Are any of us here on benefits?
Discussion
The average PH thread often gets its collective knickers into a twist about the "scrougers" in our society. In fact, it opening this on a Monday morning is not dissimilar to opening the Daily Mail.
I was just wondering if there were any benefit claiments/ scrougers on PH who wanted to give their side of the story?
I am sure that there must be a few out there who are genuine and who want to remind us that the welfare state is there for a good reason.....
I was just wondering if there were any benefit claiments/ scrougers on PH who wanted to give their side of the story?
I am sure that there must be a few out there who are genuine and who want to remind us that the welfare state is there for a good reason.....
Too many people in the UK making a career out of being on benefits.
I've had to sign on twice before when out of work, not a nice thing to have to do but needs must. First time round was only 3 weeks, but a few years ago was almost 3 months. It wasn't for lack of effort either, lost count of how many applications I sent away but it must have been well in 3 figures. Even when I got work it was a quick succession of seriously crap jobs, but any work is better than no work.
I have no problem with people being on benefits who have been made redundant or had to leave through illness etc. At the end of the day thats what the system is there for.
People making no effort to work should be made to do something, litter picking, painting park fences or similar productive tasks. At least the public would see some return on were their tax money goes. Come to think of it they could bring back workhouses for these sorts, must be cheaper than all the council housing
I've had to sign on twice before when out of work, not a nice thing to have to do but needs must. First time round was only 3 weeks, but a few years ago was almost 3 months. It wasn't for lack of effort either, lost count of how many applications I sent away but it must have been well in 3 figures. Even when I got work it was a quick succession of seriously crap jobs, but any work is better than no work.
I have no problem with people being on benefits who have been made redundant or had to leave through illness etc. At the end of the day thats what the system is there for.
People making no effort to work should be made to do something, litter picking, painting park fences or similar productive tasks. At least the public would see some return on were their tax money goes. Come to think of it they could bring back workhouses for these sorts, must be cheaper than all the council housing
rover 623gsi said:
Because most reasonable people believe that it is good for society as a whole that children do not go without the bare necessities.
Not arguing that - but should those with adequate personal income still be eligible to receive this relief?Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 21st February 11:03
minerva said:
The average PH thread often gets its collective knickers into a twist about the "scrougers" in our society. In fact, it opening this on a Monday morning is not dissimilar to opening the Daily Mail.
I was just wondering if there were any benefit claiments/ scrougers on PH who wanted to give their side of the story?
I am sure that there must be a few out there who are genuine and who want to remind us that the welfare state is there for a good reason.....
I am currently receiving Job Seeker's Allowance. I wouldn't define myself as a scrounger.I was just wondering if there were any benefit claiments/ scrougers on PH who wanted to give their side of the story?
I am sure that there must be a few out there who are genuine and who want to remind us that the welfare state is there for a good reason.....
digimeistter said:
dave9 said:
i'm sure a lot of people will be on child benefit - infact, anyone with kids should be 
Why should they?If you mean "why should child benefit exist?" then that's another question.
I do not mean to cause any offence. Far from it, in fact. I put in "scrounger" becasue that is what people are termed with no thought or feeling towards the genuine claiment who is NOT a scrounger. I just meant to provoke some debate/argument.
I started with paper rounds at 11 and have never been out of paid employment since. I am currently 32. Am I lucky? Or just hard working?
I started with paper rounds at 11 and have never been out of paid employment since. I am currently 32. Am I lucky? Or just hard working?
minerva said:
I do not mean to cause any offence. Far from it, in fact. I put in "scrounger" becasue that is what people are termed with no thought or feeling towards the genuine claiment who is NOT a scrounger. I just meant to provoke some debate/argument.
I started with paper rounds at 11 and have never been out of paid employment since. I am currently 32. Am I lucky? Or just hard working?
Just "normal" I'd have said (although 11 is a young start). Most people are like you. Most people aren't making a life on benefits.I started with paper rounds at 11 and have never been out of paid employment since. I am currently 32. Am I lucky? Or just hard working?
Eric Mc said:
rover 623gsi said:
Because most reasonable people believe that it is good for society as a whole that children do not go without the bare necessities.
Not arguing that - but should those with adequate personal income still be eligible to receive this relief?I have had some experience of benefits both personally and in my family in the last few years.
Personally I spent a few months on JSA as it has been hard to keep in continous employment with the recession. Long enough to confirm what I already knew that contribution based JSA is a poor joke. Our welfare system combines lavish support to those who have rarely worked, but offers little to those paying for it who find themselves in need of some temporary assistance. The typical two income couple will receive a very small amount of money when one of two earners is temporarily unemployed. Most countries in europe offer temporary assistance as a percentage of your previous salary, which is what an INSURANCE scheme should be providing here.
The other example is my father, which is more problematic and less clear cut. He was working on an average salary by London standards in the back office of an investment bank and suffered a bout of severe depression and has been on Incapacity benefit ever since. Once he had got himself back on his feet he started work as a school groundsman for ten hours a week(which does not reduce his benefit), but is certainly not capable of working in a pressured office environment, and noone would employ him as such anyway at his age (early sixties). He would be capable of working longer hours if he could find the work, but is he instead fully justified in working part time and staying on Incapacity until he reaches state retirement age?. After starting work at fifteen and paying in for forty years, is he a 'scrounger' or someone taking what they have paid in?.
Personally I spent a few months on JSA as it has been hard to keep in continous employment with the recession. Long enough to confirm what I already knew that contribution based JSA is a poor joke. Our welfare system combines lavish support to those who have rarely worked, but offers little to those paying for it who find themselves in need of some temporary assistance. The typical two income couple will receive a very small amount of money when one of two earners is temporarily unemployed. Most countries in europe offer temporary assistance as a percentage of your previous salary, which is what an INSURANCE scheme should be providing here.
The other example is my father, which is more problematic and less clear cut. He was working on an average salary by London standards in the back office of an investment bank and suffered a bout of severe depression and has been on Incapacity benefit ever since. Once he had got himself back on his feet he started work as a school groundsman for ten hours a week(which does not reduce his benefit), but is certainly not capable of working in a pressured office environment, and noone would employ him as such anyway at his age (early sixties). He would be capable of working longer hours if he could find the work, but is he instead fully justified in working part time and staying on Incapacity until he reaches state retirement age?. After starting work at fifteen and paying in for forty years, is he a 'scrounger' or someone taking what they have paid in?.
Eric Mc said:
Tax Credits are "benefits".
Indeed - one of the motivations for the last government's tax credit strategy was to broaden the base of population in receipt of some kind of social security benefit, and thus de-stigmatise benefit dependency by blurring the edges of who received and who didn't. The other main motivation was greater redistribution of wealth relative to the previous Family Credit system.I have to say – as someone who gets £40 a month – the tax credits system is a complete pile of poo. It was ill-conceived and has been appallingly administered. I’m not convinced by all of the changes being brought in by ConLibs, but I am very much in favour of a simplification of the benefit system – and some of the things proposed by IDS I do agree with.
tax credits and child benefit here.
I'm not in a fantastic area so my wage isnt as high as alot of the guys on here (or so it would seem)
its an essential part of getting by and thankfully we do well. we're not extravagent so we do save to make sure our kids have a good life. two of my kids are eligible for disability benefit too but i dont really like claiming based on a "technicaility" there's far more worthy people who deserve a disability benefit who actually need it.
there are people who seriously take the piss of the system but there are people who need it and use the benfits as they're meant to be.
I'm not in a fantastic area so my wage isnt as high as alot of the guys on here (or so it would seem)
its an essential part of getting by and thankfully we do well. we're not extravagent so we do save to make sure our kids have a good life. two of my kids are eligible for disability benefit too but i dont really like claiming based on a "technicaility" there's far more worthy people who deserve a disability benefit who actually need it.
there are people who seriously take the piss of the system but there are people who need it and use the benfits as they're meant to be.
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