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!

My ex husbands first ex wife said she could never get a job because 'when would I do the food shop?'.
These people walk among us and I had no idea until I met her.

Possibly because living with a disability costs them more ?

It’s a shame based system already.
So now you want people to go and beg for their pennies, cap in hand?
If I had to go to the job centre, I’d have to pay fuel and parking, or bus fare.
what about disabled people, or those with disabled children?

I know!!!! Or how would I get the children to school ?! People have zero idea!

So many judgemental people.

There, but for the grace of God go I!

@Doodleflips

Yes and be more accountable

Who are you to say that they aren’t?

Let's put them all in ghettos.

Maybe they could have a yellow star to identify them.

Unbelievable

Yes!
I have noted my age on here
Whats your point
Everyone of my generation received grants for University. Had I for some massively bizarre reason refused the grant I couldn’t have gone to Uni and become an Architect ….so…..shock horror a postgrad masters too!!! ( which all Architects must have to gain full registration )

Paying, through loans, for a degree course wasn’t a thing then. We can’t go back in time
Meanwhile my 3 sons have those student loans but are all quite capable of taking personal financial responsibility for themselves.

Its a matter of wanting to and working towards it. ( The little amount one pays on lower starting wages doesn’t stop people working and saving )

Not a gotcha I’m afraid

You got it!

And when your kids turn 18 you will lose all the child related elements of your UC and will have no more maintenance coming in plus your CB will stop. You may be quite comfortable now but that is not always going to be the situation.

Now you are being silly

Or walk along the street with people chanting shame at them.

Uhm.
i think we have a minimum wage issue, not a benefit one.
keep in mind , they want you turning on people on benefits.

@SevenMoon
I didn’t mention disabled pensioners

I agree, but the point is he’s a millionaire. There are posters berating others here because they have a decent income and still claim disability benefits. There seems to be no understanding of how expensive it is to live with a substantial disability, or that a working disabled person on a very high wage is the exception, not the rule. If we were to means test disability where do we draw the line on income. How do we say to people, yes you’re severely disabled and we know it costs you a fortune but we can’t help because you’re able to earn substantially. Means testing is a race to the bottom - there is always someone who will miss out on substantial amounts of help because they’re a few pounds over the limit.

The suggestion is PIP

I think it’s both …. Whether that’s amount or the number or both needs research
but with the Increased employer NI contributions by Labour I can’t see wages jumping any time soon.

Ah, of course. "Sorry kids, no tea today because we're living like hermits to save up for jam tomorrow - never mind that tomorrow never comes because wages and benefits don't cover the cost of living, and that in 2025 mortgages are only fir rich people. Where's the hamster? Well, because of personal responsibility, it was just plump enough to make that tablespoon of stew we shared last week. Just setting some rat traps now."

Honestly if you can't see the problems with the economy and that it's a snake eating its own tail, then no amount of explaining will help.

A second, or third job (and I've done that) doesn't pay significantly because the tax is higher. In 1999 zero hours contracts and the gig economy weren't staples of the job market. Retail wasn't dominated by the Internet. There are hundreds of reasons why pulling oneself up by the boot straps in 2025 is more difficult, not less.

But, but, technology- re-train in IT - and more jobs are automated, and fewer people are needed as AI provides cheap customer service and starts taking over things like law and accounting and medicine.

The incentive to work comes from seeing progress as you work. Many people here testify daily to the increasing struggle to keep up with the cost of living. In the meantime wealth transfer upwards continues unabated, and we're told to resent those who have the least, and treat them as sub-human.

History has taught us this doesn't end well.

I agree that they’re probably not real. I think a high % of what we see on the internet is fake (including mumsnet posts), far higher than people realise.

One poster posted a screenshot of their benefits, but even screenshots can be faked.

I do suspect it might be outrage-bait. I try not to look at most social media/news websites because I know we are being manipulated in this way. But I suspect that even mumsnet is vulnerable to it.

I am certain that vast majority of people on benefits don’t take home large amounts.

Vote reform

How much do you want the minimum wage to be? 15, 20, 25 quid an hour?

Your situation is a bit like a friend of mine.

She gets 2.3K per month plus £350 CSA for 2 children, one with an ADHD diagnosis.

Around £1.2k goes to the private land lord.

As she said "i'd like to work but where can i get a job that pays 2.3k per month after tax?

She did a bit of temping and got £400, she declared it to DWP and they took almost 220 off her UC.

You'd half the UKs benefits bill if we had council housing and cheap rents, though you do have to build them but long term a huge saving.

Who do you think will employ someone who has been out of work on sickness benefits for at least 10 years.
If they make it to interview stage, which is unlikely, they won't be able to give answers or examples for any of the competency questions, and I'm talking supermarket jobs.

Fair enough, you don’t want people to receive a liveable amount of money for work, how about we lower rents?