What's in it for me ?

On another forum there is a long running thread about low wages and benefits etc I have been shocked at some attitudes from rather better off people who have said what's in it for me ? to keep paying taxes and therefore benefits to poorer and disabled and retired people !
They cannot see society has to help some people or their nice lives will be affected even more with the suffering and anarchy that would follow removal of assistance.

What's in it for me ? just cannot see how lucky they are not to be able to claim anything or need to claim anything.

I was thinking I can't think at any point I have ever thought what's in it for me unless it's when I have been considering taking a job.

Is it something you would think ?

Re: What's in it for me ?

Definitely not !
I detest the 'I'm alright Jack' thinking - they are selfish and ignorant ............
The future looks bleak for those that struggle ..............

Re: What's in it for me ?

The 'What's in it for me' is the knowledge that I'm doing the right thing.

Re: What's in it for me ?

Just how it should be Alan IMO

Re: What's in it for me ?

I guess it depends on who they mean by benefit claimants...those who have no intention of working and know how to "milk" they system, those who have overlarge families that they know they will be unable to bring up without benefits, etc etc. Low wages, well again that depends on how much the company they work for can afford to pay and I´m sure most people know how much they will be paid when they take the job. There is simply no straightforward answer to this, but perhaps Thomas Jefferson summed it up quite well when he said:

"democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those

who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

I´ve paid taxes all my working life, I even had to pay tax on child maintenance, classed as "unearned income", but I never received the child maintenance! I don´t know about "what´s in it for me", I never gave that a thought, tax had to be paid whether I wanted to, agreed with it or disagreed with it.

I do agree that those who are truly in need should get benefits, but I strongly disagree with handing them out willy nilly to all and sundry. That´s the best way I can explain it.

Re: What's in it for me ?

That's fair clumsy, the people saying what's in it for me were very much of the opinion everyone should/could work and should/could manage their own finances for their entire lives and no benefits should be available at all.

Re: What's in it for me ?

I try to be fair Julie, but of course I have my own point of view on things. In the past I´ve been in a situation where I had virtually nothing (thanks to my ex husband), I had a child to bring up, I never received any of the maintenance I was supposed to get, I worked but I always had more month left than money. I was lucky at that time as my mother was still alive, my son could go to her from school and I would pick him up later, my mother also fed us. Friends provided me with furniture and helped during school holidays. Somehow or other I kept my head above water, thinking back I don´t know how. I never took any benefits at all, not even free school dinners, I thought about that but my son flatly refused saying he would rather starve. I worked and studied at the same time, believe me I was completely exhausted. The final crunch that got me fired up and motivated to kick myself up the backside was when my ex husband applied to have his maintenance reduced, (not that he had ever paid it, despite being taken to court twice and having the outstanding payments wiped out and told not to get behind in the future) my ex husband got his child maintenance reduced to 1 pound a week ! I kid you not, a certain Judge Meek, who I will never, ever forget, decided 1 pound a week was enough to bring up a child on.

Add to that, the young woman who lived nearby me, also divorced with two young boys, was always wanting to borrow from me, or would I bring her certain items when I went shopping, at first I did then I realised I was never going to be given the money back so refused. I asked her why she didn´t get a part time job as her mother lived next door to her, her answer to me "why should I work, the money is put there for people like me", my reply "yes, by silly b*****s like me.

Over the years and because of my work I have come across much regarding benefits that, believe me, would anger many people. My belief is that it is still very much an unfair system in which those who really need help don´t, or can´t get it, and those who know how to fool the system and get a damned good life out of it.

I hope all that helps you understand a little how I feel about this matter.

Re: What's in it for me ?

Ive listened to the Americans moaning about a health system for all.. Their attitude was 'why should I pay for someone who cant afford it'?
They feel that as long as they can work and pay taxes they should have good health care and anyone who cant pay should just crawl off and die under some rock..

This is an attitude we now see gaining ground in the UK and Im sorry but as the UK pulls away from Europe and closer to the states this attitude is only going to get worse. Speaking a very similar languge (I cant accept its the same) does not mean we should copy everything they do.

The UK benefits system has suffered much abuse but the alternatives just dont bear thinking about.

Re: What's in it for me ?

I have felt 'exactly' the same way over the years and knowing the American way was sure to hit here
Just get rid of the abusers job done !

Re: What's in it for me ?

I think we have different categories here..
The poor
Some poor people work and pay taxes and everyone pays some tax through VAT. Poor can just mean they have less than some others.
I do object to my taxes going to support people who can work but won't work unless they can have a job of their choosing.
I have taken many jobs over the years some I would not have chosen but they paid the bills and I made the best of them and carried out my duties to the best of my abilities taking pride in my work .

The disabled
It is the mark of a civilised society the those who can work and pay taxes towards the running of the country do so and make sure that the disabled who can't work are provided for.

Retired people..
Many retired people have paid towards their pension (and health care) as part of their national insurance contributions paid throughout a lifetime of work .
I look upon those contributions literally as an insurance where everyone working pays into the 'communal pot' .Some people will need some health care others none . Some will die young and their pensions with them so the communal pots provides for various eventualities.


I never minded paying tax as part of my contribution to the running of my country .