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.

Before exH turned into a twat, and even after actually even before I just moved out, I would at least get a little time - maybe just an hour or so where I wasn't "in charge" of the boys.

I do miss that terribly........yesterday I just wanted to curl up in a corner and cry it was so hard, I have no family close by (thank god!), and my friends are fabulous, but can't help out with having the boys for a little while for me.

I do get "childfree" time, but that's when I'm playing at church, which while I love it isn't quite the same as just being able to go "phew" and do nothing iykwim.

sunshine glad we straightened that out. I think its very easy to be misenterpreted on here and offend people when its not your intention.

the benefits system deffo needs a reform to weed out those abusing it but I worry people who genuinly need the help they are recieving will be forced to go out and work when actually they really do need the state support. that said there is no way nothing can be done about it. It does take the p*ss that people abuse the system but I think the government need to focus on those people rather than the honest ones who just need short term help.

ditto spookycharlotte

(well except I did a bit of a blitz on the living room/toy box/game cupboard today rather than gardening)

god it's hot here tonight

I find it so hard when they are all poorly, when there is no-one to let you sleep for a coupke of hours. Last year all 3 had a very bad gastro bug, ds was'nt too bad but dts were so poorly, never went more than 20 minutes without being sick, for 2 night we all slept {in a fashion) in the living room, it was exhausting. And then you have to ask for help of family to do shop errands because you cant leave them.

And them of course, it's also hard when you are ill, but everything still needs to be done.

So, it's definately hard at times, but am still glad I made the decicsion to kick the cheating no good for nothing out on his ear.

Sushine - Thanks for having the grace to come and explain a little further.

I can totally understand why you would feel upset, but it was the general sweeping of the brush over ALL benefit claimants that got our backs up.

I think you should be able to report the work-shy in the same way you can for benefit fraud to be honest, but I guess it could mean a lot of calls being made about genuine claimants too. No win situation.

As I said in my last "on topic" post, I really do think that with all the news coverage, there will be the "work-shy" claimants panicking about the forthcoming revamp and will be doing the utmost to get out to work..... well I would god-damn hope so anyway.

awww - you see we should have had this chat over a cup of tea/coffee - like the end of this thread has been and all would have been well

............and lets all hold hands tight together - it's going to be a stormy ride for all of us

Indeed

Amen to that Tocca!!!

We will brave it out together!

can i just add...sunshine i waited until i was 30 to have dd - that makes me waaaaaaaaaaaaay more of a martyr than you!!!

glad this thread hasn't gone completely feral!!

hehe sun - I jumped into bed and started trying ot make a baby as soon as I'd got married when I was 20

Riven - "herbie - if you have a long term physical disability there is a form (kept secret) that your doctor can sign. I got one because I have MS. Its a medical exemption certificate."

This is true in some cases but you have to have a listed condition. It is not for all chronic conditions. I need at least three prescriptions a month so have a pre-payment certificate. (Not complaining BTW, small price to pay to be relatively well.)

www.patient.co.uk/health/Free-or-Reduced-Cost-Prescriptions.htm

Portofino, I'm interested in your view that taxes are much higher in Belgium. Because I thought the top rate of tax in Belgium was very similar to the top rate of tax in the UK. How are taxes much higher? Do the higher rates kick in earlier?

Belgian TAx (I'm presuming some wil make more sense of it than I can )

Thanks - was being lazy - yes I can see that the top rate of tax is the same as in the UK - but the issue is that the higher rates kick in much much earlier

From your link '40% over EUR 11,240, 45% over 18,730 EUR with a top limit of 50% for incomes above EUR 34,330'.

in other words it means absolutely gobbledigook to me........especially when it's all in EUR's..........

Sarahbeth - the form Riven was talking about is a medical exemption FROM WORK form.

DH has one. Doc filled out, DH sent it to the incapacity people. It basically says the doc feels you are unable to work in any capacity for X long in that docs professional opinion. MED4 I think it is called.

Basically I wasn't a top rate tax payer in the UK, but I am now. Over half my gross salary goes on Tax and NI. I nearly had heart failure when I found out.

You do get a tax allowance for having children here though, and all childcare is tax deductible - even the holiday clubs/after school care/activities like gym or dance classes. I probably spend around 1000 euros a year on clubs/holiday cover etc. So we get a chunk of that back against our tax return.

Another good thing they do here is "Service Cheques" You buy them for 7.50 each and pay them to people for domestic services such as cleaning/ironing/shopping/gardening. The system ensure that people are legal, insured, paid a reasonable wage - and their tax and NI is paid on top. So the value of the check is worth more to the employee than it's face value. I think these are tax deductible too, but am currently investigating.....

The government is going to screw us over and leave us to rot.

Minimum wage is a joke, I get above NMW, almost £7 an hour but I end up with only around 11k a year after they have walked off with NI and Income tax.

This government is not going to give people a proper wage because they are more interested in keeping big business happy, only reason we have a NMW is because it is an EU requirement, the government would be happy to have people still working for £2 an hour like we had before it was introduced.

So what they will do is cut benefits and to hell with the people.

I don't read it like that Rivan but I've not slept much last night. It seems to be saying he agrees with increased respite care for carers.

Well they have got to do something with all the people with useless bits of paper from New Deal Child Care courses that no one gives a damn about.

I find it funny the people saying oh this and that person worked until they ended up on JSA, what has having a previous job to do with anything?, I was on the dole from age 18 to 29, if you have a job it's easier to get another, if you haven't had one in the first place you get left on the scrap heap in the catch 22 of not having experience and no one willing to give you any.

Perhaps if the stupid New Deal scam (sorry I mean scheme) actually resulted in recognised qualifications instead of in-house certificates that mean nothing people might actually have a chance, well that or let people go college without loosing benefits.

I agree on voluntary work for claiments but not in specialzed areas. Things like helping the elderly in a neighbourhood manner - shopping, gardening, going round to see if all ok, cleaning streets up, community projects.