Food Banks and Poverty- was Nye right?

JenniferEccles I think many women of our generation did give up work when they had children if they had a husband or partner who was in work. In the main many of us 'scraped by' on one salary or did part-time jobs to fit around family life for a few years or did child minding.
However, many of us did return to work when children started school, although not all did. As women are seen as primarily the carers, many then found they were caring for elderly, possibly disabled, relatives.

I was grateful for the offer of childcare from a friend who never went back to outside work as it would have been impossible to juggle everything, child care, parent care, a job, otherwise.

There is no shame in not returning to work; having a parent there full-time may be beneficial for young children and caring for elderly relatives can be exhausting and probably saved the State a fortune too.

So if we consider all benefits, the largest of which is the State Pension, as 100% what proportion of that is benefit fraud?

Well, if anyone had read the BBC Fact check I linked to they would have found that, according to that, benefit fraud accounts for some 1.1p in every pound; 1.1%, in other words.

Your State Pension is a contribution paid in while your working. If you don't work you can get a credit paid in due to you looking after children or being unemployed for a short time. But if you never work or paying the system then you don't get a state pension. Many married women only paid the married woman contribution so they got a lesser pay out. This being a benefit has only crept in during the last 8 or 10 years. It was a way of saying look what we are doing for the old, bus passes, winter fuel allowance and a pension benefit. This has been taken up by so many of the young who seem to think us oldies are getting something for nothing.

Jennifer E, what generation are you, I am in my 70 and neither myself no my friends gave up work to bring up our children, we worked at night, in bars, part time in supermarkets, anything to bring in some extra money. Maybe this is why you have such a narrow outlook on life.

Trisher agree with it all.

It's longer ago than that Barmeyoldbat - I remember querying it being called a benefit when I first received it about 14 years ago, John Hutton was the minister I think.

Barmeyoldbat you’ve actually cut to the crux of the matter. This kind of support I’ve described is not generally available, but it is what’s needed, not only to tackle the ‘problem’ of homelessness, but to restore hope, dignity and self-esteem to people who’ve lost it.

Statutory agencies all work in ‘silos’ where they each have responsibility for their little bit of the picture. My job is to look at the big picture and to knit together the provision of individual statutory providers and then support the client in navigating their best possible outcome.

£73.10 is not a lot of money to live off for a week, particularly if the sheltered accommodation cost (circa £12 per week) is deducted. (This has been excluded from housing benefit and tenants now have to pay this cost themselves.) My clients need to be upskilled in order to manage life on such a minimal sum.

My small project is entirely resourced by professionally qualified volunteers. Whilst we work for free it would be cost effective for the government to employ people to replicate what we do and secure long term positive outcomes for people who have struggled to find a place in society.

I should have guessed you would be the only one to answer the question Maizie. So, to be fair, we should be spending just under 99% of our time talking about the need and just over 1% talking about greed.

So who looked after your children when you worked at nights Barmeyoldbat?

I had no-one as DH was away for months and we had no family near. No nurseries in those days either.
It would have been great to have a part-time job

Probably more in benefits is unclaimed.

Although fraud should be tracked down and eliminated if possible.

Use of the word “benefit” for retirement pension (latterly known as State Pension) has always been classified in law from the time of the1946 National Insurance Act, which applied from the inception of the National Insurance scheme. *

The state pension is and always has been paid for by the next generation. We paid for those retiring before us an those working now pay for our pensions by the means of their National Insurance.

However, the benefits from that insurance are not limited to our pensions. NI is a "working life" insurance not only against poverty in old age but against unemployment, sickness, etc., and a small percentage goes to the NHS although about 80% of the costs of the NHS now come from general taxation. The only difference is that pension is a universal benefit.

If someone - your married women for instance - never worked, never paid NI but ended up in need they would still get the equivalent to the basic pension benefit. Benefits are the result of insurance. If you receive a work pension or private pension what they are paying you is called a benefit.

The problem is not the misuse of the word benefit when applied to a state pension but the derogatory use of it in our MSM and by some political parties to make it seem irresponsible to claim what you have paid for. This attack on working benefits suits many of those whose pride has sadly gone before someone else's fall.

*Recent reply in Parliament to a petition.

GGMK3. Maisie may have answered you but I’m still awaiting your response. Anyway, I’m off out for a responsibly cheap evening in a friends house with more friends. Happy New Year to all.

Callerston, I worked for many years in a hotel in Bournemouth, 6 to 10 during the week. Saturday afternoon and 2 to 10 on a Sunday,. Who looked after my children, simple my husband they are his children as well as mine.

During the winter months I would take the children in with me and do the office work and book keeping whilst the children helped the chambermaid.

Later on when the children were older I was able to share childcare with a friend, I looked after her son while she worked or did training and she returned the favour.

ExperiencedNotOld I assumed you didn't realise how rude you were being and thought it best to ignore you.

Well, it was simple if your husband was at home too!!
My mum worked in a hotel and took me with her, I had great fun, but there was only me at that time. The others were older.

Not so simple if a husband's job took them away.

Those that can work being strongly encouraged ie promise them if they take a low paid job they will be supplemented by UC
The reality for many like my AC on UC. The stress of continually having to wait for money as not one payment ever came on time and was never the correct amount. Childcare was paid monthly in arrears. How does that work? Childcare has to be paid for in advance.
Luckily I was there, but not everyone has someone to help. And not everyone wants to ask family for help.
Her MP was dealing with hundreds of complaints.

UC is NOT just paid to those who don't work. It replaced working tax credits.
(Incidentally many are paid low wages because greedy employers want to maximise their own gain.)

Working tax credits were paid a year in advance. Much better system.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/15/universal-credit-colossal-catastrophe-national-audit-office

JenniferEccles Can you imagine a father (or mother) not being able to provide and having to steel themselves to ask for a referral to a foodbank? It must be horrible, and not done lightly.

Whilst I have money to spare some of it will always be used to help others. Why? Because that is what we should do, as human beings. And if some is misused that is ok. No system will ever be foolproof. We have to allow for that. We can't stop giving those in need in case a small percentage is given to someone who is undeserving. And we can't make the rules so tight that those in genuine need don't get it or don't claim it. That is what is happening.

Pensions are not benefits. We paid for them when we worked. Saying it is a benefit causes ill will towards older people from the young who say they are paying for our pension.

People are easily fooled. Divide and Rule!!

Pension IS a benefit...

The pension paid out by these schemes is defined as a 'benefit'. ... Contributory benefits under Part II of that Act are listed, and the sixth is retirement pensions. In addition, the introduction of the new State Pension from 6 April 2016 is also classified as a “benefit” under Section 1(1) of the Pensions Act 2014.4 Mar 2016

Very well said Annepi. My son had to apply for US once and he went 13 weeks with no money. It was lucky that we were able to help him out and it was only him. During this time he was able to go on some very good training courses but a wait of 13 weeks, I ask you, it was totally unacceptable. They even asked him how he was managing for money, may be thinking he was doing some cash in hand jobs or something. He was able to show them bank statements that showed money from mum. If it hadn't been for us he would have been homeless and living on the streets, branded a scroungers and useless, all through no fault of his own.

If I can help anyone even though they are not family I will.

Blasted computer changing things I type. Should be UC

Well OldGem it shouldn't be. So why are people who are on benefits often called scroungers and I have seen it said so on GN. They are referring to you, me and others on pensions are you happy with this?

It strikes me that all those who managed to give up work when they had children should be enormously grateful that in those days a family could live on one wage. There are very few jobs now that would pay enough to do that and housing is so expensive.

ExperiencedNotOld
I'm with you, some of the comments from other posters are unwarranted and make huge assumptions based on their opinions. I've been there as well holding down 2 jobs and my husband 2 jobs as well to support our families and keep our heads above water. I came from parents and grandparents that just rolled up their sleeves and got on with things. So good role models. Not everyone can do this I admit but lets not knock those that can and have.

Barmeyoldbat how heartless. Exactly how do they think people can manage to wait all that time?

Um, I am enormously grateful that my DH worked hard but the downside was he had to spend months away in order to earn enough to pay a mortgage and enable us to scrape by for a few years.
But it was not ideal and not my choice.

State Pension was paid for. It's not a benefit.

Tooting I'm not knocking those who worked hard. I worked two jobs for a while(civil service pay didn't cover mortgage)
My family all have always worked. My son still does a weekend job.
I can still sympathise with those who can't find/ are unable to work. I'm glad I can be like that, rather than cold hearted and selfish.

Strictly speaking, the government does consider the state pension a benefit.

Using the same logic, Contributory Jobseekers' Allowance was paid for too, so should never have been classified as a benefit.