To be cross at everything being handed on a plate...

[BuckTarbrush]

Someone I know has got pregnant (by accident ) and has immediately got an offer of a privately rented house paid for almost totally by the DSS, all arranged through someone she knows who works for a Housing Association. She's getting virtually everything paid for. She lives with her mother, in quite a big house, her partner will be living with her (she said he wouldn't but winked when she said it). It makes me so cross that I have to work very hard in order to pay my mortgage, as does my DH, and we struggle every month, but it sounds like she'll be able to stop working. It makes me so cross! AIBU? Surely not!

do I see green eyed monster here?

ahh yes there he is peeking out!!

look at this another way...
Do you REALLY think it's this easy?

she's "happy" with her lot probably just glad that she has a roof over her head.

Maybe just bigging it up because you are so snobby.

she is in a rented house so obviously can't afford a mortgage.
Or would you have her get a mortgage despite no job? ( no doubt you'd moan that they give a mortgage to everyone these days)

She's pregnant "by accident" - does that not tell you that she is in for shock even if contrived when reality bites?

No job - well if she started one now she'd be off on maternity leave in a short while and then going back to said job and leave more room to whine if she got a childcare place and how awful it is that she didn't stop in and look after her own child

how much do you think benefits are? £100's no doubt no such luck!

Y'know she will be working hard to meet her expenses too.
it's not just handed on a plate I have no idea how much income support currently is but I know it's worked out to the penny basic life costs. No room for anything going hideously wrong like a shitty nappy week and having to buy an extra pack, never mind of the washing machine gives up the ghost.

do you REALLY envy having to work out every penny - seriously to the letter not just oh dear my credit card is maxed out?!!

or is it that reality has bitten you because you've spent the last years milking the free credit available and oops trip smash!!
it's no longer there?

getting virtually everything paid for??

damn - I'll have what she's getting................oh it doesn't exist.

Housing "tick" (well I have to top up a little)

Council Tax - "tick"

Gas, Electric, Water, blah blah blahb lahb blah...........ermm nope I seem to be paying for all of that and I'm sure my (privately rented) house is no cheaper to run that the working families house next door.

oh and if her partner is going to be living there.............report her - she's committing benefit fraud

My taxes are also going to pay that bastard 'Sir' Goodwin £650,000/pa in pension . . . up to £16m.

For playing a role in fucking up the entire economy and costing thousands of people their jobs.

He's nothing but a glorified dole claimant, but given the choice between him and some single parent, I know which one makes me angrier.

s'ok Expat - refresh the news the bastard will be legally challenged to pay it back !

My understanding is that those subsisting on benefits are not living the life of Riley.

But I agree that there is too little supervision for cheats and not enough support for hardworking families

BuckTarbrush is NOT me!!

Excellent point, expat. I've no doubt Fred Goodwin will get away with his ill-gotten gains. The rich and powerful always do. No doubt while thousands of his former employees are thrown out of work, and employees of companies who bank with him lose their jobs too, because the bank won't extend credit to small businesses now.

oh I'm living the life of Riley.......

my cupboards are full..............

of value packets and tins

difference is FAQ you don't seem to particurlarly resent the situation whereas OP seems to think all she has to do is get knocked up sign a form be given a wonderful house in a rich lush area no doubt fully furnished with the latest things then given a few hundred quid every week and she'll get to sit on her arse with the baby all day.

I can't believe that people still believe that if someone gets pregnant they will automatically get a house.

If the person mentioned in the op did indeed get offered a HA house immeidatly, then it is solely because she knows someone and nothing else.

I'm not saying that that is right by the way.

nah I don't resent it, it's not an easy life but we get by.

A few years ago DH and I were both working I went on maternity leave and quit my job - was looking for another one , then we split up. he carried on working - I couldn't afford to work.

I'm extremely grateful for the help I got (even I am a little bitter because the mortgage on the family home wasn't in my name I neither qualified for housing benefit nor help with interest payments).

Sadly DH (we've since started "dating" again in a bid to try and get back together) was fired (extremely dodgy grounds - probably going to an employment tribunal over it) - so now he also is on benefits while he looks for work again.

Hopefully once my youngest starts nursery I'll be able to return to work and pay back ito the system which is providing the support for me now................

except for one small thing............where's my flashy goods and £100's a week

Oh I love expat . Just returned to this thread and as usual she made me laugh out loud while I was thinking "absolutely correct"

Wow, what a lot of inverted snobs on here! I think Buck was just making a point about nepotism and how the benefits system seems a bit skewed, not always helpful when needed - which seems a reasonable comment. To say she is snobby is very strange - how do you get that from what she said? She has made no mention of credit cards or how wealthy she is, except that she and her husband 'struggled to pay the mortgage last year'. Sounds like there's a touch of envy/grass is always greener on both sides of the argument.

If I was back in my Socialist Worker days I would say that too many people fall for the old ruling class's Divide And Rule tactic: keep squabbling and resenting each other, fighting over the relative pennies we are allowed, while the super rich are laughing up their sleeves at us and scooting off with the lion's share...they seem too powerful to challenge, so we find it easier to whinge about our next door neighbours. Last time I looked we were all getting royally shafted!

Wouldn't bother me, life is unfair, no point thinking what others have, just enjoy what you have. I know some people take the piss but I am glad lone parents are supported and not forced to work outside the home as well as in it. It's not all as glamourous as it sounds in any case i don't think.

Up the Revolution, comrades