To think benefits need to be cut to fund increased spending on defence

[Viviennemary]

This is absolutely necessary. Keir Starmer shouldnt have backed down the last time. But now with the current situation with Russia drastic steps need to be taken. We simply can't afford to sustain the current benefits bill with the armed forces so depleted. The money is needed to increase defence.

Are you really not aware?
Lets give you just one example.
Parents have 7 children. Mum and Dad together, but dad claims to live with his Mother as they are ‘separated’.
Mum doesn’t work.
Dad works as builder.
Full benefits for a single Mum and 7 kids. Dad bringing in a good wage……
The teenage children get hacked off as mum stays in bed in the morning. They don’t like their parents leaving them on their own to go on holiday, whilst they are looked after by Grandparents.
The good thing is they have a fabulous 5 bedroom detached house, paid for by the local authority.

I’ve actually just put our info “entitled to” if either me or
dp drop to 16 hrs a week, and the other stops work entirely… this is our benefit’s entitlement apparently.. nearly £2100 a month and the wages from 16hrs a week? Why the chuff are we working?!

I don't either.

And the above is only for 2 dc!

But people won’t believe you…..

Nothing wrong with a safety net for those in need.. but it’s people who abuse the safety net and make a “lifestyle choice” to live on benefits supported by all those pesky higher rate taxpayers who should really be delighted and grateful to support them.

The DLA/PIP forms are complicated. There is nothing wrong in getting help in how to word things if the words you are using are actually describing how things are.
People get similar help with CVs. It is not lying.. it is just using the correct terms to get your point across. I had help with my forms. If I was left to do it myself, it would have been a rambling mess.

Who are they then?

I find it hard to believe because I am on benefits and it is so far from my reality.

I would not trust those sites. When I put my details in, it came out with more than I actually got when I actually applied at the Job Centre.

There used to be a book available, entitled The Bumper Book Of Government Waste. Must check to see whether there’s an updated version.

@Kirbert2 well he was physically affected & also had PTSD - but just cracked on. I don’t know that sitting at home would have suited him anyway. Nowadays he would be classed as disabled. But he managed to cycle to work & did a hard manual job. I don’t think it was easy. I’m just using him as an example of how people can work if they have to.

As long as what is said in the DLA forms is correct and accurate, what is wrong with getting help in how to say it when it is such a long, overwhelming and complicated application process?

My child was in hospital at the time. I took all of the help I could get including online and from hospital social workers.

I think you missed the point about zero hour contracts. Get 4 hours work in a week, and you can't get a job elsewhere incase you get offered more hours... and if you turn them down you risk not getting more.
If you are in a cushy FT job then you are privileged because the job market out there right now is bloody awful.

Then why are they allowed to stand? If they are actually lying and giving incorrect information, why haven’t the government stopped them?

You probably never come across these people.

He's one person. As I said, many came back and didn't ''crack on'' at all because they couldn't.

Thankfully people get more support now.

Yep.
I have a friend with a little boy with ADHD/ASD (and MN hates them too if they get DLA), and she took ages filling in his DLA forms. She spends all the time telling him how amazing he is, and has to tear him down and do the opposite on the forms.
It is gruelling and it is hard. If there is help on how to word things, you grab it. I really do not see why some people think that is cheating when you see people on here go on about using AI etc to write CVs.

Surely these things need to be verified by professionals rather than just taking what a parent put in a form. I realise that nursery/ schools can have an input in diagnosis of ASD and ADHD but does this also include claims for DLA?

One of things which the page talked about was failure to toilet train. Surely your Health visitor should have some input into that, if you needed support you could go to them as a first port of call.

I am not the person to ask that. But the best way to see what you are entitled to is to actually apply.

I'm on benefits. Surely if anyone was to come across 'these people', it would be me?

Why would they tell you?

That is already the case. Evidence from medical professionals is required to back up what is said on DLA forms.

Schools can write in part of the DLA forms but they have no say on the outcome of the DLA decision and it is optional.

Why is it anyone on MN who goes on about benefit mum's with SUVs and tattoos, nails, going on 8 trips to the Maldives a year etc. seems to know the ins and outs of what those people are claiming.
So, what are they claiming? Have they showed you their UC journal? Their bank statements?

I am on UC and most of my social circle are. We rarely talk about benefits and what we get. We have more interesting things to discuss TBH.
So why are strangers with SUVs and gel nails telling you about their finances?

Apparently they can't wait to tell you from what I've seen on here.