Could you live on benefits?
06 October 2010, 03:02 PM
#1
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Could you live on benefits?
Keeping to this week's theme of benefits, could you survive with no other income?
Our household would receive the grand total of £130.90 per week plus another £17 in council tax benefit. After a qualifying period we would also get help with the interest on our mortgage.
So £130 to pay for bills, food, clothing and everything else....
https://www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk...alculator.aspx
Our household would receive the grand total of £130.90 per week plus another £17 in council tax benefit. After a qualifying period we would also get help with the interest on our mortgage.
So £130 to pay for bills, food, clothing and everything else....
https://www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk...alculator.aspx
06 October 2010, 03:14 PM
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When I was unemployed I was told due to my fiancée earning £190 a week we were not qualified for benefits apart from the dole (£49.50 a week then).
The government stipulated that you were expected to live on £95 a week. This was to feed, cloth and shelter yourself. We didn't have kids, a drug habit or live in council accommodation. So because I had worked since 18, bought my house at 20 and not popped sproggs out at the earliest opportunity, I (well we) were deemed 'unqualified'.
We now have our first on the way and suddenly the world opens upto what we "could" claim. But we won't. Mrs will take maternity leave and thn work part time thereafter. I will continue to work my time as an apprentice and work my way up the pay ladder. The reason for this when I could sit on my **** and creeeem it in?self respect and dignity.
The government stipulated that you were expected to live on £95 a week. This was to feed, cloth and shelter yourself. We didn't have kids, a drug habit or live in council accommodation. So because I had worked since 18, bought my house at 20 and not popped sproggs out at the earliest opportunity, I (well we) were deemed 'unqualified'.
We now have our first on the way and suddenly the world opens upto what we "could" claim. But we won't. Mrs will take maternity leave and thn work part time thereafter. I will continue to work my time as an apprentice and work my way up the pay ladder. The reason for this when I could sit on my **** and creeeem it in?self respect and dignity.
06 October 2010, 03:21 PM
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How much would you be getting then if you chose to creeeem it in?
Let's say neither of you working + one child = £163 weekly which includes your council tax benefit, that sound about right?
Let's say neither of you working + one child = £163 weekly which includes your council tax benefit, that sound about right?
Last edited by Lydia72; 06 October 2010 at 03:29 PM.
06 October 2010, 03:26 PM
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06 October 2010, 03:43 PM
#10
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I assume we are all being honest when it comes to completing the calculation?
Answering the way I would choose to answer, I can get £250 a week of them. This also includes my council tax paid for and my £100 rent paid for as I qualify housing benefit.
Effectively that £250 is nothing more than spending money - I bet £500 theres many on here that don't have £250 to pi55 away every week.
1. Single mum - I live there but only declare 2 days. We are together but pretend we are not. Eveyone does it and they don't check.
2. On jobseekers which entitles me to full housing benefit and with luck will dodge the next placement.
3. My back has been playing up a bit lately so might go for a disability claim. That should rake in a few pounds and get the job centre off my back.
That is how they work the system
Answering the way I would choose to answer, I can get £250 a week of them. This also includes my council tax paid for and my £100 rent paid for as I qualify housing benefit.
Effectively that £250 is nothing more than spending money - I bet £500 theres many on here that don't have £250 to pi55 away every week.
1. Single mum - I live there but only declare 2 days. We are together but pretend we are not. Eveyone does it and they don't check.
2. On jobseekers which entitles me to full housing benefit and with luck will dodge the next placement.
3. My back has been playing up a bit lately so might go for a disability claim. That should rake in a few pounds and get the job centre off my back.
That is how they work the system
Last edited by EddScott; 06 October 2010 at 03:51 PM.
06 October 2010, 03:51 PM
#13
if you all want the facts read vernon colemans book GORDON IS A MORON
facts proven
a single mum with 2 kids is only 4pounds per week worse off than a married couple with 2 kids where the main breadwinner in on 24grand a year
a married couple with 2 kids working on 50grand a year would be financially better off splitting up and having 1 kid each
those are just 2 examples on what is so very wrong with our benefits system and i am speaking from experience me and the wife split up for a while she moved out and took 2kids i kept the oldest and we where loads better off
facts proven
a single mum with 2 kids is only 4pounds per week worse off than a married couple with 2 kids where the main breadwinner in on 24grand a year
a married couple with 2 kids working on 50grand a year would be financially better off splitting up and having 1 kid each
those are just 2 examples on what is so very wrong with our benefits system and i am speaking from experience me and the wife split up for a while she moved out and took 2kids i kept the oldest and we where loads better off
06 October 2010, 03:54 PM
#14
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Quite so, but the point is if all your costs are paid for by the social (housing, council tax, utility support) that £26,000 is purely for you to spend as you see fit. You don't pay for any repairs to the home, you don't pay any tax and as you are signing on your "stamp" is still being paid and you are entitled to OAP.
06 October 2010, 04:08 PM
#16
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No.
The only way we would be entitled to anything close is if Mr P lost his job with Zurich, in which case we would have to sell the house and hopefully move into council housing.
That way we would probably do ok.
Under our actual circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance of survival on benefits alone.
The only way we would be entitled to anything close is if Mr P lost his job with Zurich, in which case we would have to sell the house and hopefully move into council housing.
That way we would probably do ok.
Under our actual circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance of survival on benefits alone.
06 October 2010, 04:09 PM
#17
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No.
The only way we would be entitled to anything close is if Mr P lost his job with Zurich, in which case we would have to sell the house and hopefully move into council housing.
That way we would probably do ok.
Under our actual circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance of survival on benefits alone.
The only way we would be entitled to anything close is if Mr P lost his job with Zurich, in which case we would have to sell the house and hopefully move into council housing.
That way we would probably do ok.
Under our actual circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance of survival on benefits alone.
06 October 2010, 04:17 PM
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06 October 2010, 05:33 PM
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No.
The only way we would be entitled to anything close is if Mr P lost his job with Zurich, in which case we would have to sell the house and hopefully move into council housing.
That way we would probably do ok.
Under our actual circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance of survival on benefits alone.
The only way we would be entitled to anything close is if Mr P lost his job with Zurich, in which case we would have to sell the house and hopefully move into council housing.
That way we would probably do ok.
Under our actual circumstances we wouldn't stand a chance of survival on benefits alone.
06 October 2010, 05:52 PM
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This came from the gentleman at the C.A.B. when I had a recent appointment. If my mrs never went back to work and we had my one wage (which is an apprentice wage remember) we would get more than £163 in child/working tax credits alone. No council tax rebate etc. But I would rather we get less child/working tax credits and her go back to work part time, again because it's a self respect/pride thing. Those without this would obviously creeem it in.
06 October 2010, 05:53 PM
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And the rest. This came from the gentleman at the C.A.B. when I had a recent appointment. If my mrs never went back to work and we had my one wage (which is an apprentice wage remember) we would get more than £163 in child/working tax credits alone. No council tax rebate etc. But I would rather we get less child/working tax credits and her go back to work part time, again because it's a self respect/pride thing. Those without this would obviously creeem it in.
This came from the gentleman at the C.A.B. when I had a recent appointment. If my mrs never went back to work and we had my one wage (which is an apprentice wage remember) we would get more than £163 in child/working tax credits alone. No council tax rebate etc. But I would rather we get less child/working tax credits and her go back to work part time, again because it's a self respect/pride thing. Those without this would obviously creeem it in.
06 October 2010, 06:08 PM
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And the rest. This came from the gentleman at the C.A.B. when I had a recent appointment. If my mrs never went back to work and we had my one wage (which is an apprentice wage remember) we would get more than £163 in child/working tax credits alone. No council tax rebate etc. But I would rather we get less child/working tax credits and her go back to work part time, again because it's a self respect/pride thing. Those without this would obviously creeem it in.
This came from the gentleman at the C.A.B. when I had a recent appointment. If my mrs never went back to work and we had my one wage (which is an apprentice wage remember) we would get more than £163 in child/working tax credits alone. No council tax rebate etc. But I would rather we get less child/working tax credits and her go back to work part time, again because it's a self respect/pride thing. Those without this would obviously creeem it in.
06 October 2010, 06:14 PM
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06 October 2010, 06:25 PM
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I completed the questions on the benefits calculator as though neither of us worked, we had no income and no savings but did have a mortgage.
I was curious to see how many people would be better off on benefits than they are working.
06 October 2010, 06:33 PM
#28
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I have never done that Lydia, surely you have to be working to pay a mortgage?
If you have no savings to cover yourself, how else would you make the payments
Surely the gov doesn't pay peoples mortgages?? I know you can have a 'pay interest only' type thing where you take a break.
I could do with some info/facts on this.
If you have no savings to cover yourself, how else would you make the payments
Surely the gov doesn't pay peoples mortgages?? I know you can have a 'pay interest only' type thing where you take a break.
I could do with some info/facts on this.
06 October 2010, 06:48 PM
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Ah, I forgot about her maternity pay of £124 a week 
Thought it seemed a lot
Says from my earnings as a first year apprentice on the correct tax year we would get £86ish a week. Thats on top of my current earnings and her maternity pay.
Sorry for the confusion
Thought it seemed a lot
Says from my earnings as a first year apprentice on the correct tax year we would get £86ish a week. Thats on top of my current earnings and her maternity pay.
Sorry for the confusion
