disgusted by On Benefits and Proud

[carlajean]

I started watching this but had to stop as I found it so annoying. Yes, they've found dreadful people to focus on, but I couldn't stop thinking of all the people who are struggling on benefits and desperate for a job.

[DumDum32]

I can believe the 6 month delay as my application took 15 months & appearing in front of a tribunal to get what I was due. ATOS (hired to carry out medical assessment are a bunch of idiot's). more worringly they will be carrying out re assessment's of all benefits soon as universal credit kicks in. I suffer from mental health issues as well as physical disability but the assessor's are not qualified in mental health so they will have no idea how to score me on that basis. I'm bracing myself for another long wait to get what I'm entitled too that is if I survive till the end of the process.

reality is no one gives a damn about the disabled whether they be kids or not. they are more concerned about saving on the budget. if people die in the process all the better as it means less claimants. harsh facts but true and programmes such as described in this thread only add to the ignorance of what people on benefits are really going through. I was lucky enough that my family rallied around me to help me & DD.

[anon2013]

Proud to be a shoplifter next week. Can't believe programs like this exist.

[bordellosboheme]

Why can't you believe it anon? It's real life.

[anon2013]

It's the fact that they've made a tv show from it rather than someone being proud of being a shoplifter.

[GobbySadcase]

Yep . It's about as real life as Corrie.

[bordellosboheme]

Corrie has some rather real life story lines actually. That's why so many people follow it and it's been going over 20 years.

[Trigglesx]

Generally, these "benefits bashing" programmes are carefully constructed and edited to produce a specific desired effect - in this case, to make people think that everyone on benefits is living the high life and defrauding the government, choosing not to work and practically taking their money out of the wallets of hard working people.

In reality, anyone with an ounce of common sense knows this is not true. It's ironic really, as I know a couple that were on full benefits not 5 years ago, for a good 5+ years, before finally getting out of it (only by benefit of a handout from a parent of a free house). They now post regularly on fb about the dreadful scroungers and do repeated "benefits bashing" when they are talking. Nevermind that they themselves lived on benefits for quite some time. How quickly we forget, eh?

When DD was young, I had to work 3 jobs in order to pay for everything (medical office during day, medical transcription at home at night, and cleaning an office on weekends). It was exhausting, but I had to do it to pay for things. I eventually added playing organ for 5 masses a week for a local Catholic church (I'm not Catholic - they needed an organist and the job paid well). Would I do it again in those circumstances? Yes, because that was what needed to be done.

Now, however, I am in receipt of benefits - my DS1 is disabled and my life is much more complicated and tied up in carer duties. I'm not happy with it, but I have to do what is best for my DCs.

It'd be nice to think that people could be reasonable and not judge, however, from experience I know that they do. And these types of programmes only serve to make people think it's okay to do so openly as well. Very divisive. I wonder if the government realises this type of division of the country will simply destroy it from the inside.

[SameDifference]

Thanks to OP and all who agree with her. I, and the disability community who would love to work but can't, were also very upset by the programme. We tried hard to stop it airing but sadly we were not successful.

[Shakey1500]

Why do posters on benefits automatically assume that they are being attacked? It's not the case at all (certainly not in my case) . That's why I reiterated in my original post that I'm fully aware that these cases featured are a minority. I really feel for those suffering and unable to work. Programmes like this do indeed do damage to genuine claimants. But come on, there's no denying that they exsist. Why should people pretend they don't?

Should we not acknowledge it at all lest we offend genuine claimants for an unfathomable reason? Surely genuine folk should be even more outraged as it's the one's who could work who slow up the system even more? I'm puzzled.

[DumDum32]

shakey if these programme were genuinely trying to help then they would get genuine people/cases & portray what is trully going on with benefit system. all these kind of programmes do is blind more people to the reality & spread ignorance. so in respect yes I do take it as a personal attack on me as I'm one the statistics when crap (it is just that as they are more than likely actor's as one poster already highlighted) like this is aired.

It is upsetting to know that 11,000 people have died since die to incompetencies of the system & yet people like urself are justifying the airing of scrap like this. God forbid anyone has to go through a loss of a family/friend because of all this but if we don't oppose it now then likelyhood is by next this figure would have doubled. 1 in 4 people will suffer mental health in their lifetime so either u or someone u know will have it. it's a fact!!!

[Shakey1500]

I know these types of programme aren't made to help,have you actually read my posts??

I'm saying I SUPPORT those claimants who are genuine. But we (general) can't and shouldn't pretend that there are claimants who are blatantly using the system. I'm sure I've made that clear?!

As for your comment about mental health,then I fit your stastitic very well.

[Shakey1500]

*aren't

[DumDum32]

shakey I have read ur post and I do agree we shouldn't ignore people who are blatantly using the system either but that is a very very very small amount of people (0.7% someone quoted up thread). we don't even know if the cases featured on the programme are REAL CASES.

Jobcentreplus/DWP are very quick to stop benefits & sanction people if they suspect any fraudulent cases so I genuinely think that area is adequately covered.

What I'm trying to say is we should be concentrating on the failing areas e.g why ATOS has not got qualified assessors? why 11,000 people lost their lives due to department failures?

these are the kind of programmes we should be airing & watching.

[GobbySadcase]

Maybe why 40% of people found fit to work by ATOS are found not to be at Tribunal costing millions.

[NotDead]

I wonder how many of these raging anti benefit muppets had their degrees paid for by the state.

[NotDead]

I also wonder how many people on benefits would come off benefits if they were offered a job that paid enough to free themselves from benefits?

What would happen if all the people on benefits did get work anyhow? where from, who would lose out, and what would this mean for other peoples wages? surely having mire people in work is too collective for the tories anyway, so this is really only about pushing people off benefits. . not into work.. but then who pays for the social fallout. . crime. . poverty. .underperformance in schools healthcare less productive lives more disruption in schools etc? ?

[Trigglesx]

I also wonder how many people on benefits would come off benefits if they were offered a job that paid enough to free themselves from benefits?

But people tend to forget... there are ALWAYS going to be low paying jobs. SOMEONE has to do them. In most instances, people might be working and still getting some benefits because the pay is so low. It's unrealistic to think that EVERYONE can get training or get more wages, because there will always be those jobs that need to be done that just don't pay much. That's why this things about sanctioning people for making lower wages makes no sense at all. Some important jobs, especially service jobs, are part time.

I get so tired of seeing the government pushing to get more and more people working more and more hours for more and more money to pay for higher and higher prices. When is it going to stop? People barely have time for a family life as it is right now. Whatever happened to quality of life? I think they're focusing on the wrong things.

[NotDead]

but many of these low wage jobs are only low wage beacause a. the givernment subsidises low-wage employers (workfare and working tax credits) and because paying b the lowest wages possible maximises profit.. and money for higher top-end salaries.

Thay do not 'have' to be as low paid as they are. cf local indie supermarket owner three hpuses villa in span and two new cars...workers on 2.45 apprenticeships.. again a government subsidy who's aim is to encourage and subsidise inequity and perpetuate the impossibility of the 'worker class' ever earning.

[Dillydollydaydream]

Not about the programme exactly but I'm watching Jeremy Kyle on itv2 and the woman and her husband from Liverpool are on there. Her dh Vince slept with her daughter!

[DumDum32]

really dilly - this is making me think more about the theory that the programme featured actors!

[BurlyShassey]

and as someone upthread said next week shoplifting and proud.

Question. these people, , many times also on front page of the daily express boasting and smug that they blatantly cheat, yet why do they get away with it? its so public and so obvious, then wtf?

the staet of tv these days yet people will still watch them and judge-yes, me included, as IM on benefits for being physically and mentally disabled, as is my child.

I didn't choose to be dsabled, none of us did, before our road accident (drunk driver destroyed our lives) I was working and getting childcare for DC. now we cant, lifelong disabilities, and these blasted programmes and the jeremy kyle lot giving us a bad name and a bad stigma.

and breathe......

[CitrusSun]

Doesn't anyone get it? Look beyond. This is exactly the fodder fed to us to keep the masses squabbling, fussing and fighting amongst themselves, the little people, keep their attention diverted from the big picture, which is the billion pound corruption of rich in this country, benefits are a drop in the ocean but it serves their purpose to have us all chowing over it cos if we actually looked higher we would find how fucked over we are by the guys at the top who, naturally, are totally untouchable. Keep this feuding going people, it's exactly what the establishment wants and that's why they feed us this stuff. Don't you see?

[Daisystreet09]

This show is a total set up!! That Julie who says she's from Liverpool isn't. The house was rented for them for the show and she is from Birkenhead which is over the water from Liverpool. I know this because a work colleague of mine lives by her. Also her and her family have been on Jeramy Kyle about 4 times, All sleeping with each other and having other petty arguments thinking their famous. This show is just trying to put an even bigger divide between those who work and those who don't. Disgusting!!!!