Suella Braverman - comments on cutting welfare benefits.

[stayingpositiveifpossible]

I have just heard the interview where Suella bemoaned the alleged 'culture of dependency' - and the way in which she referred to 'people on benefits'.

It was pointed out that she failed to mention the vast numbers of people who are in paid work and claiming U.C because they can't manage.

I personally was appalled at her comments and feel they risk stereotyping a great many people. I feel the facts should be presented much more clearly. Can we have some transparence about the numbers of people who are in work and going to food banks, for example?

As someone said, the Tories are far to the right of Le Pens RN, after all, even she doesn't want to leave the EU.

and no one is nastier than when self made, they look down on people who haven't improved themselves.

Because it’s considerably cheaper overall to leave the PP in place until the end of the stage of schooling than it is to have staff constantly editing and tweaking budgets (especially as there are a lot of people who qualify for it multiple times over a period as changing jobs can often be an unsettled period).

She’s awful, there’s no way she’ll be elected. If she is we can definitely look forward to a Labour government next GE.

Also the evidence is that poverty is the biggest risk to education achievement and that risk persists beyond the period of unemployment. Obviously there will be a few families who get back on their feet quickly but that’s definitely an exception.

nope, thats really not proof. Do disabled people routinely die in their forties or before in this country? Also, proof he had some help. Well, that's based on a guesstimate, so again, not proof.

We have the evidence of people with disabilities that would have prevented them from surviving without intervention, effort and care from others who had lived significant lengths of time with the disability.

None of this abandoning people to fend for themselves shit that our 'civilised' society opts for. We're not even capable of ensuring hospital patients receive nutrition if they can't feed themselves.

Thanks for demonstrating the depths of your ignorance.

This kind of crap, beamed in from 90s tabloid headlines, plays well with the traditional Conservative membership and the newspapers that they read. Who are the people who will be voting in the next leader and therefore PM.

The reality is that although, yes, there are some people who 'game' the system, they are a tiny minority. And the amounts of money in question are a fraction of a drop in the ocean compared to, say, cronyism-driven contract handouts at a national level for products/services that never actually materialise.

Financially, it simply isn't worth pursuing the small numbers of people who take advantage of the system, because it really is fractions of the whole.

However it is politically advantageous for Tory politicians to amp up the rhetoric around this, and make it sound like it's a far bigger problem than it actually is.

Unfortunate her names rhymes with Cruella!

Cut what? Basic UC is £11 a day for over 25s.

Yes, I'm very much in agreement with you here @FourTeaFallOut

This should be a hot topic for every interviewer and at every 'hustings' type event and Questiontime programme.

Exactly what the tory faithful want to hear

I'm fed up of being described as "on benefits", "scrounger", "living off the state" etc. I'm a carer for my severely disabled child and DH works. DH's income and my carers allowance isn't enough to live on. DH is also freelance because his employers are too tight to pay their staff proper wages.

This will be a huge vote winner amongst the Tory votership.

How much as she claimed in expenses?

Sue Ellen's expenses www.mpsexpenses.info/#!/mp/957

They aren't a tiny minority though. I know of several people who lied to get UC and Pip and are open about it. I've heard someone encourage someone else to 'just claim pip'. They're robbing the truly disabled who should imo receive more help, as should struggling working families. I've just retired early and DH will be soon, we're so sick of the amount of people claiming without lifting a finger for no good reason.
Otherwise we would be working till we drop dead to pay for too many to have an easy life. I think that people should try and improve themselves. Not all disabled people claim, I know several disabled people who all work, some very wealthy from investments, who own rentals etc and two with severely disabled dc who both work. Whoever gets in won't change anything though, it's ingrained.

What are the actual figures?

there are lots of unclaimed benefits too. There used to be a benefits helpline to make sure people got their entitlement- this was shut down. The fraud line stayed open though.

Report them if you believe they're lying?

The evidence by the government suggests they are a tiny minority. You knowing a few people who you claim are faking it, doesn't mean a majority are.

Hideously out of touch, but no surprise.

She said too many people are working part time in order to claim UC?!
When UC only helps up to £646 of childcare a month- some have no choice but to work part time.

I work full time and still get UC. Should I start working double the amount I do? She seems like an out of touch idiot

Me and DP both work full-time and receive UC. I've got 2 DC and another on the way. I work punishing amounts of overtime just to make ends meet (routinely taking my hours to 70+ per week), and although DP is in management, he's effectively on MW and looking for a second job.

We'd go under without UC. It scares me that the small amount of extra help we get is something the Tories are so keen to get rid of.

She's disgusting and has no clue how hard it is for people who work hard and as for the disabled... They're worthless
I'm on lifelong ESA and ongoing PIP
They've even changed the criteria for warm home discount so PIP doesn't qualify, but hide that fact by throwing us the £150 disability " benefit"
As for Therese Coffey... She makes my blood boil

There are people who need to not be claiming benefits though ,
We have lost a 32yr old who started work with us . Fit and healthy just went off and never returned, just didn't want to work . His partner chucked him out because she was sick of his sponging and he's now sofa surfing with a mate and claiming benefits .
Healthy adults should not chose to be on benefits as a lifestyle choice . Reduce this and more will be available to those who really need it

Completely agree.

But having said that, this feels a lot like a post made by a member of the Labour social media team.