to not give a flying fuck if people claim benefits or work as its none of my buiness since the government would still take the same amount of tax of me.

[pingping]

Bored of all the stupid threads slating single parents and people on benefits thats what the benefit system is there for people whom need it may that be a single parent or a person that has lost a leg.

Why do so many people care so much what other people are doing it really has no effect on your life regardless if you think that if people didn't claim benefits we wouldn't pay that much tax.

The chances are we would still pay as much tax as Government would put the money into something else like bailing out the pissing banks for a start.

I for one would rather my taxes go to someone that needs it to survive and live then to the banks.

actually I disagree with you ( surprise huh )
It does matter as much as anything else because ofthe very point you make.
Benefits are from a specific and limited pool of money.
the wankers that take it when it is not an actual need are depriving a decent amount of money going to the very people who need it.

Go an have a look at how much someone caring for a dying relative gets in the way of carers allowance and then tell me that it doesn't matter that the pool gets filched.

Personally though I get more irritated that successive govts seem happy to let tossers like Murdoch pay virtually zip

Well im a lurker but i know of someone who doesn't feel she can contribute to the site at the moment because of the constant SMOB bashing.

I think its because we are having such a hard time as a country right now.
the grass is always greener and the media don't helpo because they are constantly printing poorly researched stories of how much people get in benefits and some scrounging couple with 42 kids.

Or improving the NHS or education.
I think most resaonable people accept that there are those in our community who genuinly need help, it's those that abuse the system that really bothers tax paying people. I certainly don't want to support someone's choice to not work because they don't want to. Why do you think that's ok?

but there is a difference between those who make a frauludant claim and those who are reveiving the benefits they are entitled to.

I don't think anyone would have a problem if people came on to moan about the guy down the road claiming sickness benefit then going to work as a scaffolder. but the threads that i have seen seem to be particularly aimed at single parents.

Like they don't have enough to concern themselves with

I thought it was very interesting on Bremner Bird and Fortune the whole bit about lots of financial people barely paying any tax on their incoming (only 5 or 10%) whilst their cleaners are getting charged the standard 22% because the government was too scared to up taxes on those particular types of investment and drive their business away from the city.

I think no one begrudges benefits being paid out as a temporary solution in order to tide people over in desperate circumstances because that is what it is for. People object to it being misused as a long-term cop-out type solution to life's battles. The idea is that it is a safety net and you get out of it at some stage , IF YOU CAN, and not a hammock.

Some people really do have little choice and will be on benefits long-term. Personally I find that ok. There are definitely plenty of people seeing it as the more comfortable option, so why bother struggling with work and everything else?

I think the govt only has so much money to distribute though. If less was going on benefits, presumably more would be available for national health (no more waiting lists for operations? Some people who are not dying might then not be because they get an op in time), more money for schools, more money for after-school care, care for the elderly etc etc

I don't agree with people abusing the system but I don't see why so many people are upset when someone does need the system. No one knows what there future holds and you can plan to have children with the most wonderful person and 5 years down the line they could switch on you or cheat or leave you and the only choice you have is to go on to benefits.

As for improving the NHS well it needs great improvment but the government keep feeding it money and I don't see that much change. I still struggle to get a Dr's appointment let alone the state of some of the hospitals in and around my area.

Thankyou ilookbetterwithdrink that was what my point was.

well said pagwatch

these threads are insulting to those on benefits and show a real nasty narrow DM side to some posters on this site

Actually I think very very very few people on here do have any issue at all with people claiming the benefits that they genuinely need. Do they?
I have no problem at all with anyone claiming benefits in times of need. That is what it is there for

And do the people who object usually return their child benefit?

I don't think people tbh get that upset about people who need benefits receiving them. I think we all would rather live somewhere where more people than perhaps strictly deserving of them receive benefits than somewhere where people who need help don't get it.

Plenty of places like that in the world. I don't want teenage mothers having to turn to prostituion or any of that kind of thing and neither does anyone in the UK I'd expect.

I just think that with a lot of tax payers what rankles is the change in attitude. I don't know but I think back when I was growing up people would have struggled hard to avoid landing on benefits (although it isn't always avoidable whatever you do), whereas nowadays it sometimes sounds like peope feel they are ENTITLED to it. Well I dunno, look around the world and imagine you were in Ethiopia or Thailand or somewhere what your life would be like without benefits.

pagwatch have you missed all the threads there is loads on AIBU

I don't go on the AIBU threads at all really, they always go mad

Both my grannies found themselves widowed with young children and both had to go out to work to pay the rent/put food on the table and both said it was a terrifying time. Both said they cried buckets and were afraid they'd be chucked out of their home.
The benefits system was set up for precisely those women and I think it is a poor and mean society that begrudges those in need.
That said no one should be encouraged to rely on benefits in the long term. Not becuase it is somehow cheating the tax payer but becaus eit is dehumanising for that person to be reliant on the state and thus have no control over their own lives.
Waiting for the pittance the governement are prepared to hand out must be soul destroying.
Reasonably priced child care would be a good start.

probably.
I haven't seen any saying.... I have lost my job and need benefits... and people have flamed the op.

Although I have seen a few saying 'why should I work if I don't want to'. Those people did get shouted at which tbh I don't mind.

Yes, Pingping, I know what you mean and agree with you, but I think it's a very limited number of stirrers who are fanning those threads. Most of us do not grudge money to those who need it.

Personally I can feel a severe attack of passive-aggressive concern coming on. I keep wanting to walk up to those wankers worried people who fuss about single Mums on benefits and pat their heads and go: 'are you all right, dear? You do seem very troubled. Do you think you have some underlying issues'.

Am myself happily married to same partner I have been with for last 25 years, have all the support I need at home, require no benefits- and feel absolutely no need to envy somebody who is not in this situation.

Of course, if people are dishonest they should be caught and punished, no problem. But I think we do still (just) work on the assumption that people are innocent until proved guilty.

Pagwatch there is a few threads slating single mums on benefits etc

fair enough .
I wouldn't really know.
People on AIBU are often mad or there for a barney....

I agree cory. I also work but don't have a partner and don't claim any benefits but I would grudge someone that does.

LOL at mad or for a barney LOL!

I wouldn't grudge someone that does need to claim benefits I was ment to put.

I've avoided all these threads so far because I can't be bothered with the fight but this is a bit more interesting.

I do care about benefit cheats partly because it rankles to think of people who genuinely need help being shafted because someone is taking their share, and partyly because I pay for them. Of course I don't begrudge the majority of benefit claimants (and I don't share the view that all single mothers are feckless dole scroungers who should immediately go and get a shitty low paid job) but I do begrudge money that I work hard to earn being used to subsidise a poor lifestyle choice by someone else.

Most single mothers are not in that situation by choice but we are now in the position where, in some parts of the country, 2 or 3 generations have been workless. That is terrifying and has huge consequences for society and the economy and people need to have the balls to address it.

Good point SGM! and very true.