Why is it . . .

[Milliesmum]

that even though I work, my OH works, we have to be really careful with money and can't afford to go out on the beer, somone I know who is on the dole has just posted on facebook that he's going out on the beer tonight? And it's a fairly regular occurance???

Who's paying for that then? Oh yes, that'll be me!!

I'm sitting on my hands.

[Admin]

Don't get me going on this subject
This country needs a right good shake up but no one has the back bone to do it in case they offend any one

[Milliesmum]

It drives me insane. He just had a job but lost it because of his attitude, but hey, that's OK, because muggins here will go to work and make sure his kids get a school dinner for free! It makes me really cross, that I have to go without things I'd like, because I'm trying to economise, but I have a neighbour, single mum not working, three kids, alcoholic dad who never sees the kids, who seems to be able to afford a car, sky tv and broadband, new laptop, 3 or 4 takeaways a week, out on the lash every friday night, etc., etc. - so who's the mug?

[viking]

Oct 2, 2010 8:36:57 GMT Admin said:

Don't get me going on this subject
This country needs a right good shake up but no one has the back bone to do it in case they offend any one

Quite agree. Never thought I would ever see it in such a mess !

[heathers]

couldnt agree more

[bethanyy]

MM I know what you mean!

My parents have quite well paid jobs but with 2 kids, 2 horses and 2 dogs they have to be really careful with money still. Just annoys me that people can get away with claiming benefits/EMA etc.. (even if they dont actually have the issues they are stating!) and spend money willy-nilly and own a fair few horses, be out showing every weekend, blah blah..!!

I'm 17, not eligible for EMA and I work as many hours my boss can offer me in a week so I can help my parents by paying for one of my horses or giving them a hand with money around the house, and I still cant afford to go out every weekend - either showing/spending time with friends or spend the money on tons of clothes for myself.

There's some hard-faced, lazy g*ts in our society!

[Milliesmum]

Can't remember the last time I had any new clothes. I'm saving up to buy myself a horse possibly in the spring, and if I want to put money away, then I have to go without other stuff, simple. We've had to examine our finances really carefully to see whether a horse is feasible, checking out all the costs involved, and even then there won't be any showing or transport or other stuff, just the essential stuff provided for and contingency plans for things like vets fees. I'll take on another job cleaning or whatever if I need to. It just makes me so cross that some people seem to have it all and yet they sit on their bums all day and claim benefits!

I don't have an issue with people claiming benefits if they really need them, but when they could work but just don't want to, that's when I get annoyed.

[ShowPonies&Shetlands]

those EMAs really annoy me - plenty of people get them at my school and are always talking about going clothes shopping or to the cinema as soon as their EMA comes through. One of my teachers was actually joking with a boy in the year above anbout how the boy is going to use his EMA to go out and get drunk! plenty of people on free school meals are the ones with the most expensive fashionable new clothes, and one girl i know who gets the full EMA and free school meals, both parents are unemployed with benefits, they live in a council house without having to pay any taxes, is going on the school Thailand trip which costs £1,200!!!!!

[ShowPonies&Shetlands]

Alothugh the Thailand trip bit is true, the same girl also apparently has three expensive horses (that no-one has ever seen, met, or seen a picture of her with them) that she keeps at an eventing yard close to the village (which no-one has ever heard of) and she frequently flies off to act in America with Robert Pattinson and James McAvoy (who apparently are her bezzie mates)......... makes you wonder how thick she must think i am!

[lozloz1]

People like that make us genuine horsy people look bad SP&S

[brindlerainbow]

Well I could rant all day long about those lazy,good for nothing bas*ards!!!! They get benefits for bloody everything and probably earn more from benefits than most of us do for working for a living!!!! They all wear designer clothes,drink like fish smoke like chimneys and a large amount of them take drugs and we pay for it....................

[ladyluck1]

This is my biggest bug bear I work I disagree of for everything I have I wanted a horse so had to get a second job that was awful I got treated like crap but still smiled until I had enough money for K and most things I needed for her. While someone I work with works 16hrs and wont do anymore get £240 a week working and child tax gets her rent paid and council tax. We worked out with everything she claims she takes home £30K a yr. That in my eyes is taking the p**s. It doesnt pay to work in this country you make more money sitting on your ass. Until someone decides not to be pc and gives this country the kick in the ass it needs I cant see it improving.
Mary

[bethanyy]

Oct 2, 2010 11:40:34 GMT ShowPonies&Shetlands said:

those EMAs really annoy me - plenty of people get them at my school and are always talking about going clothes shopping or to the cinema as soon as their EMA comes through. One of my teachers was actually joking with a boy in the year above anbout how the boy is going to use his EMA to go out and get drunk! plenty of people on free school meals are the ones with the most expensive fashionable new clothes, and one girl i know who gets the full EMA and free school meals, both parents are unemployed with benefits, they live in a council house without having to pay any taxes, is going on the school Thailand trip which costs £1,200!!!!!

Same here ShowPonies&Shetlands!

Did you know that people on EMA get at least £30 a week and if they have 80% + attendance at christmas and easter they get two £100 bonuses!!!

[bronco]

whats EMA ?

[fleurymare]

please don't get me started, I worked out the other day that via taxes our delightful government charge me £1.76 per hour for the privilege of going to work not including what they slap on petrol and road tax. I would use public transport but it would take approx 2/3 hours and still leave me a walk of 3 miles as that is nearest public transport go's and believe it or not it is still cheaper to use my car than pay travel expenses. I haven't had a holiday in 10 years and keep my 2 horses at work cos its free, I couldn't have them if I had to pay livery!. And I have just heard that some one I know who is on benefits has just left on a 3 week Caribbean cruise and some one else is having a boob job and liposuction.

[viking]

Oct 2, 2010 22:26:59 GMT bronco said:

whats EMA ?

Education Maintenance Allowance.

£30 a week to carry on learning after the age of 16.

[cayo]

Oct 2, 2010 8:43:23 GMT Milliesmum said:

It drives me insane. He just had a job but lost it because of his attitude, but hey, that's OK, because muggins here will go to work and make sure his kids get a school dinner for free! It makes me really cross, that I have to go without things I'd like, because I'm trying to economise, but I have a neighbour, single mum not working, three kids, alcoholic dad who never sees the kids, who seems to be able to afford a car, sky tv and broadband, new laptop, 3 or 4 takeaways a week, out on the lash every friday night, etc., etc. - so who's the mug?

although this dosent seem fair what do we do take away her benefits and let the kids starve she should be useing her money on the kids shouldnt she and although there are a lot of scroungers yes. i feel sorry for those who are genuine and just cant get a job that pays a living wage and feel they are better off on benefit we musnt be tarring everyone with same brush jobs are scarce and chid care costs in this country are so expensive it often dosent pay to work shouldnt be the case but it is ,i wouldnt like to be trying to bring up a family today on benefits i can tell you and if you havent a family it is d**n near immpossible to live .

[ladybird]

If a family falls on hard times, which in this dire economy is happening almost daily, then there should be financial support, after all, presumably their taxes and national insurances have been paid.
HOWEVER, if children continue to be born under these or similar circumstances, then the parents should definately not get financial benefit for that child. Its the families/single mothers who continue to have children for the rest of us to pay for is what angers me.
For those of you that know me will know that our building business has now been closed, and no we dont owe anybody anything thankfully (so many collapsing businesses sadly take others with them ) My husband has taken a job back on the roads as an HGV long distance driver, so we hardly see each other at all, not something we want at this time in our lives. But we want to pay our way and not take any benefit and just try and make ends meet, and that is what we shall continue to do.

[brt]

Or the ones on disability benefits that can't work, but can afford 3 horses and can muck out and ride fine and can have a laugh with everyone, go out clubbing while us mugs pay for it........

[Milliesmum]

Agree with ladybird, I don't begrudge the children a free hot meal, it's not their fault, but I do begrudge paying for their dad's 8 pints of beer when that could have been a week's dinner money!

[Billybob]

well said everyone!!!! anyway I am off to work now on a Sunday because I need the money!!!! :-)

[poniesrus]

Yet, on the other side of the fence, there is my neighbour - who herself has terminal cancer (kidneys and lymph glands) and is very weak, pretty much bed bound now (only in her late 40's). So she would be entitled to carers allowance or attendance allowance, whichever it is and disability etc. But won't put in a claim as she doesn't think it's 'fair' on society !!!!

Her mother has now been in hospital and month with heart failure and complications. She's now deaf and very immobile. So, again, would be entitled to this and that. But they won't claim as it's 'not fair' on society !!!

Then her father, because of her mother being in hospital, has had to move in with them. He's going 'dooo-lally' (their words, not mine) and they are finding it very difficult with him. So, would no doubt be entitled to, but they won't claim due to ... the above !!!!

Neighbours hubby has to take her dad in to see her mother every day, but it's over an hours drive to the hospital and back. He's also trying to keep their haulage business afloat.

They just don't know which way to turn at the moment. Yet they aren't claiming a ruddy penny ............ yet there are bloody hundreds of these sodding 'pols' up here, that ARE claiming everything they can get their hands on and they have it down to perfection how long they need to work and pay NI before they can claim everything in this country.

It makes me sick !!!!

[solitaire]

I worked all my life and paid my dues until jan this year when after having had a stroke a year and bitrk before the problems just got too much for me to continue to work and now i claim benefits, yes my hubby could stop work to look after me if we were that way inclined but he does not and therefore yes i get DLA and ESA and get a total of about 600 per month a small amount to what i used lto earn yet we still manage to keep our ponies as it would have broken my heart not to do this and my other daughter moved in with us to help pay the mortgage so we could keep the ponies - we pay the mortgage and if it gets to the stage where we can't we will have to sell it and go into rent - we still will have to pay most of the rent ourselves though and i really don't know how people can say its better on benefits maybe if you have kids but not for people in their late 40's can.

[ladybird]

very good luck Solitaire.

[Milliesmum]

This is where it's all so twisted, people who have worked and paid into the system all thier lives seem to be entitled to very little, but then you've got those who've never done a days honest graft, keep popping out a baby every year, and everything gets paid for! I'm all in favour of the welfare state where the need is genuine, but I really get hot under the collar when those who are able to work, choose not to - living your life on benefits isn't a lifestyle choice, it's a lifeline to those in need, and there's a huge difference between the two.

[ladybird]

Thank you mm, that really says it all. Lets hope our new prime minister and his deputy read HG!!!!! Breaking news this morning re: changes to childbenefit, I agree that people who are in the £40.000 annual salary bracket probably need it less, but once again the mums who have more babies and work/earn less once again seem to be the winners......what to do, I really have no idea.

[bessieboo]

What has happened re child benefit?

[beachbum12]

You may well think that takign away child benefit from people who earn over 40k is ok, but if familes both parents have a job and they earn 20k each they could still struggle with childcare costs etc, and after tax and ni is taken outmeanwhile there are people out there with rooks of kids who do not work and probably take home more than 40k for sitting on their backsides with all their kids !

I work d**n hard am a single mum and do not claim benefits but if I aspire to work harder and get over 40k , they will take from me anyway ..grrr this whole subject makes me mad.. I know of people with rooks of horses who havent worked a day in their lives

The dear chancellor is penalising hard working people with that cut ,not the ones who live a life of luxury and dont work at all... and believe me theres plenty out there..no work , no tax to pay and loads of luxuries and time to enjoy them, I may have luxuries like horses but work d**n hard for them and am exhausted most of the time juggling work , kids horses etc ..its so not fair ...

[emma3870]

bb12 not sure if i have read your post wrong but its not joint income of 40k - its those paying the higher band of income tax - 40 and 50% who will get no child benefit.

a friend of mine doesnt work because she says it isnt worth it. she gets £164 per week, housing paid for, rent paid, free school meals and school trips for the kids paid for. they have takeaways delivered at least 3 times a week as she doesnt drive.

something wrong there. I work part time and earn about the same amount per week. i still have to pay mortgage, full council tax etc.

[beachbum12]

Oct 4, 2010 10:24:15 GMT emma3870 said:

bb12 not sure if i have read your post wrong but its not joint income of 40k - its those paying the higher band of income tax - 40 and 50% who will get no child benefit.

a friend of mine doesnt work because she says it isnt worth it. she gets £164 per week, housing paid for, rent paid, free school meals and school trips for the kids paid for. they have takeaways delivered at least 3 times a week as she doesnt drive.

something wrong there. I work part time and earn about the same amount per week. i still have to pay mortgage, full council tax etc.

oops maybe thats me heard it wrong then half listening to the news this morning rushing round getting kids ready for school and to get myself to work on time !