It shits me off when people start on the single mothers and having excess to a pension or part pension. "Don't have children if you can't afford them"... "I never had government benefits when I bought up my children" etc etc
I have been working since I was 14 years old. I was married and my husband walked out when my son was 18 months old. I am a single mother raising a child on minimum wage. I work in a job I love...helping people and have been for 11 years... I'm apart of a huge network of people working in jobs that you meet and see every day. I am now on newstart allowance since my son turned 8 due to working in community service which is ranked the lowest paid in Australia. I pay my taxes.
Now if I didn't receive some sort of assistance my son and I would be living on the streets. I don't have a car and I live in government housing. I am saving for braces and an education for my son. I do my best to bring up my child in stable environment. This government has decided that I can live on $32000 a year before tax and that's with government assistance's. While I appreciate that the government helps me... I am horrified that so many people think that a parent and a child shouldn't receive anything at all.. what's so wrong with giving people a helping hand and keeping people off the streets?
I didn't think I'd be a single mother and while I struggle to make ends meet, I am happy and so is my son. To the people who think that I and others don't deserve a benefit.. you're not in my shoes.. you don't know the hardship I endure as I'll probably never own a house or be financially stable. You see a hand in your pocket while I struggle to give my son a good education, roof over his head, healthy food to eat and teach him to be a well rounded respectful human being. When you get assistance's it's because you need it to live. It's disappointing to see how many people have no empathy towards others and their circumstances. We as a society should be trying to make it better for everyone not cast shame, disapproval or judgement on someone who is struggling.
If your lucky enough to not need assistance then I take my hat off to you... I wish I was in your shoes..
I'm on government assistance's.. lucky me!!
I'm on government assistance's.. lucky me!!
Posted in:
Life Lessons, Behaviour, Money
7 Replies
I agree, life would be much easier if I didn't need government assistance.
I mean everyone feels entitled to an opinion on what you spend money on. Not everyone is going to be a high income earner and in life shit happens.
I'd managed to get myself in a position where I didn't receive any assistance anymore, not even family tax benefit and then my adult son developed a rare disorder, forcing me to care for him. Sorry people I'm not putting my 22 year old in a home and it would cost the government more anyway.
As to those who say they've not received any assistance? Well family tax benefit, child care rebates etc are ALL payments from Centrelink. There are very very few families who have never claimed either of those!
I completely agree!! My husband had a work accident and cannot go back to work, probably ever. He is on disability pension. I had to quit work to look after him full time, so I am on carers payment... We Both worked from when we were 14 years old, I went back to work 6 weeks after each baby, we have both paid a LOT of tax over the years, so the way I see it we earned the money we are living on now.
This is NOT a lifestyle choice like people like to believe, we are not lazy or lying to take your tax money, we live week to week & struggle. No-one would choose this ?
As someone on the complete other end of the spectrum, it does bother me that the government hands out so many payments to people who are UNDESERVING (such as people wasting money on alcohol and drugs instead of their children!). I don't mind it going to someone in need such as yourself who is actually making something of your life. I have witnessed first hand people doing the above, thankfully DHS got involved however nothing has really changed with the families circumstances. They're constantly shooting up heroin and complaining the government doesn't give them a fair amount.
I wish for people like you though that they would offer you a much more substantial amount and provide for both you and your child (and anyone else's children!).
I work just as hard as anyone else only for close to 47c out of every $1 I earn being taken for tax. How is that fair? Just because I earn more, I am taxed more? To get to where I am I had to miss out on my kids birthdays as I was busy managing my business, I missed family dinners and putting my kids to bed because we were struggling and I needed to put dinner on the table for them. And now they are grown up and only now can I sit back and semi-enjoy the money I have made.
It certainly goes both ways, I think at the end of the day a lot of us are hard done by whether it be financially, timely or mentally.
If you need it, then why are you getting so upset by what others 'think' about it...like you say; they're naive because they dont live your life. I think that most of the people you're talking about, the ones that annoy you with their judgey comments, are resentful because, believe it or not, there ARE people out there that take advantage of these government assistance payouts (which clearly isn't you). If you don't feel guilty about receiving it because you KNOW you NEED IT, then why are you justifying it. I personally dont agree with all of the assistance payouts our government offers; I dont think it should be about "giving people a helping hand," because there is just too many grey area's in deciding the who, what and how much. I think everything should be earned, and in your case, it sounds like it has been earned; you've worked for 11 years, given to your community, etc. But unfortunately, we live the life we live because of the choices we've made.
It wasn't her choice that her husband left her, it isn't someone's choice when their spouse dies, when they are on disability support pension because they have MS, or they can't work because their child has cancer.....open your eyes to the world, if it was just about our choices, beautiful amazing people in our community wouldn't require benefits. What a conscending and ridiculous thing to say, I hope your life goes to plan and nothing happens out of the realm of the choices you made.
Boom! Perfect example above. It's the crap the government/media spew out, turns the working class against the strugglers, labelling them all sorts of derogatory things. Creating a scenario where you feel like it's my hand going directly into your pocket!? All the while the focus is off the perks that big business receives. I buy stuff, pay rent, bills, etc therefore I AM paying tax!
I am a single mum of 3. They have disabilities. One is at uni. I receive a Carers pension. I rent privately, it's almost half of my benefits. One of my kids had cancer. This affected both us parents. Depression plays a large part in my and my ex's lives. I always worked when the kids were little, I loved it. Then I'd do courses and workshops, learning and trying new things in business. I was always involved in community, running support groups, volunteering at school, on committees, etc. I still do.
I don't smoke, drink, take drugs or go out. I have Netflix ?
So, fuck off with your judgement. Yes there is inter generational welfare recipients, but shit, is that any kind of life? Would you want it? Hell no! And then there's the majority of us, who's lives took a drastic turn, and thank goodness we live in a country who supports their most vulnerable. For we're only as good as the whole sum of us. I look forward to my kids gaining more independence (with my support) in a few years, and I can earn my own money and have a semblance of the life I envisaged for myself and my kids
Which comment is this in reply to? I'm confused!