To think that shouldn’t be allowed to abuse benefits?

[candiecorn]

I’m slightly annoyed about this one…

I worked with a man, he is around 52-54 years old. He always looked down at us, his colleagues, and made it clear that the job meant nothing to him.

he quit a couple of years ago to pursue his career in creative writing… I haven’t read anything from him, so not quite suee how good he is but he has definitely not been picked up by a publisher.

he lives in a rather nice area, rent free in a friend’s holiday home… he is very proud of this… and initially would make it sound like that it’s his place.

So I recently found out that he is on benefits… he is a fully capable, fit, young middle aged man with no family or children.

I think it’s a bit much that he is fully capable of working, yet he doesn’t … it’s a tough market but still, so something at least part time. Benefits are not there for fully capable middle aged man to live his dreams to become a writer…

I wish him the best, I hope he will succeed one day and probably would cut him more slack, had he not been so full of himself and looking down at everyone else…

I feel like it’s abusing the system though. There are people out there who do actually need help but imagine if we all did this 🫨

I honestly can't understand why you care so much about an ex-colleague. I am in touch with one of two colleagues from my old workplace who I was friendly with, because we got on and still meet up for coffee etc and a chat! but I have no idea what's happened to the rest of my colleagues, where they are now, or what they are doing with their lives. I'm sure they don't often think about me either or care what I'm doing. We all move on.

This poor man was not exactly your best mate while you were colleagues so why on Earth are you even giving him a second thought now, let alone getting yourself bothered about his benefits or work situation.

It is highly likely you know absolutely nothing about this man. He may very well have mental or physical health issues you are not aware of, or there may be a whole host of other reasons why he may/may not be claiming benefits.

My suggestion would be to butt out of this man's life and stop thinking about him.

I know you say he seemed cocky when at work. But that's hardly enough reason to still be angry with him and poking your nose in to his business. Maybe you were/are a bit jealous of his creativity? Maybe it's really you that feels a bit superior and you are projecting or trying to bring him down? Maybe he was fed up with you at work and span you a few yarns because he couldn't be bothered actually sharing his real life with you. Who knows.

I think you should forget about him and move on with your life. So weird you are investing time in thinking about and judging this man.

all the info I put in my op came from a mutual ex colleague of ours, but I don’t see why they’d lie about anything like this

Take what your ex colleague said with a pinch of salt. If he was up himself and boastful, trying to give the impression his home belonged to him rather than his friend, it’s unlikely he would be discussing the ins and out of any benefits he receives with anyone, including your gossiping ex colleague.

Why assume he claims benefits? maybe he has savings? inheritance?
A lot of assumptions for someone you don't like.

Mind your own business OP! For God's sake, what's it to you? You've heard a bit of secondhand gossip and are now getting all riled up about this man's life.
So many people like to pick on benefit claimants who are living in poverty and ignore the tax dodging billionaires.

@spuddy4

The point is that £393 is not enough to live on.
To others- this poster is wound up about a person whose finances she knows nothing about, she doesn't know anything about the benefits system and what she does know is gossip.
I wonder is people are gossiping at me. At the gym and Starbucks every day, at my allotment, holidays, Sky.

Oh wait, I'm now drawing a pension. And I'm a foster carer

The benefits for a single man are lower than destitution level, I really can’t get worked up about someone trying to survive on such a small amount of money. Especially when you don’t actually know that that’s the case.

Well, I think people shouldn't be allowed to post shite about people based on gossip.

candiecorn · Yesterday 22:14

I don’t really know how the system works. 🤷🏼‍♀️
Clearly

I don’t know how much he gets…
No shit

all the info I put in my op came from a mutual ex colleague of ours, but I don’t see why they’d lie about anything like this.
Why does anyone lie?

he was just soo full of himself and made it sound like that he was above a lot of us. And it just annoys me…
Only nice people should be able to claim benefits?
Good to know

Sorry OP but you actually sound so ignorant! I've known people who have mental health problems that they hide from other but that make their lives so tough. They don't share their business with others (why should they?!) and small minded people constantly wondered how they could afford not to work etc. Maybe this man is entitled to disability benefits and has a cover story so he doesn't need to spill his personal details with you?

Pleas stop being so petty and get on with your own life!

Mind. Your. Own. Business.

That's about the size of it.

Typical goady benefits bashing thread. What do those who start these kinds of threads have to gain?

Unless he has illness/disability (which can be hidden) he will be on very little UC & will have to prove that he is looking for work.

I know someone who owns a lot of land & several properties. He pays someone to manage it for him & doesn't work himself as he lives off the rental income & investments.

That winds me up alot more than a single man living in a caravan on basic UC.

You do not know his circumstances first hand

I know people that were able to access one of their work pensions at age 50

At 55 UK people are able to take up to 25% of their private pension tax free (the age increases for younger people)

There are international groups of people where a person can have the opportunity to house sit or do a few hours work for free accommodation.

You can speculate, but it does not mean that he lives on benefits

So basically you know, well, absolutely nothing about this person. Get a hobby maybe?

You really don't know. The hassling, constant meetings, getting called in for this and that, restart blah blah blah. I've recently escaped due to finally finding a job but it's hell. It's constant nagging and it demoralizing when you really are trying as hard as you can. I've been doing at least 3 meetings a fortnight for a while and I was heading towards a breakdown due to the pressure and lack of actual support.

I've got the reduction and don't have to pay any

What are you hoping to gain by this thread? You are basically wanting a pile on towards this man, and it seems you are not getting it.
There is someone in the wrong here, and it is not this man.

And you also know SFA about him and his circumstances - he's a passing acquaintance that you allegedly once knew. Perhaps he is better than you - he isn't the one writing fiction on MumsNet.

They do ask for bank statements. They do reviews on claimants. There are loads of threads on here and Reddit about people having to take in months of bank statements despite being on UC for years.

I am on UC and go on holiday too (also paid by my parents otherwise I could never go). I am doing nothing wrong and neither is your friend. Also, pretty much everyone on NMW is also claiming UC because their wage is not enough to live on. Also nothing wrong with that. You don't sound like much of a "friend".

She is also goes on very expensive long haul holidays every few months thanks to her parents. Doesn't sit right with me.

This is what we in the biz would call 'envy' on your part. It's one of the seven deadly sins for a reason. Give your head a wobble and get over yourself.

I can assure you that your loathed ex colleague will not be living the high life on benefits. As a single, childfree man his entitlement would be at subsistence level, in fact it's not even enough for that. If he's living rent free then he won't be claiming for rent either. He would be somewhat better off if he is claiming PIP for a disability but even then he will not be living like a hog in clover. The process to claim PIP is also very gruelling and stressful and by no means guaranteed. I suspect he may have taken early retirement and is living off of investments or an early pension. I also suspect that the talk about benefits is a rumour spread about because he is not a very well liked man. I mean, how would anyone know his personal information anyway?

Some people do pay council tax. It all depends on whether your council gives council tax support, and if so what percentage they give.

She is also goes on very expensive long haul holidays every few months thanks to her parents. Doesn't sit right with me
jealousy is not an attractive trait.
Her parents paying for holidays doesn't affect her benefits in any way, do you think anyone on benefits shouldn't receive a gift?
what the fuck is a washy washy NMW job? not everybody has a big job ffs horrible ppl on here.

Sounds to me as if he told your friend some creative stories because he knows that he still takes up time in your heads and you spread gossip; he thought let’s make it interesting.

maybe, get a life OP. He may then vacate your brain…