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AIBU

Sky TV when claiming benefit?

(106 Posts)
phoenix Thu 29-Jun-17 20:36:30

Did you know that when filling in an income and expenditure form to claim benefits, there is a box for television subscriptions, i.e. Sky packages?

It would seem (and I'm choosing my words carefully) that it is regarded as an outgoing that is taken into consideration.

Surely it should be regarded as a luxury, non essential expense?

I must admit we have never had Sky, so don't know about the situation with regard to contract etc, so usual Phoenix disclaimer of "could be wrong, often am" !

M0nica Sat 29-Jul-17 16:22:47

Yes, one of my great grandfathers is listed in the census as a pauper. He was blind and in his late 80s.

DJ they would also have had to work throughout the summer holidays. Laundry, sewing, gardening, growing vegetables. Nobody in the workhouse, regardless of age, was allowed the luxury of leisure.

durhamjen Sat 29-Jul-17 16:52:35

I do know that, Monica.

M0nica Sat 29-Jul-17 21:38:49

I think it is a moot point whether the separation of children from their parents and their siblings of the opposite sex and 10 hours or more of work each day is a price worth paying for regular meals of doubtful quantity and quality.

durhamjen Sun 30-Jul-17 15:05:04

Depends on the alternative.

I have a map of 1895 of the village where I live, and it has the Union Workhouse on it, with seperate exercise yards for them all.
I suppose in 1895, they were not children for long anyway.
I have a book about a village school in the East Riding, and every so often it says that certain children sent word that they would be unable to attend as they were going into the workhouse. The period was 1870 to 1880.

Thanks, Monica, as you have just made me look at them, and I have realised that that is when my relative was teaching in the workhouse.
I need to read the book more thoroughly. I always find things like this very interesting.

Nutt65 Sun 27-Aug-17 05:26:17

Yes after 13 weeks