To think that the welfare state is too generous if people in council flats have way more stuff than those on middle income can afford (no really lets have a discussion)

[splodge2001]

Maybe it's where I live (central london) maybe it's me (hmm, I don't think so) and It's definitely something that's been ruminating around my head for a while. An argument I've tried to unpick but I always come to the same conclusion.

I'm sure I'm going to be lynched but I'm keen to get other people's perspective on this....Here we go...

Where I live private housing is expensive and intermingled with social housing. It's hard to tell the difference between the social housing and the private dwellings. Certainly on the open market they fetch very similar prices. I'm feeling grumpy because we (DH and I) pay a lot of tax which goes to the people down the road in social housing, of course we should pay tax to support those on low earnings BUT, it does start to grate when though people in subsidised housing seem to have much bigger disposable incomes. eg. everyone I know who lives in the council flats near us can afford a car, we cannot. They can afford several holidays per year, we cannot

Isn't the welfare state just a bit too generous to enable those on low incomes to afford more than those on higher incomes? Surely the point of welfare isn't to subsidise cars or 42inch TVs.

I'm sure I'll be told to move out of London if I want more but this doesn't address the issue that I'm raising. Why should I subsidise people living in central london when I cant afford to live here myself.

Analogy moment....

I have 5k and would like to buy a car, instead I'm forced to give up my 5k to the government, who instead gives it to someone else so that they can buy a car. Boo hoo!!!

Go on let the stoning begin!!!!

Oh I had a doctor come for a home visit to check dd2 was disabled. She pooed on his leg and broke his glasses, and he started to see the issue

lol BoF - that made me chuckle (obviously not the fact that your DD has a disability - but the fact she demonstrated some of the issues so clearly to the doctor )

Could she still get up a chimney at all, BoF? Earn her way a bit?

Gosh I have missed Mumsnet!

Splodge life is unfair! I work fulltime mon-fri and own my own business! I private rent and pay a shit load of tax! MORE Than 5k!! But I still have nice things because I save for them!

shinyand new - imaginary people or people who are actually criminals?

alwayslooking - no I don't think anyone should run up debts they can't afford unless they are in a situation they could not have predicted eg losing a job etc. I am not discriminating against people because they are on benefits. I

"Hope it goes well always, DH was upset and angry for days after his"

Still upset, didn't help I had to speak to the rudest lady in the world. Who evidently equated back pain in a 25 year old with sponging, more irritatingly was that I had to sit up for a long period in an uncomfortable chair, so by the time I got to leave I was in even more pain. DP had to virtually carry me home

Is it wrong that I've realised I'll actually get more help when I'm pregnant than I am now

hehe Riven - I'd better get on to the job centre and find out where my bidet and my 50inch TV are (I'm still waiting for the latter )

OP- have you met Bidet Lady and examined her accounts? Or do you "just think?"

Like a rat up a drainpipe, Hullygully- I shall strap a brush round her waist

"But I still have nice things because I save for them!"

So do people on benefits, it just takes us longer obviously.

And I don't think a shower would be essential every day. A bit of coal dust never hurt anyone.

Hullygully - lol.

Can we all just agree that in every walk of life there are people that take the piss/pull a fast one. Hopefully (and I try to be an optimist) these people are the minority. These types of threads seem to presume the opposite. It is a pretty sad way to go through life thinking that everyone is dishonest and grabbing.

And whoever asked if you would rather be in their shoes, is absolutely right. I am not rich. I live in a 3 bed semi in an ex-council house. My next door neighbours rent from the council and I don't envy them one bit. Why would I? They have Sky, and a car, and minimum(ish) wage jobs. So what? I am investing in my future with our little house. It is mine to do with what I want.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind a bigger car, a bigger house in a nicer area (who wouldn't?) but you can't go through life being bitter about what everyone else has got. You worry about your own life and let everyone else worry about theirs.

"And I don't think a shower would be essential every day. A bit of coal dust never hurt anyone."

A shower?? So as not to upset those not on benefits I'm just waiting for it to rain

Kalkoi - surely you're doing it the old fashioned way - a bath once a week with the whole family using the same water

Kaloki - that was for BoF's chimney sweeping daughter. Although I applaud your consideration and thank you on behalf of taxpayers everywhere.

Bidet lady is an interesting one, I don't know if she indeed got her bottom washing equipment but she certainly asked the housing association for one.

now maybe she's unusual, a chancer, a wiley one but maybe she is typical. Maybe expectations are too high. Maybe whilst the gap between poorest and richest has grown massively the gap between poorest and middlest has narrowed so much that it's inverted.

i can tell u that when DH was off sick recently as a result of severe stress from working 70 hour weeks it crossed my mind that we may be better off selling the flat, giving it all away and getting a council flat - at least then we could have a car

I miss being on a wage and earning my own money, I feel like my pride has been eroded and threads like these do not help.

We've been denied nice places to live because they don't accept DSS. At least when you earn a wage you have some choice.

Undercova - yeah that's all lovely peace and flowers and that - but has you got a bidet?

OP- have you met Bidet Lady and examined her accounts?

Kaloki That was my point! People save for nice things!

Oh this thread is getting memore and more worked up

I live in centralish london too, I couldn't give a rats ass if my neighbours are in council housing or on benefits.

Over the summer I was in a local newsagents, there was a woman with two young children asking the shopkeeper if she could pay him the next week as she needed to pay off her pontins holiday that day. She was paying it in installments. A gent stepped in and paid it off for her and I saw him hand her children some money too.

I wish more people were like that.

splodge - if you think it's such a great life why not do just that? Give up the job, get a council flat ad claim benefits - then you can live the life of o'riley like the rest of us (oh but just to warn you if he quits his job you could have to wait up to 6 months before they'll give you any JSA).

Maybe she's a chancer and a wily one

Maybe you're off your bleedin' rocker