28-04-2013, 03:54 PM
11
Re: Ian Duncan Smith?
What is luck? Is it perhaps that I and many others were careful with our money and although we grumbled and moaned, we still paid our dues?Now, for our dilligence, we are told, "fend for yourself". Why should we be penalised in this way?
OK, in Scotland we get free prescriptions for all ages, free eye tests, free hospital parking, no bridge tolls etc.. and thankfully yet nobody has suggested that these are means tested, or we should choose to pay for them.
If anyone feels guilty about accepting a benefit, why not take the money and give it to charity.
28-04-2013, 04:24 PM
12
Re: Ian Duncan Smith?
It's quite insulting to insinuate others are not just as careful with their money, we have in our life time bailed out parents, looked after members of the family who were ill and dying, taken in children abandoned by our siblings and never drunk alcohol or smoked or been out of our rather beautiful country. Spent most holidays under canvas as cheaply as we could.How exactly can anyone who lives on NMW or less buy their own home or even rent privately ?
It isn't easy down here at the bottom of the earning pool but we survive because we have social housing only other thing we have ever taken by way of benefits was sick pay when my husband had a stroke and then unemployment benefit when he came off that for a month. In total 11 months of help because he couldn't work.
Savings ? lovely if you are lucky enough to have a job that pays enough for you to save, we consider ourselves lucky the months we actually have more than £25 a week for our groceries/clothes etc.
Oh and my husband works 14/16 hour days 5 days a week plus 4 hours on a sunday.
28-04-2013, 04:46 PM
13
Re: Ian Duncan Smith?
Sorry Julie, I wasn't trying to be personal.Of course luck is involved, I married with a wage of just £5 per week, as an apprentice, her indoors was bring home £5.50.
We planned very early, and that is the secret, having children early can make a hell of a difference, and I feel that was the secret to our good fortune.
If we had done the same as friends who just enjoyed their money and traveled etc. we would have struggled to get by.
When my illness started, her indoors took work that would pay her well, and family helped with the child minding.
Our frugality at an early age enabled us to put a foot on the ladder.
And yes I worked many hours a day, and Sat. and Sunday, but I had to, and could do back then.
I am sure times have changed, and in this day and age we wouldn't have done it.
Yes luck plays a big part in anybodies life.
28-04-2013, 05:16 PM
15
Re: Ian Duncan Smith?
Bit late for us now but it's kind of you to say so. Just hoping our next generation will do better the boys are out of social housing in private rental planning to buy a house together(no way with prices they could do it alone) putting off having families until much later in life. My niece is in social housing through no fault of her own but she is working and doing her best for her daughter and only benefit she gets is child benefit.
28-04-2013, 05:18 PM
16
Re: Ian Duncan Smith?
I''m not all that convinced that owning your home is a good idea anyway, I often wonder if we were sold a crock with that one. If my roof needs fixing, I have to try and cajole a roofer to come and fix it, ditto if the boiler packs up, windows get broken, rain damage to ceilings from the leaking roof, front door warps and has to be replaced - all have to be arranged and paid for. My daughter gets the same problems, she just rings up the housing people and they arrange for the repairs and pay for it - methinks that sounds much better.28-04-2013, 05:25 PM
19
Re: Ian Duncan Smith?
Glad someone else sees it that way Pats - both of my children have talked about buying somewhere and I've told them not to bother - owning your own home is also a tie and costs a fortune in upkeep. I have lived in both housing association property and my own bought - I know which I prefer.
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