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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

444 replies

electra · 03/05/2010 13:01

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.

OP posts:

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 13:31

We rely on our tax credits, we get a weekly wage from DH job, but we rely on our tax credits.

We dont live below the poverty line, but we are just above it i would say. This year though we seem to be better off than we was last year which is a good sign for us.

Its always the full time working families that complain about people on benefits and how much they get - If you are that bothered about how much your neighbour gets sitting at home all day and doing the school run then quit your job and get on benefits - then see how easy it is.

rocknstroll · 04/05/2010 13:31

i think it is the housing problem - if you've managed to buy a place, you are saddled with an enormous mortggae and earning enough to cover that takes up all your time. if you haven't bought somewhere, and don't work, you get housing benefit, which means you are freeeeeeee!

bishboschone · 04/05/2010 13:34

The people I know who live on benefits all have flat screen tv's, cars , have holidays. Not really living on the breadline being on benefits as far as I can see.

Also I don't blame the banks. I get offered loans and credit all the time. I don't take it...you don't HAVE to.!

expatinscotland · 04/05/2010 13:34

'If you are that bothered about how much your neighbour gets sitting at home all day and doing the school run then quit your job and get on benefits - then see how easy it is. '

It doesn't work that way.

If you quit your job you can't get Jobseeker's Allowance if you quit. You have to have been sacked or made redundant.

And NO ONE here is saying, 'Oh, get rid of benefits then.'

It's questioning why full-time work pays so little for so many.

Is that so wrong?

Laquitar · 04/05/2010 13:37

'struggling to afford holidays' is varying from person to person. I was reading a thread where some posters said they spend 5K for villa, pool, car hire, kids creche etc.
Others can go abroad for £400.
I think with two good incomes you can afford holidays if you compromise a bit. If you 'need' to hire car, and babysitter and have your own pool then you shouldn't moan about those who go on the cheap.

rocknstroll · 04/05/2010 13:39

cheekyvimto - as i said in my post, i know her life is much more rubbish than mine - i totally get that - my kids have parents and a big family, all of us educated, working, successful with good interesting careers and plenty of the best things in life - chance to go exploring round the world etc. I know how lucky we are and how unlucky they are. I wouldn't swap places for the world. But sometimes when i am knackered and working my arse off and haven't properly had a conversation with DH for 3 days because our relationship is confined to falling asleep together infront of the ten o clock news, i do get a bit fucked off with her next door who has to do fuck all to contribute to her own survival! She just wonders around all day while i pay for it! I have to book one of my precious annual leave days to be in a cafe with one of my mates during the day! for her it is the norm. Grr grr. i know i am contradictory. bottom line - i am glad the benefits system is there to catch people like her who clearl can#t provide for their children, and would much rather her kids were ok than not ok. i just get tired and pissed off sometimes and would like a rest!

Crazycatlady · 04/05/2010 13:46

I don't know anyone who is 'having a party' on benefits, however I do know of people who are claiming benefits while working and not paying tax... now THAT is a problem IMO.

Not sure how we fix it though as a good proportion of society seems to have lost its sense of pride in doing things well and honestly. Work ethic and a feeling of aspiring to do better are languishing in our society.

Accm · 04/05/2010 13:48

We left London, months ago, because my DH lost his Job, so we rented our house so we could paid our mortgage.. and paid a cheaper rent in a town (Central London is too expensive)
We are working, have kids and we do not live on benefits at all

The lady and kids whose are in our house , life on benefits and the council pay £1.500+ rent , have a huge car, went to holidays and now she added live with husband and mum as well.none of them work... the house have just 2 bedrooms ...

We just waiting for the contract finish !! our neighbourhood is getting angry

rocknstroll · 04/05/2010 13:50

why is your neighbourhood getting angry?

Accm · 04/05/2010 13:53

Should I said Envy...

thesecondcoming · 04/05/2010 14:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 14:03

I know how hard it is on benefits.

I became a SAHM in April 2007. I loved it but in 2009 i felt i needed to do something else, so me and my husband swapped roles and he became a SAHD. I enjoyed going out to work but then i felt the bond was leaving me and my boys, i felt that they were forgetting who i was as i was leaving the house before they got up on a morning and was going to bed when i came home from work.

I dropped my hours but it didnt help. Eventually i made the decision to quit and become a SAHM again 1 month ago. I am enjoying the time im spending at home with the boys.
It was a hard decision to make knowing that my husband was a SAHD at that time. But i had no choice due to health reasons. My husband has now got a fantastic job and i am a SAHM, i class my wage as the TC we get monthly. I keep the house running.

I find that the only people who have something to 'say' about people on benefits are the people who work full time or who have thousands in the bank -

I tell ya, life on benefits is shit and anyone on them will tell you that, we have had days where me and my husband have gone without food because we have been so penniless. I don't like asking family for money so would rather go hungry so my kids can eat and cold when we couldn't afford gas.

I have on several occasions asked my mum to lend me £20 so i can get £10 gas and some nappies and some bread, and she refused saying she was skint but then ring up a few hours later asking me for answers to questions for the pub quiz???

If the government was to up the minimum wage, more and more people would go out to work. But comparing a life on benefits to a weekly income from £5.81 per hour for a full time job doesnt pay enough of the bills does it? Thats is why so many people are out of work.

People who already have jobs cannot see this.

sarah293 · 04/05/2010 14:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

rocknstroll · 04/05/2010 14:11

'Eventually i made a decision to quit and become a SAHM again' - well lucky you, that is a choice i cannot make, that is not available to me, due to the size of my mortgage. that is the root of my resentment i think. why have you gone without food? I don't understand - you chose to give up work as you were worried about the bond with your boys - did you factor in that you might not be able to afford food when making that decision?! I have to say, I'd rather work than starve! but we all make our choices and I am sure you are happy with yours - like i said above, i sometimes long for the days when i got to sit in the park all day with my kids - i had no money, but i did have lots of time.

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 14:13

We got a brand new TV delivered on Sunday but its paid for out of WAGES lol. its a 46" TV!

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 14:15

By rocknstroll Tue 04-May-10 14:11:33
'Eventually i made a decision to quit and become a SAHM again' - well lucky you, that is a choice i cannot make, that is not available to me, due to the size of my mortgage. that is the root of my resentment i think. why have you gone without food? I don't understand - you chose to give up work as you were worried about the bond with your boys - did you factor in that you might not be able to afford food when making that decision?! I have to say, I'd rather work than starve! but we all make our choices and I am sure you are happy with yours - like i said above, i sometimes long for the days when i got to sit in the park all day with my kids - i had no money, but i did have lots of time.

Actually the days where we would go without food for maybe one day before the TC or wage went in was when i WAS working. Thats how fooked up this country is. You can have one or both parents working and still be skint, then have a family who are on as many benefits up to their eyeballs and have loads of money.

BettyBlu · 04/05/2010 14:16

Are you joking? That's a joke, right - you don't have money for gas and nappies, but you've bought a 46" flatscreen?

Am losing it I think

rocknstroll · 04/05/2010 14:18

o so you are financially better off now than you were when you were working?

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 14:19

By BettyBlu Tue 04-May-10 14:16:37
Are you joking? That's a joke, right - you don't have money for gas and nappies, but you've bought a 46" flatscreen?

Am losing it I think confused

If you'd read my last post you would see that we have ONLY just got a 46" TV and was skint without gas when i was working.

mistletoekisses · 04/05/2010 14:21

so is this correct? you arent working. are now on some benefits. and have just bought a new 46 inch tv?

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 14:22

By rocknstroll Tue 04-May-10 14:18:49
o so you are financially better off now than you were when you were working?

Because of DHs job, Yes. We are more happy because my hubby is one of these who likes to be working, he thought been a SAHD for a while would help him bond with the kids which it did and when i quit work because of my health, he said he would go back out to work and i will recover and get my health back up to scratch, He was offered a fantastic job oppurtunity and he took it and he hasnt looked back since. Yes i would say we are more finacially better off since i quit work and my hubby went out to wrok instead.

Plus because i only worked for 10months and only 4 of those were full time, the rest was part time, we have a very low annual income for 2009-2010 with TC so we are entitled to maximum ~TC at the moment. But i dont want to go into all my incomingsm But lets say our annual household income form april 09 to april 10 was less that £8,000

StrictlyKatty · 04/05/2010 14:23

I thought you only gave up work a month ago?

KerryMumbles · 04/05/2010 14:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheekyVimtoGal · 04/05/2010 14:24

By mistletoekisses Tue 04-May-10 14:21:46
so is this correct? you arent working. are now on some benefits. and have just bought a new 46 inch tv?

I am not working but my husband is.
I am not receiving any benefits anymore, i was on hardship payment for JSA but cancelled it as i am concentrating on getting my health back to normal.

Yes we have just purchased a new TV.

Are we not allowed to do that because only one of us is working?

BettyBlu · 04/05/2010 14:25

your last post wasn't there when I typed my poor confused one...

I would be saving, if one month can make that much difference to your circs, ie prev month, no money for food/gas, next month huge telly.

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