General Chat

Maz , I live in Huddersfield and they still do the scool clothing grants here too. Cath

Maz I agree with you. It is unfair, clothing grants should be given based on income not on where you live.

The problem is what you get with one hand you lose with the other.... for example.. we're on low income and claim child tax credit. But as we get that, we have to pay our rent and council tax, which is actually more than the child tax credit. Also because we get working tax credit of under £5 a week, we can't claim school dinners £28 a wk. Although I must admit becasue we get the credit it does open other doors for us.. free prescriptons, travel to hospital, free wigs??? and we are eligible for school unifrom grants, but only for secondary school.

Shelli if you are on a low income and getting some kind of help then I admire you for it. Some people in that position would just throw in the towel, pretend they were a 1 parent family and claim left right and centre. Surely the money is there to help people not to be abused. ;0) Claire

Claire you're right we'd be better off on benefits, even as two parent family on benefit actually. I know this for a fact. As family I know claims income support, for herself, her husband and three children. And when you work out what they get and what we get, taking into account we pay full rent, and council tax etc.. they with three kids are better off by £10 a week. We have four kids.. so we'd be better off claiming. no incentive to make people go out and work is there?

Dear Roxanne I agree with you - although I didn't see the programme - there are too many professionals out their bleeding the country. My Mam has been caring for my Dad for 12 years now yet it was not until his Social Mental Health Carer (think that's what they are called) intervened that they were able to claim the minimum rate - 3 years ago. Dad's recently undergone major surgery, so they are going to be reassessed soon. Dad's an ex-miner who never lost a day's work in his whole life - apart from when he was hospitalised on 3 occasions - and they have never asked for anything they were not entitled to, always paid their taxes, etc., etc. like so many honest cases. I must say that it makes my blood boil to see how many people just sponge off the state. The state seems to hand out so much to various people so easily. It's not like that where I'm living. The UK really needs to pull it's socks up and get the whole system sorted. It'll take years and years, but they'll have to start somewhere sometime. Better stop there or I'll be on here all night.

Sorry Maz just to explain but I was speaking about over here in Ireland. They used to break down the names like unmarried mothers, deserted wives benefits or allowance, widows or widowers pension. Now they are all called lone parents allowances. Oh by the way there is no such thing as income support over here. Pat x

Pat I must be living on another planet lol do you know that after all this time I NEVER KNEW that you were in Ireland !!!!!! Oh dear, I really must pay more attention!!! Maz (off to clean her specs!) XX

i wouldent name a person on here, I think its best to give any info to the right people, for your own safety. Roxanne x

rather than name on here, try this site.. http://www.targetingfraud.gov.uk/

I have reported someone 7 times in the last ten years. The target benefit people are always friendly and take the info but the result is always the same.they know she is doing it but she denies it so they cant do anything. 7 years ago we even had a PI do surviellance on her and they proved she had a boyfriend living their. But the fraud officer (we had to report matters to local officers a few years ago) said that she had been interviewed and said her boyfriend only stayed three nights a week (which they are allowed to do) She is still living with him after 10 years . She gets benefits and all her mortgage paid bar about 30 pounds.The law has changed now but her payments started before the change. She wont admit he is with her as she would lose her benefits and has to sell her house. It makes us so angry as she laughs about it . She knows how to work the system

LOL that's ok Maz :-))) thought you had forgotten didn't realise you didn't know. I have to admit I have been tempted to expose people, but could never bring myself to do it. But when we struggled for a very longtime paying so much tax and having to pay 85 euros a month for our medicine and paying 45 euro just to see the Doc all these fraudsters get all this for nothing. There is no National Health service here but if you are on benefits you do not pay anything at all for the Doctor, prescriptions or medicines, Hospital or Dentist all free. Ah well I just try and make the best of it all and say we can hold our heads up and no one can ever have anything on us, at least I sleep with a clear conscience. It's stealing, but they do not see it that way :-( Pat x

well what about this...a particular girl i know of had a baby at sixteen,at 17 got a council house [in a nice area] had no partner yet had an abortion,then moved a man in after one night got pregnant again and now the pair of em live on income support.he has no intention of working[at least not above board]only does cash in the hand.they were visited by the fraud squad ,and she said he did,nt live there [as she was claiming for her and 2 kids,and he was claiming dole]they were quite happy about her exuse and have,nt bothered to check since .they have been reported several times and still they get away with it.....my hubby works 60-70 hours per wk,pays lots of tax,i have kidney problems but i work ,can you imagine how this annoys us,were paying for em ,and both brag they have no intentions of working.xxxxxjoy

a woman I know used to be one of the fraud officers I think - she used to have to sit outside 'suspect' houses early morning and early evening to spy out if someone was co-habiting. They have probably cut staffing levels to save money and this may be one of the things that has gone. Maz. XX