To think some posters need a "reality check" re. views on benefit changes

[lesley33]

I have some concerns about some of the proposed changes to benefits and how these may adversely affect people. So this is NOT a thread about that. But I am getting increasingly fed up at some of the frankly ridiculous reasons some posters are giving against the proposed changes. Examples include:

1. That children 12 and over will be traumatised if both parents work - even if second parent only works 20 hours a week.

1. That a parent with children 12 and over shouldn't have to commute up to 90 minutes each way to work. Far from ideal I know and if someone is on low wages this might not be affordable. But perfectly doable.

1. That childcare is impossible to get for teenagers. Ignoring the fact that many parents, myself included use a combination of kids home alone and afterschool activities.

AIBU to think some people need a reality check? Plenty of people with children already work, many with both parents working full time by the time their kids are teenagers. Plenty of people have long commutes, struggle with childcare, etc. Things might not be "ideal", but these are things that many many working parents already do.

(And I can write but Goodness I;d have to engage spell check )

Yanbu op

peachy why would you have an inspection from IR?
I've ben self employed from home for eight years and have never been inspected or asked to produce anyhting other than a cheque for my taxes.

If you have a mortgage, then you live in a property that really isn't yours either.
(to MrsH)

Dunno.

All I know is what lady in Council New Business Centre told me.

Besides if we were caught (hardly unlikely, LL lives a few streets away , i could not advertise without her knowing) then not only would be homeless but we'd be classed as intentionally homeless due to breaking lease and not entiled to be rehoused. Hardly a risk I can afford to take is it?

It would also invalidate the insurance Landlady ahs to have the business registered here

Many landlords do not allow a tenant to work from home for various reasons, and frankly working from home is not the national level answer to the issue of what jobs are there to absorb the mainly single heads of household who are going to be affected by the cuts.

And I do not disagree MAth but if I had a tenner for everybody who said I should do it I;d be ineligible for HB!

(WEll I am anyway due to DH's income but YKWIM)

Peachy- why on earth would the IR care about your tenancy agreement
Mathanxiety- You do own your house even if you own know equity.

Don't know dande, only know what the Council Advisor told me.

Nevertheless I woulds till be in breech of tenancy; I suspect if i complained on here that I was homeless and my chidlren ahd been fostered becuase I willingly broke the lease and amde ourselves, as the proper term is, 'Intentionally Homeless' that I would receive little sympathy.

math no of course it's not for everyone, but it can be the answer for some people.
Adversity is the mother of invention and all that.

Sometimes, understandably, people get stuck in a negative mindset. When you have a lot of challenges heaped one after the other it's hard to keep up enough energy to remain open no?
Sometimes it takes a suggestion or push from somone else to turn the light back on. I've been there myself.

Oh sure, Alouisee, there are council holiday play schemes near me that are rightly free to families on benefits, and that would have cost me only a few pounds; but they run only for a few hours a day, and don't run over mealtimes.

The YMCA schemes which run from 8am till 6pm and cater well for working parents do cost about £35/40 and upwards a day. That's per child.

£50 is steep, if it's for one child per day, I agree; but if that were to include meals and 'activity extras' then I can see it happening in some locations.

OP - I find it ridiculous the way some posters over simplify their views. " all benefits people are victims of circumstance and deserve more money" or " all benefits people are scroungers who haven't worked a day in their life"
I would like to think that in real life these people are able to see shades of grey, not just black and white. But on an internet forum I guess it is more efficient to give a polarised view.
I have noticed that the sensible posts do not get replies, that is the case in many internet forums.

Peachy what about teaching assistant jobs,there seem to be quite a few going round here(surely any SEN posts would snap you up) and I have many friends childminding from rental properties. If you volunteer in schools you can often get your foot in that way.

Also I have friends working the anti social hours in Tescos and Asda(may suit you better,I think one does 6-10 pm and she gets quite a good rate plus staff discount),I think there are more vacancies for these hours.

Will PM you re the autism thing.

xA big problem is finding a job. Today is my first day job hunting after a couple of months off from hunting. Lets just say it's not looking good. DH's hunting has so far resulted in one unsuccessful interview and mostly no replies. BTW we didn't plan a family while on benefits ended up in this position due to redundancy.

Excuse my typing, DD is refusing to be put down.

No, you don't own your own house if you pay a mortgage. That is why the bank that owns your house can turf you out if you stop paying your mortgage, and put your house on the market.

No. You own it, the bank has a charge over it.
They cannot turf you out except in very specific circumstances.

Full day at a large leisure centre here is £18.25. I mean full day as well, it doesn't include meals.

The university runs a holiday scheme at £23 per day + £4 for a hot meal.

The poshest private school in the area with amazing facilities is £270 for a fortnight.

So to say that a local primary day costs £50 is utter fantasy.

The radio today was interviewing the head of a new "free" school. They managed to keep the school open 51 weeks a year. During school holiday times they run a holiday club for £15 a day. Before and after school clubs are charged at £2.80 an hour. The clubs and wraparound care completely fund themselves. I imagine that things will move more and more in that direction and I think that the head should be congratulated.

Anti-social hours are fine if there is someone to take up the childcare slack.

wordfactory i agree DPs brother is so locked into a system you have rediculous conversations 'I dont feel ready to start work yet'

so you say what does ready mean & he cannot explain other than he will at some point in the future...just not now. (for now he wants to sit with his friends and drink....)

we thought it was just him...then saw a program about benefits & the claimant repeated the same coversation with the reporter.

if you could work but get into a rut of not working, benefits seems to shape your interactions with the world in ways that i did not think possible.

and for the avoidance of doubt: i am not commenting on people who cannot work.

MrsH I ahve been applying for those yes; I'd need to get my TA quals first though (just a local rule) which has caused difficulty so far becuase I have a degree which automatically rules me outide the funding criteria regardless of income. I think once Dh completes it is something we will revisit if I have not found work elsewhere (charity sector my ideal, where I come from) but we will ahve to be able toa fford the fees first. We had paid for my MA before DH was made redundant thankfully. Locally the schools are making people redundant though not hiring. I still want to do my won business- I ahve a good, original model and would love to find a way to do it- am focussing ATM on trying to solve that, DH not qualified until May anyway.

DH works funny hours (ie whenever work comes in) so unsociable hourswould hinder his earning, also at certain times we need two adults- one per autistic child. I know it sounds like a cop out buty even with 2 adults it's devillishly hard in the evenings. I would do Tesco Asda etc outside those hours though, but these days even they are telling the Government to slow down on Workfare as theyc an;t even find free work for so many candidates! Workfare ahs to ahve had a massive impact on part time opportunities.

Always feel like I am making excuses; I'm not, I ahve plenty of avenues to explore and in fact if DS1's DLA is reviewed properly I should be exempt but very few ASD cases do seem to be reviewed properly now, and longer term the need for constant supervision is being removed as a PIP criteria at all! it's be 'bring your disabled young adult to work' day every day then!

Hec good luck with the job hunting
Mrsheff thanks for PM when it comes, always appreciated

Pekka- absoluely about sensibel replies on either side not getting responses. not being one to bandy insults I tend to feel invisible at times!

I find it so amusing that some of the most vociferous posters on these benefit threads have boasted on other threads about the luxury of being SAH parents. In essence they haven't done a days work or contributed anything to the economy for a good while (sometimes years).

Reality check? Oh yes they soooo need it.

Alouisee, I guess it's all about availability. I had nothing that good at that price available to me.

Alouisee. It is NOT untrue. They have had to raise the price since they have had to start hiring a hall rather than using the demountable in the school grounds they used to use. Which is now an extra classroom. YES, after-school is cheaper. But all day care in the holidays is £50 per child.