"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

donna don't take it so personally.
Many people on their high horse about this will not have been in need, ever.
Maybe they chose their men better than I did, whatever.

I would like to know how it's even possible to accurately measure how many people are "fiddling" the system.

loiner, Dawn pre-empted accusations of invoking Godwin's Law by invoking it herself in the quote below

Yes, if you mention Godwin's Law while also mentioning Hitler it nullifies Godwin's Law. Everyone knows that.

sorry meant to say they were for disability,my fault

a single mum with children no health concerns would get far far less

So this thread doesn't focus on people with disabilities. Yet Armchair has just done that. Getting on her high horse about the "handouts" given to ilove, the disability benefits given to ilove. Ffs. People are vil

*vile

boat is it really so far out of your imagination to think about the women forced to give up work by there abusers. Who have no self worth. Who have to take life day by day. God you are vile.

im going to shut up after this,yes it is alot of money but many have severe disabilities that require adaptations,therapy, wheelchairs etc.

it dosent just get provided by the NHS or council as they are short of funds,many people have to buy their own and wheelchairs etc dont come cheap,many pay for specialist services,even incontinance pads,

im lucky i dont have huge expenses like some ive mentioned but many do

I'm so sorry you were subjected to this, ilove. The internet is many ways is a wonderful thing, but what it does do is to bring bullying into your sitting room. Hide the thread, for your own sanity, and remember, there are still some of us who do not judge.

I'm going to say this.

2K a month not including any housing costs is an AWFUL, AWFUL lot of money. Disability or no disability.

Dawn - Ilove chose to disclose her benfits.
She also said she can see why others are pissed off.

She also said she has no great expenses attached to her disability.

Thanks Ilove. I appreciate your honesty.

thanks dawn,ive grown a pretty thick skin of late

i put myself out there and i pretty much expected that but in fairness nobody has made me feel bad,its just how things are

People with disabilities should be integrated into the work place and offered real support. Stop being nasty to ILove - she needs more support x

True candid But with an admission that she couldn't begin to earn that kind of money - where is the incentive?

And I'd rather now talk generally so that applies across the board.

2K a month not including any housing costs is an AWFUL, AWFUL lot of money. Disability or no disability.

But it's not about people with disabilities: What I would consider thick and cuntfarty is repeatedly banging on about disability on a threda that has fuck jack all to do with it. Last time I looked no one " chose" disability as a lifestyle. It's as if some posters are looking to be offended and keep on and on about it because the rest of are refusing to engage.

What Ilove hasn't said is what the cost is to her.
What you haven't thought about is that the government gives a specific sum. I have to pay for not one, but two wheelchairs out of our money, special diets, specific clothing. We struggle. But of course, it's not about me. Although I can't see why so many complain that those with disabilities may just have some sort of standard of living. Do you want carers and those with disabilities to live in poverty too? That's what you are saying when you go on about people raking it in.

I think society would be much more willing to improve benefits for disabled people and their carers if there was more faith that the system worked only for the people that need it, and not for those that choose to take advantage of it.

It is not the fault of the disabled or of those who use the system properly that others do not. To plaster the blame on them is disgusting, they have no power to do anything about it - they can only bear the brunt of the hatred.

Here's the rub, armchair mentioned that "some will fall through the cracks", and that's what is so worrying to read when you are disabled. You cannot allow vulnerable people to fall through the cracks, ad definitely not intentionally so, or at least not in a civilised society.

We've had mention of people 'pretending' to have bad backs and depression, we've had ilove who is severely disabled berated for being giving the money she needs to live. You can hardly keep up the "but I do care about disabled people" spiel after that, armchair.

Why aren't we outraged, as disabled people or carers to disabled people, that people are swindling the system? When you attack a severely disabled woman for, essentially, living, then we band together. Fuck. Off. We face enough adversity in life without you wittering on about the unfairness of those who pretend to have 'bad backs' or 'depression'.

Well guess what? We are disbelieved continually about our pain, our ability to work, what we can and can't do, by society, sometimes by our friends and relatives too. So bitch about the man who pretends to have a bad back all you like, but it's not going to garner you any empathy from me, and nor will it instil a hatred of the system - it is him I empathise with.

Why would she need an incentive. Shes not capable of working now. So she shouldn't.

True candid But with an admission that she couldn't begin to earn that kind of money - where is the incentive?

SHE DOES NOT NEED INCENTIVE. SHE IS SEVERELY DISABLED AND CANNOT WORK.

Hang on - we don't know that Ilove is " severly disabled". We do know she doesn't require extra expenses like wheelchairs Dawn .

What doesn't chime is the assertion on one hand that disable dpeopel are being starved to death with people's own experiences of a very very very generaous system.

And Dawn - how does thinking it's off that someone gets £40K a year in benefits and no housing costs equate to me wanting to starve people ?

That's juat, again, plain daft.

Can you see how this is getting seriously offensive now armchair?

She gets ESA and PIP. They do not give those out like sweeties, armchair.

How did you get 40k a year from 2k a month?

2K a month not including any housing costs is an AWFUL, AWFUL lot of money. Disability or no disability.

And it's very expensive when somebody has cancer or needs brain surgery or an MRI scan.

Sometimes life is expensive, and as a civilised society we share (or should share) the burden.

Disability is relevant because disabled people have been affected so much by recent cuts. The government is not saying:

"Generally people on benefits are wasters, but people with disabilities deserve far more help and here it is!".

They are deliberately and clearly identifying disabled people on benefits as scroungers and liars.

FFS Armchair, Ilove has been through a harrowing assessment to get what she gets, enhanced care for PiP does mean she's fairly seriously disabled.
You are obviously unable to comprehend the point that there are only a couple of payments for people with disabilities and that people with differing disabilities need to make the money stretch in different ways.
Oh, and as for no housing costs, in fact there are, those that own don't get help with repairs, maintainance etc. So, if ilove has tiles that slip from her roof, or a fence that needs repair, she has to pay for that. And yes, I know other home owners do too, but the point is that there will always be some housing costs.

put it like this i sleep on a sofa bed in the lounge (not great) as the stairs are to much and my atheritis is very very painful comming down and makes me unsteady on my feet especially coming down,or should i shuffle on my bottom down