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.

sunshine, from that post I am assuming you only have 1 child? I have 3 ( one with special needs), and trust me, it's more than 3 times the work.

yes but sunshine - you have him there at night, and at the weekend. You yourself say you get to go out at the weekend, so have so time to yourself, and I presume he has annual leave occasionally?

A single parent never EVER has someone to help them.........

sunshine

Dont go critocizing my decision to keep my kids when I fell pregnant. Neither were planned but thats doesn't matter now as they are here so telling me otherwise is pointless and distasteful.
I was at uni and working when I fell pregnant with my first, with their dad who was also working and contributing. We were living with my mum and paying our way. I was even able to put money aside each month in savings incase I was unable to work so don't even try pulling that one.
The reason I ended up on benefits is because their dad became abbusive and controling. I fail to see how I could have forseen this I left him when I was 6 months pregnant with dd and moved into a flat with nothing.
I have recieved HB for the past 2 years whilst I have been in uni and also council tax relief but thats an entitlement that all students get. Everything else I have paid for out of my student loans. It is only this year that I have started claiming IS, even though I could have claimed it previous years, because I had PND last year and didnt complete the course.
It would be stupid to go out and get an unskilled job instead of carrying on at uni, finishing my degree and getting a well paid job in my field. The goverment stand to gain far more from me earning a higher wage and getting benefits for a year or two than me being in an unnskilled job for the rest of my life. Im not digging unskilled work btw just saying that I have to support me and my kids alone. their dad gives nothing so getting a better paid jobs gives me a fighting chance to do this.

Im sorry that I was rude to you earlier but your posts really wound me up alot I should have stepped away but instead made a childish attack at you.

I just hope you can step back from this thread and read the comments made by people on here who are on benefits and see everyones situations are so diverse and so different. Nobody really wants to be taking hand outs. I for one can not wait to get a job so I can start to build a future for my kids. I have no problem with them going to nursery and would be happy for them to be there 9-5 5 days a week. They love their nursery and the staff. They learn lots there and are well looked after. Its just finding a job which is the problem, in my field they are few and far between right now. Im even considering doing another course next year so that I can branch out slightly in order to get a job. Im hungry to work... as are so many other posters but it isnt as easy as just finding a job and taking it. There is a lot mroe to it than that. Give people a break. We all know the country is in trouble but those of us who are on benefits still have to feed a clothe our kids. We have to worry how we are going to do that if benefits are cut. Its not an easy life being on benefits..... far from it. I hope you can just see it a little bit from the otherside. I really do get it that it must be frustrating to work hard and be on the same income as someone who is on benefits but for most people it isnt a life style choice but a pit stop untill their situation changes and they are able to work.

Tocca - pass the fags and tea this way!!! Im busy knitting my little boy a winter jumper LOL Scottish highlands dont have a summer LOL

sunshine - you know I don't know - I suspect that it will be DS1 and 2 at home together "latch key kids" (DS1 will be 13, DS2 10 once my youngest is 7) and try and find someone to have DS3 until DS1 is a bit older (say around 15/16) and he'll have to supervise his younger brothers.

"So, say I was lucky enough to find childcare so I could work 9 til 5, by the time I picked kids up and got home, it would be around 5.45, dts go to ed at around 7pm ( just lately anyway ) that gives me and hour and 15 minutes to prepare ad cook tea, do homework and reading, bath, story, and bedtime."

I have worked 9 - 5 since dd was 5 months old. I understand the affordable/available child care part, but all else withstanding, you get on with it.

oooo Jarm - I hope the tea is ok - i don't drink it myself (well I do if it's served up or it's the only option - I'm a coffee drinker myself). I keep it in for a few friends that drink tea.

I need to start having more people round to drink tea. I don't like having the same box of tea bags open for ever, so I replace the entire (open) lot after about 6 months so visitors at least have relatively fresh tea.

toccatonfudge - when I go out my mum looks after her. I dont think my husband has ever babysat entirely on his own lol! Dont know if he could handle it.

He doesnt really do much looking after her but he did do some night feeds when she was first born as at the weekends he is at a voluntary placement for 8 hours a day on both days as he is retraining.

Also, when I was married, he was useless and I often commented that it was like being a single parent, it's only when I became a single parent I realised that even the little help I did get from him made a difference, so really sunshine, you cant compare your husband getting home late 5 days a week, to being a single parent and doing everything yourself.

aye - but Porto - lets not forget you do have a lovely (if someone daft - inviting all those extra people for your anniversary ) DH to help you out.

I dont like coffee as long as it is hot,sweet and milky its fine!

oh I don't know whoingodsname - I find some of it easier without having a 4th baby around the house

(apart from putting the bins out and cleaning the toilet........)

Sorry just saw you had with SN which makes it trickier.....

Riven............you know that "big meeting" we had to have the child safety agreement removed......

exH actually sat there, i nfront of representatives from both schools, a SW, someone from his team, my carer support worker - the whole shebang and said (when asked how he'd be helping once I moved out)

"I'll help by babysitting the boys when she's at church" OMG - I nearly fell off my chair laughing.......and even when it was commented that it wasn't really babysitting as it's his own children he still said the word again

All this talk of coffee, am off to put the kettle on, and I was so trying to be good and drink watet

pah - heathen coffee hating benefits scroungers.............can't be doing with them you know - coffee is the ONLY way to go

Thats true tocca, well, less washing to do anyway, and less hairs in the sink and poo in the pan

yep and with ex he was here but literally did nothing. He'd sit upstairs listening to his music while I was struggling with after school/dinner/bath/bed time. Then come down stairs and f*ck off to the pub.

I still have to deal with the whol after school chaos.........but as there's no-one in the house to help me I have to get on with it and don't have the resentment of him being there and doing nothing to help.

mind - I'm not sure about less poo in the pan...........I have 3 boys..........

Sorry!!!! Would much rather drink diet coke or irn bru if im totally honest..... or hot chocolate with marshmallows if its going!

Dh drinks enough coffee for the both of us though

ooooooooo Irn Bru - 99p shop is doing Irn Bru at the moment, I nearly knocked my kids over rushing to grab a can when we were in there the other day - you just can't get it down here usually.

May have to pop back on Tuesday and get some more while they're still doing it

I'll let you off if your DH drinks plenty of coffee.....

talking of which - really need to go put the kettle on - all this virtual coffee just doesn't have the same buzz factor

spookycharlotte121 - Thats ok. I am just coming from the perspective of my area and experiences and I personally know there are a lot of people who wil do anything to get out of work (not saying that is you or anyone else here).It just gets frustrating when I had to go back to uni after 2 weeks as I needed the student loan. I also had to do the phonelines, that although people dont agree with I did for the money so I could complete my studies.

The first year of my childs life was so hard she was a terrible sleeper, I was a full time uni student and working on the phonelines. I hardly ever slept. I had to do it mostly on my own as my husband was working long shifts. I then know people who get to not have to worry about anything financial as they get paid benefit money. I have met so many people like it that it has got me jaded. Its so hard meeting these people when you know everything that you have to do on top of the care of your child. The stress was immense and I just hate the fact that people dont get rewarded for trying to make the best out of their situation. As I said way back in this thread you are at uni which is a good thing and I realise it is hard (I am just waiting on my 3rd year grades).

I also have a very close friend who has to work 44 hours a week as a shop manager for 14.5k she has 2 young children and is constantly exhausted. She does it cause she wants to do the right thing and it hurts me seeing what she goes through when others never bother. That is something I would like to see change with this new government.

Sorry and no offense to others also I got a bit annoyed when people were calling me a prostitute and a hooker.

Yes, I do have DH. But he is not normally home til 7 so everything is done by that point, apart from actual "bedtime". And he is away a lot. I agree that at the weekend it makes the world of difference....

The key thing to me is the childcare. I totally understand the issue about finding it and being able to afford it. I can't imagine being still in UK as I think about what would have been available.....

In Belgium they have it sewn up. School is open from 7.30 to 6pm as standard and is available from 2.5 years. The "school" part is free and I pay something like 2 euros per day for after school care. The holidays are equally well covered. And there is good parental leave provision for both parents. And yet, here only about 40% of women work!

Taxes are though much higher!

Again, true, knowing that there is no-one to help, you get motivated and get with it.

I also used to hate the pilke of dirty clothes he would leave on the floor, thats something I rebelled with actually, the last few months he was here I just picked them up and hung them back in the wardrobe, and put his used underwear back in his drawer