Aibu to wonder how you can claim JSA for years

[Talkativeparrot]

I know a couple who are in mid 20s. They have claimed JSA for five years plus one claims carers entitlement but does no caring. They get rent and council tax paid. Basically their lives seem to be one big day out. There are loads of jobs available locally so why do they not get made to try one. Doesn't make sense to me.

FIL has a walking stick when he's out but he very often doesn't use it in the house. Based on what the OP has said I think he's faking it for the benefits, I'm going to kick his stick out from under him when he visits us tomorrow.

And don't get me started on my friend who has "depression". Cheeky bitch actually smiled this afternoon. Fraudster.

No no, it's not a goat. It's a dead cat.

Bet we're all astonished this is a first-time poster...

No need to wonder OP, give it a go yourself. If it's so easy to fiddle the system you'll have no trouble.

Collect evidence, report them and get them investigated. Too many scroungers around doing the same thing and it makes people distrust the genuine cases.

Life is one long day out on JSA? You sound as if you've papered your walls with copies of the Daily Mail. Such frothing.

It's on Facebook so it must be true!

My non-working neighbour/friend has mobility issues (and although we are close I have no idea what benefits she is on). She barely has enough money for food, bills and rent so I'm not sure if she's getting what she is entitled to.

According to Facebook she's out doing something all the time. She posts pictures. I know for a fact she doesn't leave the house most days. When she's well she gets out more often.

Be grateful you are able to work. Find a worthwhile cause to support.

quizqueen only 1% of benefit expenditure is paid due to fraud or error.

1%.

Which means 99% of people claiming are completely genuine and your claim of there being "far too many scroungers" is bullshit.

I get carers allowance to OP so shoot me. £60 odd quid for providing 24 hour care to my disabled son 23 and disabled daughter 15 works out at about 36 pence an hour. If and when he goes to support living it will cost thousands a year so shoot me for claiming my 36p an hour whilst saving you good old taxpayers thousands of pounds in care costs.

Amen to that fleshmarletclose, the government would be financially fucked if we all demanded NMW and on-call fees for the 24/7 care we provide.

Worry about your own life YABU. The grass is not greener for the majority on benefits. The devil makes work for idle hands more time to commit crime and come out unemployable make children you cant afford to feed and struggle with evicitons
uncertainty of housing hostels overcrowding. Many on benefits go crazy after being on them and cannot cope they didnt start off wanting to be unemployed long term and the shame and stigma of it. They system is a mindfield where you have no guarantee your going to be paid. JSA claimants come from all walks of life. We will soon see more professionals and skilled workers in the dole line due to Brexit slow wage rises and inflation and economic migrates will leave leaving a gap of cheap labour but not necessarily more jobs more like one person will do three people's job for the same money. Be thankful it is not you.You do not know why they are not working. People make assumptions they do no caring how the hell do you know? Are you joint at the hip? You know a lot about their life are you planning to shop them? If not you just want people to argree with your stetotypical view of life on JSA or are you jealous, why don't you try it? If you lost your job or god forbid became too sick how would you cope? If you had no one to help you and no pot to piss in getting into arrears? Dealing with inept benefit agency's that get it all wrong and leave people high and dry. Private middle class landlords upping rent or eviction as you cannot afford it and would seem they are happy to get housing benefit money through their tenant to fatten their pockets. You seem to envy the lifestyle when many people getting JSA and carers are stuggling due to UC delays PIP assessments resorting to food banks. As a lot of benefits are below a monthy wage and you may have had periods of zero income living in a hostel so are already in debt before you start. People get caught up in this cycle then the longer they have been out of work the harder it is to get work as most jobs would like employment history and references . People on JSA do have bills to pay like the rest of the world it is not all one big hand out they often get stuck in a cycle of debt with HMRC tax credit DWP housing benefit having PIP CA JSA or income stopped or cut unfairly due to system error or the claimant did not get a letter for a appointment so was sanctioned. Deductions from budget loans council Tax gas electric and people can go weeks without money. They may have all these shiney things but to keep them they are in debt payday loans higher purchase like Brighhouse are keeping them there.
They could have a criminal record, mental health homeless and drug problems very little qualifications or even overskilled the job center do not offer as much support as they could especially if you have SEN or disability and are long term unemployed. The work programme is just a way for companies to use and abuse job centre claimants work them to death for a xmas holiday pay them nothing but if they don't go this will lead to sanction and no money but it is rare to get full time employment from the company as why would they? When they have their pick of the next JSA batch. ESA is a scam that wastes GP's time as you have to prove your ill but may not get PIP as your not well but not sick enough for PIP and assessments are unethical and cruel to people who are unstable conducted by a dubious health professional you have to tell as intimate details too as if they are your GP and grade you with a point system as if it was a concentration camp.
If as much time was spent reporting dodgy claims than was used to moan about materialistic shit about what they have like the 'oh look they don't work and have a new BMW and I work but drive a old skoda and cannot afford a holiday' it's just to prove a moral high ground because you are so great because you work have a mortgage and or stability but are so keep up with the Jones your jealous of what they have in comparison to you when you do everyting right and in your eyes they do so much wrong by not working but hell you don't know why because as you said how can they be on JSA that long.. We could save billions and actually help the people that need it not the thief that doesnt deserve. Too quick to sorn too slow to punish. If your not going to report it then look after your self your health and finances because it is none of your business what she does and what she claims and why should it matter to you? If your more interested in protecting your taxes and public funds they do have a fraud line you can call but I know it is more fun to gossip and bitch than do fuck all and say oh it is not fair.

@sweetkitty I've known families on benefits where the extended family members will buy designer clothes, games consoles etc for the children rather than give the parents money or get more practical things. So while the kids have nice things the parents have to worry about giving them enough food, paying bills including the rent and actually buying clothes & foot wear they need day-to-day.

MotherforkingShirtballs
only 1% of benefit expenditure is paid due to fraud or error.
1%

5million+ people claim benefits in the U.K.
1% or 50,000 is a hell of a lot of people.

And a lot of that fraud is criminal gangs.

One of my siblings claimed tax credits for years and was reported a number of times for benefit fraud. It was because my parents bought the kids nice clothes, possessions and took them out as they did not want the kids to miss out. No fraud was involved.
Also people can be caring for someone with severe mental illness such as someone who has periods of psychosis. Very few people would share info like this with someone they are not very close to.
But if you are sure there is fraud involved, then report it OP.

Someone cannot claim jsa and carers allowance at the same time. Therefore you are talking shite.

Basically their lives seem to be one big day out

Hollow laughter. Do you know how much JSA is? Living on such a pittance is no ‘big day out’, ffs. Like most they probably supplement their living expenses using credit; maybe even payday loans. What joy!

@wafflyversatile best reply ever

You forgot to answer some important questions.

Also do they park their goat in the disabled bay the council put in for them?

Umm I was on benefits I went out a lot because I couldn't afford my electric bill and in the winter I couldn't afford to heat my house

Not everyone on benefits wants off them. The majority do yes, the majority are actually trying to find work and are struggling. But you do sadly have a minority that dont care and will happily live off benefits for as long as they can. Whether this couple is that or not I don't know, never met them.

Some people have been on jsa for a long long time too. They are unemployable. I know of one man from working in a job centre who is well known in the area for being an alcoholic, so any job he applies for he is rejected because they can't trust him. It's sad, because he is trying, but not getting the help he actually needs. But then you can't help someone who refuses it either.

There are people who claim JSA with no intention of seeking a job, as I know from a close family member. She and DP live in a mortgage free house which he inherited and grow a lot of their own produce. They don't live an extravagant lifestyle or go on holidays , but they are content with what they have. They both have degrees and one has a professional cookery qualification, so could easily get a job, but chooses not to. This has been going on for 3 years and I am amazed that they get away with it. However, they are bright enough to work the system, whereas the less intelligent, sophisticated and genuinely needy are not, and they are the ones who pay the price, sadly.

If one is claiming carers it is for looking after someone who is receiving a disability benefit. It may look like they are choosing not to work but there could be mental health, physical health, confidence issues, poor qualifications, lack of knowledge of how to present well in a cv and interviews etc etc. Yes there are hundreds of jobs but there are thousands of applicants and it’s far easier to get a job when in a job.

They both have degrees and one has a professional cookery qualification, so could easily get a job, but chooses not to.

Having degrees means nothing once you've been out of work for a bit (or if you've never really been in work).

Unless you have literally just graduated, no recent experience & no recent references means nobody employing people with degrees will touch you with a bargepole.

And for minimum wage jobs you get rejected because a degree means you 'wont stick around' apparently. (And you can try not mentioning it but then you have a three year gap of only holiday jobs which looks worse...).

Once you've been on JSA for a certain length of time you learn to live with it and not hope for anything more. But that's a defeat dressed up as a lifestyle choice.

There are plenty of uneducated people playing the system. And you know what...good luck to them. I couldn't care less if people want to live on benefits forever provided they're decent human beings.

What I find irritating are families like those who live in my street...dad does the odd bit of cash in hand almost certainly undeclared, mum doesn't work. Dad is claimed not to live there so mum can get extra benefits. They have basically never worked as far as benefits agencies are concerned. They are perfectly fit and well but the sort of scummers that get away with it. Front garden is always piled high with rubbish despite the fact both those lazy fat fuckers are there all day and certainly aren't lacking in time to keep it tidy. Oh and not forgetting their 5 kids, the eldest 2 of whom ride untaxed, uninsured mopeds, revving them up and down the street at all hours, and the younger kids (under 10) who call you a cunt if you park on the public road outside their house.

The parents are a fucking drain on society. Their kids will be the same I've no doubt. It's people like them who give all benefit claimants a bad name.