1949 benefits programme on C4 now..who is watching?

[Allthingspretty]

anyone?

[alemci]

no I think those qualities should come into it what if gb ended up like Greece. she should count her blessings and shame on her for swearing at that guy interviewing her. this is the problem in 2013 the money still comes however she behaves unlike being in the workplace

[GobbySadcase]

Fuck gratitude.
How's that?

Too right I feel angry and defensive. I paid tax for years, so did DH. We're saving the system thousands of pounds a week and sacrificing our mental health into the bargain.

[MrsHelsBels74]

I'm entitled to free prescriptions at the moment. We also have received a lifeline through child tax credits. I'm very grateful for this - should I just be bolshey instead?

[usualsuspect]

I think if you are in constant pain and someone sends you to work in a factory you are entitled to be a bit bolshy.

[MrsHelsBels74]

She was bolshey before she ever went near the factory.

[GobbySadcase]

Depends if you're under constant attack for doing so, Hels.
Makes a biiiig difference cos you get bored of the superiority merchants who know precisely bugger all about your circumstances.

[difficultpickle]

Just watching it now. I don't understand why Kaern rejected working when she didn't even know what work was being suggested. Fair enough if they had discussed it but she cut off the benefits man before he was able to tell her about the work he had found for her.

I'm afraid I have little sympathy for her as I know people who work who are more disabled than her and struggle to work but still want to contribute to society even though it is physically very difficult for them and painful.

I think a lot of it comes down to attitude. Craig wants to contribute to society and make a difference whereas Karen doesn't really seem to care about what contribution she could make.

Melvyn is fabulous.

[usualsuspect]

You know her then do you?

Or just the bit you saw on the telly?

Like I said. You fell for it.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I am not watching as I think it is more propaganda to encourage the benefit bashers, of which there are too many already.
it is also pointless comparing benefits today and when they first began because hopefully we have improved since post war rationing

[ImNotBloody14]

" Fair enough if they had discussed it but she cut off the benefits man before he was able to tell her about the work he had found for her."

oh come on! that was very badly edited at that part- very clear that there was something said between him saying it and her saying she wasn't going there.

[difficultpickle]

No of course I don't know her but I do know people who are disabled and in pain and don't claim any benefits at all.

Fair enough it may well be that Karen is just making an amazing effort to mask her suffering for the purposes of a tv show. That makes sense as why would you put yourself up for something like this if there was a risk of being spotted for benefit fraud. If she really is suffering as bad as she says she is then I feel sorry for her that her spirit is so broken that she genuinely cannot make any attempt to contribute.

[MrsHelsBels74]

I wouldn't know about being constantly criticised for being a benefits claimant, when I had a breakdown I was unable to claim a penny in benefits.

Maybe she is angry & defensive but she did seem totally unwilling to consider any alternative to her current situation.

[GobbySadcase]

Ahh, you have issues, then MrsH. Much more to it.
Unless you've actually been in Karen's situation are you in any way qualified to gauge how she 'contributes'?

For eg I contribute by saving the local authority approximately nine thousand pounds a week.

[ImNotBloody14]

" I contribute by saving the local authority approximately nine thousand pounds a week."

I wondered this about Melvin- wouldn't it have been more expensive for them to house him in a care home than to give him adequate money to pay his bills and eat properly?

[ImNotBloody14]

although I've just realised you mean you save money by being a carer? rather than saving money by not taking space in a care home or being cared for?

[difficultpickle]

True she may do something that contributes to society and you are right that the programme is no doubt edited to reflect a particular viewpoint. It would have been interesting to be told why she was no longer able to participate in the programme. Maybe the producers chose her to give some contrast to the two hugely sympathetic and enthusiastic participants that they had with Craig and Melvyn.

[GobbySadcase]

Yes. Residential care x 3 would be approx 9 grand a week.

[GobbySadcase]

Nothing is going to change though whist people think all it takes to get disabled people into work is aspiration and effort.

Only 14% of adults with Autism are in employment.

In a work market where far too many people without disability are being 'treated' to part time hours and zero hours contracts then do you REALLY think that employers are going to want to make reasonable adjustments to employ people with disability? When there is such a large pool of other candidates out there?

I've encountered two piss poor employers. Friends far more.

And closing down Remploy? Really bad move.

You also have to accept there are people out there who really cannot work.

[AcrylicPlexiglass]

Did Karen say what her diagnosis is? Or does she have lots of different things going on?

She did come across incredibly badly. The editing made her seem relentlessly negative. If it was not the editing and she is like that all the time her life must be very hard indeed.

[WetAugust]

She had lots of problems : diabetes, arthritis, back pain etc.

I just didn't like her rudeness to the DWP staff/actors - she had no need to be so rude to them.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Actually, I've just thought of sometjing I didn't understand.

When they were saying 96% of disabled people worked, did they just mean physical disabilities? And would both Craig and Karen have come under that umbrella?

I'm just thinking that there are some disabilities where working probably wouldn't have been an option in those days, things like severe CP, some communication disorders etc. Would those really have made up less than 5% of the disabled population?

Although presumably there would have also been more people with wartime injuries, so I don't know.

[MrsHelsBels74]

Lol @ 'you have issues'. It was 16 odd years ago & whilst I get a bit annoyed if I think about it, it doesn't affect me on a day to day basis. MH problems yes I continue to have problems but I work part time as well as bring up 2 gorgeous boys. I don't have a problem with Karen getting benefits, just the fact that she was so negative & rude to everyone.

[FlouncyMcFlouncer]

I assume they'd refer to physical disabilities. People with mental disorders/special needs/ whatever the terminology would have been in those days, would have been either looked after within the family network or institutionalised. Employment would not have been an issue for them.