceries on a weekly basis.

It's not even like we're on full benefits, either. DH works, but we still qualify for some housing/council tax benefit + tax credits because his income is so low. Every month it's a struggle. We budget harshly, but it's never enough. Today is DH's birthday and I don't even have all the ingredients to make him a bloody cake, never mind buy him a present!

I see all these stories on MN by jealous neighbours about people on benefits with shiny new cars, expensive TV's, holidays 3x a year... what the hell? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

The answer is simple, isn't it? These people are fictional, made up by nasty, bitter people with nothing better to do than fantasise about what a good time everyone else is having at their expense.

So I'm going to let this out, it's been brewing for a long time-

IF YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ON BENEFITS HAVE IT SO EASY THEN WHY DON'T YOU QUIT WHINING, QUIT YOUR JOB OR LEAVE YOUR RICH HUSBAND, SIGN ON AND SEE HOW FUCKING GREAT IT REALLY IS.

I hope you really enjoy toasting your husbands birthday with an empty larder, empty bank account and no presents. That's the best bit.

yes, as if no one else works hard at all, south.

Sorry, Micci, I'm busy trying to support my own kids.

BTW, I'm with you guys on the cost of living / outrageous childcare / impossible to balance argument. That is a problem which the government should adress for the good of the nation as well the individual. I think that's a valid point but Sizi hasn't come back to make it.

God knows I know all about the struggle to pay outrageous childcare. WE would be better off if we paid for childcare so mums could work / go to school even though it would cost more money in the short term.

good luck to you micci. What are you planning on studying?

DH and I have gone round the houses and more to try to work out how we can both work, pay childcare, pay the bills and be better off at the end of the month.....and we both have 'professional' qualifications.

Message withdrawn

Im so sad to read some of these nasty posts.

Dizi, I know its hard and I am CERTAIN you have not chosen to be in this position. What person in their right mind would, unless they are subsidising, which, from your post, you are not.

I think SOME people think that we are all the same. Our lifestyle, extended families, health, education is the same as theirs and its so easy. Lord knows I have gone from owning 3 houses and 2 cars to living in temporary accomodation and fuck me IT IS HARD. I never knew how hard until I got here. And I got here even though i worked hard, paid taxes and did things the right way. I am only just coming out of a big black hole.

Lots of people rant on here about all sorts of things. I dont think you were attacking those lovely lovely taxpayers but just the few that assume you are sponging by choice. i assume you are not.

I dont have much but I do have a cake mix and a few beers I will happily drop over if you live in Kent.

If you want a rant then as far as I am concerned, thats absolutely fine by me.

psychology i wnat be a councilor for children from difficult backgrounds.

What a lovely post MSTG, I hope things are on the up for you. Dizi if you are in sunny somerset I might be able to help.

Money causes so many arguments on MN
Sorry you're having a tough time dizie. It's a horrible position to be in.

One valentines day i did not have money for a gift. I made him a card and some heart shaped cookies. I tidied the house as i know my untidiness annoys him. I them put on his favourite underwear and after some research no munsmet on the perfect blowjob i treated dp to a night in. I think i went down better than a "present".

Thanks Coca - its nice to feel appreciated

And as my Dad says - Its nice to be nice.

twinset - you did research? Good thinking

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I think that what people are objecting to are thte people who play the system, there are always some, eg at my DCs prep school there is a couple, both elderly parents, offically he was made redundant a few years back and she works part time as a secretary or receptionist, they claim benefits, their DC gets subsidised uniform and school trips and a bursary but the husband has actually been doing accounts for a good number of people for years now, enough to live a very comfortable life with new cars/holidays/laptops/ipods/redecorating etc.

It is people like this who piss me off, and they piss me off not just because its my family's hard earned money subsidising their lifestyle but because it IS diverting money from benefit recipients who actually do need every last penny.

I think the info came from expat. Every now and again dp asks for a mumsnet blowjob

Lol chequers

Glad to be of help . Ask any man, most would probably rather have a good blow than another tshirt or bottle of aftershave.

Athene, I think you may have misinterpreted dizi's op.

As far as I can see it's in response to a couple of very recent threads.

Well, 93 posts in THAT is new information on the thread. Had she said it was been in response to oter comment I might have reacte differently. I obviously haven't seen the other threads.

Why didn't she just respond to those other threads?

Because it was primarily about not having enough money even to make her DH a cake or buy him a present. A feeling made worse by the memory of all the posts about benefit families supposedly rolling in money.

Dizietsma, don't worry about the present. He knows how little money there is and won't expect anything. Just spend some time together tonight without worrying about bills.

OMG - how political.

Can I just point out how many children Labour and Gordon Brown have lifted out of poverty thanks to tax credits and schemes like sure start.

I certainly don't begrudge my taxes being spent on helping people less fortunate than myself (or MPs salaries for that matter). What I do begrudge is the rich using tax loopholes to aviod paying £42 billion. Think what that £42 billion could pay for in this country.

Why do we always criticise the most vulnerable in society and quietly ignore the fact that the rich are screwing far more out of this country than the samll percentage of people on benefits. It's not as if I don't have the house/car/handbag I really want because someone down the street is getting a measly amount of tax credits or benefits.

Please stop reading the Daily Mail!!!

'Can I just point out how many children Labour and Gordon Brown have lifted out of poverty thanks to tax credits and schemes like sure start.'

Sure, if you let me point out the tens of thousands his tax credits scheme plunged back into it when the Tax Credit bureaucracy made mistakes on their applications and then clawed back the money years later by cutting them off without a penny or forcing them to make repayments they can't afford.

His policies put this family £3,000 in debt and for 5 months, we lived below the poverty line, using credit cards to eat, due to their admitted errors.

And all we got was £100 compensation.

And we were anything but alone.

Why doesn't his idea of lifting children out of poverty include raising the personal threshhold, increasing what was the 10% bracket and forcing employers to pay a living wage to everyone?

Fabulous post Gillaz

I will curse Gordon Brown and all his ilk to the end of my days for not doing the real right thing by working poor families - taxing them less at the outset.

(I was reading from line 3 down for that btw, I am naive enough to not be able to comment on the first 2 lines )