Some Stupid Benefit Sanctions

[Lamby]

So, sorry if my arithmetic's toss (my old teacher Mr Spittle said as much), but the state pays you £24 worth of disposable income a month as well as what you earn from your job?

 

I hardly get that much from work, between £40-£100 a week. I'm not even working until the 23rd so won't be getting paid anything again until the 29th

[MC Prussian]

I hardly get that much from work, between £40-£100 a week. I'm not even working until the 23rd so won't be getting paid anything again until the 29th

So, you've got two weeks without work at your disposal.

 

What are you going to do with your spare time?

[Voll Blau]

I hardly get that much from work, between £40-£100 a week. I'm not even working until the 23rd so won't be getting paid anything again until the 29th

 

 I'll stick up for the welfare state any time but you're pretty much the worst advert for it ever.

 

Be proud of having a job, whatever it is, and realise sometimes you won't get to watch Charlton (Leicester in my case) because earning comes first. I've cleaned up bogs in fast food restaurants for a living before but it's a damned sight better than the month I spent on the dole.

 

Sometimes you can't always have the things in life you want. What a fvcking revelation eh!

 

Might start committing benefit fraud seeing as I can't afford to follow England playing cricket in the West Indies next year eh?

[Lamby]

So, you've got two weeks without work at your disposal.

 

What are you going to do with your spare time?

 

Sleep and wank

[MooseBreath]

A lot of the people going to foodbanks are low paid workers. Prices have risen, introduction of BT, rent rises higher utility bills with minimum wage the same.

Just for future reference, the minimum wage increased at a higher rate than inflation this year, and George Osborne wants a 7% increase next year, which will mean it has gone up by five or six times the rate of inflation in two years. Not really staying the same.

[Soar Fox]

Sleep and wank

I'm surprised you can find your pecker, you tubby fvcker.

[MC Prussian]

Sleep and wank

Wow, and all that without eating and drinking?

You'll have died from dehydration and starvation before you've reached the climax.

[Strokes]

Just for future reference, the minimum wage increased at a higher rate than inflation this year, and George Osborne wants a 7% increase next year, which will mean it has gone up by five or six times the rate of inflation in two years. Not really staying the same.

Is that true? I thought the minimum wage hadn't risen in a while, the coalition seemed to prefer lowering the tax threshold.

[Vacamion]

Sleep and wank

Is it a happy wank, a tearful wank with occasional self-pitying sobs or a furious and painful act of self pollution?

If I'm paying for some of it, I like to know how my money is spent.

[MooseBreath]

Is that true? I thought the minimum wage hadn't risen in a while, the coalition seemed to prefer lowering the tax threshold.

Yes, well the recommendations were accepted in March, the increase will take effect in October like it does ever year. The coalition have also increased the tax free allowance quite substantially, meaning overall those one minimum wage are considerably better off than they were a few years back.

[Lamby]

Is it a happy wank, a tearful wank with occasional self-pitying sobs or a furious and painful act of self pollution?

If I'm paying for some of it, I like to know how my money is spent.

 

A mixture of them all.

[MooseBreath]

You ever thought about a job in a call centre, Lamby?

[Lamby]

You ever thought about a job in a call centre, Lamby?

 

Not if I'll get bitchy people down the phone at me, I'll give it back to them.

[Jimothy]

Not if I'll get bitchy people down the phone at me, I'll give it back to them.

What if that happens when you finally start this career you want so much but won't make an effort to start?

People get bitchy with you in a lot of jobs, not just call centres.

[Lamby]

What if that happens when you finally start this career you want so much but won't make an effort to start?

People get bitchy with you in a lot of jobs, not just call centres.

 

I've dealt with my fair share of knobs in this job, I've learnt how to insult them but then not have them realise that.

[MooseBreath]

Not if I'll get bitchy people down the phone at me, I'll give it back to them.

Well that'll get you the sack but if you could avoid doing that then it could be a good job for you. You'd be in an office, lots of young people, plenty of social opportunities, fairly easy work, requires no qualifications, and you can progress to management and earn decent money.

[Vardinhio]

wow, personal attacks on strangers across an internet forum now? low.

 

Lamby you need to make positive changes to achieve what you want. You alone can do this. If not then look forward to a lifetime on benefits where life and getting any work will just get more difficult as you get older, ache more and tire more quickly. You will end up living in a council bedsit/flat near some less than desirable members of society. If you don't mind this then fair enough.

 

Have you considered working in a calls incoming call centre? Most big freight carriers and transport companies ie TNT, DHL etc take staff on and many build careers there. All you need to be able to do is be polite, listen carefully and process basic information. You'll probably be most successful getting such work from a local temping agency having passed some basic english and numeracy tests. If you can make a decent impression they may take you on full time.

 

As for a career, you make your own career which is essentially a numer of different jobs. Your career has already began, it's just that wiping body fluids off bars at a brothel isn't a great start.

 

I had exactly the same thinking Moosey.

 

Unfortunately he seems unable to draw the line between work and play. Everything has to be combined with Lamby which is presumably why he gets himself in to bother at work.

 

Lamby you are a cleaner. You need to be humble and go get opportunities....but I'm now increasingly convinced that you don't actually care about making anything of your life anyway. Enjoy living in squalor.

[Rincewind]

Here is a contact to put in your phone book Lamby. It may be useful to you at some point. They even have job vacancies.

And it is in London.

 

http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/contact-us

 

Just think how rich you could be if working.

 

Year 21 and over 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice*

2013 (current rate) £6.31 £5.03 £3.72 £2.68

2012 £6.19 £4.98 £3.68 £2.65

2011 £6.08 £4.98 £3.68 £2.60

2010 £5.93 £4.92 £3.64 £2.50

[Leicester_Loyal]

Basically it's all about making people do work in order to receive their weekly payment, how is that not slave labour?

 

I've just done around 15 hours work over the weekend for about £95 of pay, some weeks I would be better off claiming the full amount of JSA.

 

However I do have a job interview on Thursday so we'll so how that goes.

 

Ridiculous.

 

You're working in order to take a bit of pride in yourself, improve your CV, to show potential future employees that you have the work ethic that they want.

 

You're moaning about £95 a week for 15 hours work, that's the same as what I used to be on.

 

From the age of 16 I've worked a minimum of 15 hours a week, I was working this at the end of secondary school and continued throughout college. At the start of university I was rewarded with an extra 7.5 hours and now work 22.5 hours a week minimum.

 

Once university is finished I'll hopefully get a graduate scheme. Half of the battle in getting a job is the mindset.

 

You expect to sit on your arse and get paid for it, then automatically get a good job when you click your fingers? Typical of the generation (even though I'm part of it) of nowadays, they want something for doing nothing.

 

EDIT: Would just like to add I have friends who have taken temporary jobs and worked long hours in order to gain experience, both of the lads I know have now been taken on full time and have got a wage rise too. Hard work pays off.

[Rincewind]

Is that true? I thought the minimum wage hadn't risen in a while, the coalition seemed to prefer lowering the tax threshold.

Its gone up by the amount but in real terms if you rake Gas electric change to welfare for those on minimum wage and part time work things have got worse.

What Lamby gets is means tested and made up to the amount deemed correct for a person in his position. He would get the same if living in his own place and paying a lot more than £30 PW Probably £1000 or more per month Plus he would have to find gas and electric council tax and water rates all out of £280 per month Aprox. I have not included a food bill and other items out of that. And there is no way he could have a social life. Out would go, Tv, PC, phone, beer betting Charlton home and away bus travel, porn mags chocolate, crisps sweets and dating. even solo dating because of no porn mags, Still a wooden box instead of a settee things won't be so bad seeing as its being paid for by the taxpayer.

I am not defending Lamby's lifestyle but trying to warn him not to be too complacent and think things will fall in place at a snap of a finger.As time goes on the harder it will become to find the perfect career. He still has time to have two careers. There have been people who have given up high payed jobs with a pension to do something like work in a hospital. I am trying to encourage Lamby because with complacency comes lack of confidence and low esteem. A kick up the backside is needed sometimes but a pat on the back does help too. Pity Lamby daraws more kicks than pats with his attitude.

[Itsthejoeker]

Do the DWP means test? They couldn't be bothered when I was claiming.

[Strokes]

I got a pretty big pay rise this week, backdated to the start of my employment (2 months pay). It puts my salary up to the most I have ever earnt but we lose a similar amount in tax credits consequently. I'm still really pleased, as I do quite a bit of overtime and this is where I will see a big difference in net gain.

[broughtonblue]

I didn't say my post was the be all and end all of what I'd do. I don't feel like typing a manifesto at 11pm on a Thursday night.

There'd be exceptions for the disabled, those who have lived to an unusually old age and have used up their contributions despite years of work, etc.

I just think the system would be fairer if there was a sense of what you pay in you get out. Many who work for years and years and pay NI/tax only to be made redundant struggle to get help, whereas those who have never put a penny in themselves (foreign and homegrown) get a free house and an income that is above the minimum wage.

You can't just walk in to an insurance company and demand a payout if you never bought a policy - why should NI be so much different?

I would hazard a guess that the original implementation of NI didn't have our current system in mind at all.

Edit: I'm not saying there wouldn't be any losers from these changes. But the standard of living of millions of working/middle class families would improve considerably if they did not have to subsidise the undeserving and feckless.

I like your thinking

[Rincewind]

Do the DWP means test? They couldn't be bothered when I was claiming.

Benefits are. They reduce your JSA if you do a few hours then it can affect HB etc I think they allow you the first £10 so if your JSA is £72 and you manage to be offered 8 hours work by an agency (happened to me) at 6 PH then they would reduce the JSA by 48-10 leaving you with34 JSA.They then inform the housing who  immediately stop HB and CT reduction meaning you need to go and take a load of documents showing what your income is and wait until they readjust.it.

I have always noticed that they are able to reduce benefits immediately but if there is any change in circumstances meaning an increase it can take up to a month for it to come into affect which in that time things may have changed again meaning going through it all over again. It is a nightmare.Why would anyone choose to live this way?

[Itsthejoeker]

Benefits are. They reduce your JSA if you do a few hours then it can affect HB etc I think they allow you the first £10 so if your JSA is £72 and you manage to be offered 8 hours work by an agency (happened to me) at 6 PH then they would reduce the JSA by 48-10 leaving you with34 JSA.They then inform the housing who immediately stop HB and CT reduction meaning you need to go and take a load of documents showing what your income is and wait until they readjust.it.

I have always noticed that they are able to reduce benefits immediately but if there is any change in circumstances meaning an increase it can take up to a month for it to come into affect which in that time things may have changed again meaning going through it all over again. It is a nightmare.Why would anyone choose to live this way?

I was doing 2 or 3 hours of swim teaching at the time and there was no reduction in the benefit I received.