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Original poster

Benefits: Too Fat To Work. Fucking really???

250 replies

Mountainygirl · 03/01/2015 17:58

I just spotted this in the TV guide. Channel 5 have obviously hit on the perfect formula- bring everyone's two favourite folk devils ('fat people' and 'benefit scroungers') together, for a brand new series, which I am sure will be a balanced and fair portrayal of these people's lives....

TV seems over run with this shit atm. Everyone goes on about how sexist/racist telly was in the 70s, but honestly, in years to come, people will be totally gobsmacked about how in 2015, it was almost universally OK to rip the absolute shit out of poor people.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 04/01/2015 13:48

Thankfully not Dwerf
I work for a charity and specialise in training and employment advice.

haphazard of course your friend, on income support, will find life very different once her child is rising five. She isn't typical of people struggling on benefits.

And I appreciate anyone on a zero hour contract will struggle. They're evil. Of course if you're on jsa and refuse to apply for a zero hour contract job you can be sanctioned.

ilovesooty · 04/01/2015 13:50

Oh and once the job centre put you on one of their patronising beginners courses they can then refuse funding for anything else that might actually be useful.

aermingers · 04/01/2015 13:51

They shouldn't be putting you on courses that are too easy. Your level of learning should be properly assessed and you should be put on a course appropriate to your level of learning. If they don't do it that is fraud and you should find out the name of the provider and report. I workin this field and believe me, it will be investigated.

EatShitDerek · 04/01/2015 13:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EatShitDerek · 04/01/2015 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ilovesooty · 04/01/2015 13:57

You have to be a substance misuser or an offender Derek to be a service user.

unless you'd like to apply to volunteer and train with us! You could do hours that fit in with childcare and it would boost your CV. Get in touch with me if you're interested.

bunchoffives · 04/01/2015 13:58

I wonder what sector of society will be next?

The old who are a burden? (should have kept fit)

Parents who send their kids to school (education is a massive drain on public resources)

The ill who are using the NHS (should be healthier)

The 1 in 5 of the adult population who still smoke Biscuit

EatShitDerek · 04/01/2015 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dwerf · 04/01/2015 14:00

Aermingers, I did a basic skills course which was stupidly easy (though the tutor was a gem and realised it was probably far too easy for all of us), then a few days of one specifically tailored to lone parents where I was told that retail work was unsuitable for my lifestyle and to choose something else, then got a bollocking for not having a career path in mind, and then was basically thrown off the course for having to attend medical appointments (I had about five over two weeks, including a minor op) which the job centre had been informed about before they sent me on it. That course was also 9-4, fabulous set up for lone parents.

I also did a customer services course for four weeks which was helpful even though it was easy. Then they offered me a basic IT skills course even though I told them I'd done voluntary work tutoring people on these very same skills.

The most helpful IT course I found was off my own bat and was the ITQ2 that the local college was running for free.

I was tempted to do a year long teaching assistant course, but between the college attendance, and the placement attendance, whilst still having to be available for work and job centre courses, I wasn't sure how I'd fit it all in.

Cherriesandapples · 04/01/2015 14:01

There are communities in this country where it is normal to be obese and unemployed. It is a vicious circle, unemployment, lack of funds to access healthy food, eating unhealthy food / lack of exercise, obesity, unable to get employment, and so on....

This issue should be tackled, it could be tackled with innovative ideas... What about people on benefits being enrolled in work fit programmes where they choose to do voluntary work or exercise to prevent this happening. I know lots of people who will think I'm bad for saying that but after working with so many sad people, who never leave their homes, are lonely and isolated because of obesity I do think something needs to change. These people are trapped in poverty and ill health and just saying Channel 5 are awful won't actually help them.

bunchoffives · 04/01/2015 14:05

these people these people these people these people these people these people these people these people these people these people

Biscuit
aermingers · 04/01/2015 14:06

Dwerf, if you are being put in courses you don't need that is fraud. These courses are almost always provided by companies which make a profit. They have a duty to properly assess you and put you on an appropriate course, if they are putting you on a course which you don't need then claiming public funds they are defrauding the government. To be offered a basic I.T. Skills course when you're capable of teaching it would definitely fall into the category of fraud and should be reported to the awarding body or the head office of the course provider.

Dawndonnaagain · 04/01/2015 14:07

There are communities in this country where it is normal to be obese and unemployed. It is a vicious circle, unemployment, lack of funds to access healthy food, eating unhealthy food / lack of exercise, obesity, unable to get employment, and so on....
May we see some evidence of this please?

EatShitDerek · 04/01/2015 14:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dwerf · 04/01/2015 14:10

Well, too late now because I'm now employed at last. Underemployed it's true but still employed.

I wish I'd have known this back then, I was too frightened to refuse to go on any course in case they sanctioned me for refusing. I don't think I'd have the guts to say their courses were too easy, on paper I have very few qualifications because I left school with none. But I'm university standard. I do have a diploma in creative writing, which Remploy helpfully told me was useless.

Plarail123 · 04/01/2015 14:23

I can easily see that current demonisation of the poor and the overweight in this country has echoes of that time. I don't believe this govt will start putting people in camps but then I don't suppose people in Germany in the 1930s thought that would happen either. Shock Is this a joke? Get a grip!

FlouncyMcFlouncer · 04/01/2015 14:30

The poisoning of a nation's mindset against a section of society doesn't happen overnight. It is the slow drip-drip-drip of snide stuff like this that eventually turns us all into sheep, baa-ing along that 'these people' are different to 'us'. There are no 'these people'. There are just PEOPLE. We are all just people.

Those posters who have likened the current trend for denigrating "Benefits Claimants" to the propaganda of pre-war Germany are spot on. I'm sorry if anyone is offended by the slightest implication that we too could become a Nazi state - but do you think ALL German people before 1939 were born that way? No, they were programmed - and it's frighteningly easy to do.

FlouncyMcFlouncer · 04/01/2015 14:32

(Reading that back, I'd like to clarify that I do understand that not all German people agreed with Nazi philosophies!)

gamerchick · 04/01/2015 14:45

I'm glad other people think it. I've privately likened what the government is doing to Hitler for a while.. This lot scare the crap out of me because they are being blatant and don't care who knows what they're doing. Makes me wonder how far gone it all is.

Plarail123 · 04/01/2015 14:57

Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.

FlouncyMcFlouncer · 04/01/2015 15:00

Plarail123 I'm going to have to ask you to explain that. You obviously feel my opinion isn't valid, I'd be happy to hear why.

Dawndonnaagain · 04/01/2015 15:05

Piarail I'm really sorry you seem unable to see what is happening. The government's insidious little tale of shirker/worker is very real. Violent crime and hate crime against disabled people, those on benefits and the homeless has increased considerably since 2010.
As for the camps, UKIP have already discussed this possibility with regard to the disabled, but as with most of their shite, took it down from their website when a considerable number of people pointed out a) exactly what congregate communities were and b)complained.
Those of us with family members on benefits or with disabilities, or both have every right to be scared.
This retired history lecturer is very scared.

BackOnlyBriefly · 04/01/2015 15:09

Plarail123 you and some others are missing the point about the comparison with the Nazis. In order to make mistreatment of the Jews acceptable they started a propaganda campaign to make people feel as though the Jews were the cause of all their problems.

I expect they said "can't get a house? That will be because the Jews took them all". "Not earning enough to live on? If only the Jews weren't going around owning everything then decent, hard-working, Christians would have a better life"

There are probably examples from other times and places, but that is one everyone knows about.

It's no use just thinking "but, benefit claimants are not in camps"

Imagine if a generation ago the government said "you know that nice young woman with her new baby down the road? Well we're going to toss her out of her flat, put her in a filthy B&B and cut her money so she has to beg from food banks to feed her and the baby. We need the money to help pay for bankers bonuses"

We wouldn't have stood for it back then, but now... well they all deserve it don't they....

Cherriesandapples · 04/01/2015 15:11

When The conservatives wanted to reduce the unemployment levels after closing the mines they put people on incapacity benefit in specific areas. It is these areas where the cycle of deprivation and I'll health occur. I have seen this through work and I don't know why people totally refuse to believe that these areas exist. Oh I know why, because most people especially on Mumsnet would never dream to actually go into these areas, no Waitroses, No John Lewis etc...

Plarail123 · 04/01/2015 15:12

I think you are very paranoid and deluded. I am British but I live in a country with no benefits system, social housing or free healthcare and certainly no democracy. You have no idea how lucky you all are. Not a clue, yet you are still complaining. Comparing Britain in 2015 to Nazi Germany is vile and an insult to those murdered under that regime. You should be ashamed of yourselves.