Dispatches- Britain’s Benefit scandal

[Sunnywalker]

Anybody watched this? It’s made me so angry. Some highlights include a company that can’t recruit an apprentice on 26k because sickness benefits would amount to 24k so it wouldn’t be worth it. 500,000, 25-34 years old on long term sick, a woman who has never had a FT job and claims 35k in benefits, this lady would like to work but says will never achieve the same income if she worked.

This country is bankrupt, public services crumbling! What is going on? Why isn’t there an overhaul!

It’s not a tiny percentage though. Look at the PIP and DLA figures

I’m aware of that, no errorrs were made, it isn’t at all unusual for what is on forms and what happens at in person assessments to be completely ignored. It doesn’t really matter that it will eventually be overturned, he’s currently in the process of being evicted, he has lost his carer and can’t afford to fund one. My husband has arthrogryposis, he has extremely limited use of his arms, he scored 0 when he applied for PIP when we lived in the UK, his assessor also claimed he could lift heavy objects, open doors and use a pen as he supposedly did this in front of her, so she was either a liar, or was suffering from quite severe hallucinations. Odd that assessors are paid to commit fraud.

I just focus on myself and my family, never once had anything rejected because I have sufficient evidence and as I say, I’m a genuine claimant. If people feel they’ve been rejected unfairly I’m sure they can appeal it

But you went to uni - that indicates you had opportunities to me. Many do not even have GCSES. Your situation was very temporary - you cannot compare. And in the current day - you would have been eligible for UC and help with travel costs until your wages came through.

I don’t understand the fraud comment can someone explain

I appreciate that, thank you

When was this on @Sunnywalker ???

I’m not understanding the figure of £35,000 for a single person being talked about here. The benefit cap for a single person is just over £1200 a month outside London - £1400 a month for inside Greater London, £1800 and £2000 respectively for a single person with children at home. Most benefits are subject to the cap - the only exception is disability benefit like PIP, DLA, AA or child DLA, but for those outside London even this would bring them nowhere near £35,000. I think programmes like these are designed to present worst case scenarios and encourage benefit bashing. This thread is a prime example of that.

If they have been SAHMs who haven’t worked after having children they they won’t qualify for a full state pension

The assessors do lie, I have witnessed that more than once, especially with physical disability however for your friend, not having the ability to walk should have hit something on the points? Has he had the report back?

No I don't mind you asking and no do not feel well off in any way shape or form, frequently get to the end of the month with nothing left , everything is budgeted for including childcare but costs are forever increasing elsewhere

I think we all need to realise (whether we work or are disabled or are retired) that we cannot afford to fund a Welfare Bill that is forecast to double in the next 5 years. We cannot afford to have 870k young, fit people on benefits. Research has shown the longer you stay on benefits the harder it is to get into work. Whether it's poor MH or not, we need to get the young and capable in work. We are asking an ever smaller pool of people to fund the Welfare Bill, it's unsustainable.

So you think telling lies isn’t fraudulent?

It should always pay to work.

You should never be better off on benefits than working.

However, disability benefits are different.

Should someone be poor and struggling to live on benefits, simply because they are disabled?

If they cannot work, they have no option but to claim benefits and it wouldn’t be fair for them to be penalised for it.

I know someone on disability and the amount they get is eye watering as a lone man compared to me as a single parent.
They also get additional things like a disability car and help with other things.

However, I would rather have my health and have the freedom to work than be disabled.

I don't get this argument - do you really want other people to go through that?

Buying a used car is false economy. Especially if older than five years. Buying one to start with is a minefield, when using garages selling second hand cars. Been there, done that. The only way I could afford is to lease a car. In the long term a lot more economical than buying a second hand car (which itself can cost a couple of thousand pounds).

If you think leasing is economical, good luck to you.

And a colleague of mine gets full PIP, I know exactly what for and I know exactly what she put on her forms because she told me. She said she needs assistance with prepping food, personal care, getting dressed, etc. she says she lives with her mum who does this. But she doesn’t. She lives over an hour away in a house on her own. She gets herself dressed, washed, fed and comes to work all on her own.

one of my dc has some health diagnosis inc 2 conditions the same as my colleague. My colleague has offered to help us complete pip forms so dc can get pip. I’ve declined.

Seriously, if you want to play the Four Yorkshiremen, I’ll win over that anecdote hands down. But the point is, surely, in 2025, shouldn’t we be expecting more? For everyone?

The poster I responded to was referring to someone who already had a roof over their head. What kind of idiot would a person be to give that up for a situation like the one you describe? This kind of nonsense makes me so angry.

Agree @Thegoatliesdownonbroadway
Thats the question
So what is it….
£26k not enough unless you’re over 65 in which case you can miraculously live on so much less

Or shouldn’t the minimum be below what a pensioner is expected to survive on.

They apply for houses in cheaper council areas.

He has, he apparently walked up five steps when he attended his assessment!

If they have been SAHMs who haven’t worked after having children they they won’t qualify for a full state pension

They will if they kept paying national insurance contributions.

And it’s frdaulent claims like my colleagues (I assume this is fraudulent) which gives genuine claimants a bad name. No idea how it’s stopped though.

What if they’re not living in social housing? And moving still costs money.