to be fed up of George sodding Osbourne and his Knobbish Ideas

[avivabeaver]

The economy is proving harder to fix than he first thought

Solution- suggest cutting £10bn from the benefits budget and "limit the number of children people can claim for". So- are you supposed to choose your 2 favourite and just feed them then? Or what?

yeh it's a dream - imagine the fun you can have on £56 - after you have topped up your rent, paid for gas, electric and water, got food ... the high life indeed - lucky bugger

... complains because his wallet it too full and his diamond shoes too tight

Oh I see the debate has deteriorated....

Whilst there are many people who have found themselves on benefits through disability or redundancy or other very difficult circumstances there are also people who are simply better off on benefits so are on benefits. It doesn't help their children to see their parents depressed and suffering ill health because they lack any structure to the day and lack any purposeful occupation. Having worked in Social Services, and seen the difficulties experienced by families who have suffered from continuous unemployment over three or more generations I see the need for all the political parties to address the issue because the UK needs the younger people to become skilled and to contribute to the economy. We as a society don't need people who have no aspiration other than to get pregnant and get a flat and then spend the rest of their lives phoning social services/getting pissed and high/hitting each other/sleeping with random people/taking antidepressants/getting fat/smoking then becoming horribly disabled. That is not a life that anyone wishes for, this is something I would NEVER have said had I not seen this culture at first hand through working in Social Services. So argue that billionaires should be taxed more by all means but for the sake of the children of people in the benefits trap, think up better ideas for our politicians to get the people that can work and with the right incentives and skills can contribute and increase the support for those that can't.

I read these threads with interest, partly in the hope that someone whose views are likely to be further left than mine, might one day post something that really makes me rethink my views. But it just isn't going to happen when people feel the need to start being petty with one another.

Housing Benefit

You can claim Housing Benefit to help pay for your rent if your income and savings are below a certain level. If you're single and aged under 25 you can only get Housing Benefit for bed-sit accommodation or a room in shared accommodation. You cannot get Housing Benefit if you're living with your parents or other close relatives and paying rent to them.

How much will you get paid?

Depending on your circumstances you may be entitled to the following amounts:
Your status Maximum weekly amount
Under 25 £56.25
Over 25 £71.00
Couples, civil partnerships £111.45

From here: www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/Money/FinancialHelpForYoungPeople/DG_10027506

ohnotheotherone

Taking antidepressants?!!

God forbid they might take medication for an illness!!!

If people are better off on benefits it is not because benefits are generous but because capitalists won't pay a living wage. It really is that simple.

Wages have stagnated for the past 30 years, profits and output rose, people can't afford the products of their labour, the corporates pocketed the difference, diversified rather than share the wealth created, lending the money at interest to the workers. There has been a massive consolidation of class power and wealth since 2008 and the Tories have very effectively shifted the blame from the real pick pockets to the poor.

I have know a 16 year old boy to be offered a flat. He was known to social services throughout most of his life and it was the best way forward when the father used him as a punch bag when the wife went out.

I haven't read all the posts on here but I am sick of people blaming everything on the last Government tbh each Government leave a bloody mess for the next one to make whatever changes they deem appropriate.

This Government the ConDems live up to their name... they have CONDEMNED this country to old Draconian values where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Most of the cabinet were born into wealth and did not have to strive for their money, which will have been made by their ancestors using the lower classes to do their work for peanuts.

What makes it worse is that they all claimed child benefit for their children and David Cameron was not backward in filling out the DLA forms for his son and receiving that benefit. Not one of them were in financial need and could afford the best of everything. In my opinion they are hypocritical and need to be kicked out asap.

Would like to see them all spend at least 6 months, with no financial support, surviving the system you have to go through to access benefits, especially the ESA and their barbaric Work Capability Assessment.

Yes I agree that the issue of young people having children to get housing and benefits needs looking at but coming up with a solution that is workable will be difficult.

Did I move to China today by accident? Couldve sworn I only went to my local towncentre but apparently now I'm being told how many children I can have?

The assumption here is surely if you have more than two you must be short a gcse or 10 and therefore a scrounger. Arrogant bordering on laughable.