Unemployment Benefits

[hemet dennis]

This massaging of statistics happens in the UK as well. When my daughter, unemployed for a year, maried 4 weeks ago she lost her entitlement to benefits. She was told by the job centre to stop coming and registering for work since she was not receiving unemployment benefits.She of course has now been removed from the unemployment figures. The good news is she has found a job not because of any help they have given her but in spite of their so called help! The whole system is an absolute travesty!

So in the UK you cant collect unemployment if you get married ?

 

[Kikiriki]

Hubby still have not found a job, volunteered his time at daughter's school as lunch monitor and playground monitor. And he still out volunteering his time and gas money for the Patriot's Guards for any ceremonies, funerals for our veterans and soldiers coming home. And he would ask around if anyone has jobs nearby or know of any. Nada, zip, none so far!

My uncle worked for Big Yellow, and there are rolling layoffs presently and it will get worse. The orders are not coming in as much as they used to so that means the mining companies and construction businesses are reducing their inventory or prelonging their inventory to "last another year". The Big Yellow, ADM and Staley are the biggest manufactorers in this town and if they fold up to leave another state, this town would be in BIG trouble. The city has more and more of food places and retail stores....and Obama wants us to pay for our own insurance.

Just read an article on this, as I have been worried about it. If your income as a single person is $45,000 (900 x poverty level, I think it said) then you qualify for subsidies to buy insurance on an exchange (the thing states are refusing to implement). More people in family and less income will increase the amount of government assistance.

We (2 of us) are living on $9000 a year income, because when I bought my house I kept layoffs in mind. (watched my dad deal with Apollo era layoffs). I have tiny old house in a great neighborhood. My mortgage, plus annual insurance and taxes is under $700 a month and I could lower it by going from 15 year loan back to 30 year, but we are now down to $19,000 owed and most of my payment is principle.

What we do have is some money in the bank, which keeps us from getting any kind of help from the state, but I am not using that money up just so we can get foodstamps. It is intended to let my husband invest in a business when he finds a good opportunity. He wants nothing to do with my business, which will be up and running this year. If I work hard I should be able to make a decent living, and set money aside.

 

[Kikiriki]

Obama is a good scapegoat for personal failures. 

So is Bush for Obama....

If ya'll think back, daddy Bush drafted Nafta, and Clinton signed it. Bush junior did get us into a war for nothing (Iraq), but Obama would have kept it going if Iraq had not said "leave". Guess what Afghanistan has: no not terrorists, just the richest mineral resources sitting untouched in their mountains!
Both parties have looked more to the benefit of globalization for big business than to how the population would deal with the result to American jobs and the lower and middle economic classes. Notice neither party has managed to get out legislation that would undo citizens united ruling, and both parties are working with big business to bring in cheap guest workers.

I buy my clothes at goodwill or salvation army or garage sales: i buy from american manufacturing when I can, and I am working toward keeping my money local in my community, and supporting business that operate with the ethics I share. You have power in every purchase you make, and in supporting the few politicos who are working toward keeping workers from becoming powerless.

 

[rufus]

Afghanistan has a potential bonanza in mineral wealth. Unfortunately, it is also a diverse country of uncontrollable people. Even the Brits couldn't get past the Khyber Pass. The only way those mineral resources can be utilized is to implement a remove and replace program. The original population is removed and replaced with another more manageable people.

We cannot do such a thing. It runs against our grain. But the Chinese can, and they did it in Tibet.

Tibet is now populated with mostly Han Chinese.

 

[oldrooster]

Lets see what happens when Obama care hits company budgets. I suspect bigger companies will either produce abroad or become sales agents for foreign companies. Small companies will probably fold. That is just my suspicion, but I guess we will find out soon enough.

My company has cut hours of part timers and hired more ti prevent paying for health care thank you Mr. President...

 

[newfoundland]

The social security and tax system in the UK is complicated as I'm sure it is in the US. Basically every working person pays national insurance and income tax (taken at source) as a single person regardless of whether they are married or not. If you become unemployed you are entitled to 6 months earnings related unemployment benefit. After 6 months you go onto unrelated unemployment benefit. If you marry, and your spouse works you cannot claim unemployment benefit. If your spouse earns below a certain threshold he/she can claim working tax credit, but only if he/she works more than 24 hours a week. While claiming unemployment you have to 'sign on' every fortnight and take proof of the jobs that you have applied for. If you fail to do this your unemployment benefit is stopped.

When my daughter was unemployed she applied for every job going, even as a grave digger and a mortuary attendant. She had absolutely no success as many people are chasing few jobs in our area. When she married and moved nearer a large town she found a job in a fortnight. I do feel that unemployed people have a hard time of it, some believe they are all scroungers, and the vast majority are absolutely not!

 

[EweSheep]

When is the "force" of having insurance comes into effect? Our daughter has Medicaid that we get for her, I get Medicare due to my disability and hubby gets no insurance at all right now. It would be nice to have hubby to have medical and dental insurance and dental insurance for me and daughter. I would hate to pay a penalty for something we can not afford. We are lucky to have $2,100 a month with disability(mine) AND unemployment benefits(his).

We are not qualified to get food stamps or anything else. We simply make too much. For a family of three.I did ask Public Aid to help us with medical and they denied us, again, make too much. I hope hubby dont need urgent medical or needs to go to ER.

 

[rufus]

The system works for some, and not for others. One of the kids across the street got himself shot in a gang related incident. The last I heard, his medical bills were over $90,000. Since they are undocumented (used to be illegal) immigrants, they will pay nothing.

My health insurance runs me over $450 a month, and then my former employer kicks in $100 a month. Then they take the medicare out of my social security check.

When some people use the social welfare system, they get first class service. Other just get told "This is for the needy, not the greedy." I am afraid it is a racial thing.

 

[EweSheep]

Social welfare system as first class.....I don't think so, we don't have choices like the ones who have insurances.

We are a wonderful country with alot of resources available at our fingertips.

 

[rufus]

Not any more; I am afraid we are broke.