Can we have a dedicated benefits bashing forum?

@selffellatingouroborosofhate

You can hide any threads you please.

I'll advocate that people claiming disability benefits shouldn't have to see their right to claim, be assessed, appeal, and recieve money be attacked

If you see anyone being attacked, report the post and MNHQ can deal with it. There are plenty of posters responding here who claim benefits and are happy to see discussions continue openly.

The forum management have decided that corralling topics is OK

They make boards on a case by case basis. When someone creates an OP like this one they listen to what people want. There is clearly plenty of backlash against the OP's ridiculous suggestion on this thread that MNHQ can look at and weigh up what they want to do: most likely, not create a board like the OP wants.

Genuinely sorry not sarcastically .

Yes I am aware I was being sarcastic about the frothing! Sorry that wasn't clear.

@Coffeeishot I guess you are not reading the threads discussing benefits if that's what you think is being said on them. Presumably you're also unaware of how many people on those threads are actually disabled.

I don't see why you think that breaks talk guidelines?

Do you think they would just implode with all their facts ! I mean they all know somebodies second cousin or the "friend" who is cheating the system and languishing in luxury.

No it needs an open discussion. Also, not everybody on UC is poor and vulnerable.

MNHQ won't go for it. They think posts like this are perfectly acceptable and do not break Talk guidelines.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5287728-game-the-system-disability-benefits?reply=142649126&utm_campaign=reply&utm_medium=share

@selffellatingouroborosofhate If you actually read some of the threads where debate and discussion is happening, you would see that there is much more detailed talk in them about how the fraud figures are obtained, how people can achieve a successful claim that isn't necessarily classed as fraud but may still not be truly "correct" or needed, and where else online this behaviour is encouraged. It's a very complex and difficult topic that people have strong feelings about on every side. Caricaturing those you disagree with is completely unhelpful.

This gang was detected and convicted. Looks like the auditing and investigation system works just fine.

@imtheholidayarmadillo Actually there is a lot of debate and many POVs are represented.

The forum management have decided that corralling topics is OK. I'm assuming that that decision isn't up for challenge. Given that decision, I'll advocate that people claiming disability benefits shouldn't have to see their right to claim, be assessed, appeal, and recieve money be attacked. If people can hide the board housing the threads about the Sandie Peggie case, they should be able to hide a board housing the Daily Mail headlines posted about "scroungers" too.

What's the point lol because it would only attract people that want to have a go at those bashing benefits anyway so it would just be like it is now wouldn't it?

It'd be 'head in the sand' if people were shying away from constructive debate or refusing to question the system in any way, but these threads aren't producing a lot of that. It's mostly drivel of questionable veracity about how the single mum down the road (funny how these posters always have a 'friend' or know someone 'down the road' who has 5 kids with 5 different dads, is rolling in PIP and UC, spends the day in front of Loose Women and has her nails done 4 times a day and there's not a thing wrong with her. These posters don't want debate, they just want their prejudices validated and for Mumsnet to join them in baying about what an outrage it is.

For others not to want to waste time on these prejudiced, often fictional rants isn't 'head in the sand stuff'.

That would be great.

It would certainly make it easier for the people behind this attack on the poor, the vulnerable and the disabled ahead of what is apparently going to be a hellish spring budget that will leave the poorest in society completely fucked.

But, I mean, it's complete coincidence that all this rage bait is ramping up right now. Total tinfoil hat time to put the two together.

Yup. Nothing to do with a transparent attempt to get the general public to focus on a small segment and blame them for the fact the country is financially fucked instead of looking at those who have forever exploited loopholes, given bullshit contracts to their mates, creamed off the top, bled the place dry and continue to do so.

Nah. Let's go after bad back bertie and his weekly round of golf. Cos that's what they're all really like and it's all their fault.

@selffellatingouroborosofhate

Seriously weird take. I'd rather argue that neither should be. How odd that this logic has aligned you with the OP.

I'm highlighting a double standard and arguing that if FWR can be corralled, so can anything else.

Do you think I don't see the threads and see how people talk about people playing the system? All the "my mate's cousin gets thousands a month in UC" nonsense, which isn't actually possible if you read the benefits regulations? All the people who claim to know someone who commits PIP fraud when it's actually vanishingly rare?

C'mon, you're being disingenuous here.

Image source: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2023-to-2024-estimates/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-ending-fye-2024

@selffellatingouroborosofhate

You think Mumsnet is wrong to do that yet you're on OP's side to hide topics about the benefits system on a separate board?

Obviously you know that a board dedicated to bashing anyone would be against the ethos of this site.

People are allowed to have their opinions. Whether they are right or wrong, we have free speech and thought. For now at least.

There are serious problems with the benefit system - this is undeniable. Many posters often say there is no benefit fraud and it's not a problem. Last year, a gang was convicted of a £54,000,000 benefits scam. £54 MILLION! How anyone can possibly say that there are no problems with the benefits system after that is beyond me. And if that gang is doing it to the tune of £54 million, you can bet your ass that there are plenty of other gangs doing the same.

Nice try but you’d have try harder then that to antagonise. Fair play to you if you do that 💅 🙃

I let it wash over me now. I have my PIP paid into a separate account for my holiday fund.

I could say exactly the same people having their heads in the sand about men in women's prisons, the employment tribunals concerning men in women's workplace changing rooms, NHS Annexe B, etc. Yet Mumsnet HQ will banish those threads to FWR in a heartbeat.

MNHQ have decided that corralling contentious topics is OK. That means that benefits can be considered for corralling.

The pensions bill is the biggest chunk of the benefits bill by a long shot. If the benefits bill is truly bankrupting people, then cutting pensions is the obvious way to make a saving.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/articles/howisthewelfarebudgetspent/2016-03-16

The title of the thread is hilarious. Would this new board be called "Benefit Bashers"?

😂

You’re not getting a separate benefits forum before we get one for the Mounjaro discount codes. That’s a far more annoying trend! 😆