To work, or not to work, that is the question?

Question

Work here (Wales UK) typicaly pays about £200 a week. But if you dont work you get JSA (£58 a week), you get housing benefit (£65 a week), you dont have 2 pay tax on what you get (£20 a week), you dont need to pay to get 2 and from work (£25 a week), you dont need 2 pay for dentists, etc. (£7 a week), you dont need to eat so much because you are not working hard (£10 a week), you dont need 2 pay national insurance controbutions (£8 a week). So £58 + £65 + £20 + £25 + £7 + £10 + £8 = £193. Does this mean if you work for a typical wage here you will actualy be only £7 a week better off (200-193). Since normal jobs are 40 hours a week you will actualy be working for 7/40 = 17 and a half pence per hour. I don't know about you, but I value my time at more than 17 and a half pence per hour (for Americans thats about 9 cents per hour). And this calculation doesn't take into consideration the time it takes you 2 get 2 or from work either. The figures were aprox, but they R more or less right.

As for "curious girl" who seems to think that there is nothing else to do except for work, and work should be something we aim to do to achive something worthwhile. I have many enjoyable hobies which take up lots of my time. I like cycling (which keeps me fit). I like reading (both online and books) which increase my knowledge. I enjoy solving puzzles which exercise my brain. I program computers which satisfys my creative side. I experiment with formula and equations which helps me learn stuff. What with everything I do there really isn't time for work anyway. And if I worked my life would be worse, and I would quite likley be worse off financialy. Also by choicing not to work I have lots of free time for doing things that entertain me, keeping me quite a happy person.

I do believe that either people who work get paid too little, or people who don't work get paid too much. Since money is relative it's difficult to say which of these it is. Obviously if we were all suddenly made rich, none of us would actualy be rich because prices would go up by loads.
A fairer system would make the difference between working and not working greater. But the way things are at the moment (in UK) definatly persuades me that there isn't much point in working. I don't believe the fault is in myself, but rather in the system that doesn't seem to reward people who work hard. I am just looking around myself and just choocing the option that gives me the best out of life.

Answer 1

well, i prefer to work, work is not only money, yes, the main objectif is money, but u also feel active, what would you do with no job, what would you consider ur self? if you can work, just work, we are alive for this,
you will earn more life experience, you will feel that you know how to do something(a task, a job...)and that you can be the best on doing something,
you will feel that you are important, that poeple are depending on you to produce something for them( a good or a service)...i mean, you will feel USEFUL
not working is so so so boring, you will hear poeple talking abt them jobs, everyone got a speciality, everyone got tasks and things to do daily, but how abt u?
i'm sayingn that because i was jobless for only 3months, and i was going to die like that!!
but it depends on you anyway, and also on the kind of jobs u do, i am a travel agent, and i like the job i do, yes, sometimes i got problems, and i don't earn a lot of money, but i feel that i'm kind of expert in a domain, and poeple can come and ask me for advices abt them trips and so on, and i like that
if ur job is really bad, and u don't like it, u can look for another job, or if u really want, stop work, but don't waste ur time, do something useful, social work, associations, do web design, manage ur own website....don't know..
anyway, good luck!

Answer 2

I prefer to work but this is a great way to get started as there are others in your area doing this...This truly is not just about making money but having safe products in your home for you and your family. If you are interested in a home based business than you can e-mail me back at [e-mail] and I can give you the details. I am not going to give all the hype that people look for but just tell you the truth. We don't sell,deliver or stock products. The name of our company that we work with is Melaleuca and we are proud to say their name. It is not a scam or an MLM company, it is just a fortune 500 company that care about people and enjoys paying them for referring people to them and it is as simple as that. The important part is using their products as I know that you will love and the rest comes from using them as it is truly a great story about this company. Let me know if you would like to learn more.

Thanks,
Rich & Teresa

Answer 3

We here in the United States have the same question when we see all benefits people on Welfare get. There's nothing wrong with being on Welfare if you need it, but it's those who abuse it that disgust me. But I think it's more of a moral issue whether to feed off other people's money, or earn your own.

Answer 4

Proud of carrying my weight: priceless.