to loathe this sense of entitlement we hear/read/see everyday

[scuzy]

the idea of some taxes is to pay into a pool for those in genuine need of some kind of benefits. but i am sick to death of people who feel that just because they paid tax for a certain amount of years they can now claim benefits just because they say "its their money". these people are making fraudulent claims but its justified to them because they have paid into the pot so to speak and now its their turn to give up working and relax.

if i hear "i am entitled to ..." one more time i'll smack someone!

we have become a nation of "entitlers".

even my own family ask why do i work x amount of hours when i coudl claim this that and the other. "you are entitled to you know"! er .... no i'm not.

It's so bloody easy to get a council house. That's why 1 in 4 kids in London live in overcrowded homes and millions across the country are on council lists in dire need of homes.

I loathe the fact that people don't have a BIGGER sense of entitlement when it comes to housing. Maybe we could force the bloody government to do something.

Thing is there are people out there who think I have a sense of entitlement, I really don't care any more. There are people out there who think I should somehow be ashamed to claim benefits - that anyone who claims benefits should be ashamed.

We shouldn't be ashamed. Anyone could be in our situation. I never thought I would be but life happened.

Anyone thinking that I am entitled, would you do what I do?

I am deploring theft from the state. You are arguing with me. You said this:

"If you disagree with how they spend it, you elect another (government)"

Do you see how that leads to the idea that universal suffrage renders me incapable of complaining about theft form the state?

Coco,

"Yes Tethers but the point is the goverment would not have that money had you not worked for intially. Nothing to apy (say? sorry if not)."

That is a point, but not really the point I was making.

I'm just pointing out that your employers don't have the right to tell you what you spend your money on. Because it's yours.

Taxation is not theft, even if it feels like it sometimes.

Where did benefits claimants = thieves come from exactly?

tethers

Perhaps it is my pregant brain and my inabilty to tolerate this heat, coupled with the fact I had no sleep last night but Im totally and utterly confused now!

Blue, choose an argument and stick to it.

Please stop trying to defend bringing another thread into it, it makes you look weird. Just admit you love me and move on

"Do you see how that leads to the idea that universal suffrage renders me incapable of complaining about theft form the state?"

No, you have run away with that. Complain all you want about theft from the state. Just stop saying that it is theft from you.

Oh and I hope those speaking of fraud rates are using the department for work and pensions' own statistics - they're pretty authoritative on the subject.

One thing I can't quite work out though is why the government are reviewing on a mass scale, and at great cost, benefits for people with disabilities and their families when the fraud rate is around half a percent.

Surely it would be better to target the areas with the greatest fraud? But no the government are putting taxpayers money into reviewing the benefit with lowest fraud first. Why might that be? Perhaps they consider people with disabilities a soft target.

Well I have used the argument disliked by the OP.

I dont actually feel entitled to anything really but I get very pissed off when someone half my age starts banging on about lazy people on DLA or getting more tax credit than them.

I will point out that me and OH have paid taxes for over 50 years between us and continue to do so (even if it is a limited amount).

I will admit to wanted to give a smacked arse to the next barely out of school gobshite who, because they have had a job for 3 weeks, thinks they can look down on me and OH.

And dont get me started on those who use the argument 'my mum/dad/OH have been paying taxes for years' as a justification of their benefit rant.

Most of us hate claiming, feel very insecure as we know it can all be whipped away in an instant and long for the days when we owed nobody anything.

I am astounded at the sense of entitlement felt by those who are pretty well off who are aggrieved by the fact that the poor get something they dont. I have seen threads moaning about 'we are on 150k a year and we cant get WTC! How is that fair when my neighbour gets it just because she earns 15k'

Cue long old rant about how hard they work and how expensive private schools and bespoke kitchens are. Because people who dont earn much dont work hard do they?

Like security guards, cleaners, support workers, nursery workers etc etc etc

There I go, ranting away

"Where did benefits claimants = thieves come from exactly?"

Well exactly - it comes from you guys.

Someone complaints about benefit fraud and you take it as an attack on all benefit claimants. You make the elision.

However MrsDeVere I notice you use quite an extreme example of £150k.

In reality, I would say the people just over the border of receiving any benefit/ tax credit etc are normally quite badly off too. Sometimes worse...

"Well exactly - it comes from you guys.

Someone complaints about benefit fraud and you take it as an attack on all benefit claimants. You make the elision."

Exactly- because you blanket defend all claimants, including the theifs on merit they are claimants, you are making yourself homogenous and associating yourselves with theft.

You steal taxpayers' money - I'm a taxpayer.

I certainly don't defend all claimants.... no way.
I just fail to see why those benefits with the lowest fraud rate are having large amounts of money and resources thrown at reviewing them when other benefits which have far higher fraud rates are not.

I'll enjoy the money I get even more knowing you feel like that, Blueberties.

Glitterknickaz - that statement is not exactly going to do you any favours

You wonder why benefit claimants have such a bed rep.... erm... don't say things like that!

Have you seen the way we get spoken to around here?
Come on, come and do my job. Oh sorry, don't you want to?

Thanks Glitterz. Now that's what I call a sense of entitlement.

Oh yes. Every penny of the 33p an hour.... blimey they really overpay me don't they?

Yes but your only adding fuel to the fire. It won't serve to change anything positively.

Sorry, what job is that? What is this all about?

(bearing in mind the same care is charged out at 3 grand a week otherwise)

You can use my tax money Glitter, I don't mind

Past caring, Coco.
I know people here think I'm scrounging scum, I no longer care because I know the idiots that feel that way wouldn't do what I do.

I'm a full time carer.

ooh thanks usualsuspect, might turn on the heating then

Am I stealing your money, blue? Or am I claiming my rights as set out in the contract the government imposes on me? I pay tax for 30 years, I need help, the government honours our contract. In what way am I taking "your money'? Have I not paid enough in taxes and NI contributions over the years to have that contract honoured? Or are you saying that only those who have paid for 30 years are entitled to benefits?

I have paid into the system, I have paid for things I support, like the NHS, education and welfare, I have also paid for things I disagree with, like the war in Iraq. I am not allowed to opt of the things I disagree with, and the government is not allowed to opt out of our contract simply because it decides I am in some way "undeserving.

We have a hard core on unreachable people in our society. This is the result of many factors. But allowing their children to suffer poverty while we try, as a society, to work out what went wrong, is not an option for a civilised society.