"Benefits are a lifestyle choice for so many these days"

[Bellerina2]

I'm on the bus and two women behind me are having a long conversation about perceived benefit cheats and one of them just said the above phrase. WIBU to hit her over the head with a rolled up copy of the Guardian??

But seriously, it's so depressing that people think this. Well done to the government and likes of the Sun and Daily Mail for convincing people that those on benefits are leading some sort of charmed life

Sorry, just to drag up flats and Germany again - Germany has very strict rules (social laws I guess? Not sure) on things like noise and noise making, which may owe to the success of apartment-living? I'm not sure without things like that which guarantee home life a certain element of peace that flats would ever be a viable, life long option for lots and lots of people.

Jilly try telling that to someone under sanction and dependent on the next food parcel.

Omg I can't believe I just read that.
So kids who are growing and need proper nutrition shouldn't have that?

Yes Millie people in the UK are starving and there would be many more wre it not for foodbanks. Sanctions are largely responsible.

Have you read the report Bishop linked to?

You're just taking the piss aren't you Jilly?

Either she's taking the piss, arrogant or woefully ignorant.

The poor should eat less? I've heard it all now!

' I got made redundant afew tears back and wasn't entilted to a penny as my ex earnt too much'

Bollocks. You would have been entitled to 6 months of contribution-based JSA regardless of his income as long as you had the relevant NI contributions, which you would have as you'd been working for 10 years straight.

Ignore Xenia Jilly. It's an old horn she's tooting that's starting to go rusty.

trufflesnout Maybe introduce the same laws here? I don't see the reason why not? If the Germans can live by rules, why not the Brits?

They are very odd by British standards though. It's not a question of whether Brits can abide by rules though, surely, rather a matter of different cultures.

Then, maybe, the culture has to change? What's so odd about being quiet at certain times, so that you don't disturb your neighbour? Surely, that's just a matter of being polite and mindful of other people around you?

Nothing's odd or wrong about it Millie. Think you got the wrong end of the stick, I wasn't Germany-bashing, merely to thinking of reasons as to why apartment living is so popular and successful there vs here.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2996106/Pregnant-mother-11-makes-39-000-year-benefits-seen-shopping-handbags-store-purses-cost-275-each.html

Shock... daily mail posts benefits article. It all must be true then.

So are these a made up family? Gosh I hope they sue! How dare the Mail use their photos and lie so badly about them.

You think the daily mail tells the truth? It's one of the biggest propaganda machines.

The first thing that leapt into my mind was that the DM had given her the money and said treat yourself so they could get a photo OP

Daily mail fake benefits story

Scroungers!

I bet David Cameron gets down on his knees every day and thanks God that the Daily Mail exists.

I think Jilly's point was that ppl on benefits need to stop wasting taxpayers' money on excessive food and luxury items.
I know ppl on benefits (who chose not to work) who get takeaways several times a week, smoke, drink alcohol, feed their kids high-fat, high-sugar diets. This leads to obesity and chronic health problems, putting even more strain on NHS.
If ppl can't afford to feed themselves and their kids, IMO they should be given food-vouchers instead of money! If the vouchers could only be used for specific healthy staple foods and household essentials (eg bread, milk, veg, cheap cuts of meat) they might be inspired to work in order to afford the luxury items they're accustomed to! If they feel ashamed of paying with vouchers, that's another incentive to get a job! Why should taxpayers fund someone's cigarette addiction or junk-food habit? With exception of certain groups (eg disabled people) benefits should be about helping ppl through tough times, providing essential groceries to families who can't afford them. Giving ppl money just encourages them to abuse the system!

Jesus Christ Almighty what a load of twollocks.

Oh dear god, I just can't.

I filled a bingo card with your post theboat

It's entirely reasonable to be cross, if you are an employed taxpayer, that you are paying for idle, dishonest people to enjoy themselves and buy shiny frivolous things. But so many of you keep on looking in the wrong direction when you get cross. Why get in a lather about the poor when your taxes fund the parasitic House of Windsor and free champagne and caviar and fiddled expenses for MPs, many of whom do pretty much sod all for their salaries? Your taxes pay the bonuses of bank executives who ruined the economy in the first place. Why so keen to blame the powerless for your own difficulties when they were caused by the powerful in the first place?