to think cutting benefits will increase crime

[everydaywonderful]

because people need money, you know, for food and rent and stuff. I'd be prepared to break the law before seeing my children without food, or homeless, wouldn't you?

Yes this is the real issue but of course they don’t want people to kick up a fuss so they pit normal people against other normal people and sit back and watch the rich get richer. And even some poorer working people even agree with them because they have been brainwashed to think it’s the people on benefits fault.

I said people who refuse, not people who can't

Yes, it's fine. But you've answered the question there. You were lucky enough to have a neighbour who worked as a childminder! You must realise that not everyone will have that. I don't know of any childminder that works past 6pm to allow for shift work.

Are you suggesting that all working class people on a low income are a hair's breadth away from becoming criminals?

Bit of a sweeping judgement there.

A child minder who does over nights? You were incredibly lucky then, so not really an option for most people.

The Morrisons close to me hires a person who can't read or write, and has a prison record. I know him. His parents live near me. He collects trolleys and puts them back in the trolly park. I know a plant nursery that employs two person with Downs Syndrome and neither can read or write, but they grow lovely plants and sometimes make you a coffee in the cafe. They are both employed on minimum wage. I know the person who owns the nursery. She employs several people with learning difficulties but I don't know if any of them read but I know the two with Dawn's Syndrome don't because once they have planted a box up someone else comes to write out sticks and then they poke them in each box. I know DHL employs people who have a past criminal record because my son used to work there and told me. That's just 3 people I know. I am not ignorant but perhaps if people don't look they don't find.

In my local Facebook group I think that the gammons/flag shaggers/Reform supporters actually would prefer people to starve. They have not one jot of empathy and never imagine that it could be them one day.

why was i lucky? i asked.. she offered, there was no luck about it... sometimes we have to stop assuming someone or something won't work just because normally it doesn't.

have you advertised for one? are you prepared to pay out of hours rates? you do know (certainly back in my day) you can offset childcare costs against any Tax Credits... we are talking 20 years ago...

and before anyone jumps on me, i have never said i have never claimed benefits.. i've said that I worked while being single with 2 children.

The luck is in knowing a childminder with space ?

Like how often do you think that happens !

You and the OP seem to have a very low opinion of people on benefits. Do you really think that if someone loses their job they are going to think, do you know what I have 12 months of getting benefit money, I think I will spend that time doing fuck all, and then when the 12 months is up I might think about getting a job, but what I think is better is I can go out stealing because that's the kind of low life person I am.

Are you for real?

I work full time and I don't need childcare as my DS is 16. I'm just not ignorant to the fact that there are many barriers that make getting back to work difficult. Childcare is a huge one.

You would be correct. I'm a Foster Carer to a teen with learning difficulties and who can't read, hence I have bothered to find out where he might gain future employment. I found the plant nursery and Morrisons also employ people who can't read to collect trolleys. I'm sure I will find more as I continue to research for my Foster Son. I won't give up on him and force him into a life on benefits. He does get PIP but I believe he'll get a job once he leaves education. He's polite, helpful and works hard.

What is a gammon or flag shagger? The mind boggles.

You have not read my posts. There are jobs for people who cant read and write. But the competition for them is massive. There is more competition at this level than there is for Oxbridge. And as for "not looking" it is part of my job to help find such placements. The number of people who want them outnumber the placements available perhaps 80 to 1

I have to take issue with your idea that there are no jobs. In some locations, there may be no jobs. My work has 25 vacancies; only 6 are advertised because we advertise one per job type. The market is moving fast, we lost 3 recently during recruitment. Then there are restaurants and bars near here; I can name you 7 who have signs up looking for staff. Then there are cleaning, gardening and carpentry jobs I've heard of recently where people are struggling to employ (no idea how many). And I've had recruiters contact me looking for interest or leads on at least 10 roles just this week. School are advertising for 3 roles. I would be able to point to minimum 55 open jobs really quickly. I know both siblings and one BIL are currently trying to recruit too. This certainly doesn't mean that all jobs are suitable for all people, but there are definitely a LOT of open jobs, the 1m sounds very low to me.

Now, i don't happen to think it is helpful to cut benefits for those who can't find work. The article does say the benefit cut proposal is only to penalise those actually turning down job offers, but refusal can be a slippery category to pin down e.g. single mum with antisocial hours contract, so I hope that checks and balances are added.

I'm certain he wouldn't turn to stealing despite what @everydaywonderful thinks.

Also, nowadays you have to pay childcare in advance and claim it back via Universal Credit. For a full time nursery place you'd need to have about £800 to pay upfront.

Yet they are still removed and earning money each month.

My DH goes to work on the train. Then walks the rest of the way. It's about 20 miles in and 20 miles back. He wants to work and enjoys his job. He works from home sometimes.

Used to describe people with far right political views, the "take back our country" types. Usually have a profile pic of the England flag.

Again, fine if you can get to work on the train! Just depends where the job is and if it is actually accessible via public transport.

I don't believe there is not 1 so gle job within 20 miles of you. Where do you live I'll find you one?

i am so sorry

I was just so lucky during my single life bringing up 2 children, i'm so sorry that working was more important to me and important to show my children that the work ethos is good.

no matter what i say, i found a childminder to work out of hours - oh you were lucky, i drive - oh you are so lucky you can drive, oh you are so lucky you have a car, oh you are so lucky you can afford a car!

i am a firm believer that if you want something that bad, then you do everything within your power to get it... just not crime

Agree, there are the ones that play the system, but for everyone of those, quoting a friend who is a benefit advocate, there are 200 who are not claiming support they are entitled to.

In my time working at the job centre, the amount of people who "didn't want to work" was... almost nobody, they wanted to work but they didn't have the skills or the experience or where saddled with a very clear disability.

The ones that broke my heart were old people, over 60 with significant mobility problems being pushed away from part time jobs they could do and were already doing as they were requested to do over 16 hours. Most of them didn't have the qualifications or experience to work in an office but their bodies no longer had the strength to carry out more manual work as they did most of their lives as with knackered knees, hip problems or severe arthritis, it was impossible. Yet they were told that they could do non manual work when realistically, without office experience, nobody would have them!

Most of the people I dealt with had their confidence shattered through continuous failed interviews.

If you could see how happy they were when they secured an interview or got a job, you will know that the rhetoric that people on benefits is lazy is just a nasty piece of false stereotyping to promote the Conservative's agenda.

What about the far left, what are they called?