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.

How are people 'worse off' working.I though that was the purpose of tax credits

riven- the people i know living it up on benefits are young single men still in their 20's. no kids and no commitments, living with mum and dad or on their property.

they do what they want all day which, in the summer months, is surfing, smoking, drinking, festivaling and raving. no idea what they do in winter, they seem to vanish into their pot dens.

any families or single mums i know that are on benefits seem to struggle and are deffo not living the high life and seem quite unhappy.

i know they don't pay any rent. i have no idea if their parents give them extra money though, more fool them if they do.

It's easy to rack up the figures though.
If a lone parent on benefits (not working) lives in private accomodation then the rent is likely to be upwards of £700 in this area. It's not cash in their hand but if they took on a job then paying the rent would be a nightmare I should think (depending on that amount they earn and housing benefit contributuion).

So £700, plus council tax of around £100 plus IS (if child is under 7) plus tax credits and it's easy to see why people start to see an income of 25k +.

Of course they will never own the property, they are at the whim of the landlord, no job satisfaction, no extra cash because despite IS and CTC the water/electricity/phone bills have to be paid, plus shoppping. It's not a picnic.

I take home £850 a month plus get tax credits of just over £200 which takes me to around 1000. I am not eligible for HB or council tax benefit as I am just over the threshold - only just apparently.

I don't suppose my tax credit counts as benefit but it certainly makes the difference between me being able to work or not. Without it I couldn't survive and would be on benefits.

Does anyone else on these threads think it's funny that the majority of people who say you can be well off on benefits are people who know someone on benefits? Rather than people on benefits..

Yes, my cousin and her family. Exactly the same 'situation' as us (two adults, two children, three-bed house in similar area). They're both on incapacity (him for his back, although he plays football on a regular basis and her for depression). They have all the top-quality stuff, tvs, iphones etc, and all dress in naff designer clothes. Two holidays a year, once in this country and once in the med. They own a massive camper van thing that they go away in regularly too. Nights out all the time.

We're rather the opposite. No new gear, infrequent hols, crappy car. We bring in 50K + a year

I know somone who is a f/t student, married to a man who doesn't work because of "back problems" Hasn't worked in 10 years but is fine to be bouncing about on trampolines, etc. He gets some sort of disability living allowance and they get other stuff on top. They can afford to go to Spain for a fortnightly holiday every year with their 3 kids which is more than I can. Actually I can't afford to have 2 kids never mind 3 and me and DH both work.

My SIL and BIL. She lives rent free on the Isle of Wight, pretending her and her DH have split. Fair enough she isn't rolling in it, but has more disposable income than DH and I by miles, AND her DH is living with his mum and working full time over here (paying off 2 council tax bills which they got benefits for but didn't pay). She is capable of working, she did when they moved here for a while, but isn't. They are also trying for another DC and recently got clomid despite her DH intending to pay off the tax bill then move back with her and neither work. When we visited them a few years ago, when they lived there before and didn't work they had a nice 2 bed semi with garden (paid for), all the time in the world to do what they liked, as I said more income than my DH who works 40-60 hours a week. People like that need benefits taken away if they don't work, they would soon realise that nothing is free and on a plate.

Just so there are some solid facts on here.

• Income support for me and partner is roughly £88 a week, so £44 each.
• Housing benefit is £25 less than our monthly rent.
• Bills we pay out of our income support
• Food we pay out of our income support
• Luckily we get free prescriptions -otherwise we'd be paying.. thinks... £43 for all our prescriptions
• We don't pay council tax, thankfully

Do we sound like we have disposable income to anyone else?

I have to say if I knew someone was cheating the benefits system, I'm not sure I'd be able to resist calling 0800 854 440 anonymously. Family or not.

Maybe that's just me though

Kaloki - thought the couples rate was nearer £100 a week?

Kaloki How come you dont get £102 per week I.S...do you have a deduction for another income?

You can apply for discrentary housing benefit top up from your council...limited funds but worth a try.

IMO Short term periods on benefits are ok. Longer term it is much harder as you have no emergency fund...things start to break etc. If you are in debt you will struggle.

Day to day you can cope on benefits but the income level isnt meant to pay for "luxury" items such as TV, Car etc...its for basic existance. The benefit rates are also below the poverty indicators I believe.

I'm going on holiday for 3 weeks in August.......Edinburgh and Liverpool. We're going to have an awesome time and do loads of stufff.

I'm saving for the "loads of stuff" by way of the extra £20 a week I'm allowed to keep of the money I get for playing the organ at church. I'm saving it instead of spending it.

The accomodation...............free

Dear God Reality! Didn't your benefits get reduced for working 4 days a week?

That's an astonishing amount of money!

onadietcokebreak - we've been cut down (not cynical about the timing.. much) while they decide if we are disabled "enough". I know a few people who've had the same happen at the same time as us.

Thejollypirate may be worth reapplying. There have been recent changes to how child benefit is treated now when calcalucating H.B. If you were ony just over the limit you may well now be within the limits. Worth a try.

when we were on 40k per annum, and still got £80 in tax credit per month - that was a benefit we didn't need.

currently about half our income is WTC/ CTC, and it is..well, enough.

"They have a large flat screen tv, pedigree dogs, designer branded pushchair, the usual"

• these things didn't evaporate when DH lost his job. (and my designer pushchair is off ebay)

lol Eggy - your last line make me

so true - fancy having had nice things before ending up on benefits, I mean what is the world coming to when you're doing "ok" for yourself under your own steam with a job and all that and you buy nice stuff with your money........and then it all goes tits up and end up on benefits but you've still got your nice stuff

Kaloki...understand now its PCA test.

Whos the incapacity claimant? The other claimant who hasnt failed the test can claim and receive full amount depending on their circs

It's a right laugh living on benefit's, don't you know.

DP is the claimant, I'm still waiting to hear if I can get disability - they're really taking their time. As per usual.

I know someone (single man late 30s) who claims every benefit he can including mobility da etc etc he is getting £1200 a month cash into his account plus rent and council tax paid. He is only "disabled" from crashing his motorcycle after racing from the police as he was a drug dealer carrying loads of gear. He claims to be too dsabled to work but can walk for 10 miles plus each day.