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Universial Credit

(118 Posts)
Anniebach Sun 17-Dec-17 17:30:38

This causes some to question -

The universial credit helpline is only open two days out of ten over the holidays. Corbyn urges people to join Unite protest , it is claimed it will leave people facing hunger,poverty and eviction.

This troubles me deeply yet I question how can a couple on benefits with six children, mother has ME husband is her carer , save £50 a week to spend £3,000 on presents for their children , she said they save and didn't go out every weekend , but if that amount can be saved through out the year ?

lemongrove Mon 18-Dec-17 22:34:41

No, it is saying why waste so much money at Christmas.
You can give your children a lovely time on a fraction of that.
I would say why would anybody spend so much on children, save that money for something you really need in the future.
The other point is the one that Annie made, and I mentioned above.

durhamjen Mon 18-Dec-17 22:37:24

Exactly, lemon. You have no idea that she is milking the system, but she's not allowed to save for a decent Christmas for her children.
All heart as usual.
Of course I have the right to ask people if they will be using a foodbank this Christmas. I can ask what I want. It's not insulting.
Why do you want it hidden?
Or do you think that people using foodbanks shouldn't have computers, either?
Many people using foodbanks are in work, and in areas changing over to universal credit.

lemongrove Mon 18-Dec-17 22:48:49

durham do you ever read posts properly before you rush to comment?
I did not say that she was milking the system.
A decent Christmas? £3,000 are you serious?!
It is a very personal question to ask GNers ‘ how many of you will be getting your food from a foodbank’ and a silly one as well.You can ask anything you like and often do, but nobody has to answer you.
Why even mention computers????

durhamjen Mon 18-Dec-17 22:53:08

"Probably the woman on tv was bragging in a stupid way, but it does make those working annoyed, with good reason.
Of course we don’t think everybody living on benefits is like this, but it does no good to anyone to think somebody must be milking the system."

You do a very good line in conflation if that's not what you meant. Two ideas juxtaposed and we are not supposed to think both sentences are about the same woman?

lemongrove Mon 18-Dec-17 22:55:18

Do you ever understand a post?
I mean ever !

I just can’t be bothered to explain every little thing to you.

durhamjen Mon 18-Dec-17 23:00:11

Do explain, because it looks to me as if you are talking about the same woman.

lemongrove Mon 18-Dec-17 23:06:48

I am!
Cor blimey, do have the last word on this though if you like.
moon

durhamjen Mon 18-Dec-17 23:09:29

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/rich-selfish-higher-incomes-happiness-self-centred-emotion-american-psychological-association-a8116846.html

durhamjen Wed 20-Dec-17 17:03:38

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/benefit-cuts-force-incontinent-cancer-14057956

Wouldn't you think that at least they would 'ensure' that nothing went wrong in Frank Field's constituency?

M0nica Wed 20-Dec-17 20:10:10

paddyann I think we live in different worlds, I cannot imagine a situation where I would buy my DGS a track suit, 2 T shirts, shoes, a games consol and give him money for a phone in a very short period of time. I am assuming they are not all Christmas presents. Two of them, perhaps, but not all 5.

durhamjen Wed 20-Dec-17 22:07:09

She didn't say for Christmas; she said recently. Could have been over a few months.

petra Wed 20-Dec-17 22:35:42

Spread the wealth, that's what I say. And if some goes the grandchildrens way, so much the better. I love spending on mine.

paddyann Wed 20-Dec-17 23:08:45

NOT a consol ,a GAME for his consol and yes its all for christmas .I buy a lot of the clothes for the GC,my mother did it for us ...so we just carried it forward.My daughter is ill...and I'd prefer she spends her money trying to fund alternative treatments that might help her condition .The phone money will go towards his bill,again to save my daughter stress ,she can contact him easily and not worry

M0nica Thu 21-Dec-17 08:03:33

dj read my post I didn't say for Christmas, I said over a very short period of time. My definition of very short period of time in this context would be several months

paddyann Thu 21-Dec-17 09:45:49

Monica we do what we want/need to depending on circumstances.I'd love my girl to be fit and healthy ,to be able to carry on with the business she started a few years ago and to live a full life.Sadly she cant.If buying clothes.paying bills etc for her makes life even a slight bit easier I'll do all I can .AAnd there is the whole point of the thread..the woman in teh OP is also ill ....maybe SHE is overcompensating to children who have to deal with a very sick parent...and its not easy for them as I can confirm.I watch my GC worry their mum wont be around for long..IF I can put a smile on their faces now and again then NOBODY has the right to try to stop me ...or the por women whose benefits are being discussed on this post

durhamjen Wed 03-Jan-18 01:01:19

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/no-one-should-take-last-11783810

ninny Wed 03-Jan-18 08:47:30

Lemongrove perhaps durhamjens family go to foodbanks and are on benefits and splash out on Christmas just saying.

Anniebach Wed 03-Jan-18 09:58:07

Shame on the female who used this mans death to praise Corbyn.

How long had this man been homeless, had he refused a home as many do because he missed his street companions, does he have family,

RIP Christopher

durhamjen Wed 03-Jan-18 18:23:37

Sick, Annie.

durhamjen Tue 23-Jan-18 22:28:09

Not just about universal credit, but from the Oxfam report out this week.

"The wealth of billionaires had risen by 13% a year on average in the decade from 2006 to 2015, with the increase of $762bn (the equivalent of £550bn) in 2017 – enough to end extreme poverty seven times over. "

The only word I can find for it is obscene.

oxfamapps.org/davos/sign-up/?cid=scm_twitter&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

"Last year saw the biggest increase in billionaires in history, one more every two days. This huge increase could have ended global extreme poverty seven times over. 82% of all wealth created in the last year went to the top 1%, and nothing went to the bottom 50%.

Dangerous, poorly paid work for the many is supporting extreme wealth for the few. Women are in the worst work, and almost all the super-rich are men. Governments must create a more equal society by prioritizing ordinary workers and small-scale food producers instead of the rich and powerful."

Anniebach Wed 24-Jan-18 04:33:16

Soon be sorted , your hero wants a world government,

Baggs Wed 24-Jan-18 06:38:08

While the richest have grown richer the poorest have also grown richer. The proportion of world population living in extreme poverty has fallen dramatically and still is falling. That is good news and I interpret it as "we are doing something right."

Oxfam pays its top dog an obscene salary while complaining about other rich people.

GracesGranMK2 Wed 24-Jan-18 08:58:19

I have to agree MaizieD Sun 17-Dec-17 19:47:48 - what is the problem?

I can see the issue with the fact that people, in the run up to Christmas, were having to wait far too long to have their claims processed. I can also see the issue with the fact that this benefit was supposed to be 'fit' for today's working conditions and it very obviously isn't but I really cannot see what the problem is here.

Is it: Family saves carefully to have a really good Christmas. Surely that is their choice?

I think this is just another one of "those" threads. Perhaps we need a new "spiteful" category rather than see a thread which tries to find someone or a group the OP can feel superior to and throw in a rather weird comment about Corbyn and then calling it political.

Admittedly it is a chance to feel good by castigating twice. You can admonish the family for their perceived 'less than the OP' standards and lambast Corbyn at the same time. I guarantee this is not the last OP that will follow this formula.

We really should be used to it by now and not let it distract us into condemning people whose circumstances we only know about from the bias of TV programme wanting ratings.

This is just a bit more of the standard virtue waving (it is intrinsic in the OP that the writer would never behave like this ) and an attempt at Corbyn bashing. What's new?

Primrose65 Wed 24-Jan-18 09:54:20

Trouble is Jen, the average worker in the UK is part of the global elite 1%. An income of £22,700 will put you there.
Plenty of people with homes will be there too - £550,000 of assets, which is the combined value of absolutely everything you own - from your house to your toothbrush.
So a rise in pensions for someone living in their own home in the South East is more wealth going to the global 1%, according to Oxfam's stats.

durhamjen Wed 24-Jan-18 10:36:53

Whataboutery of the first class.

Billionaires can end extreme poverty if they want to.
They don't. They'd rather hang onto their money.
What do they need it all for?

Annie, can you grow up, please, and take poverty seriously.