To think it's a bit harsh to say people who've never worked shouldn't get benefits?

[DonaldBiden]

Was reading another thread where many were saying if someone has never worked they shouldn't get any benefits but couldn't comment because it had reached 1000 comments.

I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I don't agree because that would include young mums who can't work because they have a baby to look after. Most of them will get a job when their child is a little older. Why are they any different from older mums who've fallen on hard times and need help?

And I know people will say it's because they've never worked and haven't proven themselves unlazy etc and could be on the dole forever but why should they have their lives ruined just because of something people think MIGHT happen.

"Who's looking after millions of children of other working parents."

The people that some on this thread are saying should have worked harder at school and don't deserve to have kids of their own.

Strangers, as the parents obviously couldn't afford to have them.

Exactly. Another example of a really important job that should require better training and better pay.

I don't understand what you're trying to say in context of benefits.

Train as a midwife and come back and let us all know if you feel the same way.

It's well known that NHS workers are disproportionately hit by decrease in pay because of how tax is paid. Would you work and extra 25 hours in a labour ward every month for a net pay increase of £96.

People bay for higher taxes and then balk when higher earners choose to work less. It's maddening.

You may be working 50-60 hours per week but I doubt you're paying as much in taxes as you think.

Why have children and farm them out to strangers? It's because you couldn't afford to have them. Like the 16 year olds who are getting lambasted on here.

I couldn't afford my children??? My DC were privately educate all through my salary and I was highest rate tax payer until I retired precisely because for Labour taxes.

Actually, I agree with the poster. She is putting her child first. Many parents put their lifestyle before their children. Money.

NHS aren't disproportionally hit, everyone pays the same tax rates according to their income.

Of course that poster makes choices which are best for her, but the system which enables such choices is deeply flawed.

Who spent most of the day with them?

No birth control, coercion and rape

I think reform might be fishing around for reactions, to guide future policy decisions.

Utter bollocks - the pill is not 100% effective for starters!

I have drilled this into my 17 year old, double up unless you’re prepared to end up with a child.

If she refuses “because she’s on the pill” then you explain that the pill is not 100% effective and that you’d rather not take the risk. If she still isn’t happy then she’s not the kind of girl you want to be doing it with and you walk away.

More money needs to be pumped into closing the gap from birth, we have one of the greatest childhood disparities.
When you look at Sweden, which has one of the most generous benefit systems, and high levels of taxation; there is a consensus that benefits are a right, rather than a privilege. The decades of pumping in money to maternal care, childcare and early education means that children born there are on a much more level footing from birth. There is a very strong societal attitude that everyone should contribute and unemployment benefits are for the sick. However, there are conditions/sanctions upon receipt of benefits that would be considered a violation of rights in the UK.

Agenda is very simple - 10% of top taxpayers pay 30% of all taxes, 30% of taxpayers pay 60%.
Welfare is top spend item.

Those who still pay are being squeezed ever more and are now giving up. It can't continue anymore. Thanks to ever growing welfare we don't invest in any services anymore, taxes go up, economy doesn't grow, living standards decrease for everyone. This is real agenda, not immigration.
If people felt better off they wouldn't react to this nonsense about several thousands of people on boats.

They are disproportionately hit because of the salary bands and what money you take home when you cross the bands. The jump from 20-40% tax is significant in take home pay. The working hours as a midwife in the NHS are deeply unsociable with night shift being mandatory. When you cross 100k the jump in tax is a rate of 60% tax until you earn 125k. Not all jobs are equal - someone in finance has a very different day than an ER midwife.

At some point it was one of these midwives who helped with the birth of her own children.

Not all jobs are created equal. You can tell yourself whatever you like but the issue here isn't that UC exists. It's actually that the way people are taxed often disincentives them to work unless the pay increase is significant enough to make the quantity of work economically worthwhile.

Of course people should be able to receive benefits even if they haven't work. PIP is for people who can't work due to disability or illness.

However, there are long term unemployed people who able to work but fiddle the system, these are the people who need looking into.

Precisely!
Service are for everyone, not like here top earners don't get free childcare hours whilst sponsor said hours for everyone else. Like some state schools won't let better off children to join, like this:
KCLMS Admissions Policy 2026
HWSF-Admissions-2025-26-Policy_v1.pdf

And benefits in Scandi are time limited and based on previous contributions, unless truly disabled, not self certified.

Swear as much as you like, your ignorance AND privilege is showing. ‘Anyone can work their way out of a situation’ - what does this even mean? How can someone work themselves out of grinding poverty, disability, debilitating mental health issues, stigma and discrimination?

As I said, working hard = success is a fallacy. We live in a society with myriad health and social inequalities, which ‘working hard’ won’t change. It’s a systemic failure, not a personal one. You can shout and swear all you want but it won’t change that.

That’s not just an nhs issue though

All working people are affected by these bands if their salaries reach the higher tax thresholds.

You didn't answer my earlier question: what actions did I take that resulted in me getting a brain tumour and being unable to work?

You don't think it's privilege that you don't have a brain tumour or other condition that prevents you from working?

Please stop referring to people that disagree with you as ignorant.

If hard work at school has no impact do you think we should stop sending poor children to school then and save a fortune. Do you think it is still the 1800s? What utter tosh. Even the labour understand the way to reduce poverty is education.

Privilege is one of those phases people use to shut down others they disagree with.

I am referring to you as ignorant, due to your ignorant posts. Not ‘other people’.

Do you deny the existence of health and social inequalities? And the fact these inequalities make it harder to get an education?

Your assumption there is that everyone else will feel the same, realise they are pregnant early enough, have access to a sympathetic GP and/or abortion clinic, understand time limits to getting an abortion, aren’t living in chaos including mental health or addiction issues and have the freedom to access the health services they require.