to think this country is in a shambles?

[MummikinsOopNorth]

I earn a pittance and struggle to meet the demands of living expenses (bills, rent etc). I have just been looking online to see if I can get anymore help apart from the bit I already get and I cannot. I work 22 hrs p/w. I have tried looking for extra hours elsewhere but to no avail so far so thus, I must struggle on. What pisses me off the most is while i'm sat here worrying my head off, the no-hoper losers of society get JSA every week with absolutely no intention of getting a job and they get everything paid for. I know everyone who claims JSA is not like this and most people are good with honest intentions to get back to work. It pisses me off that I am struggling to pay my way, and that I can't even afford a prescription these days So tired of this. p.s. why do childless people on 30 hours or more working get help in the form of tax credits while people who work but work less that 30 get no help? The mind surely boggles...

If anyone can help, I was given 2 extra hrs per week (yippeee) a few days ago. I do receive housing benefit, so was wondering if I have to tell anyone and if it will affect the amount of HB I will get in future?

Thanks

JSA = Job Seekers Allowance

YABU.

call them and ask??

Do you not get WTC ?? I thought if you got that then you got free prescriptions etc ??

'They' dont get everything paid for.

Who are 'they' anyway?

Sorry you are struggling.
But you are making a lot of assumptions about people you know nothing about.

Quite a few people would maintain you are a scrounger for getting housing benefit when they dont. That would be unreasonable too.

I hope you get your finances sorted out soon.

YABU
but
Why don't you get WTC? Do you earn over £15000 a year? To be honest when we were stony broke when I was on unpaid mat leave, what we got in HB, CB and TCs was enough to live on (or would have been if I didn't have credit cards)
I also thought that if you got CTC but not WTC you got free prescriptions.

You should tell HB about your hours increase, although it won't make much difference to what you get.

I think YANBU to feel frustrated about your situation - and I'm sorry to hear how tough things are for you right now.

But YABU when you conclude that because you're in this situation that the country is in a shambles. Generally, many people in the UK don't know how lucky they have it.

I have lived most of my life in South Africa, and if you have no job you have NOTHING. Millions of South Africans are struggling to find work and living well below the bread line, and there is absolutely no recourse to the government for anything apart from basic healthcare; they are utterly on their own. And South Africa is no exception.

We are, by comparison, so lucky. The alternatives don't bear thinking about.

I'm so sorry for my outburst. My paternal side of the family come from very poor backgrounds overseas and got no help whatsoever from the government there. I feel so ashamed for my selfish rant. You guys have put it in perspective for me. Thanks.

Hey, we all have to rant. What's MN for if not that?

It sounds like you may not be getting everything you could claim for. Can you get some advice from CAB?

Life can suck when you are skint and its cold outside.

But it can get better.

Completly sympathise my husband works bloody hard for himself pays taxes and NI if the business ceased we wouldn't be entitled to anything as he is self employed. His lazy arse sister has got herself knocked up once again because A she what's a bigger house and B her youngest is about to start school so she would have to find a job.

But don't feel you can complain on here and say what 99% of working people think you will just get flamed. Their all wooly arsed lentil eating lefties on here. The sort of people who got the country into this mess. And please do not apologise for how you feel

ItsAllAboutTheChocolate (mmmmmm...chocolate!!!) you made me smile @ "wooly arsed lentil eating lefties"! Your SIL sounds awful but what has the world come to when people are having babies just to keep on getting benefits?

I think I agree with you Mummikins. I get frustrated with the system we have, that squanders resource on some people that don't deserve it, whilst leaving you to struggle. There are plenty of deserving cases that the benefits system rightly helps, but there is also a sizable minority that exploit the system. I don't think it is a crime to criticise the system that allows this.

So no practical advice I'm afraid, but I can see why you feel as you do.

YANBU and I'm so sorry to hear you're struggling for things which should be as insignificant as prescriptions.

YANBU to think that people who deliberately work fewer hours to claim WTC are money-grabbing wasters who are on benefits. (There was a thread just the other day, 16 hours a week minimum wage = 225 a week tax credit - wtf?? that's not credit that's BENEFITS! )

I don't have a woolly arse. But I do eat lentils. Will they give me a woolly arse?

SOrry you are struggling OP. No nowt about benefits. Sorry.

A few years ago I was a single parent working 25 hrs a week and I got substantial help on CTC and WTC. I got 90% of my then 18 month olds nursery paid for and an nhs exemption card for free prescriptions too.

I would contact the Tax Credits helpline and give them your details and see what they advise. Don't go with on-line assessments, speak to them direct.

Reality, I'm sure you were just as hard-working as a single parent?