And before I am accused of being biased, I helped those people get thier benifit also so no I dont hate them I do despair at the system we are forced to live with

And you are not alone there. Sick people paid a pittance, elderly pensioners paid a pittance after paying into a system all their lives that was meant (and promised to give them a decent living after retirement)...and worried sick by how they will manage over the winter...do they eat or do they keep warm...yet some people who seem to know the system can keep animals and make a living off them whilst claiming sickness or disablement benefits, I wonder how many of the 'claiments' who cannot work yet manage to breed dogs for example tell the benefits agency they have this income? The tax man may accept accounts for food etc, but would the BA? (remember the man with all the kids who also bred Labs?)

£75 a week is nothing to live on, its not living its existing. Almost. Paying council tax, prescriptions, mortgage, phone bill (you need a phone line if you are ill) excalating food prices, (its not easy to grab the almost out of date bargains early mornings or later on in the evening if you feel ill or are recovering from surgery), fuel prices,spirling public transport prices, utility bills, (winter is coming, heating bills will be astronomical yet heat is needed to recover from surgery or if long term ill) car parking fees on hospital grounds (visiting, day care, outpatients). I don't expect sickness/invalidity/disabled persons benefits have risen with the price of everything else over the past 12-18 mths, yet people so affected that they have to live on megre benefits have to tighten the belt even more....which could cause illness in itself. There is the added worry of 'what if'....what do you do if a big bill hits, if a yob breaks a window or the washing machine breaks down? Its so very easy to say 'oh yes, I can live quite well on £75 a week' when you know you don't have to, when you know you either have money to cover eventualities or your family can help out, or your OH has a well paid secure job. The sickening worry is not there, the fear of losing your home is not there, the fear of paying bills is not there.

Having an operation of any kind is a real worry. Being long term poorly is a worry. Knowing that the surgery may need to be repeated, or may not 'last' longer than 3-5 years before some other treatment is possible is a worry. Having to worry about money is not going to make the OP better faster, in fact quite the reverse, and she wants to get back out there working, her determination and strong mindedness is a pleasure to behold and I admire her for it. No one in her situation, or a similar situation, should have to have major worries about existing, not in this day and age, simply because they are ill.

Good luck my dear, hope the operation goes well and the recovery is swift (((hugs))))

Astarte I really feel for you, we have been there sorting my brothers finances as he was phsically unable to work for months and months before his op and now will remain unable to work for the forseeable future whilst he is in recovery :-(

Have you tried the Nacc (sorry i'm not sure how it is spelt) they apparently can give you advice on what you can claim and how to go about it. Even in cases where you have been told you can't claim I believe they can advise you what to say etc.

Good luck, try not to let this stress you out this horrible disease feeds off stress

(((hugs)))

I agree with everything you say Calmstorm,
I just want to clarify a few things just in case people dont realise what help they can get.  Sorry.
I believe and I hope someone will be along to correct me if I am wrong,
But if you are on Sickness benefits, or income support then you get council tax benefit, when I was on IS for all of 4 months when I split from my husband I didnt pay Council tax at all!!!.
Also Free prescriptions, free dental if you are with an NHS Dentist.
If you are going to hopspital you can get hospital transport (yes unfortunatly you will have to be goverened by them as to times, but is better than paying for the fuel and parking fees) (I know someone who goes from near boston to sheffield to hospital as that is the only place he can get treatment, and gets hospital transport as his wife is always working and he cannot drive due to his condition!!! And they are deffinatly not  on benefits!!!!)
Lea :)

> when I was on IS for all of 4 months when I split from my husband I didnt pay Council tax at all!!!.

Not sure that would apply to Astarte though as she lives with someone who is earning.

>Also Free prescriptions, free dental if you are with an NHS Dentist.

same again.

Sorry, yes, I was thinking more of people on there own. Not people that are living with a partner as husband and wife who is earning :)
Lea :) :)

Hi Lea,
I am on Incapacity benefit which is different to Income support.
If youre on Income support yes you do get help paying your mortgae,council tax Prescriptions dental treatment etc
If youre on Incapacity Benefit you get no help if your partner is earning for anything.
I am on 4 different lots of Med and it costs me more at the moment  each month than I can afford to pay I also have a denstist appointment next week I just pray my teeth are ok as im not sure I could afford treatment if I have to have any...and no I cant claim it back either.....
i know cos ive asked

Hope that helps clarify what you wanted to know :)

If youre on Incapacity Benefit you get no help if your partner is earning for anything.

You can get help provided your partner is earning under a certain amount and you do not exceed the permitted amount for savings.

> I am on 4 different lots of Med and it costs me more at the moment  each month than I can afford to pay

Do you not have a pre-payment certificate? Well worth getting if you have more than 3 items on prescription, it saves you a fortune

People who have to pay for more than 3 prescription items in 3 months, or 14 items in 12 months, could save money by buying a PPC. From 1 April 2008, the charge for a single prescription item is £7.10, whereas a 3-month PPC will cost you £27.85 and a 12-month PPC £102.50. The most convenient way to pay for your 12 month PPC is by Direct Debit meaning you can spread the yearly cost over 10 monthly instalments

thanks Dakkobear ill look into that it will be a big help :)

You can get infohere, it really does make a huge difference :-)

Fantastic system for those that actually pay into the economy isn't it! (wishing the rolling eyes face was still here)

> i feel its unfair that people on low wage get help with both rent and council tax but if you own your home-even if negarive equity, you get nothing!

I totally agree, my mortgage is less than £200 a month.  You couldn't find anything to rent that was habitable but yet even if my rent was that, it would be paid in full, yet only my mortgage interest gets paid.

> yet only my mortgage interest gets paid.

Sorry Christine but I think that is the fairest way otherwise, if you think about it, the tax payer would be helping your buy an asset.  By paying the interest they are helping you keep your accomodation.

> So it's ok for people to be penalised for being ill ?
>
> Sorry but I disagree, not for me especially as I've got less than two years to go before I officially retire, but for people like my cousin. He has had a triple heart bypass, has psoriasis, chronic arthritis & is a type 1 diabetic. He worked until he was made redundant for the same firm from 16 for over 25 years,despite not being totally well. We've had to fight for everything for him, including a care package.
>
>

thats what has really annoyed me about this. yes i'm angry that i won't be getting much support but its imagining how hard some people have it that annoying me. i think its ridiculous to demand that someones partner foot almost the entire bill for living expenses- not terribly good for the relationship at an already stressful time is it? nor indeed does the stress help with any illness.

> The quote you have taken there of mine was regarding paying off the capital of your student loan. I am not sure that everyone else would agree that was appropriate expenditure of tax payers money.
>

isabel you seem to have chosen to ignore the following that i posted above

>to clarify for you as you seem not to have got it its not the debt i have thats my chief concern, that can be put on hold more than likely and its not the biggest outlays i have each month

its not my debts that are worrying me! it is general costs as i detailed above.i'm very sorry that i mentioned them- i was stressed and upset and was perhaps just trying to vent some of that on a board of people who i had considered to be friends- did it occur to you that i may have just been looking to express some annoyance?

> I do sympathise with your predicament

really? could have fooled me with the sarky comments and critisisms of my lifestyle.

my complaint is that the government tax us enormously (which i'm fine with) but then use the money unwisely (which i am NOT fine with). money is spent on ridiculous things that are in no way essential to the running of a country and thus these funds are taken away from looking after its people- from the poor pay of nurses and teachers to the lack of welfare for people who genuinely need it- such a MM's brother

harley i quite agree that we are lucky to live in a country where we get some support but i am sure you would agree that it could definately be better. i know liam will not mind doing all the work etc because he loves me but i would rather he did not have to. its stressful enough when a loved one is ill, as of course you know (and i am so sorry to hear of the position you were in), without everything else going to pot as well.

> Sorry I cant be more help to the original poster and I sincerly hope you get better quickly after your opp

thank you very much. starting to get nervous rather than excited now lol.

>i think its ridiculous to demand that someones partner foot almost the entire bill for living expenses

That's what's the "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health" bit of the partnership promise comes into play. In short - that's what true partners do.

thank you very much calmstorm, i am very touched by that. its nice to have someone understand what this disease is like and how worried i am about the surgery.

and your right, i do want to be working. i'm a recent graduate, i got a very good degree, but i can't find any other jobs but my current horrible one as i have such high absence rates- this is not due in any way to bunking off, in fact i do my best to still work during a flair up. they are usually through me being sent home as i have been vomiting all shift- i had to get an injection to stop me being sick 2 weeks ago! i am also on pills i cannot touch as they are a skin corrosive. up untill recently i was on one that made my hair fall out and had a risk of skin cancer listed as a common side effect.

so for those who think i'm annoyed that i can't be 'kept' please be assured its not the case

>The quote you have taken there of mine was regarding paying off the capital of your student loan. I am not sure that everyone else would agree that was appropriate expenditure of tax payers money.
> isabel you seem to have chosen to ignore the following that i posted above
>to clarify for you as you seem not to have got it its not the debt i have thats my chief concern, that can be put on hold more than likely and its not the biggest outlays i have each month

I didn't choose to ignore anything I made that comment that you have quoted in response to your comment about regretting that your student loan would not be able to be paid out of your allowance and not in the context that you are trying to link it to. It's been a long thread :-) but to remind anyone this is the original context
Will your student load not go on hold if you are not earning? 
i don't know, i will have to find out, i had hoped not to have to do that- hence the annoyance.
"I really do think you are expecting rather a lot there from the social support offered by other tax payers"

> my complaint is that the government tax us enormously (which i'm fine with) but then use the money unwisely (which i am NOT fine with). money is spent on ridiculous things that are in no way essential to the running of a country and thus these funds are taken away from looking after its people- from the poor pay of nurses and teachers to the lack of welfare for people who genuinely need it- such a MM's brother

Well I agree it should be directed to those in genuine need but I think by and large it is.

>> Sorry I cant be more help to the original poster and I sincerly hope you get better quickly after your opp

Same goes for me too Astarte....think this thread is getting a fractious now and that will be of no help to you at all with what you are about to go through. I totally see where your concerns come from and I do understand that venting your annoyance is a way of dealing with stress ,anxiousness that you may be feeling about your op and how you will cope being off work while you recover.

I send you all my love ,hugs and best wishes for a speedy recovery,ill be keeping my fingers crossed for you
Take Care
Philly xx

> so for those who think i'm annoyed that i can't be 'kept' please be assured its not the case

I don't think you should think that anyone who holds a different view to you regarding the systems of social support in the country is in anyway less than sympathetic to your medical prediciment and wish you well in that respect.

> That's what's the "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health" bit of the partnership promise comes into play.

lol does it count if you've not done that bit yet?

i'm not saying partners shouldn;t support each other during such a time, in fact if liam was not willing to (which he is!) then i;d be asking some serious questions about my relationship, but i think that its not fair to expect someones partner to pick up everything during a period in which they will be going through just as much stress as the sick person.

to my mind a true partner is of course happy to do such a thing, but there partner in turn should not have to demand it of them, and certainly not without feeling bad about it. thats why i'm knocking my pan in doing overtime right now- though he keeps telling me not to- because i don't think it should all fall to him. he;s talking about doing a 6 day week with at least 3 14 hour shifts in that, what kind of girlfirend would i be if i was happy about that?

thank you very much philly :)

> he;s talking about doing a 6 day week with at least 3 14 hour shifts in that, what kind of girlfirend would i be if i was happy about that?

There are many mothers of young families who cannot work and who have no choice but to let their husbands do just that.  I was one of them years ago!  :)

> I don't think you should think that anyone who holds a different view to you regarding the systems of social support in the country is in anyway less than sympathetic to your medical prediciment and wish you well in that respect.

i didn't suggest that, and thank you.

i am angered by the suggestion that i wish to be kept though as it is simply not the case- if it was i could have fired out a couple of kids long ago and got a fairly nice council house- instead i worked hard and pay my way. that was i what i was trying to express- i am no dosser or scrounger, i am a worker who has been beset by a disease not of my doing who has struggled through despite it untll i can't anymore (i wrote the last bit of my blooming dissertation in hospital lol!).

i'm finding it hard to understand you point of view isabel- surely you agree that there is superflous spending on non essential items by the government?  the millenium dome, massive expense accounts for MP's, even the olympics which, much as i'll enjoy it, will cost millions and provide little economic feedback for anywhere but london. as a tax payer doesn't that make you angry? wouldn't you prefer to see that money go into the welfare system so people can have a bit more? so that british workers and foreign refugees can be paid for so that those of a BMP mentality shut up? or to the NHS and do away with post code lotterys on treatments etc? or be poured into our schools so our kids are the best educated in the world?

i don't think its viable or reasonable to expect a massive amount of money when i am off sick, unfortuantly there is only 1 pie and a lot of things to share it between, but £75 a week to live off of in an already low income household is very little and i believe it could be better if the government were perhaps a tad more fiscally responsible.

> There are many mothers of young families who cannot work and who have no choice but to let their husbands do just that.  I was one of them years ago! 

then i also believe there should be more support for childcare etc to let both parents work

though, and i am not critisisng parents at all, but they chose it, kids are optional, most peoples illnesses are not.

Some mothers choose not to work until the children start school. I was one of them!  :)

> but £75 a week to live off of in an already low income household is very little

It is very little but I think it is sufficient and if you are in a low income household you would qualify for extra help but I believe you have said your partner earns more than the defined low income.

> so that british workers and foreign refugees can be paid for so that those of a BMP mentality shut up?

I suspect the BMP would be furious if foreign refugees were paid for :-D

> kids are optional, most peoples illnesses are not.

Of course people don't choose to be ill and I am really sorry for you and those who become ill and face hardship.  The point I am trying to make is that for whatever reason we hit upon lean times, as someone else has already said, you marry (or live together) "For better for worse, in sickness and in health", so why do you not want your partner to help you out by working extra hours but would prefer to let those who do work extra hours subsidise you? :)

but again thats a choice.

What is?  :)

> I suspect the BMP would be furious if foreign refugees were paid for :-D

fair point.

> It is very little but I think it is sufficient

for the things i listed before? to run 2 households out of necessity, to fund additional travel expenses for liam, to pay for rent, to feed us both (bare in mind i will probably be on a special diet), to pay the electric and my phone bill (which is very low btw) and i not a luxury as will need for emergenys, to pay for my prescriptions, council tax...none of which are superfluous luxuries. add to that feeding the dog of course, though i didn't list that initially as its not essential to most peoples minds- though i would hope those on this forum would think it was- i've already stoped BARF feeding him and moved him to a cheaper (though granted not cheap) kibble to reduce costs.

i just worked out the bare minimum of the above- food, rent, council tax (with a reduction), power (just for me), my phone and my pills- £87.50 per week.

> but I believe you have said your partner earns more than the defined low income.

i didn't mention his wage but i imagine it is over it, though probably not by much, we have both only just graduated and are both working rubbish jobs right now.

> The point I am trying to make is that for whatever reason we hit upon lean times, as someone else has already said, you marry (or live together) "For better for worse, in sickness and in health", so why do you not want your partner to help you out by working extra hours but would prefer to let those who do work extra hours subsidise you? :-)

thats a very fair point, and i'm ok with him working a bit more but the amount he will have to work is massive.

> but would prefer to let those who do work extra hours subsidise you? :-)

to be honest, and this will come across terribly, for 2 short month yes, i would. i have worked for 9 nine years and paid more than my fair share of tax (i know this) and never asked for a rebate (as has my partner btw), i will continue to work and pay taxes to provide care for other people so why for 2 months, a tiny span in the face of things, should other people not take care of me? we live in a society, a social group where in the individuals should be cared for and improved upon by the group. my work has and will care for people who need far more care than i ever will so in order to provide that care should i not be cared for in turn? let me put it like this- i'm 23 and i believe your a bit older than me (please forgive me if i'm wrong!). when you are getting your pension i along with the rest of the working public will be paying for it- do you begrudge looking after me for a couple of months to make sure i can look after you from 65 till whenever? seems a fair trade to me. and i am happy in turn to pay taxes that pay for peoples pensions (and they should be a damn sight bigger than they currently are!) because they helped support me as a child through education and child benefits etc. its how it works. but we do have the facility to provide peole with just a little bit more, so we should.

> What is?  :-)

not working till the kids start school. its not vital, it's a choice- one which i respect of course but it is a choice none the less.

just to clarify my views on this subject- we all pay plenty of money in taxes but often enough see very little for it. i believe that if if the system were overhauled everyone could see their money that they have worked hard to earn giving more back- improved sick pay (at least in line with inflation!), better child benefits and education (so more parents could choose to stay home if the so chose, or work and afford good childcare), a better funded NHS across the board and a myriad of other things.

it is do able, there are countries that manage it perfectly well and efficiently, why can't we?

Have I got this right?  You will be getting £75 per week?

Astarte I really feel for you..
To have a debilitating disease at such a young age is awful for you ((hug))
I can also see totally where you're coming from...
I would get rather miffed too.. particular if I think about things like the chap who had (was it 20?) children?
But by the by....
to me personally a marriage is totally different to a cohabiting partner.  And I believe, a cohabiting couple DO have less legal rights than a married couple. 
(I lived with my now husband for 14 years before we finally could afford to tie the knot!  We have been together over 18 years).

But married or not, I agree, I would prefer that my partner didn't have to work every hour just for my sake.


From what I have read, I think you have a very self-less attitude.
I hope that you find a way through this X

> to run 2 households out of necessity, to fund additional travel expenses for liam, to pay for rent, to feed us both (bare in mind i will probably be on a special diet), to pay the electric and my phone bill (which is very low btw) and i not a luxury as will need for emergenys, to pay for my prescriptions, council tax...none of which are superfluous luxuries. add to that feeding the dog of course, though i didn't list that initially as its not essential to most peoples minds

The money is intended to provide for the immediate living expenses of one person.  I don't see how any system can be expect to fund 2 households! and, if your partner is deemed to be earning sufficent to disqualify you for extra help, it seems reasonable to me to look to him to meet the rest. 
I don't think it is so outlandish to plan our lives and commitments to cover for these eventualities witnessed by the fact that you can buy critical illness insurance for meet this need.  These insurances are expensive and poor value I believe but I mention them to confirm the concept that planning is not just something we oldies are dreaming up :-)  A far better alternative is to have savings and limit borrowing commitments to the absolute minimum.

> i've already stoped BARF feeding him and moved him to a cheaper (though granted not cheap) kibble to reduce costs.

These are the sort of ecconomies that I think you can reasonably expect someone to do in these circumstances.  I don't think any social security system can reasonably be expected to allow people to continue living exactly as they do when in full employment. 

> i didn't mention his wage but i imagine it is over it, though probably not by much

Sorry, I thought you have already mentioned that that have been excluded. If it isn't then you will be getting more support but if it is over even by not much I think you will agree there has to be a cut off point somewhere.

> i along with the rest of the working public will be paying for it

No you won't!!  I'll have paid for it myself!  :)

Hi Astarte,

I've been sitting on my hands for so long on this that the circulation is way gone beyond jeopardy :-D

> we all pay plenty of money in taxes but often enough see very little for it. i believe that if if the system were overhauled everyone could see their money that they have worked hard to earn giving more back

Then could it not be argued that someone who has worked 10 years is deserving of less than someone who has worked 15,20,30 + years?  Also salary - we are after all taxed on the amount we earn - on that basis should the person who has averaged £10k p/a receve similar benefits to the ones averaging  £25k/50k etc ( you can see where I'm going wit this!)

Equally should those benefitting from heavily subsidised FE receive less because they've already had a substantial share of "the pot"?

The system in place is not perfect, I'm sure most can agree, but it is something from which we can all benefit and will all benefit throughout the course of our lives whether that be from the the education system, the NHS, state pensions or welfare.

If everything were means tested, i.e. not just based on current savings or additional income into households, then a great many people would have spent their "quota" by the time they were half way through their primary education ;)

I sincerely hope that your op and prognosis are the best they can be and your recovery complete and rapid.  I understand your need to vent your frustrations but equally can see the wider view whereby many of us have experienced (if not first hand then close up) situations where there has been dire financial hardship coupled with serious, often terminal illness.  Lousy as it may seem it is life forming and we each have to cope best with the hand we are dealt.  I hope and believe that we each are sympathetic and tolerant of others' distress as well as thankful for not being in genuinely desperate circumstances such as experienced in some countries much less able or willing to help those suffering hardships of any kind.

If only everything in life was simple - alas, it's not.

Best wishes, Teri

I don't believe living together is any different in these circumstances.  You have made a commitment and you have had the benefit of combined resources in the good times.  Why should society step in, beyond minimal social needs, when leaner times arrive?

> I don't believe living together is any different in these circumstances.

It isn't............only when it suits some people!!  :)

yes, but to my mind thats not very much. as i said to isabel above i've worked out the minimum of my bills at £87.50 a week

> i'm ok with him working a bit more but the amount he will have to work is massive.
>

Call me old fashioned but I think men still thrive on the idea of providing for their loved ones, least that's what I tell Hubbie who has left the house at 6.30 and rarely been seen again before 7pm, plus 24 hours regularly on call, throughout his working life :-)

thank you very much tessies tracy, we'll manage through i don't doubt it. thanks for the support

> i feel its unfair that people on low wage get help with both rent and council tax but if you own your home-even if negarive equity, you get nothing

I must admit I do feel that reasonable mortgage payments should be treated in the same way as Rent for housing benefit purposes when people fall on harder times.

At the moment the only help with mortgage payments is to be on Income support when after a time they pay the Mortgage interest, and that puts people in a catch 22 potion of needing to find well enough paid work to afford the mortgage again, loose their home or stay on Income support.  If mortgage interest was taken into account and housing benefit payable then many people could work and just need a top up.

This was my position when my husband and I split up, I had to give up my job (initially went part time) to keep the roof over my head once my Maternity leave ran out.

> I don't see how any system can be expect to fund 2 households!

i already explained that- as i cannot be alone after the surgery i am temporarily moving home, where i will need to contribute as my parents who are also on one income as my dad is on long term sick cannot afford to keep me. i can;t stay at home with liam as he will need to be working all the time= 2 households. i feel the SSP should take such arrangement- the direct result of illness or operations should be taken into account. i am having major surgery, i'm not going to be able to move very often, how am i supposed to take care of myself if my partner is having to work all the time and cannot be there to care for me? therefore 1 household is simply not an option. believe me i'd far rather stay at home, i'll be bored out of my box at mum and dads :)

so when you say > The money is intended to provide for the immediate living expenses of one person
does that not include post operative care? cause if it doesn;t they won;t be living expences for very long, for many they would end up funeral expences.

> it seems reasonable to me to look to him to meet the rest. 
>

so i should just go "hoi! liam! i'm going to be out of action for 2 months so your working every minute, yeah i know your supposed to be taking your mum to see her surgeon next week but tough cheese!" without a single upset thought? i care about my partners feelings, i care about his stress levels, i care about the level of attention he gets to give to his mum who we both adore and worry about. i don't think its unreasonable for him to pick up the slack, yes its what partners do, but for me to just accept that without any quams would make me rather an unfeeling cow wouldn't it?

> witnessed by the fact that you can buy critical illness insurance for meet this need.

its a serious illness isabel, not a critical one. i don't believe you get cover for this. but if you do i freely admit that i didn't plan it that well, but then i was under the impression that the state looked after its work force.

> These insurances are expensive and poor value I believe but I mention them to confirm the concept that planning is not just something we oldies are dreaming up :-)

lol did you intend that to sound that patronising or am i aflicted with forum misunderstanding? in response all i can say is perhaps i was afflicted with the idea that young have that we are immortal. believe me i got over it and am currently looking into life insurance-its a big op and i'm an anaesthetic risk so am trying to be more careful.

> These are the sort of ecconomies that I think you can reasonably expect someone to do in these circumstances.  I don't think any social security system can reasonably be expected to allow people to continue living exactly as they do when in full employment

i quite agree, as i said earlier in the thread- thats why i have tightened the belt in several places.

>> i along with the rest of the working public will be paying for it
> No you won't!!  I'll have paid for it myself!  :-)

no, you'll have paid for my primary and secondry education, for any benefits my parents might have got when i was wee, the money you'll have put in will have been spent. it will be the workers at that point in time paying for yours, which is fine and great, its how its got to work.

> I had to give up my job (initially went part time) to keep the roof over my head once my Maternity leave ran out.

I know this may not apply to you Brainless as I suspect you may face other difficulties regarding employment but generally that would be a short term thing during which the accomodation can be held by the interest being paid.  At some point a mother can be expected to return to full time in which case she should be able to start capital payments.  If there is no prospect of ever being able to earn a sufficient amount to do that alone then I think people have to consider downsizing.  I do not think it reasonable for a social security system to purchase assets.

> Then could it not be argued that someone who has worked 10 years is deserving of less than someone who has worked 15,20,30 + years?  Also salary - we are after all taxed on the amount we earn - on that basis should the person who has averaged £10k p/a receve similar benefits to the ones averaging  £25k/50k etc ( you can see where I'm going wit this!)
>

not what i was saying at all and i think thats a terrible idea!! someone who has worked 10 years has many more potential years of work in them so should be given equal support to someone who has worked for a longer period.

someone who is off sick would pay their share if they could so should have support from the rest of us.

and absolutely the person who earns less should get equal care to the person who pays more tax- sucks a bit for te well off person but its how we run a civilised society (and i say this as hopefully one of those well off people after i do my post grad etc lol). there should definately not be quotas and the way means testing is done at present is simply daft as it does not consider most of lifes factors (but thats another issue :))

> sincerely hope that your op and prognosis are the best they can be and your recovery complete and rapid.

thank you very much.

> I understand your need to vent your frustrations but equally can see the wider view whereby many of us have experienced (if not first hand then close up) situations where there has been dire financial hardship coupled with serious, often terminal illness.

this is my point teri- thats awful and should not happen in a country we consider civilised! we should do out best to care for the least amoung us- children, elderly or sick- and ensure their quality of life is as good as it can be. i will be fine money wise, we will get through it ok, but i can't imagine how someone whos partner is terminal is supposed to deal with that and take up the entire mantle of keeping the home together, what a devastating idea! how barbaric of us as a nation!

these of course are just my views on it.