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.

Yes, it is work and pays the bills

Agree that it is work and herbie is only exploring her options.

I have to say I really admire sunshine - she's got more guts and gungho in her little finger than a lot of others (me included) have in their entire bodies.

Yes, it is work, but so is alot of other undesirable jobs, such as working in the sewers, rat catching, and cleaning up in a mortuary,not that I'd want to do those jobs either.

As to whether adult chat pays the bills, I suppose that depends on how much your bills are. I'm not convinced it would actually pay that much tbh.

Up to £10/hour - more than minimum wage. There are lots of things I wouldn't do either but if someone else wants to/needs to, there is nothing wrong with that. There are way worse things than adult chat lines

The ratcatcher who comes when I call out is a delightful man. Nothing wrong in what he does. Bet he supports a family too.

I think the key thing is "up to"...........and 10-18p per minute you're ON the live call......

I am only speaking for myself. I have no issue if others wish to work on the adult chatlines.

Up to £10 per hour.

Surely this is self explanatory, that it can be anything up to £10 per hour.

I wonder, if you needed TC's to top up your earnings, how you would predict how much you were going to earn each week/month?

Is this up to £10 per hour gross?

No, there is nothing wrong with any of the jobs I have mentioned, but I speak for myself, and I personally wouldn't want to do those jobs.

It's a good thing there is people who are happy to do these jobs, because there's a demand for them all.

Yes that is what I said UP to £10/hr and yes I do understand that it means anything between 0 and £10.

I'd presume that after a while you would have a pretty good idea about your earnings.

Sparkle, you might not be interested in doing them. But why discourage others from exploring options, based on your own prejudices, in this case adult chat lines.

It is work. Probably short term. But at least the person is thinking positively in the right direction. I would applaud that, not pour cold water.

And I don't think any of those jobs are on top of anyone's dream job list but sometimes you have to do what you have to

i think theres a difference in not being picky about work to get by and having to take on sex work.

massive difference.

For me, as I have said, sex work is degrading.

I would happily clean sewers/mortuaries etc if I needed to.

I would however, NEVER EVER EVER consider any form of sex work.

Call me old fashioned, but sex is a sacred act between 2 people that love each other. It is purely for my husbands eyes and ears only.

I am not discouraging blueshoes. I am giving prospective adult chat line workers some points to consider.

Mingg Isn't it a wonderful thing then that we live in a society where, at the moment, we don't have to work in a job that we may find unbearable, demoralising or morally unacceptable??

It is not prostitution and sunshine does it whilst ironing. Working the chatline is probably temporary. If I had to put food on the table, I would consider it. But I guess with benefits, who needs to.

Demoralising is one thing, sex work is quite another!

sparkle: "Mingg Isn't it a wonderful thing then that we live in a society where, at the moment, we don't have to work in a job that we may find unbearable, demoralising or morally unacceptable??"

Actually, in a lot of cases, you don't have to work At All. That is not right, certainly in these times.

Tbh if I could not get any other work I would do chatlines. I would and have done just about anything legal to earn money in the past.

no - I would never do chat line work either.

Cant't really see it helping with the CV either......."I did telephone work" , oh what sort............"helping men masturbate"

I don't think it is work you put on your cv.

and as expat (I think is was?) further up explained temporary work is a MASSIVE risk to take especially when it comes to an end, and I think it was Kaloki who mentioned how the benefits stopping and not having a proper income makes things without a "set income" a risk.

Housing benefit and council tax benefit usually want to see proof of income before they give you anything.........so you'd be paying your rent out of "up to" £10 an hour job.

I have to say that I find MY work demoralising and unbearable some of the time. However there are a LOT worse things to be doing.

blueshoes I wonder what the guys on the phone make of the background noises caused by the ironing. Maybe I just have a noisy iron. Hisssssssssssssssss

Sunshine must be very experienced in ironing with one hand. I'm sitting here imagining trying to place clothes on the ironing board and iron with a phone clamped to my ear, all the while, making sure the caller doesn't suspect I am in fact doing my ironing.

From what I read earlier in this thread, I think housing benefit is due for a major overhaul. Looks like many people are living in bigger houses than they need. Makes it very comfortable to be on housing benefit.

Certainly, one way to make benefits uncomfortable without putting children on the street is to not make it an automatic right that having more children will entitle claimants to a bigger home. Is sharing rooms such a crime?

Same for retirees whose children have left living in big houses.