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?

There are very few people in my company who work more than 16 hours. It's not worth it financially to work more than that if you're on minimum wage because you lose benefits if you work full time.

If you see someone wearing their PJs at 8.30am & the same PJs at 3.40pm you don’t need a degree to work it out 🙄

I'm a MC MN living in a nice place and I've definitely encountered benefit claimants (given that I volunteered for Citizens Advice for 10 years and met and supported many of them with their claims). In all that time, I could count the claimants whose veracity I seriously doubted on the fingers of one hand - the overwhelming majority were absolutely genuine.
I also remember more than one client coming in, their circumstances having changed unexpectedly, being horrified when I'd calculated their benefit entitlement - one of them shouting "I can't live on that!" Too many people believe the Daily Fail narrative of benefit "scroungers" living high on the hog - they'd just better hope they never find themselves having to rely on benefits and discover the reality.

Where are you that you notice those things?
I wear the same clothing at those times too.
Wearing PJs tells you nothing about someone's financial situation. Nothing at all. You are just assuming based on stereotypes.

I used to wear PJs (clean) to WFH if I had no meetings that required my webcam to be on. I was most definitely employed at the time, doing 12-hour night shifts.

@WiddlinDiddlinwho funds universal basic income?

I agree with point about funding SAHM lifestyle. I have to go back to work after 1 year’s maternity leave but if I was on benefits I’d essentially get 3 years…
I don’t understand why people don’t have to look for work when child turns 1. Either the government think mothers should be supported to stay at home with young babies (= increase maternity leave) or they don’t (make UC mums look for work once baby is 1)

Someone commented to me once that I "obviously" didn't work as I was always available in the daytime, and wasn't ever looking forward to having Christmas off.

Except I did work. Mainly nights, hence being around during the day. In healthcare so no Christmas break. And when I was working days there were always colleagues happy to swap shifts if I needed a day off for something child related.

Never went out in my PJs though!

As I said, never a PAYE job. Cash in hand while claiming every benefit under the sun is dishonest.

Sorry yes you are right. I read it as never worked.

If you’re working & earning a certain amount you get 30 hours free childcare. There’s no excuse. I’m on maternity leave & returning in a few months I have a place for my child so I can return to work.

People seeing things everyday is much more reliable than fake stats yes. Stop gaslighting no one is falling for this crap anymore. Stop telling us things we know to be true aren't. If your lucky enough not to see it then good for you but don't tell others about thier own experience. Even the labour government have opened their eyes and seen the benefits system is a joke.

I don’t work and I’m unlikely to be able to. I was recently offered a 9-5 job temporarily, at a company I volunteer for to see whether or not they wanted to take me on. I was surprised at the offer and they really value me. Currently I just do my work when I feel able to then it gets submitted and we have a meeting once a month. I’ve had to decline their offer because I would malfunction and become very ill and I know my limitations. I don’t know what I have that causes it but my cognitive function varies, there are times I get very tired and become incoherent and say things that don’t make sense and don’t hear things correctly and that would cause problems. They’re aware of the issue and don’t want to force me to do too much. So I’m sticking with my volunteer work with them. Soon, I will also volunteer once a week or one every two weeks in a shop across the street.

I don't think it is as easy to 'work the system' as it used to be, things are more joined up now. UC for someone who isn't working is pittance and I'm surprised anyone can survive on it.

I do receive UC to top up my full time wage and I get more than min wage but it still isn't enough to support a family. Society is set up for two incomes per household now, if you are a single parent top ups are the only way you can manage unless you are on a decent wage. Most of the time the landlord gets most of it as UC payments are so high because rents are so high. The amount left to live on is enough but needs careful managing.

Yes so much in UC goes to landlords - yet somehow it is the sick/disabled fault for the dire financial straits the country is in.

Seriously bore off with these threads and find something more original to post to cure your boredom or to start a kerfuffle with.

I work and recieve universal credit handouts topups where are these people who can afford luxuries and holidays? And how do they do it? My boiler has been broken for 3 weeks and I can't afford to repair it any time soon. I haven't bought new clothes for years as I can't afford it and I've just used a birthday gift card to "treat" myself to new pants that I need.

The other week I felt guilty for spending £10 on a trip to a cafe as a treat for my son who had a great parents evening and got his second swimming badge. Are these the "luxurys" you mean OP? Something that brightened a very miserable time in our lives for about 30 minutes.

Sure I could work more but I have no family support, My sons dad abandoned us my hours fit perfectly around school hours and I have multiple disabilities which would make it extremely hard. Yet I'm not quite disabled enough for any help and not quite poor enough to qualify for anything other than a spare few pounds each month.

Does anyone else picture Donald Trump sitting bashing away at his keyboard with his stubby orange fingers whenever they see anything posted about "fake news" or "fake stats"?

Nope? Just me?

'Starter job', 'entry level job', to me and those with any ability to think, that's paper boy/ girl or Saturday job. A full time job is just that and insulting to the hundreds of thousands that have no choice to do the low paid but highly necessary jobs to call it 'entry'. Remember the pandemic when suddenly 'entry' was essential. Their lives were considered ok to risk while others were sat in their gardens on full / 80% wages.

In the past there were certainly career benefits claimants and I suspect those who still are are still on legacy. It may slowly change now.
I only knew one who never worked and was proud, he recently passed away in his late 80s. 60/70s Hippy, who stayed under the radar, had numerous kids with his wife and lived a simple but economically inactive lifestyle.Occasional cash in hand jobs supplemented their income.

I think a lot of youngsters do job hop, and anecdotally some are workshy and blaming the pandemic for it, claiming anxiety. The need to work just for more than pocket money pushes them into taking jobs, being a utter liability and getting fired. Repeatedly.
Anecdotally of course.

Indeed. My friend got the winter fuel payment as she was on UC ( zero hours contract ) and fucked off to St Lucia for 3 weeks on her mums money.
Literally no way of the government checking as all bought separately to her bank account. We are no longer friends.

She is very able and could hold down a proper job but prefers to use mums stash and take only the short term roles that appeal. Her current role is high status. They’d be shocked at what a grifter she is in real life.

You pretty much can. Last time I claimed job seekers a speculative CV counted as a job application.

Oh good grief, it must be at least ten minutes since we had a benefits bashing thread.
It doesn’t matter how often you tell people who don’t know how the system works, they will always know better because John next door’s third cousins niece is fiddling it coz Janet the other side of him told you.
Your anecdotes do not data make.
As for the Labour Party supposedly recognising that benefits are a scam; not really true, they’re just the only group that the country will accept monies being removed from because the hard of thinking reckon anyone on benefits is scamming. Who would put up with monies being removed from education, or the NHS to fund the military, but this way you can all convince yoursellves that it’s okay, they’re scamming, let them get off their arses and get jobs, without knowing a fucking thing about people on benefits.

I do think they need to look at the working hours requirement.
I work full time as a single parent with two dc, I had a friend complaining recently about being told she must increase her hours as she works the 16hrs, her rant to me was that she should be able to be there to drop off/pickup from school and that it’s unfair to deprive her of that just to get benefits. In her case it’s definitely a lifestyle choice which is funded by others who don’t get the same choice.

You call the official stat's "fake" (based on no evidence whatsoever apart from your anecdotes) and say I'm gas-lighting. I have never said there isn't a problem with the system or that there's no-one gaming it (plainly, since I posted the statistic of 2.8% of benefit overpayments being due to fraud) but you clearly have a problem with sticking to facts, preferring to make assumptions about people instead. 🙄

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9366/#:~:text=Key%20figures,the%20employment%20rate%20increased%20slightly.

Here's some figures for ya that undermine the notion that "everybody" knows someone taking the piss and has never worked a day in their lives carrying on a generational tradition of raking in benefits.

Threads like this are populist twaddle.

According to some of the venal simperers on here 50% of the working population are funding the other 50% to live the life of Riley watching flat screen TVs with their goats. And it just ain't true. Unless the gubmint be lyin of course. But that's a conspiracy theory and MN doesn't do those.

Also, full employment is actually not good for the economy and the markets. The markets are rigged, and the biggest wealth transfer to the already rich has been ongoing since Covid.

So tempted to use the clarion call if the tin foil hat brigade and say "WAKE UP SHEEPLE" because the divide and rule is working a treat in every direction.

I honestly despair.

Or reaping the obvious consequences of a generation of companies being told they’re not responsible for paying living wages…?