to wonder why people get away with living on benefits as a 'lifestyle choice'?

[canttouchthis]

Sorry if this has been done to death, but it's something I just need to have a rant about...

We have relatives who seem to be raking it in on benefits. The mother runs a website from home (but doesn't earn a great profit - so this is bulked up in WTCs), her H is on JSA (has been for 4 years now) and has never tried to get a part time job (even though he has been training part-time as a gym instructor). They own their own home, and also own their own car. Yet neither of them go out to work! It doesn't seem to bother them that they aren't earning a steady income, they seem quite happy to live off benefits. Does anyone else know people like this and how do you feel about it?

It just makes me sick to think there are other out there who are struggling to earn enough to live and pay the bills then there are people like this who just scrounge and think they deserve it??

I just want to say that I have nothing against people living on benefits where there is no other choice for them. It's people who go out of their way to live on benefits because they can't be bothered working that really annoy me!

It doesn't bother me as I am happy being a SAHM and with what we have. I know a few couples with both of them not working and with 6 and 7 kids since they stopped work. Alot of people slate one of them as they got a big house and 2 cars given and were told they would both never have to work as one of their kids has SN and what if they needed to collect their child from school ill. I do understand that but the same could be said for any child and surely they could (one of them) come home from work. I never really think about it too much, their life.

FGS you know nothing about their finances at all.How do you actually know what the mother is earning and what they are claiming.They could be on an interest only mortgage , they might be up to the gills in debt.How do you know what job seeking the father is doing ? If the course is online then it is flexible and doesn't affect his availability for work.

I think the SN bit means they are misusing funding tbh, certainly one would get Carers Allowance (it's all very wells aying what if you need to come home- it's far more: access to childcare non existent, repe3ated and frequent appointments, therapy etc etc) but DLA is purely for the benefit of the child, and just becuase one person is getting Carers does not rpevent the other working.

Additional Carers Benefits are paifd through WTC procedures, I do not if working is a qualifying factor as we have not been totally out of work since the boys were diagnosed

I totally agree there may be more to it if SN are involved but the job centre apparantly told this couple that none had to work as they had 'alot' of children and if the child with SN was ill, someone would need to look after the others. But surely that could be said for anyone with kids, it's a nightmare for any working parents if a child is ill .

"If the course is online then it is flexible and doesn't affect his availability for work. "

ok now I know that people do do courses and work - however the job centre considers my 60 point course with the OU (which is supposed to be 16-20hrs study a week) as enough for me not to have to be available for work as they class it as full time study.

totally agree with stayfrosty - not having a job does not mean you are lazy. and with stretch - wtc is not a benefit, it's a (ludicrously structured) way of ensuring those on low-middle incomes pay less tax.

How dare you. You know virtually nothing of their circumstances, and you're willing to drag them through a possible investigation because of your small mindedness.

blaming my small mindedness on PMT, because I'm usually not this bad! True, it's none of my business what they do or how much money they have.
I knew it would get heated on here, but it was good to see how other people view this family in the OP.
No, I'm quite happy with my own circumstances and don't feel jealous of the situation this other family are in atall. I'm just v nosey in nature and always like to know what others are up to.