I think parents should not be better off on benefits then non parents…
I name changed to post because this thread has made me very very angry as it’s an utter pile of crap.
I worked from 13 years old, I worked full time 50 - 60 hours a week, I struggled finding a job because of my mental health conditions but after having 17 jobs in a row I found a job with a very supportive boss where I worked alone on night shifts and kept it for 16 years until company was sold.
The new bosses weren’t as understanding and willing to make adjustments so after a year my hours were cut from 55 to 8 meaning I was forced out.
When I lost my job I asked for financial help but it wasn’t enough to live on, I went to the council to beg for help and the woman I spoke to said “You could try having a baby, that’s the only way you will get any proper help”. This is the honest to god truth but I couldn’t have children even if I desperately wanted them as I’d struggle with my mental health issues too much to raise a child.
I managed to get a job… and another… and another… I had four jobs over two years, none of the managers were supportive and it was obviously all about money for them, I needed long hours to pay all the bills living alone so it was hard to cover these if I needed time off. My fifth job was great to start with, I had an amazing manager and I was happy, I worked hard ( I have always been a hard worker and no one has ever disputed this) the hours suited me and I thought I would be settled there for a long time.
The owner of the company employed another manager after a few months who changed things completely and spoke to me like shit, I started to struggle again and the final straw was when I found out I was paid significantly less than everyone else, most of the staff were young, more then half of them were teenagers and it was degrading and humiliating as I was doing the managers job after she dropped her hours, it was the final straw and I had a complete breakdown and had to give up working completely.
My conditions are: bipolar, OCD, eating disorders, ADHD, PTSD and I have very severe anxiety due to the bipolar and OCD. I also have physical conditions including arthritis, I won’t name the others as this is already outing but I was too angry to care.
I struggle to leave the house alone and haven’t been out for days, it’s beautiful weather and I’m stuck inside because I have severe panic attacks. After being raped and sexually abused I have PTSD and I’m nervous around men and I have PTSD from other trauma, the intrusive thoughts from OCD are worse when I go out. The ADHD and bipolar meds are often incompatible so the ADHD is unmediated.
When suffering mania from bipolar I’ve been arrested or done things that I hate myself for afterwards. These are the days I can actually get out of bed and get dressed, I often can’t, my partner had to reduce his working hours and become my carer, our relationship has changed and I hate that the most.
My best friend has physical disabilities, she’s in a wheelchair a lot of the time and has carers, she’s on 4 times the money I’m on because she has kids, she’s has said before she would prefer to be in her position then mine. She still goes out, has multiple holidays, is surrounded by friends and family and as she has a lot of funded care and support her partner and kids don’t have to help. Her kids have mild SEN and she gets benefits for them, she’s gets a huge amount of maintenance from her very wealthy ex husband and he pays for most things (including multiple holidays and cars) so she has a large house in a beautiful area whilst I have a one bedroom flat.
I get UC and PIP but it’s just enough to live on, sometimes I have to put food on credit cards the week before I get my benefits, I don’t know why people seem to think you get money thrown at you - I was far better off working.
I would love to go back to work more than anything, I miss the routine and I enjoyed working, I miss having banter with colleagues and having money to spend on myself. Unfortunately my physical problems are getting worse and that makes it even harder to find suitable work.
I hope people have read this far and found an accurate representation of what life on disability benefits is really like. I have attempted suicide multiple times, I struggle with my identity with not working - I’m not a mother, I don’t have a job title, my parents are dead and I’ve no family so I’m no longer a daughter and I’m not a sister or aunty, I often feel like if I ceased to exist no one would notice except my partner. I often feel it’d be a relief for him.
I read threads like this which I’m 100% sure are bullshit, the OP doesn’t add up for a start with the list of benefits and the idea that the OP has so much financial insight into multiple people’s lives.
This has been posted to wind people up and turn them against a minority in society who are already struggling and find daily life challenging. I have turned it back on parents just to show how easy it is to focus on any group and make out that they are better off. Just to be clear I don’t believe anyone with kids gets more then they are entitled to, I was using this as an example as I guessed the majority of people reading this post have kids.
Instead of questioning why people on benefits might get a similar amount of money to people on minimum wage (it’s only more if they have kids to support in most cases or need additional care) then start to ask yourself why? Do people of benefits not need a minimum wage to live? We still have the same outgoings, housing benefit pays the rent, council tax benefit pays council tax, the rest goes on water, gas, electricity, food etc…
Minimum wage increased by 6.7% this year, my benefits increased 3%. All my outgoings went up including a steep rent hike that the benefit increase didn’t cover, my housing benefit only covers 3/4 of my rent, the local authority rate is much lower then a non council property would cost to rent and with no kids that’s impossible for me to find.
The next time you think to compare the financial differences between people with mental health disabilities on benefits and people who work, stop yourself and focus on the quality of life instead. Would you swap with me for any amount of money?
Sorry I quoted the OP! That was an accident but at least it was a short OP as it was just designed to wind people up.