aries

Yes, the woman allocated by the agency is very good, but what irks me is that the social services refused support (even for a small cost) despite being requested by Age UK, and after it had been advised by a hospital specialist.

I received better treatment in South Australia, the council even took me shopping. However here I would have to pay the agency to provide me with such a service.

I have no idea how healthy people can rort the system and receive so much help, but they do.

sallysimmons

Your experience is the norm I think. This idea that people are living large on benefits has taken hold in Britain but it's not actually true. My brother was unemployed for almost a year last year and he really struggled to make ends meet. He's single and has a tiny little flat and he just held on to it with help from the family.

Funny how easy it is to get people to resent the poor while the rich are looting the country with tax breaks and offshore bank accounts and no one is paying attention because The Daily Mail is distracting them with stories about "scroungers."

Celticspirit

Aries, I think you came from Australia? Was your health care better for you there? You have had a very difficult time since you came back. So sorry.

Sally Redux

I think it depends on your assets? They can't really give free help to every pensioner.

cheers

I am asking myself the same question.
Cheers

mikelincs

Lots of the benefits are means tested, so if you are a pensioner, like wot I am, and have paid into a specific pension scheme, like the NHS one, then you are unlikely to get much in the way of help. We used to get some benefit before I reached the age for a state pension, but that stopped as soon as that happened, and they didn't ask me, they just sent a letter saying that as my circumstances had changed we no longer qualified for any benefits.

islandwoman120

I just had a look at the government website for benefits - so many!
Benefits: https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/Do...gory/DG_073269

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser
Housing benefit explained, with amounts listed:
https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit/what-youll-get
Benefit cap: https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap

Mummy in the foothills

I believe if you have savings over something like 6,000pounds you don't get anything extra or very little anyway.

Celticspirit

Try housekeepers in Texas if you think that's expensive!!
I know my brother pays £12 per hour in Belfast. I was delighted to

windsong

I am curious about all this.

How long do you have to be in the UK before you can apply for benefits?

When you do apply for benefits, what do you walk in and say . . . "Hi, I am a British citizen and just flew over from the USA and I am here to stay now. I am looking for a job but am wondering if I can get unemployment benefits until I find one." Is that roughly the scenario?

I don't know one benefit from the other in the UK. I think it's time I learned more because, when I go over there, I won't have a clue if I am entitled to anything.

Also, at what point does the UK government consider someone is entitled to housing benefit?

windsong

I couldn't agree more!

Mummy in the foothills

It's more like $30 or $40 an hour here to get someone to come in and clean. My friend does it for a living and she's been doing well for many years, only working while the kids are in school.

trottytrue

Jasper 123...Good Grief..... Thats a vast amount of money. Here in the US well in NH if you lose your job your get a percentage of the salary you were getting before you were laid off. No wonder they dont want to work in the UK. I know quite a lot of people who just work part-time so they can collect, its about time they did something about it. Whats sad is that some people know exactly how to squeeze as much out of the Government as possible and I know others who have to beg for help. Especially the aged.

trottytrue

I wll speak from personal experience as I think thats best, not the Daily Mirror or any other Newspaper. The person I am talking about is a single Mother of 1 she gets a 3 bedroom bungalow for her and her child she is on benefits I wont quote the exact amount but it is a good amount she also gets help with her utilities and she works part-time just enough so she can keep her benefits. She also gets her weekly family allowance for the child. I am all for taxing the rich but that doesnt cover what is paid out to people who can get off their backsides and go to work.
There needs to be a balance for those who go from not working to working so they can maintain a reasonable life. The problem is if they do want to get a full time job all benefits stop and what they could earn by having a fulltime job just isnt enough so they keep to the 16 hours a week so as not to lose benefits.

cheers

People seem to vote for the politicians who will provide the best benefits.
How about me? Well I vote for politicians who won't mess with social security.
But they do anyway.