To wonder what else can be done to break the cycle of generations living off benefits?

[Allonthesametrain]

Sounds harsh because It is. As a former teacher, then eduation social worker, now the past few years more heavily involved with school attendance.

My desire has always been to help children from unprivileged backgrounds to know their worth and achieve the best they can and this has been my career from age 23 to 57.

The number of times I've cried, torn my hair out, is immeasurable. I and colleagues have gone above and beyond to support the families, genuinely care about them, but unfortunately the outcome has been, as I've said in title, it's a continiation of the cycle of being brought up within a small community and low expectations.

So many gorgeous kids (supported throughout their young lives until they leave school) who tell you their dreams of what they want to to achieve in life, we do everything we can to enable it and some have indeed broken out of the circle but unfortunately the reality has been...

Parents who live lifestyles of no bedtime routine, tell their kids not to come back before ...pm, sleep in and don't get them out of bed ready and fed for school and as for weekends, pub and take back a new bloke

Parents who have issues themselves and project them onto DC. The kids soon realise they can stay off school for feigning illness and would actually be a comfort to Mum

The parents who just cba and say shall we just still in bed?

Of course there are so many other mitigating factors but these are the 3 main experiences we've dealt with. Unfortunately it really does come down to poor parenting and no matter what interventions we do to encourage attendance, only a minority are genuine.

So the cycle...DC think education isn't important, parents are hopeless role models and can often be aggressive to teachers, a deflection of blame.

Then oh DD gets pregnant at age 15, DS has been reprimanded by the police for scooting around in a balaclava. Then pure hostility when we try to continue to talk to them and what could be done to help.

Basically it's just such a shame, these sweet young kids who say they want to be ... become so influenced by their homelife, a need to fit in with their family and peers from the same estate, that they ignore the support we give them, don't turn up to appointments etc.

For the genuine cases, DC with SEN, the effort to try and ensure they are in best place is utmost and it's heartbreaking there aren't enough of them. Yes, we do know genuine cases and not just so many parents striving for a diagnosis because they feed DC a terrible diet and let them stay up late so are tired and irritable at school.

Expecting some backlash, whatever anyone says I can reason with.

Yes, all this thread has been is anecdata.

Yeah just move house when unemployed. These comments 🤣🤣🤣

Here in the county i live there are so many families that haven't had a parent working since the closure of the steelworks, the Pits and the death of the fishing fleet in the 1980s. Our area has little to no investment from either Westminster or Hollyrood. It would seem with many of the youngsters in the area it is a race to the bottom. My Nephew is leaving school this summer and not one of his friends have any intention of going onto further education or getting a job. My Nephew thought he would be doing the same but has been told in no uncertain terms that he will be going to college. Too many are left to fester.

Yep, like there is an abundance of rental properties out there right now 😂
Some people really have no clue.

That who I was responding to.

🤣🤣 so is the entire thread!!

Really? Just off the top of my head (when claiming UC and either not working or working under a certain amount of hours/earning under a certain amount) uniform grants, free school meals, college kit grants, school/college trips discounted/covered, warm home discount, water bill reduction, council tax reduction, free dental treatment, free optician appointments and a voucher towards glasses, rent all or partially covered, healthy start vouchers, sure start pregnancy grant etc. You don't get any of these?

Some people have no idea how expensive moving can be especially if (as I did because my current flat is half the size of my old one) if you have to buy new furniture, etc

If you want a job badly enough you can find one!

Are they. Is everyone on this thread calling me a scrounger? I'm reporting your comments. Enough is enough

I haven’t actually said that … it’s how you’ve taken it 🤷🏻‍♀️

No you were quite clear in what you said. You've made multiple posts attacking me and I have reported you.

Yep, when my DP moved, he was a few thousand down and that was just for deposits, removals etc. It also took him months to find somewhere. 30+ people looking at each property.

You’re right but it’s to try and help poorer people access culture e.g museums, art galleries, theatre etc. I’m not sure what the actual uptake is but those arenas are still incredibly middle class.

You don't automatically get free dental treatment nor do you automatically get warm home discount. In some areas you don't get council tax reduction either

You don't get free eye, free dental is only if you can get an NHS Dentists (none in my area). My local council doesn't offer reductions of council tax for uc. I don't have school age kids. I have a mortgage so not covered. I didn't even know you could get a water bill reduction? No i get nothing

But you tell everyone all your personal circumstances anyway?

I think the sure start grant disappeared when the tories got in so a bit outdated. Not sure regarding healthy start vouchers, also feel like that’s something the tories would have scrapped but maybe wrong. You’re right about the rest - free prescriptions, eye tests, voucher towards glasses, dentistry (although good luck finding an NHS dentist!), money towards uniform and trips etc.

It does seem stacked against people like me who worked really really hard to escape the poverty trap and now earns above the threshold for any sort of benefit. Having said that, I love my job and feel incredibly fortunate to do it. I would not have any sense of self pride if I didn’t work or worked in a low paid job.

You don't get free eye tests or glasses for being on uc

Op i agree with every word you say but you will get all the professional victims on here telling you how you are wrong and don’t know what you are talking about! Its exactly the same thing with my local foodbanks, the vast majority of those using them are not destitute or hungry! They are all the addicts, drunks and lazy people who use them to free up their benefit money for more interesting things ie: drugs, drink and cigarettes etc! We need to stop treating people like they are helpless victims and giving out benefits for every little reason! Work needs to pay and benefits should be bare minimum!

Sorry? My point was that I don't have to be attacked for it.

Sorry mis-read.

You do but only if you don’t work or earn very little. I’m also sorry for saying the sure start grant was removed, to my astonishment the tories kept it.

Ok. Can’t say I’m bothered … if the cap fits!

And you'll get people who do nothing but make personal attacks on people on benefits calling them lazy scroungers.