to think that people who are well enough to volunteer stewarding at Festivals every single weekend are well enough to work?

[TalkinPeace]

Person has never worked due to MH and back pain - both of which are directly linked to morbid obesity.
Tells the MH people they are agarophobic, but seem OK in a field all weekend every weekend

and are thus getting into festivals for free when other people have to pay

the whole lot being funded by benefits.

The person is nice enough but if I put it on my FB feed they will see and realise I'm being judgy.
But am I being unreasonable to be annoyed?

TalkinPeace

It is voluntary.

www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/festivals

If you are that jealous of what this person is doing, why don't you volunterr yourself for next year?

It is skills improving, just as any voluntary job would be. It helps you build your confidence and self esttem, it helps you with social interaction, it helps you with time keeping, working as part of a team, getting used to a working shift. It gives a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Also, you say you have "challanged" them face to face? If someone "challanged" me i'd be very stand offish and wouldn't give them a real answer. Your friend did better than i would, i would tell you to eff right off if you "challanged" me.

Do you actually really know anything about this persons mental and physical difficulties. Or has all of your knowledge just come from what you have gleaned from facebook with large jar of assumption thrown in for good measure?

Who are you to say that no money should be given to this person and they shouldn't be doing wwat they are doing?

Are you their Consultant? Their Therapist? Their GP? Are you the DWP decision maker who OK'd this persons application? Based on much evidence probably from this persons Consulant, Therpist, GP and any other professional that deals with this persons health.

No reading in here.
Unless you're this person's consultant you have no idea just how disabled they are or aren't, it's not for you to judge.
If you are their consultant it's not appropriate to be on their social media friend lists.
If not you clearly dislike them and are not their friend so de friend them. You'd be doing them a favour.

I wonder if this person would also be happy to marshall/steward other events throughout the year.......in the cold,wind,rain and snow?

You don't know about their mental health and how they manage it day to day and week to week, or on an ongoing basis.

I think you would do them a favour by distancing yourself and your judgement from them.

You're actually envious of someone with MH problems, back pain, and morbid obesity because they get to see festivals when you don't?

No, she despises them and wants to look down on them for their misfortune, but that is hard when they have the temerity to live a non-shit life.

Luckily non-shit lives for people with MH illnesses are on the way out.

Another victory for the spiteful and vindictive of England.

Hooray!

Not sure what Oxfam has to do with it - Oxfam are not involved with any of the festivals I saw mentioned.

The FB was the icing on the cake - it was conversations at a party that first brought the issue to my attention.

I'd not want to go to festivals every weekend : I'm too tired from a week of working and looking after family and house.

I love the assumption that the person has told their doctors and DWP contacts that they are doing this.
Highly unlikely.

But clearly AIBU to think that people who can work when they choose should do paid work.

YABU.

Volunteering is poles apart from the commitment of holding down a full time job.

If you don't turn up for a volunteering role, what happens? You feel guilty about letting people down and not much else.

If you don't turn up for work? Disciplinary, stress, no pay, no money to buy food/ pay the bills.

It's very likely that the reason this person is able to volunteer 'every weekend' is because there is little stress or pressure involved, knowing if they are too unwell to turn up there is no harsh consequences must be a huge weight off their shoulders.

Volunteering is a great opportunity for those who are too unwell for the commitment of a normal job. It can even be a stepping stone into paid employment as a confidence and self-esteem booster.

Perhaps she is capable of work, perhaps not. But everyone under DLA will get reassessed under PIP, and from what you say, it is unlikely she would get PIP. Under PIP rules you have to need help or supervision to do basic things like get dressed, make a meal or bathe.

'But clearly AIBU to think that people who can work when they choose should do paid work.'

If you were properly reading and understanding what people have said here, you might have realised that, for some people, the 'choose' aspect is EXACTLY what makes them fit to volunteer but not to hold down paid work.

But you obviously have your opinion and are sticking to it regardless.

I agree with the person who said do them a favour and defriend them. They don't need 'friends' like you.

YANBU. A few weekends or a bit of regular local volunteering would be different. I can see why this annoys you tbh but someone will start talking about goats and plasma screens any minute now. I don't know why I even bother posting on these threads anymore but YANBU and 95% of people I know in RL would say the same. And I've suffered from depression and anxiety on and off for many years, I know it's rotten but I still had to earn a living.

Volunteering is poles apart from the commitment of holding down a full time job.

This.

Maybe she doesn't want to discuss the detail of her life with someone so judgemental?

Her name she goes by isn't related to a creature of an ornithological nature is it?

Most people who defraud benefits around disability or sickness, were genuinely claiming, get better, but continue claiming.

Talkinpeace,

Not sure what Oxfam has to do with it - Oxfam are not involved with any of the festivals I saw mentioned.
Oxfam run a scheme for voluntary work at festivals, they are just one of many. Some events use middle men such as Oxfam, whilst other may use their own teams.

You are saying what your "friend" is doing is is not voluntary based on very flawed logic, i am saying that what your "friend" is doing is 100% voluntary. I even put a link up as proof.

The FB was the icing on the cake - it was conversations at a party that first brought the issue to my attention.
Converstaions at a party eh? Not out shopping together, not out for a coffee and a chat, not whilst one of you cooked each other dinner or had a girly night in with a chick flick and a bottle of wine. Just a random converstaion at a party, where alcohol is flowing, bravado is flowing, and masks are on all round, especially for people with mental health problems. How close are you exactly to this "friend"?

I'd not want to go to festivals every weekend : I'm too tired from a week of working and looking after family and house.
You don't have to do it every weekend. I work all week, have a family and house to look after yet i still manage to go out and enjoy myself, learn new skills and help in the community. Why can't you? Do you see where i'm going here?

I love the assumption that the person has told their doctors and DWP contacts that they are doing this.
Highly unlikely.
You didn't really read my post properly did you, go back and read it again. Slowly. I was actually making comment on your own assumptions that you think you know better than her Doctors and the DWP, which you do not.

Lots of very fluffy ideas about festival volunteering on this thread .....

Here is one such contract
^www.festaff.co.uk/festival-info/bestival^
Staff will be required to do training plus 2 x 10/12 hour volunteer shifts

Tiptops
If you don't turn up for a volunteering role, what happens? You feel guilty about letting people down and not much else.
No, as per the contract above, you get blacklisted for all future events.

And who is talking about Full Time jobs?
I'm not.
This person manages to work 24 hours per week most weeks.
They just do it at festivals while claiming disability benefit.

But it does get a bit tiring on the FB every week with loads of pics of them having fun at festivals that those of us with jobs cannot afford the time and money to go to.

I know someone a bit like this. Different disability though (posts about that all the time frequently), and it's not music festivals he frequents.

Once he posted - totally unironically - about leaving his alarm clock set accidentally - the shock of being woken up "early" (3pm) brought on a nose bleed.

Well you would think so. A lot of people on this so called disability benefit are perfectly capable of going to work. IMHO.

Sounds like he / she could work but only in a job that they want to do - typical of lots of the teenagers who think that some jobs are beneath them and can't understand why people work in jobs that they don't really enjoy. Boils my piss if I'm honest.

YABU. Maybe this person is committing fraud, maybe not but you can't tell unless you are living their life so it's best not to judge. A lot of people look like they're having a great time and enjoying perfect health from the outside. My DS2 is like that. He's 7. He gets DLA, motability car etc. He tries his hardest to be "normal" in front of his friends at school and then cries when he gets home as he's so tired and in so much pain. I often have to carry him to bed. Even DH doesn't properly understand. He doesn't know how hard it is to get any help for DS, he just sees the money in the bank account.

Volunteering in a charity shop is ok but not a festival with music she likes? Are you for real? Has it not occurred to you that it's the enjoyment factor that enables her?

Why don't we just bring back the asylums and keep the mentally ill in their place. Get them sewing mail bags or whatever else 'for the good of society' activity we can come up. God forbid they're allowed to use their time to do something they enjoy in a manner they can cope with.

Christ on a bike.

You do realise you need to train in all voluntary roles, even in charity shops, and most expect you to do atleast one shift a week.

Why does it matter whether this "friend" does her voluntary work at a festival or a charity shop?

Why is this such an issue with you, not anyone else, just you, because you are the one that has a problem with it. Perhaps if you can figure that one out, you might actually be able to move on with your life.

OP, you'll drive yourself mad over this. If you think they are well enough to work, report them and let the authorities do their jobs.

Would you be this troubled by your friend's volunteering if it was, in fact, equivalent hours in a charity shop?