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.

I found a job yesterday I could have easily done: summer playscheme for diabled kids, I jave a post grad cert bin asd and am working towards an MA, used to be a Guiderr, volunteer at the school, used to be employed by homestart and run family groups, worked as a comp mentor, worked in LD unit.....

Phoned up, this year they are only taking applications from qualified TA's as so many recently redundamt

Called college about TA training for next year as really only school hours job locally

They can't accept graduates due to fucing restraints unless you can cover own fees (I can't) but the job centre hold special provision

Call job centre: special provision for unemployed people,, carers do not count as unemployed

I am not unemployed yet I wouldn't qualify for Tax Credits as employed. I am not employed enough to ahve the 2 sessions of respite we buy through a childminder (for ds4 when others at school) covered.
I cannot get help to get a job to allow me to pay back huge student loan.

There is a job on relief work in admin that I could do; I can't apply for it as the odd week I would get would eman I had to go without carer's Allowance for weeks as the applciation was reprocessed.

I am starting to wonder if I am a human being at all? If I coulod get a apart time job I have childcare for ds4 lined up and would start tomorrow. There just isn't anything and the likelihood is vanishing fast as I think having to pay for the respite will mean I can't finish my MA either.

Yet if I save to buy, or Dh buys me, something like a dress for an event I worry about posting here for ideas as someone may well yell at me for affording one (I have a trhead atm about a second hand dress, did expcet abuse on that). And everyone pays lip service to the work carers do, but nobody actually gives a damn.

Am trying to get ds1 the help tos top his violence so I can use childcare: first review school hadn't got paperwork together, second LEA cancelled just before, yesterday LEA cancelled with 5 minutes to go becuase @another child needs our attention'. Not mine, then? EAting Disorder Teamc ancelled their assessment today. Have I got a huge sign above my head saying 'don't worry, i don't count?'
Arrghhh.

Have you tried The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. They do (or at least use to do) education burseries for carers, you have to apply through your local PRTC carers centre.

Riven - don't you have a disabled child though? I should imagine that you're already doing a full time job plus there - absolutely no way are you a waste of space

Ive got to agree the system is rubbish especially at the supporting transition to employment stage. However it might be useful to some of you to know that ALL personal advisors at JC+ hold discretionary funds, which there are some restrictions around use, but are pretty open for anything that will help someone into employment (transport to interviews, clothing for interviews, that sort of thing).

There is supposed to be bridging periods for Housing and Council Tax benefit etc. Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau, they are really good and normaly very friendly, kind and helpful with telling you what you should expect.

The biggest problem is with people failing the medical assessment now the new system is in place. The language is wrong there for a start - its not failing, its passing in that there are things you can do, which should really be a positive IF THE SUPPORT IS IN PLACE FOR YOU TO DO IT.

My friend who works in welfare rights tells me its taking 6 weeks for benefits applications to be processed just now as well.

Sorry about typos/grammar above..

rhoinsda when we were on HB for a short time last year it took 6 months to get our money! they said they were used to people who'd rtarely worked rather than redundacyc ases

Yep HB is adminstered by different people and I work in the social housing field and know how long it takes to go through at times - I was meaning JSA/ESA/IB claims with the 6 weeks.

I get what you are saying about the redundancy too - when dh was made redundant last year the JC+ people didnt seem to have a clue what to do with him. Fortunately hes a self starter (and got me to blow a rocket up him if he decides not to be) so coped with it on his own basically. We didnt claim HB as I work/mortgage so only a contribution based JSA claim - that was bad enough.

In their defence each JC+ personal adviser has 4 - 7 minutes to spend on each client eery fortnight. I dont think they mean to be unhelpful. So - back to the system again.......

I have no issues with any of the claims staff Rhonda; they were all lovcely people with what seemed like endless paperwork, DH is also a self starter so manged to start a small business and get a Uni place linked to that so didn't need any contact with JSA etc thankfully. Carers Allowance doesn't allow access to those facillities

That's a bummer Riven

I haven't read the whole thread but whilst my husband works I am a stay at home. We get DLA for one of our children and my sister is always moaning about the money we get. Personally, I would give up the money any day to have my son happy and free of his disabilities.

I was also on benefits when I was younger bringing up a child on my own and it was no party I can tell you.

Absolutely xbox: happily hand over the cash and in fact my legs too for ds1 and ds3 to be ASD free

The crises was NOT caused by Brown paying out benefits. It was a global banking problem.

However I just want to say a few words about benefits:

Me, 40 and my husband, 38 are full time worksers and have saved for 8 years to afford a deposit to buy a house and have our first child which we did this January

Unfortunately we are unable to afford a second child as it is financially impossible. In my area it costs 950 PER CHILD full time. If we had 2 children it would cost 1800 which is much higher then my wage. I cannot afford to stay home as we need to pay mortgage and bills.

No benefits for us except the 20 pounds a week. Our household income is around 50,000.00.

Husbands Sister is divorced, working, and can afford 3 children with full childcare.

I was an only child and always wanted 2 children, but this is life............

No, it wasn't caused by benefits, but the whole benefits bill has not helped the situation that has been made worse by this Govts mismanagement of the UK economy. This thread has demonstrated just how skewed the system is that people can actually earn more overall by being on benefits than if they were working - and in that situation who can blame people for not rushing back to work.

This is life jaabar

But then benefits covers those of us whose forst child has SN as well

Or could afford the children we had until shit happened

it's not just those making foolish decisions- indeed there were not Tax credits when I had my first two and we were happy to
downgrade lifetyle wise to have the others
And if you did decide to have another child or just found you were pregnant you would get support too

Never say enver anyway: you'll be amazed how fast they grow and tbh, second ones don't cost as much- if say you ahd a child a year before your new baby went tos chool you could care for both when on maternity leave then go PT or pay only one set of childcare FT, and one PT, or take a NNay

There are ways round things, although there are nopt often easy ways around things

(Acknowledging that at 40 you may or may not be able to wait: I know I was very lucky to meet DH in my twenties).

I have a friend on benefits at the moment. Her DH has been laid off and is looking for work and she is going back to uni next year after a year off with her new baby. They live fairly comfortably. Rent and council tax paid for, they have Sky plus TV, a holiday in the UK, go out on nights out, to the cinema, to gigs, for meals (not all the time - maybe once or twice a month). Every week me and her go to the pub in the afternoon and have a bottle of wine either to share or one each depending on funds, or when it's warm we will take it with a picnic to the park. He smokes, but she doesn't. She drives a second hand car, he doesn't. They buy a mixture of second hand clothes and cheaper shops like peacocks, george etc. A few outfits from better quality shops like Next.