Should There Be A Welfare Benefit Maximum Of £500 Per Week For Any Family?

How many people in this Country work their butts off and don't receive £26,000 free. The Country cannot afford to KEEP these families and their many children. If we all had as many there would be a world shortage of food. Let the parents feed their own children and get out of their pits and earn the money like the rest of us have had to do and are doing. Many of my family don't earn anything like that amount but don't ask for help. Like you say creativesaver they need great motivation. Lazy and greedy people they are. Sorry you've touched a raw nerve today and it drives me mad how these people are getting away with it. The
longer they go on in this way the situation will never be dealt with.

Oh, these sort of questions are so difficult to answer, and I'm so glad I'm not in government trying to strike the right balance.

On the one hand, I completely agree with Sabre. I have worked and contributed all my life and never received a penny in benefits except for six weeks in the 1980's when I was made redundant. I quickly found another job, albeit on about a quarter of the salary I had been earning; it would have been easy just to sit back and live off the state - without the expenses associated with going to work I would probably have been better off!

But every attempt to end the 'something for nothing' culture and clamp down on the scroungers will inevitably hurt some vulnerable people who don't deserve to be hurt. I'm thinking of children here; yes I deplore the people who have large families and make no attemt to work to support them, but those kids didn't ask to be born. The really sad thing is that they will most likely grow up expecting the state to support them and the whole rotten cycle will continue.

I wish I knew the answer to it. The best I can think of is a system that would allow the state to feed and clothe vulnerable children without giving their hapless parents a penny to lie in their pits all day.

£500 in benefits is more than enough there are working adults in my area that dont get £200 a week the cap should be a lot lower than £500 and these scroungers made to work for there money.

Couldn't agree more with all of you my friends here regarding this touchy issue.

£26.000!I know of many people out there doing an honest days work not coming close to that amount, it is indeed scandalous.

Iheard this on the radio yesterday and it made me so cross - to REDUCE benefits to a capped £500 per week. Grrrrr.... with our child tax credit for ONE child, and both of us working full time, we don't even earn £500 per week - so does that mean we will get a benefit top-up to the £500 per week mark. No?!?! I thought not!!!
It makes me SO mad, that because we work hard, and saved to be able to get a mortgage so we 'own' our home, we are not entitled to most benefits anyway. And we just can't afford to have anther baby at the moment, not that we wouldn't like one. So for people to sit around doing nothing and getting £500 per week - it is ridiculous!!
Perhaps there should be a maximum number of children that you are entitled to claim for - not for families who already have the children, but for those who are thinking of having more to get more benefits? If you are not working and are already claiming benefits to provide for your child/ren, then why should you be entitled to have any more?!?!?

Sorry for the rant!

They interviewed people on the local radio the other day - they started off by saying there were no jobs in the area, then as the interviews became apparent it became more and more obvious that there were jobs, but it wasn't the sort of work they wanted to do, or it paid less than being on benefits! I don't think anyone would deny benefits to people who really need it, but no one wants to support sluggards languishing about while we all work our socks off.

These children are not suffering and will not suffer limiting the benefeits to £500 a week!!! These children will suffer from not knowing the value for money as their parents will not have done a hard day's work in their lives!!! I am 37 and have a 14yr and have been on my own for 12yrs. I have raised my daughter up single handle ever since and it never stopped me going out to work in fact i had two jobs so i could get my own mortgage!! I never had a penny for childcare i had to pay for a private nursery never got childcare fees then! So many took the easy route and stay at home and get benefits. It's not the way i was brought up. I teach my daughter to have a good work ethic and she in fact works in oxfam. I have my own business and work now around my daughter while she at school and after school activities. I certainly feel it has paid off as i have a good standard of living and go on regular holidays and own a nice car etc. I have encouraged my daughter to work hard in school to achieve what she wants in life. How can these parents encourage or motivate their children! I feel sorry for those children as they probably will leave school with nothing and go on benefits themselves!! I would never in a million years swap my life to be on benefits some cases are genuine i'm sure i'm not criticising them all but the majority are at it as they say!!!

To earn £500 per week you'd have to be in a job paying a salary of around £33,500 - I thought that the average salary in the UK was around £26,000 so I would have thought that £500 a week in benefits would be plenty to comfortably support your family.

If people on benefits get all that money because they have not used contraception and have got all those children why do so many people object to pensioners getting their meagre pensions and a bit of fuel allowance? Somehow it does not balance the books. So myself, a British citizen gets £105. per week after working all my life and a large family who don't work and probably never have worked gets over £500/£700 per week. Where is the justice in that because I simply don't know the answer.

Well hello again everyone .... I just thought I would come in here and put my bit in ( as the actress said to the bishop .... ).

I suspect that the government is aiming for rationalisation of the benefit system here until ultimately the 'universal credit' system takes over when every claimant will have their overall handouts capped by design.

The benefit system is essentially a way to redistribute wealth and edge poverty out of the door. But the whole system has never been subject to effective 'targetting' and as a result we have millions on benefits that they simply never want to give up. I have seen an Incapacity Benefit Claimant this week been assessed on a 'back to work' assessment as 'fighting fit' after five years of never having to work. She is traumatised at the very thought. As a nation, we have been the author of our own misfortune by doling free money out on a largely uncontrolled basis until someone actually realises what it is costing the country. The bishops therefore have it badly wrong. Poverty is in no way restricted to the benefit class, it is universally ingrained in the happily employed as well.

But getting tough, which I wholeheartedly endorse, brings its own problems. Getting people off benefits is an invitation back into gainful employment and self sufficiency. But the work they all so badly need to be directed towards is sadly lacking and will continue to do so. We are facing a revolution in this country, if not globally, as to how income and work is generated. Frankly, I do not think full and gainful employment will ever exist again. WE are all victims of fast paced technology and too much leisure time. Factor in unending and uncontrolled corporate greed and you have a recipe for financial lunacy.

So by all means cap benefits in preparation for the coming of the universal credit but also tackle inflation and corporate greed. Strive for a level playing field where people on low incomes and reduced benefits can begin to exist in some way. Tackle and legislate on landlords and controlled and fair rents ... everyone deserves a roof over their head but landlords' greed is running to excess. The only way to reduce the welfare budget is to make life affordable for everyone, not just the idle rich!

It's enough to make Harry Monk toss in his grave!

Nice to see you all again .... x

Thank you one and all for your comments! I was actually sitting in the bath, playing with my loofah when it suddenly struck me ... I need some stimulation! And where else but this forum?

I'm so sick of the bashing of anyone on benefits gets - like anyone getting benefit is living the high life at the expense of those who are working.

Let me tell you it is no picnic! I count every penny, and struggle enormously to afford even food - incapacity benefit means you have to pay towards yr rent, council tax, yr sight tests and glasses/contact lenses, yr medical prescriptions, plus pay all your other bills.

I'm also not entitled to ANY budgeting loan/crisis loan (which you can still get if you are on other benefits or a combination of incapacity and say income support) so if I need essential furniture like a bed, cooker etc then there is no help out there atall.

Instead why are not the BIG high end companies being pursued for tax evasion, or for instance all those members of parliament not being asked to give back the thousands of pounds they took of tax money in their unadulterated greed to gain even more money on top of the enormous amount of money they already had!

Why are they not being asked to give back their second houses, when they already had one house - it took me nearly 4 years to get somewhere to live after I was illegally evicted, became homeless and went through a total nightmare of a time which nearly broke me.

They then can sell these houses for an enormous profit - does the tax paying public get any of that money back when its their money thats bought them these houses in the first place? NO!

Has anyone even voiced and or attempted to do to get this money back? NO!

What justification is there for them to buy a second house at the tax payers expense? NONE!

Why is not the tax department not being pursued to sort themselves out - particulary in the context of pursuing companies who have NOT being paying their taxes - are you all aware that it has been estimated that at least £40 million a year upwards is owed to this country - think on that!

If anyone on benefit did what both the tax evading companies do and the MP's have done, theyd been in jail by now and LOSE EVERYTHING!

Instead just one or 2 MP's have been done by the courts and now its all gone quiet, so the rest have gotton away with it!

Are any of you aware that people for instance, who are crippled, are amputees etc, are being asked to get out of their wheelchairs and walk/move on their stumps, and being declared 'fit for work!'

Are any of you aware that the private company which is employed by the goverment - called Atos - is actually paid £100 for each time they fail a client.

Atos has been severely critised in parliment itself.

Are you aware that your benefits can get cut for the most flimiest of reasons.

Are you aware of the enormous fear, panic etc that one lives under in connection to all of this.

Take a look on www.benefitsandwork.com or .co.uk to get an idea of the real picture of what life is like on the dole, before you start to critcize what you don't really have a true idea of!

Its always easy to attack and scapegoat those who are vulnerable in times of economic downturn - rather like all them bloody foreigners coming over here to take out jobs!

Funny theres never a mention of that when the econmony is good

No-one can truly 'live' off benefits - thats one point!

The other is that the government doesn't care who is vulnerable and who is not! Just as long as they can kick you off the list - and then ergo show politically that 'oh look how good we are - we've managed to lower the unemployment total.

Its about figures and numbers and politics - nothing else.

Hi seaspray. I sympathise deeply with people who have got legitimate reasons for claiming benefits, especially those who have terrible injuries and long term incurable diseases. It should be made so much easier for them to be assessed and given all the benefits they are entitld to to make life a bit more bearable as they have enough suffering already without making it worse for them. I have first hand knowledge of this as I was my first husband's carer for a long time and it was only about four week's before he died that I was given carer's allowance. Don't get me wrong I would have done anything for him but with having to work part time and bring two children up as well it wasn't easy and that made such a difference in the quality of life.

It is the lazy people of this world that cause the outrage. Those like we have mentioned that have all the children and don't do any work. They get it all on a plate and do nothing to earn it. Those are the people the Government should be targeting not the sick and incapacitated.

I agree Sabre - it's not the people who are genuinely claiming benefits, a lot of whom will be claiming IB like you seaspray. It is more the people who think they have a right not to work and be provided for by everyone else - not those who really can't work. However, there is always a way to 'beat' the system, as I personally know someone who claims IB as he is too ill to work, but manages to do a 'charity job' which involves walking miles to deliver leaflets (although he has bad knees and bad back), campaigning on the internet, taking the train to London for 'business' meetings etc.... Perhaps someone would like to explain how exactly he is unfit to work in paid employment?!?! Hmm.. thought not!

ATOS are a rubbish company - I didn't know about the payment for failing people's assessments, or whether that is really true or not, but my experience of them through work was not a good one either - their people skills are suitably lacking! and their medical knowledge depending on who you speak to!

One thing that did annoy me slightly seaspray was your comment "Take a look on www.benefitsandwork.com or .co.uk to get an idea of the real picture of what life is like on the dole, before you start to critcize what you don't really have a true idea of!" Think that was slightly presumptuous that all of us on the forum are not/have not been on benefits and have no idea what we are talking about.

Because it is usually those who have not been on benefits ever, who are the quickest to critize

Benefits are not begrudged to the sick or needy but often go to the greedy and lazy in society which they access by telling lies and so flouting the system. These are the ones that should be targeted and not the disabled sick and infirm.

What yr missing the point of - is that the goverment doesnt care/has no distinction between what you deem as the 'deserving' and the 'undeserving'

And NOBODY can survive living on benefits!

Secondly perhaps as I originally pointed out - you should turn your attention to the big companies that are diddling the state out of a min of £40 million a year, let alone the amounts that the MP's took in buying second houses, plus 'other expenses'

Its all to easy to scapegoat and go for the easy target!

No, £500 a week is far too much to give away in benefits.

£26,000 after tax equates to over £32,000 before tax. The average household takes around £24,000 *before* tax meaning every family of average income would be better off on benefits.

It's insane. Other than in cases where someone can't work as they are incapacitated or looking after someone who is, benefits should be limited to a maximum of 80% of the post-tax minimum income (based on 40 hours a week for 48 weeks a year) to encourage people to find work or become self employed.

It may seem harsh, but it's fair.

Until you are on benefits... then I wonder if you will still think of it as "harsh but fair"

I would just like to point out that I have actually been 'on benefits', and I still think that £500 per week is ridiculous. I wasn't entitled to housing benefit - why not I hear you ask?!? Oh that's right..... cos I had worked my arse off to get a deposit together to be able to get a mortgage ad a house. As a family we actually contemplated selling the house and moving into rented accommodation, as we would then have been entitled to the housing benefit (and other benfits!) and had far less outgoings and way more income.
So perhaps I am more than experienced to comment on how unfair the system is, and that £500 per week is more than adequate to live off, even if you have to pay your own rent, bills etc... Perhaps people who can't afford to live off this amount need to get a smaller house, go on holiday less, buy Tesco Value instead of Marks & Spencer finest!!

Sorry if I seem rude, but I will quite happily sit here, spend time with my son and do absolutely bugger all to deserve the capped £500 per week.

However, that is not the sort of person I am, and I will teach him that he will be a better person for making the effort and working for the things he wants - not having them all handed to him on a £500+ per week platter.

Gordon Brown ( and Tony bliar) decided that to stay in power, they would make as many ppl dependant on "benefits" as they possibly could. So multi millionaires are paid winter fuel benefit. Also they get paid child benefits. We got that when I was on £75k back in the nineties - we regarded getting a benefit payment as a sick joke. Gordon Browns master plan was to make as many ppl benefit dependant as he could - and thats why the immigration floodgates were opened. The immigrants would flood here, and most would become benefit dependant, and therefore vote for him. What a sad psychopath he was.

Oh how I love it that in times of bad economy its time to pick on the subject of 'the immigrants'.

Never a grumble when the enonomy is in fine fettle and they're cleaning office toilets at a pittance an hour, or working in the fields cutting celery when nobody who is English wants to do such a back breaking job - not a problem then!

And pray tell how is it the floodgates of immigration were opened simply so that they could become on 'dependent' on benefits.

There are many originally non uk residents, who have come over here and worked their tails off, contributed greatly to British society, and made it a far more interesting place to live in.

You are right, but the previous government (Bliar, Brown), wanted to make as many ppl benefit dependant as they could - on the basis they would vote for them. That's why we had mass unregulated migration - they get here, and they qualify for benefits, and because of that, they vote for labour. Severely cynical power hungry Bliar and even worse Brown actively promoted "benefit dependancy" as a way of staying in power. Gordon Brown is a severely psycopathetic individual. I feel pity for his wife.

I love yr skewed logic!

I dont make comment on whether any family can live comfortably or not on £500 a week until I have from BOTH sides of the argument, all the facts in front of me - then I can make a BALANCED judgement.

I do however make a comment on the prejudice and what is factually incorrect - whipped up by both the government and the press - that is shown to anyone on the dole, ie they're all lazy, they dont want to work, they're all living a rich lifestyle (utterly ludicrous) they're pariahs, and oh the racism and xenophobia that has also been openly expressed on here, and which I find both deeply offensive and despairing.

Despairing because nobody seems to think for themselves above and beyond going for the easiest and lowest common denominator, the 'puppy to kick' target such as those who are unemployed - despite the fact of big time companies getting away with not paying billions in tax, the councils who have wasted money on pointless consultations when all that was needed was common sense, the banks who after screwing up this economy, being paid millions in TAXPAYER'S MONEY by the government, and then paying out HUGE bonuses to themselves, the MP's who took thousands upon thousands in taxpayers money - YOUR MONEY - that you pay through working hard, to spend on such things as buying a second house or a duck pond etc etc.

These are the TRUE abusers of the system, of taking YOUR money, of truely living a rich lifestyle off YOUR hard earned money, while being classed (ironically enough) of being the 'working' kind - so not pariahs etc at all!

And only 1 or 2 have ever been brought to justice over it!!!

Yet if anyone on the benefits system did what say the MP's had done, they would be in jail now and 'tarred and feathered' for being the parasites on society that they are now being portrayed to be.

Just as the same way single mothers were being portrayed, especially during the previous Tory government(s)

Or that its the 'filthy foreigner' that is at the root cause of all our ills, that they're also equally lazy, only here to suck dry our benefits system or STEAL all our jobs; jobs that no English person would do because the pay is so low, and a country that effectively would not be able to properly function without them - ie the NHS - as many nurses and consultants have gone abroad to earn a greater wage packet.

It is all to easy to, and quickly at that, pick a scapegoat to take out your ire and feelings of frustration at the inequality of things; I too could do that at other unemployed people since due to a recent government ruling, I cant even get a crisis LOAN to purchase for eg a much needed washing machine due to being on Incapacity benefit, while those who have either a mix of IB and income support or soley any other benefit then IB, can still do so.

The same applies for if you are rehoused and have absolutely NOTHING, or need prescriptions, eye tests/glasses, council tax etc.

Or that a single person can no longer has the right to automatically get rehoused if they become homeless, whereas an asylum seeker can get some help.

My wrath goes out towards the government and the unequal way they have set up a system which is unfair,

I despair that despite what happened in the 2nd world war, where again the German economy was bad so a particular section of society was picked on as being the cause of all the ills of that time period, namely anyone Jewish, we still have seemed not to have learnt and yet again are on the same narrow treadmill of thought of 'them foreigners' being all at fault.

Now Yummymummy, if by any chance you are a single mother then are you aware that there are many organisations out there to help single parents such as Gingerbread, and if you join for instance Youth hostel organisation (no age limit) as a single parent you can get loads of discounts to many events and organisations, and be able to stay in hostels with your child, abroad for not a lot of money at all.

There are also many charities that can help you out (single mother or not) such as a charity that pays for you to have a holiday, and I'm more then happy to research these out for you and send on the details to you, if you so wish.

As for having a feeling of 'entitlement' to receive more benefit money then I'm getting, is neither here or there, as it is a simple fact that I am not getting enough to live on, as otherwise it wouldn't be such a constant struggle where even food is really a luxury, and debt a constant 'companion'.

With regard to 'going to the gym', as someone else pointed out on here, you can go for a walk, hire out or buy a keep fit dvd (videos are even cheaper) and use freecyle to get yr own gym equipment and then do your exercises in the comfort of your own home, or find or even put together a group of women who will do keep fit classes for free with you in the park, as they do here in London.

One doesn't need to go to an expensive gym to get fit!