To think being on benefits might be better than working

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Is there anyway being on benefits is better than working? So much of day is spent worrying about work, working and dealing with office politics. I dislike work, and get no pleasure or satisfaction other than my pay. It’s got nothing to do with my job or team; I just dislike working.

I was thinking that being on benefits might not be as bad as people once thought. The main benefit would be not having to stress about working. With council tax, housing benefit and a hole host of other benefits, you could life a fairly decent life.

A return bus journey is £8 where I live. You have to work 30 mins just to cover your trip to and from work. You’ll work all month, live in a HMO and have nothing at the end of each month.

Ok! Thank you for your explanation. I’ve just read your further posts, too.

It’s great that people with additional care needs are looked after in this way.

The problem with broke country, it that people who can work don’t , you have a job if you don’t like it apply for something else
benefits aren’t there because you don’t like Work they’re there for people with disabilities and people who can’t find work not some kind of option get over yourself and keep working

Or find a sugar daddy :-)

Not sure why you feel it would be OK to live off benefits (tax payers money) when you are able to work?
Even though I know of several people who do this and are experts at their entitlement.
Benefits should be for people whose circumstances warrant support; not those who actively choose to seek them through chosen circumstances.
Self respect and earning your own money are priceless

This. The attack on disability benefits is sickening. I'm terrified. Plus no pension, savings, loneliness, bordem, social stigma.

Yes, there are people who abuse and exploit the system. I know of people who do this. I also know of people who have sourced 'expert' advice on the correct terminology to use for PIP applications. I also know of people who have been declined PIP when they appear to be in need of support (IMO). So yes, there are undoubtedly difficulties in benefit applications.
I have a huge amount of respect for single parents; however there are those that actively choose to have children whilst claiming benefits as 'single' parents.
Let's not pretend that this isn't happening.
This understandably feels unfair to those people who work for a living and see their children as their responsibility

I also walked out of a job in 2022 and claimed JSA straight away. No one even queried that I had just walked out of a job. I only claimed for a couple of months as i found another.

Thank you

SPOT ON

The problem with broke country, it that people who can work don’t , you have a job if you don’t like it apply for something else

Are people like me part of the problem? I'm perfectly capable of working but I'm choosing not to for a while after being made redundant. I'm not claiming benefits but I'm also not paying tax or NI.

(I'm not apologising for not working BTW, this is the first time I haven't worked since I was 17 and my last job nearly broke me so I'll take off as long as I can)

Do you have a degree? Do you have children? The answer to these two questions would dictate the answer I can give you.

Was that to me or the OP?

No you are not the problem.

And enjoy your well deserved time off :-)

Thank you, I was just curious. When I knew I was going to be made redundant I made the mistake of mentioning on here that I planned to take some time off and was told I should be contributing to society!

That was just the haters! Ignore the haters you clearly contribute!

This is ridiculous clickbait.

No, of course not. You’ll be cold and hungry and unable to afford basic necessities like shoes. I’m on disability benefits because I’m mostly bedridden, I’ve literally had the same shoes for 18 years because I can’t afford anything (I have worked in that time but less on than off due to my health).

My son was fired from work because he had to go to A&E for throwing up blood (he has a genetic condition inherited from me). He’s desperately seeking work, but even with the carer’s element of UC he’s only on £108pw. That has to cover journeys, energy, water, waste water, any necessary subscriptions, phone, clothes, hair cuts, food, emergencies, detergents, wash things, replacing perishables etc etc. He lives with me so he doesn’t have to pay rent or council tax, but he’s finding it very hard to make ends meet. It costs him £30pw just in train fare for the pt college course he’s doing to try to increase his employment chances.

If someone is genuinely considering this, I’d highly recommend you look into upskilling. Don’t give up work, it’s a miserable life. If I could continue WFH, i would because benefits are an awful thing to live off. Increase your earning potential so work feels more rewarding.

I love my job but it's very stressful. I work in a legal position and yet with a fair salary I have very little to show for it and in fact a few debts I'm struggling financially. My little one nursery is costing a fortune and the stress of juggling a toddler in my line of work is so tough and 3teens 3 messy teens. Then let's take a look at lazy relatives I have my bro and his partner. They are on benefits, she claims pip said issues which is bs. They got free nursery from age 2. They didn't need more hours than given so all good there. They got a brand new house. They have their rent council tax paid and always seem to have money they run a car I don't think either of them have held down jobs for very long ever, they have more time with their child and each other clean house easy life. This infuriates me and I keep my distance because I don't like the fact that they have an easier life than an honest decent person. I'm also in limbo with a deteriorating house it's too complex but financially I'm stuck I can't afford to improve and I can't afford to move so how is this right? I've thought about it but I don't know if I'd lose all self respect to be honest. I thought about it because I have little time for my family I have 0 time where I can do hobbies etc. your not being unreasonable feeling this way but I'm not sure it's morally right to do it but clearly many people do.

Well I guess the OP but always happy to help anyone out with advice.

They are on benefits, she claims pip said issues which is bs. They got free nursery from age 2. They didn't need more hours than given so all good there. They got a brand new house. They have their rent council tax paid and always seem to have money they run a car I don't think either of them have held down jobs for very long ever, they have more time with their child and each other clean house easy life

Almost a full house there. You forgot the big telly and the free car, though. And the goat. Next time, eh?

But i bet your kids massively respect you, you are a good role model for them. The kids with the parents of piss poor morals will go on to imitate them, it's no sort of life, don't be jealous, pity them.

Your lazy brother and partner fraudulently getting pip are bs.
PIP has a 0% fraud rate and a £1.9bn underpayment per year rate. All the investigations into PIP show a pattern of disabled claimants who are entitled to it being refused it rather than con artists getting PIP on a whim.

Also, I don’t know of any benefits for working age people where your council tax is paid for you unless you are so severely disabled that you lack mental capacity and you are in assisted living. The most a family can get with an abled unpaid carer-partner and a severely disabled person that lacks mental capacity is the single person discount.

As for “rent paid” they will get the same housing benefit as anyone on UC.
The car is likely paid for by the partner’s PIP mobility portion under a motability lease.

I am not sure how or why you think this is an easier life. If one of your teens were severely disabled and you had to quit work to care for them 24/7, you’d lose your house as you couldn’t cover the mortgage and still have 0 time for hobbies.

So being disabled and on PIP or being an unpaid carer for a severely disabled partner is having “piss poor morals”? Should her brother have just pushed his partner into the nearest lake or next year into an assisted dying clinic so he can get a job and help the country’s GDP? That’s more moral?

Sounds like you need to find a different job.

@JobhuntingDespair Sorry you’re having a difficult time. Are you willing to relocate regions or even countries. But that depends on home life. It’s what I have done twice and DH did multiple times in his twenties.

Plus the degree. I felt I was lying to potential applicants about how useful the non vocational degree was of the dept I worked in towards the end of my career. DH taught in a vocational science subject with really high employment rates so very different. When we went to University late 1980’s to early 1990’s roughly 15% of people went to University I think it’s now about 38%. As much as education is always great there was never ever going to be a huge surge in graduate level jobs to cater to everyone who obtained a degree. It’s a real problem now and incredibly unfair to people.

There is a big difference with people surviving on benefits and as mentioned by some posters people that claim and also work cash in hand. They are not and will never be the same thing. That is fraud.