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Everyone on Tax Credits are benefit scroungers and shouldn't be breeding!

62 replies

CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 20:49

First of all guys, this is an attention grabbing headline. I DO NOT subscribe to this awful statement, and others that are flying around about the tax credit cuts.

The Tory government have really pulled the wool over the eyes on a lot of people on this one.

Everyone out there seems to believe that these tax credit cuts are only hurting those unemployed. Anyone on tax credits is being deemed lazy, good for nothing benefit scroungers, and people are tired of paying for them.

No for one moment has anyone realised that 75% of those on TC's are actually working. But our jobs are so shittily paid, the TC's have topped us up so we can actually afford to buy some food.

Here's an article here about parents who are happy with the cuts:
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/its-time-child-tax-credits-6035167

We are going to be worse off, and I know lots of you on here are going to be hit badly by these cuts, yet we work.

Is it our fault that we have low paid jobs? It is our fault that it costs so much to live in this country, our low paid job doesn't cover it?

I don't know if there's anything we can do, but I really don't want to sit here and do nothing and watch so many hard working families struggle. I'm tired of being broke as it is.

There's been comments flying around that 'if we'd all paid more attention in school, we could all have those better paid jobs'. Really smart arse? Then who does those low paid jobs? Who cleans your house? Who cleans your car? Who stacks those shelfs, or answers the phone to help you with your enquiry? Someone has to do these jobs, and these jobs aren't well paid. Does that mean because we're not 'bright' enough, or well educated enough, or not given the opportunities that you had, that we aren't able to have children?

By the way, it's rich people that have children. Poor people just breed.

Tax credits were there to help families with children, and workers on their low wages to top them up, so that they can have a better standard on living. More comments flying around is that maybe if we all got rid of our iPhones, Sky Packages, and stopped smoking, then maybe we would get by without benefits. Anyone been reading the Daily Mail too much??? I don't smoke, have an iPhone, or Sky. Our car is 15 years old. There is no lavish lifestyle on benefits here.

The Tory government have done a great job on painting us poor to be real scum, so when they came to cut the tax credits, they would all cheer.

And where is the compassion? Or is anyone not bright enough to see beyond what the newspapers want you to see.

I've been working since the age of 16. Paying my taxes for nearly 20 years. So I pay into the system, and when I need help, I can't take from it?

What if life was good, and wages were good, and we had our children, and then shit happened. We needed help. Should we not have had children? At what point are you so financially stable that you are allowed to have children?

Redundancies happen. Cancer happens. Shit happens. Where is the compassion from those so well off, that they could contribute to that system that helps those less fortunate. We have bugger all money, but I still put food in the food banks, as I know someone else is worse off than us.

How can we get across how much this is hurting the parents that are working? How can we change perceptions of that rich/poor divide?

We have to do something. The Nasty Party is well and truly back.

OP posts:
CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 21:59

I started a thread (which I am allowed to do) because I wanted to try and get something done about the millions of families worse off as a result of the budget.

If you don't like the thread, there's no need for you to comment, or tell me where else to post it.

No soap box here.

OP posts:
sootballs · 11/07/2015 21:59

Ever heard of free speech? Because the Tory basterds want to reel than in too

Last time I checked mn didn't have an allocation for posts on a certain subject.

CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 22:03

Thanks sootballs Smile

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ShabbyNat · 11/07/2015 22:04

You are missing my point, if I worked full time now I would have to put my kids in child care which I would have to pay for, but I would be able to claim back through more benefits!!
I would prefer to work part time & not claim extra benefits, but spend more time with my kids.
I also think I am extremely lucky that I work in a school so have school holidays off, so further reducing the childcare benefit that I would have to claim if I was working full time.

yellowcurtains · 11/07/2015 22:06

Then surely stonedgalah is entitled to free speech too?

ImStillAlive · 11/07/2015 22:07

No one is debating free speech, it smacks of attention ooh look at me aren't I a fucking pioneer.

You haven't got any original thoughts that someone else hasn't already had, so stop with @I want to make a difference, bullshit

EVERYONE DOES .

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 11/07/2015 22:07

Sorry..I should have said staunch right wing types.

cruikshank · 11/07/2015 22:07

I think that Tax Credits were a laudable idea that went a bit wrong, but these changes do nothing to address the flaws in the system.

I always understood it to be designed to redistribute wealth - you know, take money from the tax system and give it, every month, to people on low incomes. That idea sounds fine. However, that's only a short term solution which does nothing to tackle the real problem which is that we have become a low wage economy with a high cost of living, and the highest cost of living is housing. Tax credits masked that for a while, but the fundamental issue remains. Which is why taking money away from people again will not resolve anything.

ghostspirit · 11/07/2015 22:09

shabby i work in school kitchen as well. its dream job to me. i dont know how im going to be effected...but im quite sure im fucked if i do work and fucked if i dont...maybe i should just stay home with my baby

CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 22:10

Spot on cruikshank

OP posts:
ShabbyNat · 11/07/2015 22:21

ghostspirit its my dream job too<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Smile" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/smile-iCO8d7ST.png"> But I know it wont last foreverSad
My children will grow up & the benefits will stop, so I will need a job with more hours to pay more to cover all my outgoings.
So, while my children are young, I prefer to work part time & claim benefits to help me through, while watching them grow & spending time with them while they grow.
Benefits help me do that.
I know that they will not last forever.

ghostspirit · 11/07/2015 22:24

indeed. it was perfect as it works round school. now i have a baby. im not sure what help i get with childcare with the cut backs going on :(

Zebda · 11/07/2015 22:35

Can we direct our rage at the multinational corporations that are underpaying British workers and also avoiding corporation tax? It's insane that people can work hard and still require Tax credits to subsidise them to a reasonable standard of living... Tax payers are subsidising large corporations. This gives me the rage.

I like the recent budget for trying to address under-paying with a legal living wage, I just wish that Osborne had waited until wages had caught up to the appropriate level before cutting TC. It just seems illogical to me to cut one before boosting the other and causes unnecessary pain to families.

But no doubt I'll get flamed for suggesting ultimately working people should not need benefits if they are paid fairly...

TheHormonalHooker · 11/07/2015 22:37

I think Tax Credits are great for the people who are on low pay and were a really good idea when they were started, but (and I hate myself for saying this) the system went wrong.

When the Radfords (that family who call themselves Britain's biggest family) had their 17th child recently there was a thread and it was said they'd still be eligible for Tax Credits if they were earning £110k! If they earn £50k they could claim £47k. That is absolute madness imo. I know they are in the minority, etc, etc, but the majority of the population don't even earn that money to start with.

SoozeyHoozey · 11/07/2015 22:39

Why should it be anyone else's responsibility to help you work part time though? If you want that luxury you should learn to fund yourself. Part time work is not a god given right because you have kids.

sootballs · 11/07/2015 22:45

#robinhoodtax isn't it?

Yes. We should be increasing wages, raising corporation tax not.lowering it, and dealing with the housing crisis.

CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 22:45

TheHormonalHooker, that family is a one off though, and one the Daily Mail likes to show so everyone gets the wrong impression of those on Tax Credits.

There are plenty of people working full time with the help of TC's who rely on the help.

OP posts:
CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 22:47

Spot on Zebda

OP posts:
TheHormonalHooker · 11/07/2015 22:52

I know that there are plenty of people in work relying on tax credits Carrie and they should still receive them. But we should never have had a system where people can earn £50k, or £110k and still get help from the Govt.

ShabbyNat · 11/07/2015 23:09

I know working part time is not my god given right just because I have kids, I would have found a way financially as childcare was too expensive for me working full time.
I would of been working full time for £40 per calendar month after childcare costs, there is no way I could of afforded that aswell as all household bills.
I would of rather struggled seeing my children grow up than struggle putting them in childcare & not seeing them grow up.
Tax credits has always been a bonus that I have welcomed in seeing my children grow & making my financial life easier.

CarrieLouise25 · 11/07/2015 23:28

I'm really not against what you've said at all TheHormonalHooker, am not after an argument. I agree with you.

I'm just saying it's a one off, and it's dangerous that people focus on that one off. Those cases should never happen.

OP posts:
shabbycaddy · 12/07/2015 10:37

You never know they might bring back the work house ;) Think though a lot of housing issues and cost of living could be helped with generations of families living in fewer homes, which I think is starting to happen with kids not being able to afford to move out. Essentially we will see a reverse in living standards over a number of years, with more multiple occupations of homes, areas of the country becoming slums and the gap between the poor and wealthy getting back to probable like it was during the Victorian times. Think it will be tough, but it will become the new norm.

RandomMess · 12/07/2015 10:53

The irony is as civil servants (not even on the lowest grades and expected to be graduates) we received Tax Credits to cover our childcare costs (because yes we both worked). Despite living in Surrey we didn't even get London Weighting on our salaries so had we been renting we would have received partial housing benefit too - 2 bed properties are around the £1k mark.

Oh and the final pension scheme is long gone, as are the redundancy terms that were in the contracts we signed!

So yes the Government is one of those low paying employers...

sootballs · 12/07/2015 10:54

Social clensing has already begun, and will continue. Given the removal also of the ILF then a return to group living is happening - who's to say that won't happen for the poor in society as well as the disabled.

And while we're on the subject then working for nothing is already happening. How is it ok for MP's to have a hardship fund when they are getting pay rises but the people who are unable to eat are given nothing. We are one of the richest nations yet we have the greatest inequality.

We better rise up while we can before the laws on strikes are changed.

horseygeorgie · 12/07/2015 11:07

I'm a single parent on tax credits. I work part time and manage to make ends meet.

Personally I'm going against the flow here - I think we should actually be bloody grateful we live in a time and country that helps at all. Who decreed we have to be looked after!?! If the cuts mean I don't have enough money then I will get another job. If they doesn't do it I will retrain and thank my lucky stars I can. I SHOULD have done better at school.

It is down to me and my choices entirely that I have this life so why should I be bailed out? We have a good education system, access to birth control and chance after chance to be helped in England.

Just thank God you don't live in the 18th century.

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