Forums Forums Local News Shocking!

And another fly in the ointment. I thought you lived just outside Thetford, in Norfolk for the last couple of years, Brittone05 ???

https://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums...elander_stolen_Woodchurc.html#Post745723

LAcey I struggle to see how a couple cannot manage to get buy on an average total payment of £600 a month income support, £120 a month council tax benefit and £550 a month housing benefit - that is a rough total of £1200 ish per month, more than what some working people receive to care for their families.

My husband and myself, as I previously stated receive less than that in benefits and he is unable to work plus we have 2 children under the age of 11. We manage to keep our heads above water just fine.

Perhaps it is more now that people receiving benefits live to the penny that they receive and when their payments are reduced, they find they want to live beyond their means?

I know people on benefits who have new cars, 60" 3D tv's, all the mod cons in their home, drapd with gold jewellery and clothed in designer gear. That isn't what benefits are designed for - they are meant to help you live within the basic means which is surely what these people are getting.

Had her husband still been in full time employment and had to take a paycut, would they have gone ot the press? I don't think so yet thousands of workers are seeing pay cuts, hours being cut and jobs being changed which, ulitmately sees them more than £50 a week down on the income front.

I have genuine sympathy for people who are unable to work and rely on the state for their money - a situation my husband never dreamed he would be in after owning his own business for over 15 years but regardless of the situation why you end up on benefits, surely it is more gracious to be thankful for the help than to grumble constantly that you can't get by on tax free money that working families in many cases would struggle to bring in each month x

When I was in morocco we raised money for an orphanage over there and for a disabled charity. Without that charity the disabled children in morrocco are left to die with no one looking after them. Many of the families see it as bad to have a disabled child and so just leave them to look after themselves on the street. Count yourself lucky you have a goverment who support you as much as they do. I'm sure if you really wanted to you could cut down on a few things if things are really that tough.

So many people claim they can't afford food or clothes and yet are paying money to sky for their tv's or expensive mobile phone contracts. I work part time as I'm in uni but when its the holidays I do full time hours. On a full time week I earn around £300 of which I have to pay for my fuel, insurance, tax, and other car things because I need my car to work. This leaves me with about 200 a week. Then take out my phone contract and other bills I need to pay I have about 150 left. I'm looking to move out in the next couple of months as I'm getting married, which also takes money out of my weekly wage. Yet I've done the figures and I can afford to buy a house that we're looking at. So how you struggle to live on more than I earn when I work full time is beyond me.

I was on the dole for about 5 months in 2001, It was awful, I had nothing and could not afford anything apart from the few basics people who live in a country like this should have. God only knows how people on benefits get by today with cost of living going up on an almost weekly basis. Ok so it may seem they have everything that a lot of us work for but believe me they do not. If they have new TV etc they are on hp from a legal loan shark charging them stupid prices and high apr. Same with all the other stuff people seem to think people on benefits can just go and buy. Also any benefit payed by the dwp goes back into the economy almost straight away, The benefit system is there to pay for the family down the street with no working adults, The guy on the bench with his can of cider and indeed the sick and old. Its called community and is one of the things that remains great about our country.

So instead of buying food and clothes for their children they pay high monthly repayments for that nice tv?

My dad was made redundant and has been on the dole on and off since then and he hates it so I know what its like. People on benefits get council tax benefit, free health care, and money into their accounts every week. I recently had to pay £204 for work on my teeth that I wouldve got for free if I was on benefits. I think most people feel that the system is unfair as it is more beneficial to be on the dole than to work.

I wish, I got about £65 a week when I was out of work in Feb, People make out you get loads, well you don't.

They also told my friend I worked with she could be a Pizza Lady going round to deliver pizza's at 11.30pm at night as a 40 something year old Woman.

Well said Rover! I don't get why people think people on benefits have it all? It is the hardest thing in the world trying to juggle the small amount of money that has to pay for everything!

On Granada reports before Christmas they showed some VT's of Mums across the country who go without food to feed their Children! How can that be acceptable? No-one should have to go without food!

The benefits are getting lower yet prices are soaring! It's all wrong! I don't understand how some of you people can't see that? I don't know where you get the ideas that benefit claimants somehow are 'living the life'? and don't deserve support from the community?

How do you expect people to live and cope? trying to raise Children on a pittance? They should all be grateful they're British? Yeah, that's going to fill their bellies isn't it!

And to the poster who criticized my even being here; I came here to chat to my community. That is what this forum is for after-all

You have just spent £150 per week on paying your bills! A family of 3 are expected to live on exactly that, so, once they've paid their bills, what do they have left for 'food and clothes etc'? Nothing! But that's Ok, they should be 'grateful'! Hey?

(I'm an author, Thanks for the compliments though)

Ah good. Interview over!

Utter crap you chat.

?

It unfortunate but usual that many who have contributed on this thread are taken in by the propaganda that is circulated and post from a position of envy or lacking compassion.

The benefits in this country are calculated by government, civil service and by independents. The figures reached are set to give the recipients a decent standard of life, not have them living in workhouse conditions. Once they receive the amount of their entitlement it is not up to us to means test anyone and tell them what they can and can't have or do with that money. It may appear sensible to give up certain items to make ends meet but are we going to tell the elderly to live in one room and close down the rest of the house because they struggle with fuel bills.

If someone is in paid employment and works x amount of hours for x amount of pay and finds themselves on less money than a like for like on benefits, that should tell them they are being undervalued for their services and their wages are to low.

Suggesting the disabled and recipients of benefits are lucky they don't live in Asia etc is a Dickensian attitude we are thankfully rid of, though, God only knows there are plenty who would be delighted to return to that era.

well said bert1

well said Bert

Perhaps you'd rather have a government that goes round every single person and makes sure that they are all given 1-1 support on the benefits they're entitled to and to make sure they fill in the forms?

This really is a non-story. Their form was lost so they didn't get the benefits they need / deserve. It will all be sorted eventually and they'll get their money back dated.

Perhaps the abuse should be hurled at Royal Mail for losing the form or the letter indicating the benefits would be cut?

Crap like this happens every day, its your responsibility to make sure you have a bit put aside for rainy days and problems like this which turn up, not go running to the papers. This part of the article:



makes me wonder if they even bothered to go to the authorities in the first place?

Last year I got a Self Assessment bill for over £1500 (I'm on PAYE and have never done any kind of work which would require me to do SA). It turned out the Inland Revenue had got my details mixed up with someone else. I didn't go running to the papers about it. Perhaps I should have?