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I'm 57 years old, working full time, wife, mother and grand mother, wishing that I wasn't working full time! I love and enjoy our children and grandchildren, our dogs and cat, our garden and allotment. I love crafts - knitting, sewing, crocheting, patchwork and restoring old furniture. I love to go to country auctions and love thinking that I've got my self a bargain!

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Tuesday moans

Afternoon All,

Well I'm still here off work and at home - nearly 4 weeks now and  I'm still having issues with my immune system and now a kidney infection!

You know I started this year saying 2013 was going to be a great year - I should have kept quiet - oh well it can only get better. (hopefully)

I did try to go back to work after I'd had the first week off,  but only managed a morning before my ankles all swelled and I didn't think that I'd be able to drive back up the motorway and home again and I've been signed off by the Doctor for the last 3 weeks. But hopefully I'll be back at work next week, after I've seen the consultant .

The day after I tried to go back to work,  there was a young lady in the news who had successfully brought a case to court as she had been expected to work 2 weeks in Pound Land, stacking shelves,  to be able to continue to receive her unemployment benefit.

Now I have never in my life claimed unemployment benefit (if it comes to that - I've never claimed any kind of benefit!) I could have - when the children were little and the first prat of a husband refused to go out to work, but I didn't -  I got up of my backside and got myself a number of part time jobs which meant that I went out to work every single day of the week (weekends included)  - it meant I paid the mortgage and the bills and fed the kids, later on I got myself a full time job and there I've been for the last 23 years. I presently pay over £400 per month in tax and national insurance -  so that this young woman can receive her benefits and then whinge because she's been asked to work 2 weeks

Is it me or have I got it all wrong??? 

Then this week there's been much in the press about a single woman with 11 children being given a brand new purpose built house by her local social housing group. This woman is also on benefits, (has been for most of her working life I believe)  but can afford a horse (or her unemployed daughter can) and flying lessons for the young man in her life at the moment!

I'm sure that the government and the do-gooders in this country think that working people have IDIOT firmly written on our foreheads! cause lets face it that's what we're taken for.

Now I know that I am cynical hard hearted person - I have very little sympathy with people who I don't believe deserve help.

For me - the sooner that the government stops paying so much in benefits to people who have never paid into the system the better - benefits should only be a short term stop gap whilst people get back into work. The benefit system shouldn't be there for healthy people to claim for life.  

Something needs to be done - we're already seen as the soft touch for the eastern Europeans to come here and claim benefits.

Obviously for born and bred British people who suffer genuine ill health of any kind  then  we should look after our own.

Because believe me that woman hasn't had 11 children because she believes that she can give those children  the best in life and loads of love and encouragement - she's had them because more children equals more cash in her hand to spend how she wishes - it gives her choices. (You know what always amazes me? - there's never a father on the scene is there? you know....to pay to keep their own offspring!)

As for that new house - I'd stake my next years pay that given a month and it will be an absolute tip! with nothing but more expence for the housing group to put right. 

Is it me?? I can't see anything wrong in expecting healthy people to give something back and do a couple of weeks work (at the very least) to be able to continue to receive their benefits . People who do go out to work - work 48 weeks of the year - they're only being asked to do 2 weeks for goodness sake!

 My grandparents all worked, my parents worked and my children all work - I've been brought up to be a worker not a shirker. Perhaps I've had it all wrong all these years

Byee

10 comments:

  1. Hear, hear.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  2. I heartily agree!! Here in the U.S., we have the same terrible problem-it's so unfair to those who really need the help.

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    1. That's right Jan - it is unfair because it should really be there for the people who need the help - we have 3 generation of families who have never worked in some of our neighbourhoods, always claimed benefits and that's not right. xxx

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  3. Well said. I believe in helping those who can't help themself- not those who won't.

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  4. There's people who genuinely need help, those who can't help themselves through no fault of their own, those are the people who the benefit system was set up for. Unfortunately, we're living in the time of those who want something for nothing, who don't want to earn what they have, and the benefit system works for those type of people as well as the genuine cases. It's time there was a major overhaul of the system so that those who need the help get it and those who don't have to get off their lazy backsides and earn their keep. Sorry, rant over. Suffice to say, I agree with you. Hope you're feeling better soon.

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    1. Thanks Jo - what I find is that people who have always worked find it hard to claim benefits because they don't know what help they can get - yet those who know the benefit system and have always claimed, know the system inside and out know what to claim for and generally do! and it wasn't a rant at all - you're probably just like me and get a little fed up of it all sometimes - take care xxx

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  5. 100% agree that we should not keep enabling people by giving them more benefits with each child, people coming to the US just like there and using our benefits that I've worked and paid for since I was a teenager!! Where does it end??? I was a single mom and did not receive child support and I worked full time and then was a server for a catering company some evenings!! I have always worked!!

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  6. 100% agree that we should not keep enabling people by giving them more benefits with each child, people coming to the US just like there and using our benefits that I've worked and paid for since I was a teenager!! Where does it end??? I was a single mom and did not receive child support and I worked full time and then was a server for a catering company some evenings!! I have always worked!!

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