in thinking that the Government cannot possibly ensure people are better off working than on benefits unless they increase wages massively?

[TheJollyPirate]

TBH I cannot see how the Govt are going th achieve their aim to make sure "nobody is better off financially on benefits than in work".

I work part-time as I have a son with a disability. I take home £849 and get Tax credit of £190 plus Child benefit of course - Working Tax credit adds another £50 - all in all just over £1100. I am just over the limit for housing benefit and all other help although if DLA is approved for my son that may change a bit.

One of my families gets housing benefit of £700 a month plus tax credit, plus income support, plus child benefit. On paper at least they out-strip me and unless wages drastically improve (oh - was that a recession I just saw over there) then nothing much CAN change. The Govt are talking big but cannot deliver no matter what they say.

I will stay worse off financially than the family I work with who will remain unemployed because wages are NEVER going to amount to enough for them to get work and maintain their home. Not their fault and I am more fortunate in other ways but financially - nah - they are doing a bit better than me (but probably only just).

I am watching the Govt but not holding my breath on this one.

Or do you know different?

If so - explain because I am being a bit thick about it.

Why don't parents look after each others kids to help each other out with work. This was the norm before state handouts.

You dont lose any benefits at all if you do 16 hours of work

Surely that statement is wrong,you can only earn £20 before money is decducted fom your benefits if I recall correctly.

Surely that also depends on the children's age? Teens or babies/toddlers - totally different, no? Also the idea was for mothers to work while their children were in school so shorter days than normal ft hours.

and I am thinking of dd who will most likely end up on benefits for ever. Its not her fault yet she will be labelled 'workshy' and given vouchers (and just how are they going to cover her ridicuously expensive and freaky diet?

Because I think even people on benefits should choose how to spend it. And many people, especially elderly people would be ashmed getting vouchers out in the supermarket.

Isn't your daughter in a wheelchair ? Hardly likely to be confused then with somebody who refuses to work.

Those same elderly people had ration books didn't they ? Were they ashamed then ?

'When would they shop/clean/cook? Same time as two working parent families do it! ie- squeezed into the occasional 15 minutes you can find and you're not totally knackered after being out of the house since 7.30 am!!''

I agree I would never dream of asking my husband to help tidy up if he had been at work all day as he worked longer hours. I just get up before the kids and do it and do it, do it when they are in bed or around my shifts. If he is out doing long days he is not here and I dont see him from when I get up until when I go bed so its still my responsibility to do it all. I usually start at 6am and finish about 10. I iron and use internet at same time though so I get a bit of time to myself lol.

'really sunshine? I've always been a SAHM and when dh got in from work expected 50% of the childcare and housework from him'

my husband is in a very hard physical job so he always offers but I would feel terrible if I let him. I would never be able to cope with his job for half an hour and I have an easy job as I work with kids so I dont really think its fair if he does too much. He did night feeds though when the kids where small and lets me go out so I think its the least I can do just to do a bit of cleaning.

our kid was small sorry

I'm sure plenty of IB are work shy but there's a difference between a quadriplegic woman and a bloke with a bad back isn't there I doubt most people would confuse the two.

Minthumbug.

I stated "subject to criminal convictions".

If the Mother has a criminal conviction (for whatever reason); then she pulls weeds/picks up weeds/ mows borders outside the School.

No access to School premises whatsoever.

But it's still working for benefits.

There's no shame in work; whatever you do. As long as you do it well.

Also he is never in when our child wakes up or goes to sleep as he has to do 12 hour shifts with 45 mins commute each day and our child gets up at 7am and goes to sleep at 7pm so he only sees her on the weekend.

Agree sunshine. When my kids were younger, I'd get up early and do housework while they were still in bed, or when they were in bed in the evening. Ditto with prep and marking (I'm a teacher). Now they're older, they're often up as late as me or later, but housework/cooking gets done in bits of time that can be grabbed, and marking and prep is usually the 'graveyard' hour (10 pm to midnight) as I want to spend early evening whenI get in from work with my family. There are ways round most things if you look for them.

I was only ever a SAHM on maternity leaves, and for a while I worked part time, and during those periods I did the lion's share of housework as I was home more to do it! Looking after the kids was equally split once DH got in from work.

I'm doing other things as I mumsnet! so excuse this idea lol but what if from there was an allowance for all - no matter what you did. On a sliding scale. Would replace everything.
Birth/child: child benefit
teenage - school/uni payment
adult - everyone get something. Like passing go in monopoly.
retired - pension
disabled - special needs allowance

would cut out all the admin. Everyone can work to increase their cash.

It's a great idea in principle bluecardi. Everyone have sufficient for basic needs - to clothe/house/feed themselves, and then anything you earn on top would be added to it. It would definitely provide an incentive for people to work!

The reality would be more complex though - I mean, what about people who want to churn out 10 kids.... should the govt keep providing a bigger house, or would there be a limit etc.

But fab idea in principle.

I don't think we should cut benefits but I do think we should be more circumspect as to who gets them and if you have a bad back well that's fine but you do something else, you've only got to go on to moneysavingexpert and you'll come across plenty on IB who can't work and yet there's nothing wrong with their brains when it comes to working out their entitlement and indeed their fingers typing it out for others, lets harness that community spirit !

violethill - I agree there is a way round most things. I am a strange one anyway I love cleaning. I am like monica from friends or so I have been told. I cant help it!

"But 2 parents can have one watch the children. Personally I think raising children and feeding them/caring for them as of equal importance to paid work and a pretty vital part of society. A lone parent at work all day would struggle, espceially very low paid/community work because they couldn't afford to pay someone to do it for them.
In a way its penalising mainly women and not the buggered off fathers who don't have childcare."

What do you think other working mums? They shop around work, housework is slotted in etc. Some husbands are away in the armed forces or other jobs so not home to help. I work yet manage to get the food shopping, clean the house without paying someone else to do it.

Housework and shopping dont actually take up that much time per day that it renders anybody uncapable of working. If it did, nobody would work.

Nobody is penalising women - not everyone on claiming IS as a single parent is female. Gender doesnt really come into it, male or female you should work to support the children you choose to have - if you dont want to work then dont have children.

Its also unfair to blame it all on the fathers - not all leave, some women find other men, some have the child in a casual relationship etc. Not all NRP disappear, many contribute to their child regardless of not living in the same household.

If you can use mumsnet then there must be quite a few jobs you can do.

It proves you have access to the internet, can type, can string sentences together, use paragraphs, and even in some cases, put together a reasoned argument!!