Have your say

[jenna]

saw this on BBC news website. What are your views?

"Should grandparents receive cash to look after their grandchildren?
The Children's Commissioner has told the BBC that some local authorities aren't doing enough to help children who live with their grandparents.

This month the government is introducing new payments of at least a £100 per week for foster parents in England.

However, hundreds of thousands of grandparents who are the primary carers of their grandchildren do not receive anything close to this amount.

Many grandparents in this position feel they are being penalised for looking after their own families."

Personally i have really harsh views when it comes to things like this. For a start i dont think people should be given benefits if theyve never worked, I know a lot of kids that left school when i did and had 3/4 kids and live off the money they scrounge. (sp?).
For some one thats worked since i was 13 it makes me really angry to know that i struggle to pay for my house (rented) and bills when some one who had the same options as me got everything paid for them because they wanted to be lazy.
My parents/grandparents sufferd to support me and my sister when i was younger. I dont understand why people keep the same lifestyles but then beg for money. What happend to pride??
I know some people REALLY need help but a lot of people know if the moan enough they'll get what they want and they always do. The people who deserve it will never get it or even ask for it (i know my parents would never ask for financial help).

 

[Hypnorm]

I completely agree with you, we i started doing voluntary work when i was 13 which eventually led to a job after i had finished school. its only now that i am not working as i am a fulltime mum, but yet some of the girls i went to school with have kids and just live off benefits expecting the government to support them - even now at home i am looking at ways in can help bring in a bit of money - its all a constant worry.

I certainly agreee that those who have never worked should not be entitled to anything, and people who are on jobseekers allowance should be forced in to any available job if they have not found one after 6 months.
i was on JSA for a month and i felt terrible about it.

But there are people that just don't care.

Grandparents who are carers for their families should be entitled to the same help and funding.

 

[jenna]

My DH signed up for job seekers allowance but wasnt allowed it as i was his "carer" because he lived with me, i couldnt afford to pay for everything on my own. He signed on but didnt get any money, he didnt even want to do it because he felt "like a tramp". The women in the job centre wouldnt allow him to look at the jobs board either. I was so angry that the workers there just assumed he was after money and wasnt interested in a job.

 

[Urchin]

I think there are 2 issues here though.

Jobseekers allowance etc is a totally different matter to grandparents looking after grandkids, IMO.

 

[jenna]

I just dont see how they are going to monitor this. the parents can claim and the grandparents can, but only 1 can take care of them. Then it'll be... "my mum looked after the baby at the week end, she deserves to be paid for it"

 

[Hypnorm]

My DH signed up for job seekers allowance but wasnt allowed it as i was his "carer" because he lived with me, i couldnt afford to pay for everything on my own. He signed on but didnt get any money

?? i was on job seekers allowance when living with someone and i still got the money. Both times when living with parents and with an ex bf.

 

[jenna]

they said that because he lived with me (the contract was in his name anyway) i was responsible for him and had to pay for things he needed even though i couldnt afford too. And because i worked over 16 hours a week i couldnt get any help for low income. We kept appealing it but they just kept rejecting it. So i took out a loan and a credit card and now iv built up about £600 interest as well as the initial loan.

 

[Oliver's mummy]

Personally i have really harsh views when it comes to things like this. For a start i dont think people should be given benefits if theyve never worked, I know a lot of kids that left school when i did and had 3/4 kids and live off the money they scrounge. (sp?).
.

I was at college full time, then tried to get full time permenant work, i was trying for a year before i got pregnant and there were NO jobs at all, i had the interviews but no job!!


i think it depends on personal circumstances to who gets these benefits

i do see your point though, people who take it for granted to get benefits and dont attempt to find work but never get caught up on it

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I think this is aimed at grandparents who are the primary carers of the kids, hence the comparison to foster carers, not those who just have them at weekends, and it is impossible for parents to claim aswell as grandparents.

I dont personally see anything wrong with it?

I agree with you about the people who "scrounge", I have worked all my life and it really annoys me when people just expect the government to support them and dont make the effort, but I do think that is a seperate issue to this one.

 

[lozzi]

If grandparents are having the kiddies on the weekend then they shouldnt get financial support as that is a choice.. but if they are having the children as full time carers why shouldnt they recieve benefits... if they were unrelated ie, had adopted the child then they wud be more than entitled why should they struggle as they have a blood connection

I dont agree wtih people who get pregnant purely for benefits. Its wrong.

BUT, everyones circumstances are different.

When i fell pregnant i was recovering from a long term illness, i was on Income support as this is what the hospital had sorted on my behalf when i got admitted to hospital. Up until the day i was admitted into the nutty bin i was working, since the age of 13. But since my admittance to hospital i havent worked and have been on income support. When ellouise is a lil older and not breastfeeding i will return to work, but until then i shall remain on benefits.


Every circumstance is different so i dont think all mums on benefits shud be branded.

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

Every circumstance is different so i dont think all mums on benefits shud be branded.

I agree with this, ive been ill and admitted myself in the past and had to rely on benefits for a short while until I was able to return to work.

There are a lot of people out there who are genuinly using the system as it was intended, but too many others who abuse it and give the rest a bad name. Its them that make me angry, not the genuine cases.

My ex-housemate is a prime example - he's on disabilty for "depression" but he is not depressed, he's quite happy that he gets a nice house paid for and pockets nearly a grand a month! He is lazy and selfish, and a major attention seeker. It took a year of sharing a house with him, and paying all the bills for him, cleaning up after the lazy sod and trying to help him while working fulltime, until I realised it was all an act and he was just a selfish scrounger who wanted to be mummied by all his older female friends!

 

[tracyM]

The whole benefits system needs overhauling.

We have two friends on permenant sick, neither have done a days work in their life.

One is a 'reformed' alcoholic coming up to 10 years since he had a drink - so what, you're not an alcoholic anymore. How does avoiding drink stop you getting a job?

Another has asthma. I've known him for 20 years and in that time have seen him have one attack. Daniel's asthma is far worse, but it won't stop him getting a job.

People keep telling me we should claim DLA for Callum. We used to get it, and we'd still be entitled to it, but he's my responsibility and I'll support him. He may have real problems getting / keeping a job when he's older, but I'm gonna do my damnedest to make sure he keeps his pride and never gives up.

The benefits system should always be there for those in genuine need, but when people are able to take benefits as a lifestyle choice, it's gone very very wrong.