RANT - Fed up with life here in the UK

[bodminman]

Someone asked about a middle income family just above the benefit threshold. I'm right here. We are above the threshold for council tax benefit, housing benefit, working tax credits, income support, and food bank help. We get child benefit and child tax credits, both amount to the tune of £33 combined per week.

 

We are now choosing between heating our house for more than an hour a day, or eating more than once a day (our daughter has 3 square meals).

 

We have cut corners everywhere possible, we make our own bread (cost of making our own including the ingredients and electric for the oven is 60p, whereas the cheapest loaf in the supermarket is 80p), we make our own yoghurt, we grow our own vegetables in our garden (granted not much but better than nothing and can always guarantee freshness). I've even taken to using squirrel traps (with local council authority) to catch and kill squirrels for additional meat in our diet.

 

I am the epitome of thrift, if there is a way to save money, I am probably doing it, but we struggle badly, to the point where we are looking at moving in with the in laws simply so we dont have to shell out as much!

 

Crikey that sounds tough bud!

 

The thing is hard working families shouldn't be in this state.

[featured_spectre]

In full time work, it isn't a problem, hell earning anything over £700 a month for me, means we can live without worry, and pay all bills. We can't afford a new/2nd hand car, so we are making do with the mrs car. She works from home now so thats a bonus, our internet is paid for by her company, and we're not shelling out in fuel anywhere near as much. I have a disabled bus pass which is a godsend as if we need to go to tesco/asda/morrisons for milk or washing powder, its more economical for me to go 45 mins on the bus than the mrs 15 mins in the car.

 

With the £700 I want to earn a month, this would pay for heating so we have it on more than an hour a day, stock up our fridge and pantry so that we have both fresh and long life food readily available and that the mrs and I can afford to eat more than once a day. We'd pay back people that have loaned us money. And we save enough to buy a decent car which has better fuel economy and lower tax bracket than our current one.

[andyturpie]

I think society itself made a rod for it's own back. Even in the good times families were paying say £100+ days for entering into a theme park without actually questioning the real value of £100 pounds. The only way to live at the end of the day is to find ways to break yourself free from the shackles of the system.

 

For instance actively monitor where your money goes - 9 times out of 10 granted that most of your money will eventually end up either in a tax haven or a rich shareholder who will hoard the cash and it will never be redistributed back into society, so look to spend what ever you have after tax deductions as local as you can.

 

Energy bills? If we all nationally performed our own 3 day week with rolling lights out - the shareholders would be hit and I bet if we weren't spending with them, then prices would fall.

 

Why do we also complain about low pay, when on the other hand the masses are quite happy to support tax avoiding, zero hour contract employing on line sellers just to save a few quid which then the bigger picture tells us that that process destroys societies' opportunities, the economy and leaves High Streets like ghettos.

[CHR1S]

@nephilim please take this as a compliment on your hard work and not another way.

 

You are the sort of family that deserves help, hard working, self sufficient and not expecting to be given anything.

I could not imagine myself in your position!

You see state reared families who can afford drink/drug and crap habits and STILL seem to feed their kids rubbish, but you cant make ends meet.

 

Wouldn't you be better off resigning, and claiming? Nice big house paid for, heating allowance, more child benefits, hell you could even have time to start a habit of some kind!

[featured_spectre]

@CHR1S the lady in the job centre said the same thing, if the mrs packed in her job, we could get a council house, with council tax and rent paid for, and god knows how many benefits and make more than what we get now. Thing is, we would rather work than live like that. I couldn't even begin to fathom how or why people live like that. I'm applying for 20-30 jobs a day, for jobs I know I can do with ease with my disability. Just annoys me to high heaven.

[CHR1S]

I couldn't even begin to fathom how or why people live like that.

 

Lack of intelligence, poor upbringing, lack of self respect/pride or just laziness. If its easier to play the system than to get a job why do the more difficult task?

 

If you watched the shoplifter and proud program they classed it as their job, because it was easier than a real job and paid better. The lack of repercussions also encouraged them. Its just too easy if you have no morals!

[FragglePete]

Feeling the pinch here; three kids and feel my income just doesn't stretch as far as it did. Each month seems to be a major bill, insurance, etc that just gobbles up the chance to save or treat yourself with.

 

My wife does Floristry work privately, registered with the Tax man and does Tax Return each year. Last year she made about £1500 in profit and of course this was declared to the Child Tax Credit and what happens? Child Tax Credit gets reduce by £1500 ! So, where's the incentive to actually get of your butt and do something for yourself?

 

Pete

[andyturpie]

Lack of intelligence, poor upbringing, lack of self respect/pride or just laziness. If its easier to play the system than to get a job why do the more difficult task?

 

If you watched the shoplifter and proud program they classed it as their job, because it was easier than a real job and paid better. The lack of repercussions also encouraged them. Its just too easy if you have no morals!

 

 

Nail on head there.

[Quackers]

The reason we are all skint is down to something Nixon did back in 1971, in a very VERY simple explination.

 

After World War 2 in 1945 it was agreed that the dollar would be linked to gold, and all other currencies in the world fixed their exchange rate relative to the dollar. This was the ‘Bretton Woods Agreement’.

 

So in the late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s just the father would work and there could many kids in the family and they would be comfortable off just 1 wage.

 

Then in 1971 Nixon chopped off the link between the dollar and gold. Then the US started printing money it did not have (as its not linked to anything), writing IOU’s, and the world is running on ‘fiat’ currency. Now everything becomes more expensive, but to mask this crack, in the 70’s and 80’s the Wife now gets a job as well as the husband, so the family can be as comfortable as it was the 60’s.

 

Now we come to the 90s and 00’s, 2 incomes is not enough, so we start living off credit instead, everyone has credit cards, cars on finance to mask the crack.

 

Now we come to 2008 to now, and all the credit has dried up, nobody else in the household can work, and well were screwed…. Only way to fix this is to link the currency to something tangible like gold again.

 

But that’s not wanted by the people in power and even the bank of England was selling off our gold cheap to make currency look more powerful than gold.

[bodminman]

Treats like a day out or a trip to the cinema with a bit of food at Frankie & Bennies is now something I can only afford maybe every couple of months.

 

Sad for the child really when their friends are talking about the latest kids film in the cinema and she most likely wont get to see it until the DVD comes out.

[Sdrawkcab]

You see state reared families who can afford drink/drug and crap habits and STILL seem to feed their kids rubbish, but you cant make ends meet.

 

No you don't. These "state reared benefits scroungers" you're all so obsessed with don't actually exist. Where do you see them? Or are you just making a snap judgement based on someones appearance? (answer: almost certainly yes)

 

Honestly, not accepting state help isn't really a commendable action. We have some of the worst social safety nets in europe, but they still exist to help you. Choosing not to use them is foolish in the extreme, in my opinion.

 

Edit: Especially if you're choosing not to use them because of some misguided sense of morality.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Sdrawkcab

[Sunnyknight]

Someone asked about a middle income family just above the benefit threshold. I'm right here. We are above the threshold for council tax benefit, housing benefit, working tax credits, income support, and food bank help. We get child benefit and child tax credits, both amount to the tune of £33 combined per week.

 

We are now choosing between heating our house for more than an hour a day, or eating more than once a day (our daughter has 3 square meals).

 

We have cut corners everywhere possible, we make our own bread (cost of making our own including the ingredients and electric for the oven is 60p, whereas the cheapest loaf in the supermarket is 80p), we make our own yoghurt, we grow our own vegetables in our garden (granted not much but better than nothing and can always guarantee freshness). I've even taken to using squirrel traps (with local council authority) to catch and kill squirrels for additional meat in our diet.

 

I am the epitome of thrift, if there is a way to save money, I am probably doing it, but we struggle badly, to the point where we are looking at moving in with the in laws simply so we dont have to shell out as much!

 

It's posts like these that open my eyes to how fortunate i truely am, and hell i'm thankful for it.

 

I won't lie, i'm well off. I can buy whatever i need (within reason) and we have the bank balance going up.

 

It's when i read things like that, that i truely do think. The food i throw away, the money i throw away, the tv i leave on all night, the lights that stay on when we don't need them, the excess fuel we use, the heating we put on because it's a little nippy, the fireplace i put on when i should be wearing a t-shirt... all these things... it's as if... they're normal to me. However, i think if i spent a week with yourself, i'd get so piddled off with the way of living, i'd go crazy.

 

No one should have to live in such conditions, especially with kids. I know people are worse off than you, but that's a different story. My condolences go out to you mate, and i wish you all the best in getting a high paid job!

[featured_spectre]

We're lucky that the cinema has a saturday morning movies for juniors, £1 a ticket.

@Sdrawkcab I want the benefits to boost our income, but we are above the threshold and dont qualify for it. I want a well paying job with a degree of permanence, but that doesn't exist anymore. Hell I would stack shelves in tesco or asda if they would offer anything over 18 hours a week (on their wages, thats what I need as a minimum to bring in what I need to live comfortably). I'm not missing out because of morality, I am missing out because of circumstance. I would claim for everything I am entitled too, but just dont meet the requirements. I couldn't stay on it for life however like some people do.

 

*edit*

@Sunnyknight I am always happy to receive donations

Edited October 24, 2013 by featured_spectre

[CHR1S]

No you don't. These "state reared benefits scroungers" you're all so obsessed with don't actually exist[/url]. Where do you see them? Or are you just making a snap judgement based on someones appearance? (answer: almost certainly yes)

 

I lived above them for 7 months before I moved house, had 3 open police calls against them and that was the family directly below us. Our block had 3 more instances like this and the street several more.

I have first had proof unfortunately, they very much exist and seem to have an air about them you would not believe.

[localzuk]

No you don't. These "state reared benefits scroungers" you're all so obsessed with don't actually exist. Where do you see them? Or are you just making a snap judgement based on someones appearance? (answer: almost certainly yes)

 

They very much do exist. A good number of the kids in the school I worked in in Bristol were from families like this. Eg. They have no money, are on FSM, but the parents go out drinking, smoke 40 a day and the kids all have iPhones or the latest Blackberry.

 

If you think they don't exist, you've not lived in the areas where they most exist.

Edited October 24, 2013 by localzuk

[broc]

They very much do exist. A good number of the kids in the school I worked in in Bristol were from families like this. Eg. They have no money, are on FSM, but the parents go out drinking, smoke 40 a day and the kids all have iPhones or the latest Blackberry.

Same here in the North East. Many of our kids have grandparents as well as parents who are on long term benefits. They participate in the 'black' economy too where things get done for cash in hand. You wouldn't believe the number of iPhone & Blackberry MAC addresses I have blocked with DHCP filters......

[bodminman]

I too have experience these 'Serial Scroungers' in Chester, Manchester & Lowestoft/Great Yarmouth.

[Sunnyknight]

We're lucky that the cinema has a saturday morning movies for juniors, £1 a ticket.

@Sdrawkcab I want the benefits to boost our income, but we are above the threshold and dont qualify for it. I want a well paying job with a degree of permanence, but that doesn't exist anymore. Hell I would stack shelves in tesco or asda if they would offer anything over 18 hours a week (on their wages, thats what I need as a minimum to bring in what I need to live comfortably). I'm not missing out because of morality, I am missing out because of circumstance. I would claim for everything I am entitled too, but just dont meet the requirements. I couldn't stay on it for life however like some people do.

 

*edit*

@Sunnyknight I am always happy to receive donations

 

Construction industry. £400 - £500 a week. Picked up from home at 4am, back home at 8pm. Saturday and Sunday double time.

 

That is what my pa does, and has done for 40 years. Known soldier! lol You should attempt it. Even for a few months, it's money in the bank.

 

As for donations, i would, only after i complete the projects i have coming up

[featured_spectre]

ahh construction...would do it, if not for my disability, unless they need a data cabler. Unfortunately not something I am physically able to do without being a danger to people. I see a specialist disability adviser in the job centre for this reason.

[hardtailstar]

No you don't. These "state reared benefits scroungers" you're all so obsessed with don't actually exist. Where do you see them? Or are you just making a snap judgement based on someones appearance? (answer: almost certainly yes)

 

ermmm yes you do, The council decided to build an estate on land behind my house for these people.

 

You wouldn't believe the amount of crap we get from them during the summer! they seem to hibernate during winter!

[Sdrawkcab]

Nobody actually looks at figures when they discuss this, they just reference anecdotal evidence. Look at the facts rather than spouting hyperbole please. If you read this article, you will see that the vast majority of our benefits actually go to working families, with a tiny tiny proportion going to long-term unemployed people.

 

You are making a snap judgement based on the appearance of these people. Many of them probably do have jobs. Besides which, it's not your money. You have absolutely no right to tell them how to spend it.

[localzuk]

Nobody actually looks at figures when they discuss this, they just reference anecdotal evidence. Look at the facts rather than spouting hyperbole please. If you read this article, you will see that the vast majority of our benefits actually go to working families, with a tiny tiny proportion going to long-term unemployed people.

 

You are making a snap judgement based on the appearance of these people. Many of them probably do have jobs. Besides which, it's not your money. You have absolutely no right to tell them how to spend it.

 

IT IS OUR MONEY! Don't be ridiculous. I pay tax. It goes into the pot, and that gets given out to others - something I entirely agree with.

 

The fact that percentage-wise, it is a small percentage doesn't matter one bit. It still happens, and it is wrong.

[pcstru]

Ah the good old race to the bottom. Feeling poor, why not rant at those who are even worse off! It will keep your mind from straying to look at the ever increasing wage gap and how, in these times of austerity - the rich just keep getting ever richer and obviously to motivate the rich we need to ask them to pay less tax so they can key even stinkingly more rich! But obviously to motivate those at the bottom of the heap we need to take what little they have away from them - let them look into the abyss and, well, that ought to make them get one of the huge number of jobs available at every job centre. We simply can't have benefits cheats but hey, tax cheats, welcome to Britain Mr Green and your lovely tax free wife!

 

Hate the poorest - truly political genius. It gives the middle classes a target for their frustrations and hey, the poor don't vote Tory anyway! Trebles all round!

[witch]

IT IS OUR MONEY! Don't be ridiculous. I pay tax. It goes into the pot, and that gets given out to others - something I entirely agree with.

 

The fact that percentage-wise, it is a small percentage doesn't matter one bit. It still happens, and it is wrong.

 

Of course it is wrong - but it is a really small percentage - much much smaller than the Daily Mail would have you believe. Benefits (at least until the Tories got their hands on them) mostly go to help people who work in low paid jobs or who cannot work full time, make ends meet.

What about rich people paying less tax? That upsets me more than ANY amount of benefit fraud...

There will ALWAYS be those to play the system, and as pcstru says, it is almost a "1984"-ish way of making us direct our hatred in a different direction - away from the government.

Why do people ALWAYS go on about benefit fraud etc when the government spends MILLIONS more of YOUR money on things that I am sure many people would disagree with - foreign aid to corrupt governments with a nuclear program, wars we shouldnt be in, etc etc

Edited October 24, 2013 by witch

[tmcd35]

IT IS OUR MONEY! Don't be ridiculous. I pay tax. It goes into the pot, and that gets given out to others - something I entirely agree with.

 

The fact that percentage-wise, it is a small percentage doesn't matter one bit. It still happens, and it is wrong.

 

I think the issue is that it's not as big a problem as the Daily Mail would have us believe. I live above one such "family" who I'd dearly love to see the back off. But the other 200-odd flats/houses up that road might, quiet rightly, have a problem with being called scoungers and chav's.

 

I lived in a number of housing estates in some quiet deprived areas (notabley Lowestoft and Dagenham) and yet I can't ever say I've noticed that the freeloader society is as epedemic as some would have us believe.