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!

Unfortunately many are turned down despite being genuine. That's why the majority are overturned at tribunal.

Those poor people have to struggle on whilst waiting too.

Have just googled. It is true.

There isn't enough social housing anywhere. And it's not free.

So I should uproot my children from the village they’ve always lived in, force them to change schools and leave their friends. Awesome!
I hope you’re never in need of benefits!
I paid into the system for a long time, and now I need it to support me.

Not really….I’m talking about being a bit more self reliant
At least that person, already in work, will have had an opportunity to save to put a deposit down or move to a cheaper area or a smaller place.
Hence removing some of the burden
Its just about taking more control of our own lives than relying on others in the long run.

It's always worth remembering that whilst payment to some individuals sound high, the total amount spend on disability related benefits is not yet 4% of total public spending. (It's meant to rise to that in 3 years time)

Now some will feel that's a huge amount of public spending and others won't. But if we take away dla, pip and attendance allowance from everyone we aren't going to solve the countries issues. And realistically a lot of people agree with some level of additional benefit for disabled people.

You can. You get your contributions paid via child benefit.

An unpopular opinion I know, but everyone who is capable of work should have to.

Claiming benefits should not be optional.

Explain this to me? Cheaper council areas - social housing? There is a national shortage.
Without a job? Very difficult - will need a guarantor and deposit and moving costs.
There is normally a reason why housing is cheaper - lack of employment opportunities is one of these. So, we then end up with inordinately deprived areas and the cycle of inequality/deprivation is perpetuated. Oh, expensive housing as so many people have moved to these ‘cheaper’ areas.

Thank you for replying honestly. That’s really interesting.

When there’s threads about “high earners” on Mumsnet, and people earning £100k salary post that they feel hard up, they always get absolutely slated.

As I said, we’re a two-parent-working household and take home less than your family each month, but I would consider us very well-off. I think we’re in the top 10% of earners in the country of something.

We’re not really saving or anything, and have an old banger car we can’t afford to replace, but I’d still consider us very wealthy and lucky compared to most families. We afford holidays, clubs for the kids, going to cafes. Never have to worry about food on the table. Maybe it’s a matter of perspective?

It’s interesting that you take home
more, but “don’t feel well off in any shape
or form”. Do you live in a very expensive area?

There needs to be more. I guess ultimately one of the winners of this is the likes of my landlord friend. Yes, she can keep putting the rents up and the govt keep paying. She’s a higher rate tax payer and doesn’t work as such. Her job is managing her rentals. Good for her. But costing the tax payer a fortune I guess.

Erm, you do know about waiting lists, right? Lack of suitable property? Rules around connection to area? They can apply, and then spend up to 10 years waiting to hit the magic formula to qualify. Which does precisely nothing to solve your resentment, nor homelessness issues.

Just to hammer it home, you can't walk into your local council housing office and walk out with the keys to a nice but cheap dwelling despite what Reform and their ilk will tell you. It does not happen, except in your sadistic fever dreams.

And people getting their children a formal diagnosis of ADHD and then applying for PIP.

You literally haven't got a clue, have you. It's almost laughable. Absolutely typical top-rate gammoning.

So simple. Just move. Just apply for a house in a cheaper council area.

Do you ever have an original thought?!

This is what louds of working people do though

We moved out of London because we couldn’t afford to live their anymore.
We had no choice
We have friends that uprooted their kids from schools to move from London to Yorkshire, Others Cambridge area, Scotland……In fact just about all our friends moved in order to go somewhere cheaper.
They had no choice.

Because things rarely happen in isolation. What you're arguing for is that we do only question one thing, which is actually the symptom of an interrelated set of of other things.

That's all you're getting for free, as I have to sell my labour in order to eat and house myself.

Just to say thanks for posting this. Mumsnet is extremely prejudice about benefits claiments and it's brave to share your story.

However the problem with social housing is that a lot of local authorities will only put people on the long waiting list if they already have links to the area. So if you don’t have a link you can’t exchange/be placed on the list in that area.

That person isn’t in work. They’re living on less than £400 a month universal credit.

Yes, in the South West in a large city! Childcare alone costs £1600 ! I run a 2006 reg car and we don't have elaborate holidays or anything! And we don't get free prescriptions/school meals/ dentist treatment either for someone who said we get lots of freebies! 2 of my DC also are restricted to the foods they will eat which always adds to the food shopping bill (i shop at aldi and it costs approx £600 per month) , plus I have to pay to do exams for my job! Not trying to sound woe is me or anything I appreciate I am in a better financial position than many in terms of incoming income but it is all relative - my gas and electric also costs in the region of £400 per month alongside full council tax , as my property is in the highest band 🤦‍♀️

No they won't. But they will qualify for pension credit, which pretty much tops their income up to state pension level

And pray tell, how was this funded? Or were all their goods and chattels reduced to hand luggage and everyone schlepped on foot to the land of milk and black pudding oop North?

It’s simply about taking responsibility for yourself and finding a way to make it work.
Not enough people do this.

And what action do you take when you come across this? Feel free to answer, or not of course.

So then they don’t see their dad, because we’re divorced, or he has to move too.
It’s not that simple