To wonder on the future of generous welfare in the UK

[happybug1234]

It seems increasingly obvious that many middle-income families are becoming frustrated at how squeezed they are financially, while at the same time seeing people on universal credit receive a growing range of subsidies and support — £1 attraction tickets on days out, a 6% rise in benefits this financial year, childcare costs reclaimable through Universal Credit, housing benefit, and so on. I see thread after thread on this on this site and also increasing momentum in the media on this issue (income cliff edges etc)

In my own extended family, 1 unemployed parent with the other on min wage, in social housing appear to have more holidays and more disposable income than we do, despite us both working full time with a household income of around £95k. Once childcare, mortgage, insurances, commuting and tax are taken into account, we 100% have a lower level of disposable income than they do as they do not have any of these work related costs and their rent is paid. They have recently gone on a 2 week holiday whilst the most we can ever afford is 1 week.

Quite a few teachers in my friendship circle are declining promotion opportunities or TLR because the extra pay often doesn’t feel worth the additional stress once tax, pension contributions and childcare costs are factored in. Instead, some are putting more effort into private tutoring, which is tax free cash in hand.

What is stopping the government from addressing this as people seek to be responding accordingly in their behaviour!

Inheritance tax isn’t applied to the entire amount. I forget exactly, but at least £300k for someone single, and double that for a widow/widower is allowed.

I do think you have a point.
When families working full time are struggling there is something wrong with the system.
I know of a family claiming full benefits getting £4k a month.

That’s impossible: https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap/benefit-cap-amounts.

Until it just is used to pay your care fees, which the person renting gets paid for free. If you're lucky enough not to need care, all goes in inheritance tax anyway! The system is set up so nobody can better themselves in any meaningful way

Not necessarily for young families today. You don't benefit from an increase in asset value, you still need somewhere to live and the costs for all property goes up.

Even average houses here can be £400k plus. People are taking longer to get on to the property ladder and are taking on longer mortgages to be able to afford them. I had a colleague with a mortgage into her 70s.

Then the government have almost all of your house value to pay for your care home.

My work offers private health care for certain things (none of my conditions) but its nowhere near where I live. But they certainly wouldn't pay my wages for years and years if I became to disabled to work im shocked that this is the norm. Im about 30 years of retirement age i couldn't imagine my work being like its ok we will pay you for the next 30 years even though you can't work anymore.

Can you post a breakdown of their benefits?

It's not fairly standard, at all. You live in a bubble.

You are on the wrong site for this - you will be 'destroyed' by virtue-signallers. Everything is mad in this country - veterans on the streets, migrants in hotels, etc. etc.
Today I was approached by Shelter chuggers in the street saying 'young people need council flats and there are not enough flats'. We had an amazing conversation. When I said that 'who the hell said 20-year olds are entitled to council flats', and 'why don't they live with their parents if they can't afford flats, that is what I did', the guy was genuinely surprised and looked at me as if I were from plant Zog. He feebly said 'many of them don't have a good relationship with their parents'. I said - 'I did not either, but I still lived with them until I could rent on my own privately'. The guy was gob-smacked. He seemed to think it is a crime if a 18-year old can't move out from his parents' straight into decent council accommodation.

As I said, the country is mad with entitlement. Absolutely mad.

But don't worry, it won't last for ever, this too, will end. I am not looking forward to it, because it will not be pretty.

What period are you actually referring to? Because family allowance/child benefit was a universal non-means tested benefit in the 80’s. It wasn’t means tested until 2013 when the limit was set at £50,000. There were still plenty of council houses in the 80’s and 90’s. And housing benefit was available long before universal credit.

I’m talking about my parent’s generation. Maybe you are younger but I am 50 and I didn’t get child benefit for my youngest child at all and only a couple of years for my oldest. Only got 15 free nursery hours from 3yrs plus. Whilst there is more childcare support now it’s not properly funded and prices have gone up so much (doubled in the last ten years at the nursery that I used) that people are no better off and still paying huge amounts in childcare. I wouldn’t get any support today (other than the 15 free hours at 3) as the position has worsened for high earners who can no longer get childcare vouchers and are not entitled to the tax free childcare, never mind the free hours. Of course I have heard of WASPI women but that generation of women were entitled to NI credits up until their youngest child was 16 (it’s 12 today) so you should have got credits whilst you were not working.

This situation won’t last forever with benefits. Everyone is struggling and eventually benefits will be cut. UC, PIP etc, esp for MH/ND, I am sure. If I lived off benefits, I would try and save every penny for the future up to the max allowed. And look for work if I could. It’s an uncertain future for everyone.

I think the poll tax was fairer than the extortionate council tax nowadays

So why is the poster saying she only has to work 16 hours until her child is 3?

Are there not many reasons why the benefits cap would not apply though? It seems that way looking at the site. Genuine question as I don't know how this works

I’ve had enough and decided that if I can’t beat them I’ll join them! I’m disabled and have 2 children with autism. Never claimed anything in disability as, to be honest, it doesn’t really cost us any extra. I’ve just lessened my hours to take me below the 40% tax rate and claimed disability for us all. Now we get just over £1000 a month free money essentially! I’m sick of working my arse off for the scroungers so I’ll have some of my money back!!

Because that is what the system says too.
She is perfectly entitled to work fewer hours and spend time with her baby.

Nothing will last forever as nobody will have a job in 10 years with the increase of technology and ai. Look around you business's are closing down left right and centre.

Im in my fifties No kids. And i well remember a time pre tax credits and pre minimum wage but after the Low Pay Unit had been disbanded when Job Centres back in the 90s were advertising jobs paying £1.50 an hour and £50 a week. Ive mentioned the latter on here before and some gaslighter insisted it must have been a training job for teenagers. I can assure you it wasnt. A £50 a week job would have been a disaster as my social rented flat was £48 a week. So £2 left for everything else. Tax credits then only for people WITH KIDS. What Gordon Brown did was level the playing field. Employers will not step up if tax credits/UC is stopped. They didnt last time as my experiences prove!

The company doesn’t pay their insurers do. Much in the same way that insurers cover you if your house burns down. Employer pays a little and can attract employees with their benefits package.

At least they’ve paid something into the system unlike many if the people from overseas who seem to be entitled to housing and benefits

Upto the age of 3 yes but after that you would need to be working full time. As when it was wtc it use to be until your kids where 16

Why do people care so much what other get?

We'd actually be eligible for UC if it wasn't for my redundancy payment. I'm not looking at what other people get, I'm happy we can manage and have, got the moment at least, some savings for emergencies.

Funny how the people complaining never seem to think fixing things so they'd be eligible would be to their advantage. Presumably they realise that long term they're the ones who'll be better off.

Yes but not all will have.

£325k and another £175k if you leave your house/flat to a direct descendant.

I've never heard of this in England. I've never had a job that will pay sick pay for more then a few months a year at most certainly not pay you for 30 plus years.