Author Topic: FEELING EMBARRASSED  (Read 3791 times)

SCAMPI

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FEELING EMBARRASSED
« on: Jun 30, 2019, 10:05:57 AM »
Morning from ( A Red faced person)
I'm feeling embarrassed after reading through some of the comments. (Someone mentioned that we haven't contributed for many years so mustn't expect to just get handouts.) ::)


Both my hubby and myself are British Citizens but have been out the country for numerous years.  We were in the land of Milk and Honey SA.  After independence unfortunately "The Mighty hath Fallen".  Now we're back here after being subjected to conflict, crime and racism. We basically came back here with nothing.  We don't want a life of luxury, but just want to live without fear.


Now after reading some of the comments about claiming Pension Credit posted herein, we feel that we are stealing the food out of the mouth of babes. Has anyone else had this feeling, even talking to the average person in the street, everyone appears bitter about the people coming here and looking for hand-outs.


Oh dear! :'( :'(


Comments please

Raven

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #1 on: Jun 30, 2019, 10:16:31 AM »

You'll get no nasty comments from me I can assure you. I was on Pension Credit myself for a while. The only reason I'm not now is because I live most of the year up North at my partners Farm. If I were to go back to my own home again for good I would have to reclaim it. ::)
It doesn't matter where you go you will always find those who are better off and look down on others because of it, some are also very vocal about it.  >:(
Easier to ignore the Buggers.  ;D

Michael Rolls

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #2 on: Jun 30, 2019, 10:41:57 AM »
Scampi
As with Raven, you'll get no criticism from me. A very good friend of my late wife was in much the same situation as yourselves only in Zimbabwe (her husband actually died before he could get out after they had been reduced to virtual penury). You two are British citizens deserving of the protection and affection of your own country, not like many who appear on our shores
Mike
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sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #3 on: Jun 30, 2019, 11:12:52 AM »

everyone appears bitter about the people coming here and looking for hand-outs.


Its unfortunate but very understandable that you fall into the same category as the hoards of  people that have chosen to come to the UK in recent years and  taken  advantage of our  now struggling services. having never put a penny towards. We see housing, education , NHS, care service,  etc,  all at breaking point, so its hardly surprising there is resentment by vast numbers of Brits.  including myself, that have worked hard,  often for small rewards,  and paid into a system for many years,  that is now failing them. in many areas.

zoony

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #4 on: Jun 30, 2019, 11:18:24 AM »
As with most things, Scampi, it's to do with timing. The country has been up to it's ears in Brexit for the last few years which has polarised many opinions about benefits and those who claim them. I wouldn't worry, much less feel embarrassed about such folk's opinions. You mentioned 'conflict, crime and racism', you'll find plenty of that here too but, hopefully, at a much lower level depending on where you live..Please stay on PF and keep us up to date with your progress and ignore the snarky comments of the minority.
"Listen to the wind, it cleans the mind."

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sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #5 on: Jun 30, 2019, 12:29:13 PM »

zoony, I would question minority, given Scampi's  own stated  observations, in what has been a relatively short time.


Everyone appears  bitter about the people coming here  and looking for handouts

zoony

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #6 on: Jun 30, 2019, 12:46:32 PM »
  My opinion is as valid as yours Sparky. There's a difference between a returning native and an economic migrant. I, for one, don't spend my days fretting about 'freeloaders' or resenting the folk who dream of a better life for themselves and their families and put their lives at risk seeking it. We live in a paradise compared to some of the countries around the globe and it's a sad reflection on ourselves if we resent sharing it with the less fortunate to some extent...'To some extent'.
  I'm aware that my view is coloured by where I live and I don't expect you to agree but I also have a degree of sympathy for folk who's neighbourhoods have been changed forever by many years of immigration and are unrecognizable as the places they grew up in..
"Listen to the wind, it cleans the mind."

"Never use money to measure wealth, son"

                                           cowboy wisdom.

Alex22

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #7 on: Jun 30, 2019, 01:01:34 PM »
There are people, many people who come to the UK for free health care and many other handouts having paid nothing into the system.    You're in a different situation as you're a Brit and as such, you have a right to live here so no need for embarrassment.    With regard to benefits, I imagined after 40 odd years in SA you would have paid tax etc which is why I asked about a SA pension.   As I said previously, I worked abroad for years and would have been entitled to a pension, it was just too much of a hassle to claim ! 

 Have you contacted the International Pension Centre just to see if they can offer any assistance   ?    https://www.gov.uk/international-pension-centre


 
.

GrannyMac

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #8 on: Jun 30, 2019, 01:57:00 PM »
I also think Pension Credit itself is a sore point.


Instead of the UK basic pension being at a reasonable level, it's been kept very low.  That means small savers and those with meagre private pensions get little or no help, and so there is a feeling that their frugality benefited them very little.


I wish you all the best Scampi.  My aunt and uncle came back to the UK in their 70s after many years in New Zealand.  They weren't under threat, they just missed home.
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Goingtoseed

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #9 on: Jun 30, 2019, 02:07:42 PM »
Morning from ( A Red faced person)
I'm feeling embarrassed after reading through some of the comments. (Someone mentioned that we haven't contributed for many years so mustn't expect to just get handouts.) ::)

Both my hubby and myself are British Citizens but have been out the country for numerous years.  We were in the land of Milk and Honey SA.  After independence unfortunately "The Mighty hath Fallen".  Now we're back here after being subjected to conflict, crime and racism. We basically came back here with nothing.  We don't want a life of luxury, but just want to live without fear.

Now after reading some of the comments about claiming Pension Credit posted herein, we feel that we are stealing the food out of the mouth of babes. Has anyone else had this feeling, even talking to the average person in the street, everyone appears bitter about the people coming here and looking for hand-outs.


Oh dear! :'( :'(


Comments please



I'm not in the business to criticise or judge anyone. In fact I am quite proud that I am a recipient of Pension Credit which to be honest tops our income up to in gross terms to over £40,000 a year.

As for the hoards that come over and claim everything they can - if the law allows them to then so be it.

Your issue is no different to those who have lived all of their lives in GB, are white British yet because they went travelling for over a year abroad before deciding what they wanted to do with their lives, find themselves 'out of the system' due to being out of the country for too long.

Diasi

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #10 on: Jun 30, 2019, 02:08:38 PM »
Hi Scampi,

You shouldn't feel embarrassed, you're entitled to receive whatever the DWP determine that you're entitled to receive.

My earlier posts were intended to:

A: check that I'd understood your position.

B: to answer your concerns about the DWP.

Neither of my posts were meant as any criticism because, as I said, I worked with one guy from SA who left his home & all it contents with the doors not even locked & flew to the UK with the clothes he stood up in.
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Sheila

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #11 on: Jun 30, 2019, 02:14:18 PM »

I'm not in the business to criticise or judge anyone. In fact I am quite proud that I am a recipient of Pension Credit which to be honest tops our income up to in gross terms to over £40,000 a year.

As for the hoards that come over and claim everything they can - if the law allows them to then so be it.

Your issue is no different to those who have lived all of their lives in GB, are white British yet because they went travelling for over a year abroad before deciding what they wanted to do with their lives, find themselves 'out of the system' due to being out of the country for too long.

I don't understand how you can get Pension Credit.  I have just looked it up and you have to be getting less that £255.25 a week (couple) to be able to claim.  Not that I know much about it obviously.

sparky

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #12 on: Jun 30, 2019, 03:03:53 PM »
zoony, Yes its fair to say there are some differences in Scampi's situation, its just unfortunate that its comes in the same category  as the very many that come here solely to ponce off the British taxpayer, and I have always believed that you only deserve to get out what you put in with life, be it a marriage, business, work or whatever, one good thing, its unlikely that   Scampi will have brought one of these weird alien cultures, to add to those that have destroyed many of our towns and cities. what I find hard to swallow, is seeing and knowing of people that live alone, ( and no I don't ) that struggle on a daily basis to get by financially, and that could include elderly ex service Vets , but  they are slightly outside the criteria for claiming pension credit, while it seems those that can claim are much better off. As for those in other countries being worse off, well being brought up in one of the poorest areas of East London, It was not a bed of roses for my parents/grandparents, they just worked their nuts off to make their/my life better, rather than p**s off somewhere to  be taken care of by others.

Ashy

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #13 on: Jun 30, 2019, 03:14:00 PM »
If it weren't for the thousands coming here from all four corners of the globe, who have no obvious connection with Britain, we could probably be more helpful to British people returning from abroad especially those escaping tyranny.

Goingtoseed

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Re: FEELING EMBARRASSED
« Reply #14 on: Jun 30, 2019, 06:23:44 PM »
I don't understand how you can get Pension Credit.  I have just looked it up and you have to be getting less that £255.25 a week (couple) to be able to claim.  Not that I know much about it obviously.



I have posted elsewhere about this. You, or if you are a couple should first of all claim Attendance Allowance if you or both of you have any issues that make life more difficult now that you are beyond State Retirement Age. Even the simplest of things can be taken into account. List them all down and go along to the AgeUK offices telling them that you or both of you want to make a claim.
If you manage to get even the lowest rate then the Pension Credit figure could go up from £255 to well over £400.