@Hewiesmummy - your family are exactly who our benefits system is for. Those that struggle, those that are unwell, with young kids and caring obligations...You work hard to provide support for your family and there is no dishonour in claiming benefits in order to do that, else we'd have an even bigger problem on our hands with you all down on money, your husbands health worse and your child being neglected if you were forced to do full time work. Don't feel guilty, and best of luck to you all! Voluntary work is a great idea but be careful about what you do and who you tell...the job centre can be very crafty especially with the new government in, you must do all you can to protect your family so I understand and I fully support my taxes supporting people like yourselves have a chance at life
ps great losses!! amazing!
The government has always sucked up to the rich (labour included) sadly the 'rich' own everything, and control everything...and even at times when you think there would be a conflict of interests, the rich come out on top, every time. Us workers are left to pick up the pieces that the rich don't want. Its a sad, sad way to run a country but sadly we are not controlled only by our own rich, but by the european, arab, asian and american rich too as they all have fingers in each others pies. Call me idealistic, or call me a hippy, but I'd much rather the abulution of money and instead a trade based economy, no one controlling you when you sleep and no untruths. There is a festival in the US called burning man, goes on for a week, and there is no money - everything is trade - so you take resources, skills, whatever with you, and you swap. Its great and wouldn't it be nice if things were even a little bit as alturistic as that in the real world

/pipe dream anyway. so we all slog on, earning and spending, earning and spending instead at the insistance of the government who tells us to save money for worse times while bombarding us with adverts for new cars, toys, clothes and rising food costs.