"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

because they have not thought it out SGB, they just get brainwashed by the DM. They do not realise that they have been programmed to come out with this shyte.

God, the Daily Fail-reading divots are out in force today.

Never let the actual facts of benefit fraud get in the way of a good frothy-mouthed rant, hey? eg, that it accounts for less than 0.7% of the benefits budget, and that it is completely dwarfed by the amount of money unclaimed by people entitled to it (probably too ashamed to claim it because of the revolting attitudes of the hard-of-thinking on this thread).

The family in armchairathletes link above have been in the papers quite a bit, I don't understand why tbh as the father ( maybe both parents? ) work and bring in a decent income. The ' benefits' they claim are wtc and cc which adds up with 11 kids. I can only assume they are being paid by the mail. Worrying really, probably means the government's next target is massive cuts in these ' in work ' benefits.

You're probably right emily just a matter of time.

That 'story' is effectively 'woman goes into shop shocker'. 'Husband points at handbag - exclusive!'

Honestly, aren't you people fucking ashamed of youselves for buying into this ugly, divisive shite?

yes it is a worry.
My WFTC, CTC, HB and CB probably adds up to as much as unemployment 'benefits' - without them we could not eat. This was designed by the government.

Is it time to point out that as high unemployment was deliberately created by government policy, it is the duty and responsibility of the government to support those who are unable to find jobs?

What a lot of people don't realise about food vouchers is that they're often only accepted in chain supermarkets. So if you live out of a town centre and don't have as much as a Tesco Metro near you then you're screwed,. The corner shop won't accept them so what do you do then?

True story. I was reported for fiddling. I wasn't fiddling but the person concerned reported me with such alarming regularity that a)dh ended up in hospital and b) the dwp wanted us to sue the guy for harassment. One of the reports was a complaint that instead of buying cheaper long grain rice, we bought basmati. That's really living the high life, isn't it theboat?

gosh really dawndonna? Basmati rice eh? Jeez the guy must have been following you around, do you know who it was?

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?

The royal family add a lot if value to this country IMO, and they aren't sitting on their arses doing nothing. I'm quite happy to pay for them. The MPs expenses thing was way out of line, but I think it's been mostly sorted now so there's not much point banging on about it any more. At least they were doing a job and contributing to society, and using the money they earn to provide for their children, which is more than can be said for some healthy, able bodied people who claim benefits.

"so there's not much point banging on about it any more."
exactly what I think about this whole thread.
Yes some people have found it more profitable to not work, that is due to gov't policies. Personally I would love to be free of govt support but that is not happening. Bit galling to be told that as a 'Brit' I am too lazy to work though.
btw I am not unemployed I have my own business.

The biggest costs are things like contributory pensions ( state pension people paid NI for 35 - 40 years of working life towards ) which most people would not want to cut. I would certainly support cutting all foreign aid and a universal benefit of say £10k for everyone over 18 whether you work or not and no other benefits of any kind whatsoever.

ptolemysneedle, great post there..

thanks, I was needing a laugh!

Funnily enough I was speaking to a friend just the other day about the 'value of the royals'.

We both reckon most tourists are interested in the history surrounding it all, and the buildings. That's where the money cked es in.

So quite why the family itself have to be paid for I don't know. Why can't they be self supporting and pay rent?

that is right BBarse, I mean it is not like tourists go to Versailles, and say 'ooh this is nice but would be so much better if there was an incumbent monarch' do they?

The tourist thing is a myth. They bring in about 9 million. We pay a lot more than that.

Did you know that this government has cut down on benefits so much that half a million more people now claim housing benefit than did when they came into power. Must be all those jobs they created!

Did you know that this government has cut down on benefits so much that half a million more people now claim housing benefit than did when they came into power.

Did you actually read the article your quoting?

There are 193,000 less people claiming than in 1997 and if it has escaped your notice we have endured a couple of decades of HPI, and therefore rent has almost doubled in that time.

Nothing to do with cutting benefits.

"193,000 less people "
fewer

SunnyBaudelaire

Thanks for the pedantry.

I'm dyslexic but meh ..

that is OK, it is my pleasure

how do the goverment work out the fraud % ??

i will say i dont believe the rate they state.i believe it is higher,but wondering how they work it out

Yes, Justanother I did read it. There are not 193,00 fewer people.

During the Blair-Brown years, 1997-2010, there was a reduction in the number of people claiming housing benefit of 193,000, although all the progress on those numbers was made under the Blair administration.

The article in full

So how is that related to reducing benefits?

It is purely down to the UK housing market and not building enough social housing, (which labour also did sod all about during there rein in power).

Are you trying to suggest that a government subsidy should just rise in value at the behest of private individuals (Landlords)?

theboat you are talking absolute bollocks A lot of the obesity problems are CAUSED by poverty. Your suggestion of eating bread proves that you know FUCK ALL! Bread makes a lot of ppl GAIN weight which is why a lot of weight loss diets restrict it (i dont eat it at all)