I do not know anyone who is having a 'party' living on benefits....post here if you do

[electra]

On MN, I keep reading on many different threads that Labour has been giving away loads of money in benefits to people who don't really need it which has caused the financial crisis.

All the people I know who rely on their tax credits and have children seem to have to watch every penny. I do not see evidence of them having any sort of 'party' life.

I had thought the banks were mostly responsible for the financial crisis by lending money that didn't exist.

Can anyone correct me on this? I'm open to different opinions.

Great point, MrsM.

No, it's not everyone who takes the piss.

But some really do.

It's not a reason to get rid of benefits at all.

It would nice, however, if some moves are made to make low-paid work more attractive to some.

I agree expat.

I am looking for anything, I do not care what it is, I just need it to be 16 hours a week and lasting at least 3mths or more. Seems to be as rare as rcking horse shit though.

I wasted £4 today going for an interview for a job advertised as permanent. When it was infact only until end of July and was 15 hours not 16 as also advertised.
I was not impressed I have to say.

I am also amazed at the amount of people that have said 'oh don't worry, when you get put onto JSA they will throw help at you to get a job'

Well excuse me but I have been asking for help for bloody ages and also if there is so much help then why has xp been on JSA for 3yrs and not had one single interview.

ExP I think I have a fair view of whats out there in terms of people tbh- both from growing up on an estate and working with famillies with social issues. I can think maybe of one family like that- and another where it may have been going that way but Mum was offered a job by the charity and things picked up immensely.

Doesn't usually tkae much to change things but the agnecies that can manage it- ws homestart i worked for- usually have such long waiting lists that too many people miss out

"Just a small not to Moany and Happy - as of October 10 all single parents go onto JSA when their youngest turns 7, meaning they must be actively looking for employment to keep getting benefits. Heard about it at a meeting with JC+ the other day."

Whilst its a step in the right direction Rhondajean, it doesnt go far enough in my opinion. Thats still 6 years more than maternity leave and children have been at school for some years before they reach 7. Plus, those that want to get round this will simply have another child to continue to qualify and still claim they are single and no/little checks are done.

Lone parent income support should be paid until the child reaches one and then it switch to JSA - then all mothers would be equal in terms of leave after having a child. Its totally unfair some get paid to stay home for 7 years and others dont. If the child is over one, it should just be JSA. There should also be no increased in any benefits if more children are born whilst already on benefits.

V True MrsM

I'd love work that I can fit around Dh adn I apply for it when it comes up but it is rare

But I am applying for it which is hugely different to not trying, even if I never get anywhere

happy I am totally against anything that may penalise a child by plunging him opr her into poverty

A query as well (I find it better to ask than assume): do you count TCs as benefits, and carers allowance, for the same rules? TIA

Sancti, I'd count anything the state provides as a benefit so tax credits, child benefit, income support etc as they are all technically state benefits. Carers allowance, DLA and pensions are different though to all other benefits as they are not a lifestyle choice - DLA criteria is high and carers allowance depends on DLA (i think) and pensions are obviously paid at an age when most people cease work at retirement.

Carers/DLA is what the welfare state was and should be there for. Those that can work but dont are not what the welfare state was set up for. It was meant as a safety net for those who needed a short term hand due to job loss or those that have disabilities - now its mainly a lifestyle choice for those that dont want to work or work the bare minimum possible whilst the state tops their income up.

OK so you don't have issue with me then (Carer, yes it does link to DLA- you have to have DLA t higher or midle rate; I in fact have a child on middle and one on higher rate).

We get TC's becuase DH earns low money; we used to only get a bit and frankly not enough to notice a difference when we had the last child, however goodness knows what would have happened to us when DH lost his job- if circumstances changed would you pay for later children or not I wonder? We ahd no reason to think DH would lose it: it wasn't a recession redundancy, employer pulled out of field he was in to pursue a new avenue.

I am proud of Dh for trying to turn things around; if it takes a few eyars of benefits in order to be in a palce where we never claim again and pay our taxes happily then so be it, it's not our choice to be here. He used to have two jobs, a full time one and a part time one. he's now doing the aprt time one and studying for the professional qualifications (indeed he's in an exam right now- eek) that will make him really in demand. I'm doing post grad study as well (not free or funded- as far as I know that doesn't exist) ijn the sme field as my kid's disability; I want it to help me into towrk, but it has already given me the skills to help DS3 learn to read- worth it already IMO.

I think it's important that people don't stop and vegertate on benefits but if soemeone is actively trying then I don't have a problem, and importantly never did when we were the owrkers either ( I worked until ds3 was born, then was at university whilst he was at school). That's triply so now when tehre is a real shortage of work for people and it isn;t as simple as just get a job- I know it ahppens to be bad where we are (statistically top 3 worse in UK) but can't imagine it's easy anywhere.

If someone is trying to help tehmselves then I am issue free. Fraudster criminals should be tretaed as such, and those not amking any moves forw2ards whatsoever should be made to do something.

'If you can't afford to pay your mortgage then sell your house

been tehre done that

Mind we don't get out council tax paid either: we could, but have actively chosen not to claim it as we can mange by taking out a student loan in DH's name.

londonone your post is utterly offensive and I have reported it.

Oh Good God! thesecondcoming what horrible things to say! All I hope is my DS doesn't grow up with a potty mouth like that tbh!

I find your views offensive, londonone, and we're a family who'd be better off on benefits.

That's not the point.

The point is that working FT oftentimes doesn't pay enough for people, including in a place like here that is dead cheap compared to London, leaves people worse off.

THAT is why child poverty is an issue, and that is what is lost on the Tory party in general, as evinced by so many threads on here.

So many assume that poor = not in work.

And it's just wrong.

But I think posts like yours are important and should be left to stand.

Because barring the very select few, everyone's child could end up a working poor.

And when the pound the working poor pays in has the same monetary value as anyone who earns more, but it otherwise qualified, that's just dead wrong.

Our nextdoor neighbours work, too. They both work in care homes. Him, FT, her, PT.

Her father works for a major builder/construction company in this area.

But she was desperate to get in here.

We wash our stair twice a week. I take her doormat and beat it out outside. She does the same for us.

It says much that people like this are desperate to live here. It's full of damp.

The man who grew up in their flat also works in a care home FT.

He and his wife and two children also rent, from a friend of his parents.

About 3/4 in DD1's class of 16 rent.

We matter. We count.

But not to the Tories.

You think the Tories are going to differentiate between you and someone who was 'feckless', thesecondcoming?

Do you really?

Because call me a sceptic, but I don't.

And this is the first time I have ever voted in the UK, as a naturalised person.

I have no memories of the 80s and 90s. I wasn't here.

I have only the past 9 years and my own research.

He wants 'big society'? He doesn't know the meaning of the term! He doesn't realise there is major religious element to that.

He doesn't know because he never had to! He never will.

He wrecked peoples' property for fun at university and then left what he thought was fitting recompense for it. Because he has no idea what it's like for a tax-paying proprietor to put things right when his/her business and livelihood are wrecked.

He's a man who can afford to live off money he did nothing to earn.

That's not a crime.

Not getting a clue when you run for public office though, IMO, is.

Well, thank fuck for that, thesecondcoming .

sigh.

i can sort of see this from both sides. i get a bit resentful from time to time that one of my bfs is entitled to heaps of help automatically because she is a lone parent and we are not because we are married. that said though, bf has been abandoned by two partners (the dc's fathers) whereas i have not and i have no wish to punish her and her ilk for circumstances beyond their control.

the flipside is that i have assisted people on benefits who cannot manage to collect food parcels from charities. which nmakes this feel like a 3rd world country.

also agree with toccata re crap working systems but also ime the governemtn approach to getting people back to work is so bizarre.

for example i have been to plenty of is renewal meetings with my service users where its as if the advisors just read from a scricpt regardless of the service users circumstances. i spent about an hour once trying to explain to the job centre lady that my service user has 4 children under 11, one of which is severely disabled, for whom she receives DLA and carers allowance etc etc. job centre lady insisted on going through the back to work scheme and how you get a £100 bonus and other stuff even if you just do 16 hours a week even though going back to work is completely implausable!! i had to translate into arabic too, to my SU who was totally overwhelmed and terrified.

i have done countless interviews like this. its a total waste of my (sw) time and theirs (job centre) - which could be so much better used for actual social work (me) and helping the work ready (them).

I live on IS and carers allowance and that has been since Feb this year, it was not by choice. I got made redundant from a very good job and my father was diagnosed with Dimentia. I chose to look after him and for the first time since I was 16 am taking back from society what I have paid in to look after my father. ( I am now 45 and have worked since I was 16. I do not feel guilty at all and will return to full time work once he becomes so ill that he has to go into a home

By the way I am living on less than half the wages I was used to

thesecondcoming I love your potty mouth and fully agree with you