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.

I'm on adult disability payment. I personally wouldn't wish the reasons I get it on anyone. It's actually not that easy to claim benefits these days and pretend you are a single parent when you aren't. UC are in the process of doing reviews - because of the number of fraudulent claims made during lockdown. They are going through people's bank statements.

I got lwrca on the third attempt. I was told I was fit for work with ptsd and other issues. I was really unwell at that point but the dwp said otherwise.
I was then told I was fit for work with a shoulder fracture and torn rotator cuff - one that took a year to heal from. The legislation is that you need to fracture both upper limbs to get points.

I then got put into the lwc group for three months after a triple leg fracture - went to mandatory reconsideration.
I actually got a copy of the assessors report. Full of lies - basically said that I was mobile when I wasn't.

Lost it and it was overturned at tribunal and I'm on lwrca for a specific time period. The process at each stage was horrible and my GP was overruled every time. If I had lost at tribunal I wouldn't have put myself through that again.

Getting adult disability payment which is the Scottish version of Pip was an easier process - I got that for both mental health and physical issues. Again for a set time period. Two years.

I think what some people see is people getting extra money - they don't see the stress some people go through to get it. It's really horrible when you know you aren't well enough to work but you are caught up in a system that tells you you are. Uc have never once formally recognised any mental health issues I have - according to them I was completely well when I was more or less in the middle of a breakdown.

In Scotland if you are on a low income you get most of your council tax paid - it's different elsewhere I believe.

Ignore the haters OP
I was on benefits when I was young, it was a brilliant time. Honestly, even back then, I'd have been no better off financially in a minimum wage job and I'd be too knackered to go clubbing every night.
Was I taking the piss?
Yes, probably.
Absolutely no reason why I couldn't have got a job, I just didn't want one, I wanted to go out clubbing every night instead.
Eventually I signed off because a side hustle I had was making enough money. I could never have got the side hustle going without the dole to live on btw If I hadn't been 'taking the piss' (absolutely was, just like George Michael) I would have been slogging away in a minimum wage job with only poverty to show for it.

In older life I have also spent a lot of time volunteering and have seen plenty of people taking the piss out of DLA (as it was). I've also seen two severely affected people repeatedly refused disability benefits.

Most paid, or a partial discount isn’t all of the council tax was my point. It’s a common myth that benefits claimants pay zero council tax.

Where I live, and up until a couple of years ago, anyone on ESA or UC (in LCW/LCWRA) got full CT paid. When I applied last year, I was liable for 80% of it.

If you were a single person on Job seekers in my area you would get £733 a month inc housing allowance for a room in a shared house. Rent on a room in a shared house would be £600 a month. Leaving £30 a week for bills, food, clothes, transport, toiletries, haircuts and everything else. If you could comfortably live on £30 a week, knock yourself out.

In Scotland I believe you are exempt from council tax if on a low income but you pay the water charge. My council tax is around 80 quid a month but when I paid it I paid around 22 a month because I was on UC. I'm currently exempt as I'm doing a degree part time online and if you do 90 credits or more for more than 24 weeks consecutively you can get a council tax exemption.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

I have similar experiences as well.

Epitomises the unfairness of the system and the misuse and abuse of the welfare state.

It's quite infuriating considering me and my husband work full time yet have more to pay out and have very little benefit from it for additional extras. Each to their own opinion but the system isn't right. I have one family member who actually needs support but can't seem to get anywhere pip seem to be really difficult to deal with. Whereas the brothers husband has been playing the system for years perhaps the other family member could take it on advisement.

You are not comparing like for like though.
If you are able mind/bodied and working, then your comparison to someone claiming benefit will be someone on job seekers, or who has work search commitments. They will not be on benefits that are anyway near what you earn.

People keep comparing their able bodied/mind selves that work to people that have disabilities and are not able to work.
Apples and oranges.

Also, people keep on comparing working to making fraudulent benefits claims. If you wanted to commit fraud, why not take an injury at work, take load of sick leave and sue your employer? Or embezzle the business you work for? Or commit tax fraud - after all, tax fraud costs over 6 times the amount that benefit fraud does.

I have known people to be done for benefit fraud... they have been people who said they lived alone when they didn't, and people who hid savings.
Not known anyone to be accused of faking illness/disability etc.

The people I have mentioned are completely able but have played the system. I also stated it wouldn't be morally right did you read all of my comments or just that part. Some people need those benefits and people who don't are taking from those that actually do

No, people that are claiming fraudulently are not taking from people that are not. That is not how it works.

I probably look "completely able" - if you saw me. Some disabilities aren't visible. Particularly mental health. Also -both Pip and adult disability payment are in work benefits. People on lwrca can also work as long as their work doesn't contradict their reason for getting benefits. People making fraudulent claims aren't taking benefits from people who need. If someone is unsuccessful at getting Pip they have the right to go to mandatory reconsideration and then tribunal. They can also reapply. I almost didn't go to tribunal with lwcra. I thought what is the point.
Pip claims also need to be backed up with evidence. It's not just a case of filling in the forms. There's also a forward test for Pip and ADP which means your condition has to be long term (which is why some people won't qualify).

Figures at July 24 showed that PIP fraud was running at 0.5 per cent. Out of 3.5 million people claiming 17500 claims were found to be fraudulent - there are far more people claiming benefits like UC and housing benefit fraudulently than there are people claiming disability benefits.

I'm pretty sure they are!! There is a 'pot' for benefits, like there is for everything. If people are cheating the system (stealing) then there will be less to go around.

No, that is not how it works. You could cut fraud down to zero, and the genuine claimants would still get the same.
If someone is entitled to benefits, then they get them. They are not turned down due to lack of money or other people claiming when they should not be.

As someone else said - if someone is entitled to adp or Pip - they get it. It's the same with universal credit - if someone is entitled they'll get it - the dwp don't say no you aren't getting it because someone else made a fraudulent claim. I believe most of the PIP fraud comes from people who have been entitled and who haven't reported a change of circumstances when their health issues have changed. And if someone has claimed when they should not have the dwp will recover over payments.

The number of genuine cases of PIP fraud is tiny according to the dwp.
Also. When I claimed adp I had to show hospital letters, consultants letters, fit notes - was more than just a form filling exercise.

Pip is so hard to get I know because another family member who needs it is trying. Maybe it's another benefit but I know they have carers allowance for her. I don't know too much about benefits. I'm pretty sure you get you council tax covered or massively reduced. All I'm saying is they are not struggling but working people are struggling. And I'm telling you they are playing the system. Pip does suffer fraud but the percentage is low because it's now even harder to get they have been at it for years well she has.

Thank you. I don't know I hope so but I doubt it motivates them despite the enjoyment of my work it's stressful they know I find both joy and stress from it haha, at the same time I feel I don't give them enough of my time due to work. Its sad really isn't it I'm sure most parents feel that way. I try my best at the weekends holidays. I will say the couple I mention are loving parents I feel I have been a bit harsh but my comments are not meant in that respect.

Its not possible to get PIP these days without either a face to face or telephone assessment and you have to submit medical evidence as well. Some disabilities are very well hidden, particularly mental health.

If she's playing the system then she's doing it with the help of professionals - because you don't just fill the form in and get a decision. You have to back up what you are saying in writing. Plus people get reviewed as well. Very few people get lifetime awards of PIP.

Your conditions aren't also what gets you Pip. It's how they affect your life day to day. It's also not that easy to score full points - if you look at the questions they ask. Being able to dress and undress yourself will score you zero points. Being able to walk 200 metres without stopping - same.

The last time I went through the lwrca process I was on anti anxiety medication. I was on anti depressants, I had a ptsd diagnosis. I was scored zero points for mental health because apparently the fact that I can talk to a cashier in a supermarket meant I was fit to work.

It's possible that your relative has recovered from the issues she had and hasn't told the dwp - but it's very unlikely that she wasn't entitled to anything in the first place.

I was turned down for LCWRA because I could plan a bus/train journey. The fact my agoraphobia meant I wouldn't leave the house to make said journey was irrelevant

I found the lwrca process horrible. I went through it three times and the only reason I was awarded it in the end was because of an accident that caused a significant physical disability.

I was put into the lwc category first for three months but I appealed. I was also repeatedly asked what my recovery time would be - I knew the person doing the assessment really grudged giving me anything.

What I would say is take it as far as you can - a high percentage of decisions get overturned at tribunal.