Leave my family allowance alone

[Jennyonaplate]

I tell you, it was so frustrating in my last job, trying to help people back to work, but we had no power to do anything over the lazy people, and there wasn't the financial support out there for the people who wanted to work. It might sound odd giving people financial support to return to work, but if you think a single person would get about £220 a month in JSA, but then a further £550 in housing and council tax benefit - helping someone get back on their feet with a further £100 odd a month isn't really all that much. If only the people in power would talk to the people on the floor!

 

[mumtheshopper]

Is that not precisely what Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits were about? Do they not work to do this?

 

[Cloggy]

...... If only the people in power would talk to the people on the floor!

A good friend of my wife's used to work in an employment office in the UK and I heard a lot of horror stories from her, although the majority are people who just want to really work but the system often works against them

A member of my family in the UK is a social worker and she gets to work with some very needy people but the benefit system is so complicated that many people don't claim half of what they're entitled to, whilst there is also a group who have made it a sport to get the most out of system possible.

Another member of my family worked as a carer for many years (both as work and as a volunteer) caring for old, infirm and handicapped people in their own homes and she often saw the people who needed these benefits the most but many were not entitled .