Playing the system!!

[Bell501]

Are people really better off on benefits than working?
I hear of people going through hard times. To me they can afford more than me..
Rent paid. Rates paid. free school meals for children. Dentist paid. Free Eye tests.
I could be totally blind to it.. has anyone got thoughts on it

The short answer is no.

LHA/'bedroom tax' mean they often do not get full rent. Rates - I assume you mean Council Tax - is down to the Council and in England most expect you to pay 20% even if you're on the lowest rate of Universal Credit.

Help with health costs is means tested though you get them in full on unabated UC.

Bottom line is could you, even with free healthcare, keep body and soul warm and together on £617/month for a couple or £1193 with two kids?

In that scenario rent of £500/month means you're caught by the Benefit Cap and have a max of £1650.62 for everything.

Thank you for that.
Northern Ireland does not have the bedroom tax and the equivalent to council tax is paid for them also.

Well would you prefer that we put people in workhouses again? Or just consign them to the streets?

I didn't say that at all! it's something to think about when you have children going to uni and the grants they would get if parents were on benefits just earning over the threshold for U C

Some of us, have no choice, mid stage Parkinson’s at 62, 7 yrs in, def unfit for work, 5 yrs away from pension.
i didn’t choose it, nor did lots like me

Sorry to hear that. I myself have a disability and can't work either I'm 50. My husband works and we get no help at all. Just trying to and have 2 children at uni and two more to go.

No, I'd be a lot better off working unfortunately I have two disabled children & disabled myself.

Why anyone would be jealous of someone on benefits is beyond me, we didn't choose this; we don't play the system we were just dealt shit cards in life.

I would never be comfortable on benefits if I can work. If that is what you mean with playing the system. I come from a self made family and the mindset is ingrained in me. If I loose my job the first thing to come to my mind would not be the safety net. Never in my life even when out of work signed for it. I feel is a trap and one part of the problem of the UK. I try to lead by example to my kids and hope they don’t either.

The only people who seem better off on benefits are people who are either disabled or have a disabled child which means they don't get the benefit cap applied to their claim. They can get a premium for being disabled, often getting a further premium for LCWRA as well as claiming PIP or DLA if disabled dc. They can claim a high rent allowance and high child care fees partly paid for them. There was a poster on here a couple of months ago who said she claimed over £3700 per month tax free. I think the more DC you have the more you get if the DC born before 2 DC cap. Over time these DC will grow up and younger DC will be hit by 2 DC payments. Single person with no DC are certainly not better off not working.

Even without bedroom tax you won’t get full rent paid. In my area LHA is £500 a month for three bedrooms, market rents are double that. My friend is on UC with two kids. She gets £1400 a month and her rent/council tax contribution is £1000, leaving her £400 a month for utilities and other bills, food, clothes, transport and everything else needed for two kids. I don’t think the odd free dental check touches the sides when you’re running a home and raising children on £100 a week.

By the sounds of it, you’re only disappointed that your child can’t get the full uni grant?

You don’t have to be on benefits for your child to qualify, just low income. My son received full loans and whilst I’m immensely proud of him, I can’t help but feel guilty that he’s now paying back a £75,000 loan.

I really don’t think anyone is better off on benefits.

The only people who get what may sound like a lot are people with disabilities or children with disabilities as pp pointed out there would be no benefit cap. I certainly wouldn’t begrudge people who can’t work or those with disabled children.

How lucky they are to be disabled. Pip and dla isn’t means tested so can be claimed by working people too

Also, how does your title match your OP?

I know PIP and DLA are not means tested yet. I simply pointed out which group are better off on benefits as no benefits cap applied and which group is worse off on benefits.

I agree about the disability although of course it's no fun being disabled and people don't choose it. I had a recent client who had to give up work due to long term Lung condition and with PIP, LCWRA element of UC and all rent covered by UC and full council tax paid she had as more income that working her low income job, although less if you take PIP out of the equation but she didn't really have many extra costs related to her disability, was able to drive her car etc, do her own shopping, extra heating covered by warm home grant.household support payments etc.Obviously if she'd had to give up a well paid job or had a mortgage then it would have been a different picture and her standard of living would likely have dropped a lot..

There must be a simpler way, surely?

There is a big part of me that is very much in favour of some kind of Universal Basic Income. And it's right that people who cannot work or have additional needs receive the extra support they require. A civilised society looks after the sick, weak, vulnerable and needy, without judgment.

I suspect the title reflects the OP's real thoughts on the matter.

For those with many children, including a disabled child, living in rented accommodation then yes, they can be better off on benefits.
My colleague (I am in a professional role), could afford to take a 5 year career break to stay at home with her 3rd child, in our very expensive city. She is open that she has come back to work because she will need the income now her oldest 2 are school leaving age. UC pays for 85% her children's expensive sport hobby as it's classed as childcare.

When I was paying full nursery fees for a 9 month old that was pretty galling - I'd have liked 5 years at home funded by the tax payer - who wouldn't?

@herewegoagainand I think I'd have preferred for my child not to have additional needs which meant I had to take time off work to care for them, and had to claim benefits because of that disability, but I'm a bit weird like that. How on earth can you feel envy of those circumstances?

I have a disability myself and most likely not be able to work again. I would perfer to be able to work as we have one modest wage coming in. I have two children at uni and one starting September and one the following September. The student finance they receive covers their rent at uni and would leave them under £20 a week to live on. They have friends who parents are on benefits they get nearly £3000 as a grant plus burserys £1000 then hardship fund that could also be up to £1000. My daughter uses my Asda reward to buy food.

Yes I have seen that also some families seem to do fine just on benefits

@DoubleCoatedDogs
Her youngest does not have additional needs and doesn't require care. The oldest has epilepsy - absence seizures hence the benefit cap didn't apply. Doesn't prevent him travelling without her, engaging in martial arts etc.

The choice was a "career break to be a SAHM" - not to care for a disabled child

I don’t believe she can legitimately claim childcare for that.

As long as a sports club is Ofsted registered i believe you can claim childcare costs if being used as childcare.