To think the benefits system is humiliating, yet we blame people for not taking low-paid jobs?

[ThatSassyWriter]

People say those on benefits should just ‘get a job’ but the process of claiming can be degrading and many jobs don’t even pay enough to be worth it. Isn’t this a contradiction?

Eh?

It’s not about whether it’s “worth it”, anyone who can get a job to support themselves, should be, instead of leaching off other people. So sick of the sense of entitlement over other people’s money.

Not a contradiction. You are bringing together two different (albeit connected) problems but not contrasting ideas.

The most you've done is highlight that it's not as simple as "get a job" in an almost nonsensical way.

If the process of claiming is degrading, then surely getting a job is worth it, you get your dignity back?

Many lower paid jobs still allow people to claim some form of benefits, especially if there is children in the household. This can mean someone in a low paid job technical has an income equal to a higher paying one.

People have unrealistic expectations about work, especially young people. They feel entitled to a satisfying, rewarding career without understanding it's hard work earning that.

Anyone who can work should work unless they have independent means or are truly too disabled to do so. I'm disabled and work, I get annoyed when I see people much less ill than me claiming they can't work.

Of course it is, but if the wage is so low you can't make ends meet, what then? Thankfully UC allows a top up in some cases.

Do you have a job?

Goodness me. I'm on benefits- universal credit and child benefit. I'm a single parent and I work full time safeguarding children. It's a lower paid job than if I went somewhere else, even as a qualified professional.

Did you know that a high proportion of universal credit claimants are in work?

Oh, and it's an area that is difficult to recruit into.

I get what you’re saying and I agree that for many people, working can bring a sense of dignity, structure, and pride. But it’s not always that simple.

When a job barely covers basic living costs especially after childcare, transport, or losing access to certain benefits, it can feel like running in place financially. And that’s assuming you’re treated well at work, which isn’t always the case in insecure or low-paid roles.

So yes, claiming benefits can feel degrading but so can working full-time and still not making ends meet. I think the real issue is that people are often forced to choose between two bad options.

Yes. You get topped up.

I was trying to point out that ops argument makes no sense:
Claiming benefits is demeaning, therefore people shouldn't apply for low paying jobs.

Dunno. Maybe she'll come back and clarify

Yes I agree, life can be very difficult and sometimes neither option seems for best, totally get that.

Work, however, often leads to improved circumstances. Benefits really never does. So work wins for me

I didn't find claiming JSA humiliating in the slightest. Fill in an online form, go and see the advisor at the job centre, answer a couple of questions about how my job search is going, money paid into my account a few days later, what's the problem?

£100 a week with help towards rent council tax prescriptions dentists school meals etc goes further than £200 a week not much help with the rest of it

Tax credits still gave you free prescriptions and dentists on universal credit the cut off is lower making work unsustainable for people needing high medical intervention

It's not the benefits that are attractive it's the add ons basically

Yes and I think that’s where things get really complicated - UC top-ups can help and for some people they make work just about viable. But the system is so unpredictable, slow and difficult to navigate that a lot of people don’t feel secure relying on it.

Plus, the tapering effect often means people only keep a fraction of what they earn and that’s before factoring in things like travel costs, childcare, or unstable hours. So while top-ups exist in theory, in practice they often don’t provide the kind of stability or incentive that actually helps people move forward.

I don’t think people want to be out of work but the way the system is structured, it sometimes ends up making work feel like a punishment rather than a step up.

I was idly looking through the advertised jobs in my local area yesterday and was horrified at the low wages. I’m pretty well paid for my current role but if the worst happened and I was made redundant, there is no way I could make ends meet on the wages offered. A 40 hour week on NMW would barely cover my modest way of life and as a single person with no dependents I’d not be entitled to any benefits.

I do but I don’t think that should be a prerequisite for having an opinion on how the system works especially when it affects so many people.

You can understand structural issues, observe patterns, or care about fairness without needing to personally “qualify” to speak. Isn’t that the whole point of these discussions?

If people can work then they should have to and not get free money from taxpayers

Better wages all round are needed for many lower paid jobs. Don't get me started on zero hours contracts!

Our former government were fond of saying that you’d always be better off (financially) working than claiming benefits because of top-up benefits, etc.

Except it was a big fat lie.

Yes, on paper your income will be higher, but factor in the costs of working (transport, childcare, suitable clothes) and for many it results in a loss. Even with childcare subsidy, etc.

And that’s before you get onto the additional stresses that come with working, such as whether trains/buses are in time (or if they even turn up at all), whether you can afford to keep your car on the road, your childminder calling in sick or nursery/wraparound care shutting for a day. These may be normal stressors for many people but if you’ve been previously on benefits and part of the reason was mental ill health, this can feel completely overwhelming and a huge barrier. Add in the drop of income and it’s unsurprising to me that some of our probably capable but more vulnerable members of society just give up.

Public transport and child care provision in this country are seriously lacking in terms of availability, reliability and affordability. Addressing this would go some way towards helping people back into work, as would better mental health support.

I’m glad your experience was straightforward, genuinely. But that’s not the reality for everyone.

Some people find the process dehumanising - the constant proof, the suspicion, the fear of sanctions over small things, the way you’re spoken to. It often depends on which advisor you get, your background, the area you’re in, and the complexity of your situation.

For many, it’s not just ticking a box - it’s feeling like they’re being judged or reduced to a number. So while it’s great that it was smooth for you, I think it’s important we don’t assume that’s the norm across the board.

It's not "leeching". The benefits system is supposed to support us when we find we need it.

I agree that anyone who can work should work. I also think that anyone who is an employer should pay their employees enough money to live on.

Yes I agree but in most cases that is what happens. If someone is capable of work then they aren't able to live off benefits indefinitely .unless they are going to play the system like claiming they live alone when they don't or claim they are unemployed but are secretly working cash in hand.

Every job pays minimum wage at least which is much higher than it used to be and entry level jobs are just that, those with few skills need to improve their skill set before they are worth more to their employer. It is simply not acceptable to chose to live off benefits because you see entry level jobs as not worth it, many people work darn hard and pay their taxes and they don’t do it so you or anyone else can choose to live the easy life at their expense.