To think people who talk about benefit claimaints negatively, but claim Working Tax credits (as do 9 out of ten families with children) are hypocrites

[harrietanderson]

People who talk about benefit claimants and scroungers negatively, but chances are they are claiming Working tax credits themselves are hypocrites.
9 out of 10 families with children qualify for this state benefit but still don't consider themselves to be state/taxpayer supported when in fact they are!

the difference is that they are working, harriet.

Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh are you a journalist?

I see where you're coming from (I hate all this benefit bashing that goes on) but you must see that there is a big difference between getting some small financial help when you work and pay for childcare... and getting income support/housing benefit...?

very true expat.

9/10? Wow.

Agree with you that it is hypocritical. Yes, they may well be working but that doesn't give anyone the right to look down on anyone else.

Whether you work/don't work/have a trust fund, no-one should use money as a reason to despise others.

aside from the fact that it's an interesting troll first post, FAQ .

Its ok IMO if they are working and its being topped up as they are still doing thier part to support themselves/family, but i get pissed of with families where no one workes and all thier imcome is benifits, unless of course there is a good reason i.e disabillity why they can't get a job.

So it's a deserving poor/undeserving poor split is it? How very nineteenth century

yeah, 9 out of 10 families with children are making the £15000 or under threshhold for WTC, edam.

i was suprised at that stat, too.

errmmm...there are lots of things that are state benefits - NHS, schools etc. Everyone benefits from the state.

However some people contribute back to the state and others don't - and that is the root of negative views

aha - thanks for pointing that out Expat - I'm supposed to be heading upstairs to make it accessible for the estate agent when they come to do the valuation on Friday - and I would probably have been dragged into a debate if you hadn't pointed it out [grin[

I'd agree with the others on here - there's a difference between "living on benefits" and getting a topup to enable you to work. Not that I think people whose circumstances mean they have to live on benefits are automatically scroungers either, there are many reasons why people are in that situation.

Harriet, I agree. But anyone who looks down on those who claim benefits have an unhealthy attitude, anyway imo.

They may be working, but they are not entirely self supporting/providing.
It was the benefit bashing on another thread which made me think of this - a real pet peeve of mine.
I do see the difference but they are still benefit claimants in my opinion as they are getting something.
I know one particular woman (she and her husband both work)and she is always slating benefit claimants, but she and her husband receive money because they have three children, childcare costs etc.

Welcome to MN, harriet.

I see you just joined us and this is your very first post.

Welcome to MN, harriet.

I see you just joined us and this is your very first post.

I don't think the OP is a troll but a journo with a tight deadline.

I am too busy getting on with my life to ave these kind of judgements about other parents anyway. 9/10 parents feel the same way, apparently.

i think the clue is in the title... "working" tax credit.

its when there is no effort to work or be educated or seek further opportunities.

its when it is a lifestyle to be on benefits.

if someone works and gets working tax credit - good for them

i am glad my tax pays for that huzzah for the welfare system

It's not fair to assume someone is a troll just because their first post is on a controversial topic.

As I understand it, working tax credits etc are in effect the replacement for the married couples' tax allowance and transferable tax allowances, so they aren't really benefits at all, they are rebates of tax that the recipient (or their partner) has already paid. That is a bit different from receiving benefits without ever actually contributing in the first place (and no, I don't think that is an accurate description of all benefits recipients, but definitely of some).

and the other key is '9 out of 10 families with children' qualify for it.

wow. that's a whole hell of a lot of low income families out there.

most of the UK, in fact.

earning £15,000/pa or less.

'there's a difference between "living on benefits" and getting a topup to enable you to work.'

Assuming that the person who is 'living on benefits' is unable to work/unable to get a job, what is the difference, exactly?