To feel the Disenfranchised have been Scapegoated.

[Gilead]

Just fed up with a society that has become so incredibly selfish. The vilification of disabled people and the drubbing of benefit claimants whilst managing to forget that most of the people on universal credit are working families. Forgetting that most pensioners have worked and saved all their lives, some still paying tax. And let’s not forget those lazy bastards who are putting on an act in order to get a ‘free’ car.
I predicted this was the way we were headed on mumsnet in 2010. Got called all sorts of names, but, at that point in time people were a lot more understanding of the issues encountered by the disenfranchised.
If you want to come on here and tell me you don’t want to pay extra for someone else to have kids you can’t afford, research it first, look at the (myriad) reasons for this, the figures, the number of women who had extra children during the period. Then think how it would be if you suddenly became disabled, or more severely disabled.
Im off with my carer in a bit. In my Citroen C3 that actually cost me a wee bit more because I had to pay for the wheelchair hoist as well as the (approx) 350 quid every four weeks to cover the lease, and the insurance.

It does seem like there are two systems operating in the UK. There are those who are working with a ‘good’ salary but being taxed heavily so living quite a Spartan life, and those on benefits who expect cash handouts for every little thing. The workers are living in today’s Britain, those on benefits living in Britain of the past which was much wealthier.

Yes. And because she gets the benefits it opens all sorts of other discounts /support.

I work long bloody hours in a public sector job (with commuting and parking costs on top)! and she basically breezes along buying things I couldnt imagine affording

Exactly this. I genuinely believe in the need for a safety net. I genuinely want to help those genuinely unable to work.

But the system is being grossly distorted and exploited.

And public sector workers and others who have barely seen their salaries rise for 15 years while all other costs go up are just utterly demotivated.

I don't know a single Labour voter who didn't expect taxes to rise.

The conservatives robbed as blind btw, and pocketed the money themselves.

Fwiw I didn't vote Labour

I don't mind too much paying more tax if it was spent in a sensible way. But I object to supporting large families and people who would do anything to get out of actually working for a living. Anc swanning around in luxury vehicles. Not on.

There was a woman in the question time audience recently who claimed that she gets PIP for anxiety bad enough to prevent her from working but had no problem going on tv and asking questions of politicians and robustly defending herself. I and many others who've struggled with anxiety all our lives see people like her as piss takers, if she can go on tv and debate politicians she can get a job, which btw would help her anxiety.
I know that this is just 1 example but its 1 of many and it's examples like this thats used to disparage everyone on disability benefits.
Yes certain MH conditions and severe asd mean some people cant work but far too many who could work wont even try because it would mean doing a low skilled job or 1 that they deem beneath them. I worked for decades in the hospitality industry and I've seen the entitlement and lack of work ethic grow amongst our younger generations exponentially since the Blair/Brown government's push for university education for all. We no longer teach real life skills or anything of any use anymore other than how to pass tests.
People throw about self diagnosis and shop for a dr who will agree with them instead of listening to the multiple professionals who tell them that they're normal and just going through normal life struggles (yes i know quite a few young people like this) and then theres the parents who decide that their perfectly normal child is asd because they've hit the terrible twos or tiresome 3s, there's posts on here all the time by these parents. Something needs to change in society to fix this and if that means stricter rules around what classes as a disability or how severely someone needs to be impacted to get benefits then so be it. I also believe that we need to split asd diagnoses again to differentiate between my asbergers friends, myself moderate to high functioning asd and my ds whos low functioning (yes I know outdated terminology but its more accurate than a one size fits all label)

I pay a lot of money into my pension, part of that is to take advantage of the legitimate tax benefits yes. I’m also handing over about £70k a year in tax plus a new £10k a year in VAT on my kids school fees. I’m more than paying my fair share.

Anxiety to a level that has a damaging affect is not normal. It is unfair to minimise serious anxiety.

@thewintergarden Nobody on benefits can buy a 50 grand BMW and this is exactly how the bad press starts and continues. There are no ‘free cars’. No discounted cars, motability is a charity who lease cars. Sometimes you can pay a non returnable deposit to get a larger car. For wheelchair Accessible vehicles there is almost always a hefty deposit and if you have a particularly large chair , a Mercedes van can be the only available option. I manage with a smaller car and hoist but if all cars are going to have a three thousand deposit, I will be housebound, again.

Basic uc is £400.14 power month and you lose 55p for every £ you earn until you earn the full allowance.
And before you mention housing benefit that doesn't even cover your rent in most areas if you privately rent so that extra comes out of your standard uc payment, does that really sound like living the high life or raking it in?

I also begrudge giving my money to those in need when their “need” arises from their poor life choices.

I think everyone who watched that question time thought that woman ought to have been working. It was pretty outrageous. But that’s how brazen people have become. It’s like an article the BBC posted a while back about PIP. One of the recipients admitted that she got cash that was supposed to go towards therapy and she just spent it on bills. She didn’t even have the intelligence to PRETEND she was putting the money to the right use. It’s like she didn’t even think she was supposed to spend it on getting better. Just so brazen. And galling.

There is nothing wrong with putting money into pensions to avoid a higher tax rate or wanting avoid the 62% tax trap between 100-120k. Those on that are harder living uber wealthy lives.

There is currently a cap on what people can sacrifice into pensions tax tree. Reducing that to TWO THOUSAND pounds is moronic. They are forcing more people to be dependent on the state instead of taking charge of their own lives.

People should he putting thousands into their pension. We currently have a huge pensions shortfall with fewer people having enough for retirement. Why on earth are you applauding that being worse? This also impacts those putting into their pension at a “normal” rate and disincentivises employer contributions. Making more dependent on the state pension.

(and people pay tax when they end up drawing their pension).

Add a few children into the equation and someone can be getting £1500 on top of their part time job. So £3000-£3500/pcm. Bringing their income neatly in like with the net income of a £50-60k a year job. Yet if someone on MN posts that they earn £50--60k a year and are struggling they are shouted at and told this is a high income -.and indeed ,they would be paying higher rate tax on anything over £50k yet the UC recipient gets this income untaxed.

I know.
I am looking at moving to the private sector (because of constant below inflation pay rises in the public sector) and my plan was to put a hefty amount into my pension so I can build up a cushion to retire early if my disability gets worse. It seems bonkers to deter people from saving to look after themselves

I'd love to see proof of that 😂

Same. I increased my pension contributions partly for tax but mainly to make sure I can have a sufficient retirement as current calculations are that I will have a shortfall (and that is ignoring the fact I am not on the property ladder….)

But apparently me trying to be responsible is a bad thing and I should instead have it to the government so they can hand me back a pittance in old age.

Pick your private sector well - last year I got zero payrise!

People are pissed off at the huge amount of grifters who are sucking at the tit of the welfare state. You are not one of them but for every one of you that isn’t, there’s around five that are.

No they won't their wages are deducted from their allowance so someone working 16 hours per week is earning £195 per week or £879 per calendar month so they wont get any uc without dc other than something towards their rent.
If they have dc then their wages are deducted from their award at a rate of 55p per £1 they earn

Thanks! I don't get where these lies come from when anyone can use a benefits calculator online and prove this isn't true

I’m sorry OP but I really hate posts like yours.

You expect everyone to have empathy with you, yet you show zero empathy for people who have put their heart and soul into a business, working hours that are most definitely illegal, only for the government to ruin their livelihoods with the stroke of a pen and a bullshit sound bite for the press.

Everyone should be united in reducing the welfare bill, it is astronomical. Even if it were cut to pre pandemic levels it would save £47 billion. There are many many many people taking the piss, it’s just fact, and posts like this don’t help this to stop,

Articles like this don’t help. Are they really that dimm they believe people with disabilities are living a life of luxury?😤🤬

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/pip-perks-being-scrapped-dwp-32938342?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAOUS9JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe48ni-fYwjERi7PwbvI7_VrVfhojcbvA81loFek8z_X0it1FtAvgAILR1nGk_aem_6x42TMaewraxsKYULSdwjg#Echobox=1764063665

I've seen their bank statements. They earn £2k a month and get £1.5k in UC. It's not a lie. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

But this is the issue isn’t it. They are working 16 hours a week safe in the knowledge the tax payer will pay ‘something towards their rent’. If they worked a few more hours they could pay their own rent.