To see benefits as a safety net, not handouts?

[ForGreyStork]

It’s the way benefits are talked about. To me, they’re part of a social security system -a safety net that people may need at different points in life, rather than “gifts” or handouts.
I also wonder whether increasing conditions and restrictions risk undermining that safety net over time.

AIBU?

Right, so by your own admittance, you’ve zero idea who is genuine and who is not?

As a single person, no dependents, no disability whatsoever what’s an actual issue? I don’t believe anyone in this circumstance needs benefits.

Neither do you.

Well, the DWP agrees with you.
Someone with no carer commitments, kids, or disabilities... is expected to work all hours to live.
Is that what you want to hear?

Are you this suspicious in all areas of life? Must be exhausting never taking anyone on face value, always thinking the worst of people.

No, I assumed you thought it was an issue. Hence, my comment.

I think they no need benefits TBH. They are just left to struggle.

Any reason they can’t be responsible for themselves? Are you in that position?

How is someone on NMW meant to be "more responsible"? a Lot of NMW jobs are vital.
I know better than to talk about my own personal position on here.

I think our current system removes incentive to get better or improve our situations.

My meighbour is a straight up alcoholic and receives full disability elements for being an alcoholic. In his mind, why would you get better to then no longer be eligible fro PIP and LWCRA and other disability benefits therefore needing to work full time? That idea is so overwhelming to him he has no desire to get better and will just drink until he dies.

I'm a lone parent receiving UC support but I do work and am trying to build a career.

I also work a job supporting parents of C+YP 0-25 with SEND. There is a HUGE issue this time of year when the parents start to realise the huge financial impact of their children leaving education and no longer receiving all the related child and disabled child elements. It's quite scary how little too many parents prepare for this.

How and why do you know so much about how and why your neighbour gets benefits? Has he shared his medical records and PIP assessment result with you?
Alcoholism is not something someone chooses, and its effects can be very disabling, and even fatal. No one chooses that.

I think there always needs to be an element of helping yourself out. I wouldn’t rely on anyone but myself. I’ve struggled and worked quite a few jobs to get me through. I’d expect anyone else to do the same.

My point is that NMW should be enough to live on. It used to be. Some people are not capable of more, and they should not have to live in poverty.

Anyone else? Anyone at all, regardless of current or past circumstances? They could all do what you did?

Yeah, I used to live quite happily on NMW. Now it is not enough, and anyone on NMW is somehow at fault for not trying hard enough to better themselves.

I do completely agree. However, when you have only yourself to look after I think there is always a way.

Not always.

Tbh your neighbour isn't getting disability benefits because he's an "alcoholic". It'll be because of how his health conditions affect him, like everyone else who claims PIP etc, no matter how much individuals approve or otherwise of how those health conditions come about. Alcohol addiction isn't about "choosing" or being motivated to change. Do you think people want that kind of grim decline and painful death? It's not pretty, let's say, and I doubt it's the thought of all that lovely PIP and LCWRA money that stops people wanting to recover.

Also interested, since you support families with SEN, to know how you think they should avoid that cliff edge. How are they to prepare when, by definition, having a child or children with disability often means parents can't work or can't work very much. It sounds as though you think they should be doing more - what does that look like?

Imagine if everyone thought they were too good for minimum wage jobs!

Or, let's look at it in a happier light. Imagine if nobody had any adverse events, low-level disabilities, health problems, trauma, imagine if we could all just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and "better ourselves"?

Truth is, I've dug myself out of a difficult situation in recent years, no need to go into too many details. And I still don't think that I did it so everyone else can too, because I recognise my privilege (own house, supportive family, education) and my frankly damagingly (to myself) tenacious autistic personality. Never giving up is not always the best thing to do.

I think we’re going to have to disagree. I was single, no dependents, minimum wage job. Even less in one job because it was cash in hand. Lived in one room.

Now I have children. Husband. Elderly parents. I could not do what I did 25 years ago. That’s the difference for me.

Please tell me how I can talk myself out of multiple organ failure, brain damage, bipolar and bpd id love to know?

I think you’ve jumped the gun. The comment I’m replying to is no disabilities, no dependents etc working a minimum wage job and how they are supposed to get by with no benefits. I’ve been in that position and am replying how I managed it.

Plentiful and bought-by-those-fortunate-enough-to-have-a-secure-tenancy, council housing! No one forced tenants to buy, but human nature being what it is…. Many who bought were better off tenants, on the nicer estates, who could have bought privately. They would have become tenants before lettings policies were based on need. I remember my manager at the time being very happy at his bargain buy.

I later worked in social housing, and thought when Blair was elected in 97 he’d stop Right to Buy. But he didn’t. Housing associations and other social housing providers were expected to replace much of the housing stock, but they didn’t. Hence the shortage of affordable, secure rentals now.

I agree. Not Bristol, but when I first moved out I was earning £19,000/year and my rent for a 1 bed flat was £550/month (in around 2003). Tight, but perfectly doable.

The same flat was recently rented out for £1,200/month. The current salary for the job I was doing back then is around £25,000/year.

That’s the issue. It’s not that people aren’t working hard enough. It’s that costs for the basics have completely outstripped pay.

It is atrocious that a single person working full time on NMW is barely scraping by!
I know a lady who has 20 years of experience working with horses. She is highly qualified, yet earns only slightly above NMW.
She is also single.
She lives hand to mouth, has to rely on her parents to help her when occasional expenses come in, had to ask her parents to lend her enough money to buy an old 2nd hand car when her car was not economical to repair anymore.
Her boots have holes in them, she can't afford to heat her one bedroomed flat, she scans the supermarkets for yellow sticker foods, and has to resort to working 60 to 80 hours a week to try to keep her head above water.
She now has multiple health issues from the nature of her work yet doesn't qualify for PIP, and is left with no option but to keep going.
Her morale is very low.
Her wages are standard for her profession, so even if she did go elsewhere, the pay likely wouldn't increase.
Her only other option is to work in a completely different field, where she would probably earn NMW.
The COL is too high for most single people to afford to live.
It's 2026 and some women are holding onto relationships that have run their course, or in some cases, are toxic, because they cannot see how to make ends meet as a single woman!
No one should feel forced by finances to remain in a relationship in order to be able to afford basic bills and eat every day!!