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I originally came to the U.K. to do a master's degree and stayed when I was offered a job. I worked in the IT field at the time and there was a demand. However, I now work in social housing. Not once have I ever been on benefits or even received employment assistance from the Jobcentre when I was briefly unemployed. In fact, the Jobcentre told me I was overqualified for any jobs they had even though I protested and said I would wait on tables, do cleaning work, etc.
She claims she is a single parent...
Fast forward, to eight years later. I am now pregnant and live in an area where there is a lot of council housing. One of my neighbours is 18 years younger than I am and is one month further along in her pregnancy. I am 39 and she is 21. She already has a 2 year old son and is in a 2 bedroom council flat. She claims she is a single parent although both children have the same father. The father works, but maintains another address and stays with her 3 days out of the week.
She gets full housing and council tax benefit as well as income support and child benefit, plus, when her baby is born she will be given a 500 voucher to invest for her child because she is "poor". She is so poor that just in the last month alone she bought a 40" TV, new computer and had Sky and broadband installed. Her children have all the latest toys and an expensive travel system. And she can apply for a Sure Start maternity grant since she is on benefits. Both her and the father that supposedly does not exist have been buying expensive toys and clothes for their children.
In contrast, my fiance and I own a 1 bedroom flat. We cannot afford to move for another two years and definitely will not get council housing since we are home owners. We are both in full time employment. Almost all of our baby's clothing has come from charity shops or been given to us since we cannot afford a lot. Even the baby walker, cot bed and moses basket have been bought second hand. We cannot afford the travel system our neighbour has and our son will be in our bedroom for a few years until we can move. We do not own a 40" TV and scrimped and saved for our computer. We will only be given a 250 voucher from the government to invest for our child because we are not on benefits.
I also checked out working tax credits and will receive around 30 per month although our childcare will cost over 600 when I return to work. We are not eligible for council tax benefit or the Sure Start maternity grant and although my salary will drop by half now that I am on maternity leave and my fiance's will when he is on paternity leave, we will get no form of help paying the mortgage.
I think it is sick and disgusting that working people get nothing. I am an immigrant, but I have worked hard and have paid taxes all these years. I never received any form of help from the government and my university education was paid for by me! When I was briefly unemployed, I was willing to scrub toilets if I had to and last year when I needed some extra money, I took a second job doing barmaid work. I am 18 years older than my neighbour and worked until I went on leave last month, yet this scum has never lifted a finger and is being handed everything on a plate.
I know people go on about immigrants, but there are immigrants like myself who do not scrounge and assimilate. Also, I lived in another country before coming here where I had to learn another language. As soon as I got there I signed up for language classes. I was also working while learning the language and was tested as nearly fluent within 9 months. I get fed up when I hear people have lived here for 20 years and never learned a word of English. It is sheer laziness.
I informed the housing officer that my neighbour is scamming the system. She needs a kick up the backside along with all the others out there who are doing the same thing. If I can get to work whilst heavily pregnant and return after my baby is born, she and others like her can do it as well!
By: Soon2bmother
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I feel for you first of all I admire the effort and ditermnation you have put in :) It is annoying when you working your backside off for very little and others do naff all and get everything. the country of UK is going to pot as people who don't work seem better off
High Court rules emergency laws breach the right to a fiar trial
Government passed legislation to shore up back-to-work scheme
Jobless were told to take an unpaid placement or lose benefits
Cait Reilly, 24, took the government to court over job in poundland
GO BACK TO SCOTLAND IAN YOUR A FOOL WHO JUST GOT SERVED !
For some of you brain deads that this applies to, its time to sell the Beemers, Audi's, Merc;s and 4x4 to clear your debts. If you have already done this I hope it hurts to see someone else driving your precious ex status symbol. LoL.
It's an employers market and the truth is that a lot of work is nothing but slavery, keeping you in a rut that it's impossible to get out of in normal circumstances. Those who criticise people for "shirking" jobs ought to wake up and realise that meagre wages and questionable conditions do not make for happy employees. Added to that the UK has the longest working hours. You rarely see jobs advertising 9 to 5 now - employers have been stealing our time in recent decades. You're lucky if it's 9 to 5.30, as I often see 8.30 to 5.30 or 6.00. What kind of life is that? I'll tell you - drudgery.
If someone would pay a FAIR wage - one you could live on, and I don't mean by buying luxuries, then a few more people would be out there instead of at home all day and passing the time in recreation.
It's the politicians that are fond of finger-pointing that need to look at themselves and their Westminster buddies who have it so good, and many have never actually done any work in their life so are hardly in a position to lord it over.
I have been unemployed in the past and going to the jobcentre was horrendous with their bullying and sanctioning. Even so, some people manage this shite weekly if only to avoid being a down-trodden slave.
Benefits isn't a great way of life for most (in my opinion) but in many cases it sure beats working 40+ hours per week and staying broke or in debt. Not being a slave means you are able to try and find ways out of the hell hole the system keeps us in. Whatever happened to a fair day's pair for a fair day's work? It's disappeared under corporate exploitation. Unless you are well-qualified, privileged or born with a silver spoon it's increasingly hard for low earners to make anything of their lives. I suppose that's why the television is full of bile and rubbish to keep the masses distracted from life's real problems.
Well, it's not all bad news. Surely, this will encourage ever more of us to demand a referendum NOW and vote to get out of the EU.
Whether youve paid taxes or not, regardless of what you could be claiming here- you obviously wouldnt have had the same job and wage in your own country so infact we have done you a favour by giving you employment ie a chance in life.
To show grattitude, you moan about not being able to claim benefits and bubble your neighbour who has young children to support. What a spitefull nasty ungreatfull woman! No wonder there is such prejudice in the world against imigrants! Ike the way our country runs or leave it!
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