| Is anyone on here claim benefits? 12:15 - Oct 7 with 1350 views | Billywitch |
I've never received a single penny of money/or had any help from any government.
And the more I read, the more it seems I'm a minority.
Interested to see the landscape of this forum |  | | |  |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:38 - Oct 7 with 1076 views | BlueBlueBluex2 |
I recall having a months worth of unemployment benefit when I was 18, some 30+ years ago. I think it was £70 a fortnight from memory. | | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:40 - Oct 7 with 1065 views | baxterbasics |
Depends on how broad your definition of 'benefits' is.
Anyone who has ever had children will have received child benefit.
I have had a couple of brief periods of receiving unemployment benefits as a younger man, once following a redundancy.
Working family and child tax credits back when they were a thing. Not qualified for any since they became universal credit. I'm actually still repaying apparently overpaid tax credits years later (very small instalments).
If you've ever used NHS services or visited a GP, that would count as a benefit, no? |  |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:42 - Oct 7 with 1048 views | giant_stow |
Child benefits and NHS + schooling etc... The way things are going, I'll be looking to do it soon.
Edit: your post spurred me to go and have a quick look. No chance for a self employed bod. Niche ugly-pot-bellied-old-over50 Only Fans for me.
[Post edited 7 Oct 12:54]
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:51 - Oct 7 with 950 views | ITFC_Essex |
I made this mistake of assuming the Job Centre would be helpful (twice...) when unemployed so accepted the £20 a week or whatever, it was.... they were more of a hindrance to finding work, have you applying for jobs you aren't qualified for, attending help to get work courses which are treated as days out by the attendees/course givers, and regular meetings where they tell you that to find work, you need to look for it and apply.
In both cases I found work outside of their system. |  |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:53 - Oct 7 with 924 views | MattinLondon |
Childcare vouchers which helped enormously. I had a stay in hospital a couple of years ago which I didn’t need to worry about having to pay a huge sum at the end. Is that a benefit?
In terms of help from the government - that depends on how to define ‘help?’ [Post edited 7 Oct 12:54]
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:55 - Oct 7 with 901 views | mutters |
There has been a number of times in my career where I've decided to stop work, smell the roses and do other things (I decided when I was a kid that id rather do stuff when I could and maybe work a bit longer rather than wait until I retired to see the world as who knows what state my knees and back could be in!). During that time I a have only ever claimed/qualified for job seekers allowance (contributions) as I had savings that meant that's all I could get.
As I chose not to work I felt a bit odd doing it, and only claimed when I was actively seeking work rather than just chilling. Honestly I only really did it for the pension credits as it adds to the qualifying years. In some situations I've donated all or a portion of that money to charity. My personal choice.
My feeling is, if you need it then don't be ashamed to claim. Certainly if you have been an active tax payer. I've been fortunate with my career and earned an above average wage so I had built up a buffer, and invested well when young, which allow some the flexibility. Others need and rely on it, and that's what it's there for to help those who genuinely need it |  |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:57 - Oct 7 with 871 views | mutters |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 12:42 - Oct 7 by giant_stow |
Child benefits and NHS + schooling etc... The way things are going, I'll be looking to do it soon.
Edit: your post spurred me to go and have a quick look. No chance for a self employed bod. Niche ugly-pot-bellied-old-over50 Only Fans for me.
[Post edited 7 Oct 12:54]
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Hey that's my niche, I really don't need the competition as it's a hard enough market. | |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:02 - Oct 7 with 845 views | Dubtractor |
I've never received payments/benefits, but I'm fortunate enough not to have needed them.
Obviously have used NHS. [Post edited 7 Oct 13:52]
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:02 - Oct 7 with 845 views | J2BLUE |
I was on Jobseeker's allowance about 20 years ago for six months or so.
A lot of people seem to think it's one big party so let me tell you a few details I remember.
I was on about £50 per week I think. I was living at home and was fortunate to have parents who were happy to provide everything I needed for no cost so I had one night out per week spending about £20 in the Heathlands pub and the other £30ish went on stamps.
I was treated like sh1t by the job centre staff. I took in photos of about 100 letters in their stamped addressed envelopes I had sent out to every local employer I could think of. They barely acknowledged it. A few weeks later they gave me a print out of a job at Next where they said they knew it wasn't appropriate in any way but I could apply if I wanted to. I didn't because it was a role I was not qualified for, had no chance of getting and was nowhere near what I was looking for. They then suspended my JSA and investigated me...
At one point they offered to send me to a company called Seetec. Seetec had a government contract to help job seekers find a job. I went voluntarily. Once there, I quickly realised Seetec couldn't give a damn about helping anyone and were just trying to fill time to keep us there to get their money. One of the staff went out to a charity shop to buy some board games to entertain us. That was when I walked out. She phoned me later that afternoon and I told her why I left. She got stroppy and put the phone down on me.
I then volunteered for a charity in town two days a week. I hated it. However, a job eventually opened up in the finance department as a trainee. I applied and got it. It was 25 hours a week, minimum wage and by your definition likely still classed as benefits as it was a government funded job via the Future Jobs Fund. My six month contract was about to end and they were very keen to keep me. Then the newly elected Tories cut their funding and the job offer became a week by week offer. I left because I had another offer at a shipping office.
I found myself unemployed again about six months later for reasons outside of my control. I did not sign on again due to the utterly humiliating dehumanising treatment from the first time.
One moment that will stay with me for life is when I turned up for an appointment at the job centre about 10:00 in the morning to be told that it had moved to 14:30. I said no one told me and the woman rolled her eyes in a really exaggerated way and looked at her colleague before saying "we would have told you". I am not a violent person but if she had been a man I would have hit him.
Moral of the story: Most people don't want to be on benefits. It's mentally crushing, you're treated like a parasite and it's just utterly demoralising. I went for one interview with Britannia Building Society. It was in a pub as they had a flood. Stunning woman wearing a low cut top. I came out of that interview with a headache after spending an hour desperately trying to maintain eye contact. I got a follow up assessment morning before being rejected for not having any experience...something they knew from the first second from my CV. That was about 14k a year at the time and entry level.
If you know someone on benefits you might be better off taking them for a pint or a coffee rather than judging. [Post edited 7 Oct 13:16]
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:07 - Oct 7 with 801 views | Cotty |
The vast majority of people who receive benefits are in work. So let's remove that stigma.
Also, I seriously doubt that many people would want to advertise this publicly, so I doubt you'll get anything like a true snapshot.
What's your angle? |  | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:17 - Oct 7 with 725 views | Deano69 |
Other than the previously mentioned child benefit and NHS (although in total I would have though I was very much a net contributor after 30 years).
20 odd years ago we were struggling and hadn't paid myself through our partnership for 6 months, stacked overdraft and credit cards to make ends meet. After eventually deciding to ask for help as it looked like we would struggle to pay the mortgage I contacted them and was quickly told there was nothing for me, I had earned too much?? (even in previous years I was hardly rolling in it), we had no kids, so come back in a years time when you can show you haven't earnt anything. Utterly pointless, and frustrating having 'paid in' for so many years. We got out of our situation by the skin of our teeth and no help whatsoever from our lovely government.
Excuse my negative view, but its gained from many years of humping tax as an employer, employee and citizen, when I needed them, nothing.
My advise, claim for anything you can.... |  |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:17 - Oct 7 with 720 views | leitrimblue |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:02 - Oct 7 by J2BLUE |
I was on Jobseeker's allowance about 20 years ago for six months or so.
A lot of people seem to think it's one big party so let me tell you a few details I remember.
I was on about £50 per week I think. I was living at home and was fortunate to have parents who were happy to provide everything I needed for no cost so I had one night out per week spending about £20 in the Heathlands pub and the other £30ish went on stamps.
I was treated like sh1t by the job centre staff. I took in photos of about 100 letters in their stamped addressed envelopes I had sent out to every local employer I could think of. They barely acknowledged it. A few weeks later they gave me a print out of a job at Next where they said they knew it wasn't appropriate in any way but I could apply if I wanted to. I didn't because it was a role I was not qualified for, had no chance of getting and was nowhere near what I was looking for. They then suspended my JSA and investigated me...
At one point they offered to send me to a company called Seetec. Seetec had a government contract to help job seekers find a job. I went voluntarily. Once there, I quickly realised Seetec couldn't give a damn about helping anyone and were just trying to fill time to keep us there to get their money. One of the staff went out to a charity shop to buy some board games to entertain us. That was when I walked out. She phoned me later that afternoon and I told her why I left. She got stroppy and put the phone down on me.
I then volunteered for a charity in town two days a week. I hated it. However, a job eventually opened up in the finance department as a trainee. I applied and got it. It was 25 hours a week, minimum wage and by your definition likely still classed as benefits as it was a government funded job via the Future Jobs Fund. My six month contract was about to end and they were very keen to keep me. Then the newly elected Tories cut their funding and the job offer became a week by week offer. I left because I had another offer at a shipping office.
I found myself unemployed again about six months later for reasons outside of my control. I did not sign on again due to the utterly humiliating dehumanising treatment from the first time.
One moment that will stay with me for life is when I turned up for an appointment at the job centre about 10:00 in the morning to be told that it had moved to 14:30. I said no one told me and the woman rolled her eyes in a really exaggerated way and looked at her colleague before saying "we would have told you". I am not a violent person but if she had been a man I would have hit him.
Moral of the story: Most people don't want to be on benefits. It's mentally crushing, you're treated like a parasite and it's just utterly demoralising. I went for one interview with Britannia Building Society. It was in a pub as they had a flood. Stunning woman wearing a low cut top. I came out of that interview with a headache after spending an hour desperately trying to maintain eye contact. I got a follow up assessment morning before being rejected for not having any experience...something they knew from the first second from my CV. That was about 14k a year at the time and entry level.
If you know someone on benefits you might be better off taking them for a pint or a coffee rather than judging. [Post edited 7 Oct 13:16]
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An excellent and insightful post |  | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:19 - Oct 7 with 711 views | vapour_trail |
Lucky you.
Had about four months on the dole in my mid to late 20s when the first company I got a less casual job with, went tits up. I was also in a position where taking employment below a certain value would have made me poorer, as payment protection i’d purchased on a graduate loan would have been invalidated.
As others have said, not a pleasant or life affirming experience. |  |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:23 - Oct 7 with 665 views | Deano69 |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:02 - Oct 7 by J2BLUE |
I was on Jobseeker's allowance about 20 years ago for six months or so.
A lot of people seem to think it's one big party so let me tell you a few details I remember.
I was on about £50 per week I think. I was living at home and was fortunate to have parents who were happy to provide everything I needed for no cost so I had one night out per week spending about £20 in the Heathlands pub and the other £30ish went on stamps.
I was treated like sh1t by the job centre staff. I took in photos of about 100 letters in their stamped addressed envelopes I had sent out to every local employer I could think of. They barely acknowledged it. A few weeks later they gave me a print out of a job at Next where they said they knew it wasn't appropriate in any way but I could apply if I wanted to. I didn't because it was a role I was not qualified for, had no chance of getting and was nowhere near what I was looking for. They then suspended my JSA and investigated me...
At one point they offered to send me to a company called Seetec. Seetec had a government contract to help job seekers find a job. I went voluntarily. Once there, I quickly realised Seetec couldn't give a damn about helping anyone and were just trying to fill time to keep us there to get their money. One of the staff went out to a charity shop to buy some board games to entertain us. That was when I walked out. She phoned me later that afternoon and I told her why I left. She got stroppy and put the phone down on me.
I then volunteered for a charity in town two days a week. I hated it. However, a job eventually opened up in the finance department as a trainee. I applied and got it. It was 25 hours a week, minimum wage and by your definition likely still classed as benefits as it was a government funded job via the Future Jobs Fund. My six month contract was about to end and they were very keen to keep me. Then the newly elected Tories cut their funding and the job offer became a week by week offer. I left because I had another offer at a shipping office.
I found myself unemployed again about six months later for reasons outside of my control. I did not sign on again due to the utterly humiliating dehumanising treatment from the first time.
One moment that will stay with me for life is when I turned up for an appointment at the job centre about 10:00 in the morning to be told that it had moved to 14:30. I said no one told me and the woman rolled her eyes in a really exaggerated way and looked at her colleague before saying "we would have told you". I am not a violent person but if she had been a man I would have hit him.
Moral of the story: Most people don't want to be on benefits. It's mentally crushing, you're treated like a parasite and it's just utterly demoralising. I went for one interview with Britannia Building Society. It was in a pub as they had a flood. Stunning woman wearing a low cut top. I came out of that interview with a headache after spending an hour desperately trying to maintain eye contact. I got a follow up assessment morning before being rejected for not having any experience...something they knew from the first second from my CV. That was about 14k a year at the time and entry level.
If you know someone on benefits you might be better off taking them for a pint or a coffee rather than judging. [Post edited 7 Oct 13:16]
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Uppie
(would have been two if I could as its a great avatar)
What's your position on canapés? | |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:28 - Oct 7 with 616 views | J2BLUE |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:17 - Oct 7 by leitrimblue |
An excellent and insightful post |
Stop the clock. 27 years on TWTD and i've finally done it 
Cheers.
There are a lot more experiences. Recruitment agencies repeatedly sent me for jobs where I was rejected for not having experience. I eventually thought that I was a useful idiot for them. A CV good enough to be a viable candidate but not good enough to threaten whoever they thought was the real candidate for the job.
Other agencies called me in, made me write out my entire CV on their forms as part of my registration and then never contacted me again. Another one got angry on the phone with me after I said no to going for a job that was nothing like I had told him I was looking for and was significantly below the salary requirement.
It was a miserable time. | | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:30 - Oct 7 with 586 views | Vaughan8 |
Personally only ever Job seekers when I first started out and when I got made redundant. Also my wife claims child benefit for us.
The system is totally flawed and that is the problem. A colleague at work can only work 16 hours, otherwise benefits get taken away. She pretty much loses what she would earn so there is absolutely no incentive to work extra unless its for an increased rate. | | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:30 - Oct 7 with 589 views | StokieBlue |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:07 - Oct 7 by Cotty |
The vast majority of people who receive benefits are in work. So let's remove that stigma.
Also, I seriously doubt that many people would want to advertise this publicly, so I doubt you'll get anything like a true snapshot.
What's your angle? |
It's clearly a leading question from a poster that has recently said they would prefer that only football be discussed on here.
Notice how they haven't given their own thoughts about benefits.
SB |  |
| Avatar - M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:35 - Oct 7 with 522 views | Meadowlark |
Old age pension. As you're asking. |  | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:36 - Oct 7 with 496 views | TownieRob |
Personally, no. However, I grew up with a single parent in a council house, so I’m sure there was some level of support there when I was growing up.
Having grown up in that environment, I decided fairly early on that I wanted to get my head down, work as hard as I could and provide the best possible life for my family.
That said, what I find increasingly frustrating is that doing exactly that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll live particularly comfortably anymore.
I’m completely supportive of benefits for those who genuinely need them, that’s exactly what the system should be there for. Equally, I think we have too many people who know how to play the system, and the gap between those who work hard and those who hardly work feels narrower than it should be.
There has to be a clear incentive to work, progress and earn more, and I’m not convinced that incentive is as strong as it once was. | | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:42 - Oct 7 with 436 views | J2BLUE |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:23 - Oct 7 by Deano69 |
Uppie
(would have been two if I could as its a great avatar)
What's your position on canapés? |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:45 - Oct 7 with 413 views | DJR |
Housing benefit ,child benefit, PIP, universal credit.
My concern is that it is not enough to keep me in fags and booze, and I may have to cut down my foreign holidays to two a year. [Post edited 7 Oct 13:46]
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:46 - Oct 7 with 392 views | Illinoisblue |
“The more I read..”. What are you reading? |  |
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| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:49 - Oct 7 with 361 views | Blueschev |
You've never been to school? Or driven on a road? Or been to the doctors? |  | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:57 - Oct 7 with 268 views | TownieRob |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 13:46 - Oct 7 by Illinoisblue |
“The more I read..”. What are you reading? |
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/mone
I have no idea what the OP has seen, but this news doesn't make me want to jump out of bed any quicker in the morning for work.
£1bn of help with energy bills, reportedly paid for by taxpayers, and most of it is going to people on benefits, while working households struggling with their bills get nothing.
As I said in my previous post. If the benefits support is genuine, I am all for it but it seems like taxpayers are getting squeezed more and more to the point of breaking. | | | |
| Is anyone on here claim benefits? on 14:04 - Oct 7 with 208 views | Guthrum |
I've had three short periods on the dole: The difficult time in the early '90s, a few years later after recovering from an operation (which was partly sickness benefit) and after my business folded during the crunch of 2008-09. A few months each time. I don't enjoy being unemployed, but it's been a vital safety-net on occasion.
Then I had a bit of Income Support for low earnings when I was first self-employed and while rebuilding the business in 2009.
I partook of the government help scheme for the self-employed during Covid.
I'm not sure you're in a minority, but it requires to have been fortunate enough to have had decently well-paying jobs all your life, including finding replacements if made redundant or your business goes bust.
Edit: As others have mentioned, there are/were a lot of other benefits and govt-funded things beyond the dole. Child benefit, sickness benefit, student grants, plus free healthcare, education, etc. [Post edited 7 Oct 14:12]
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