To think too many people are happy to live off benefits forever?

[BritishQueue]

Okay, I know this is a touchy subject here on MN, but I need to ask, AIBU to think that too many people are just choosing to stay on universal credit rather than work?

Obviously, I’m not talking about people who genuinely can’t work - disabilities, carers, etc (even though a lot of those who claim to be unfit for work are perfectly capable, and I’ve seen “carers” for people who don’t actually need any care…). But I know multiple people who are completely able-bodied and yet have no intention of ever getting a job. They say things like “it’s not worth it” or “I’d be worse off working,” and honestly, I don’t get it. I work full-time, pay tax, and yet I see people getting rent paid, extra handouts, and still managing holidays and luxuries I can’t afford. Not to mention that a lot of women think the government should subsidise their SAHM lifestyle.

I just don’t understand how it’s fair? Surely benefits should be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice? AIBU?

Can you point me in the direction of the evidence you have used to come up with this opinion?

🥱 Sorry, I am just tired of seeing threads like this on Mumsnet.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Benefits are a pittance. Less than £100 a week to live on. To qualify for Job Seekers you need to prove you're looking for work and are sanctioned if you're not.

That's not evidence of a systemic problem.

I do not know a single person who has never had at least one job in their life and I live in a shithole known for being one of the poorest areas in the country with few employment opportunities.

There's a lot of people claiming universal credit who are in work.

You can't just choose a life on universal credit as you have to look for work. It might be possible for a few years while someone has pre-school children but then you are required to look for work.

It's not either/or. Plenty of people work and still need universal credit top ups. The cost of living is out of control and wages haven't kept up.

Perhaps you should look into making a claim yourself if you're hard up.

Except you can just pretend you’re applying and interviewing. I know people that have done this and got away with it for years.

Why do you need your very own thread on this?

Are the first 54 million of them not quite enough for you?

And no, I don't claim universal credit.

You haven’t really though have you?

It’s poor moral character. My uncle is like this. In his 50s, never worked a day in his life.

So what do you say when you see and hear it?

I don't believe many people choose to spend their lives on UC as a sole source of income if they are capable of working.

Yes there are lots of people like this, it’s usually learnt behaviour through generations of families that simply claim benefits instead of working. When I was very young I lived on a council estate and lots of the families were like this (obviously not all of them!) but on my street I “made friends” with a number of families - non worked and had no intentions of working. Their parents didn’t work and they didn’t expect their kids to work once they left school.

When I was a community nurse we often saw families like this too - went in to see 70 year old and all his family would just be sat there watching tv. Some people are just happy like this as it’s all they’ve ever known.

And just because you think that, doesn’t make it fact. Ultimately, you are wrong

You can't do this.

You have to show proof, e.g., sent emails, your Indeed account, etc. They also check with employers regarding interviews and ask for feedback.

Your spouting shit OP either because you fancied making something up to feed the benefit frothers or 'cause your 'benefits' mates are winding you up and you're dense enough to fall for it.

Gosh, this is a novel idea for a thread! 😄

"a touchy subject on MN" - lol, pull the other one.

500 billion threads running to 40 pages long each time, full of frothy thinly veiled hatred. Thank fuck you started another one.

Denying the existence of benefit scroungers doesn’t make them disappear.

https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/national-news/the-myth-of-inter-generational-worklessness/

Anecdotal experiences are not evidence

You get sanctioned OP. You seem to live in a dream world where people on a few quid a week are swanning off to the Caribbean and living a luxury lifestyle.

Job seekers are on less than £100 and you're perfectly aware of how much utilities and food are, being in a COL crisis.

You can get universal credit while in work which I'm happy to receive given the cost of living

I’m always fascinated about how many people must know in general well enough to have these conversations with to know “ loads” who say it. 🤣

How many of these unhinged threads are we going to get?! Yabu 🙄