Tonights Benefit Street

[TheRealCarrieBradshaw]

Who's shamefully looking forward to tonights Ep?

They just want a better life and thought coming here would provide that. So so sad. Makes me even sadder when i hear people claiming they get everything handed to them and pushed to the front of nhs waiting lists. Fucking hell this is grim.

Don't see why the police didn't get involved, it seems wrong to just walk away from this.

What a nightmare for those guys :( It seems that the residents on the street will provide a meal for Fungi but apart from that one guy who brought food, no one seems to give a shit that these guys are starving :(

I am glad they are showing the flip side of the coin. People think they come here for our benefits but this goes to show that just isn't the case. It is horrendous.
I honestly wish there was something I could do to help them.

I could slap some of the people on my Facebook right now "If Romania is do much better then don't come here, simples"

YOUARESUCHASTUPIDCUNTIDONTEVENKNOWWHERETOSTICKYOU

The Romanians are philosophers - I love what he said about hope.

Solve that's dreadful :( They obviously didn't listen did they? They came here because they were promised jobs and we then stitched up like kippers by the employer.

How depressing was that. On so many levels :(

I know nikki. This episode has made me so, so sad. Imagine being lost and feeling helpless in a foreign country when all you wanted was to provide for your family.

Oh yes hickory. We get everything handed to us. Oh yes.

That's why we've been close to breakdown so many times. Which is why I despise propaganda like this.

I really apologise i meant people claim ( as in they say) that the romanians get everything handed to them. I should use the preview!

It's awful; I have to say (and worry this will not win me any Mumsnet friends) but for all the talk of benefit cuts and food banks, I have not known any genuinely hungry children at the school I teach at apart from the Eastern European children who are always lovely and we only know of their suffering when one of them becomes unwell.

I had a year 7 Latvian girl faint last week and her friend told me (under much protest) that she and her family had not eaten for 3 days

And now they cannot claim anything for 2 years

Its heartbreaking.

It's like a modern day version of Dickensian London. Makes me feel ashamed.

the world is a cruel and hard place for some

I feel sorry for anybody suffering like this whatever their origins.
With welfare cuts and society believing that any people on benefit are living the life of riley, the Dickensian times, maybe workhouses will be there for all whatever your colour, creed, nationality, culture etc.

The irony of the alcoholic drug addict, shown last week stealing to supplement his benefits, claiming the Romanians get thousands is amazing. What a sad programme :(

My family came over here as our racial/ethnic group were being persecuted at home and it wasn't safe to stay. Thank heavens there were already people who had settled here earlier who were able to house and feed us on arrival and luckily there were plenty of jobs going and although my parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles etc, worked in conditions that nowadays there'd be uproar about, at least they WERE able to find work and pay for housing and to feed and clothe their kids adequately.

Definitely there was some prejudice. but nothing like what the 2 families tonight were up against. And my parents were able to work their way up until they could buy a house. My brothers were the first people ever in our family to get an education beyond the age of 14 and both of them went to uni and qualified as teachers. Everything seems stacked against certain groups entering the country to better themselves now and that's beyond sad.

The people on tonight's programme were prepared to work as hard as necessary but unscrupulous employers and fewer opportunities seems to be making that virtually impossible :( I think it's very positive that tonight showed a different side to the situation than the Daily Mail type rants.

Jon Snow will be ashamed of the series. His news prog is fair to poor people

I found last nights episode to be really sad.

We are all led to believe by the media that 'coachloads' of Romanians come here to thieve/steal. Clearly they are duped into believing that they will have good work here - when this doesnt materialise what options do they have left to look after themselves. How ironic that they all wanted to go home.

The man in the garden on the phone to his children made me cry.

so different from last weeks - last week i thought white dee was helpful, this week she comes across as a bully,esp to those romainians who were collecting scrap metal - they worked hard and for barely any money :(

their employer should be strung up, collecting £30 off them a day for their contract

was meant to earn £40 for 8hrs so £5ph below min wage and instead do 17hrs for £10 :(

they want to work unlike seems some of the other residents

and the amount of rent they pay for that hovel :( its so wrong :(

if all the street collected up some rubbish and put in bags then the dustmen would collect

and yes it irks me that most of those on benefits smoke and drink - benefits should be in vouchers for shops and to not allow fags or booze to be brought with them

and dee telling her child off for swearing, maybe if she swore less then her child might!!

Love that post blondes

I dont think ALL claiments should get there payments in vouchers etc but certainly ones who are irresponsible and have to use other means i.e food banks or crisis loans on a very regular basis.

Very amusing that the residents from week one - Fungi, black and white Dee and that skanky crack head robber were all bad mouthing the Romanian neighbours for being 'greedy' for coming here. Oh the irony.

Black Dee is particularly nasty, half hoped that refuge truck would run her over.

According to fungi they can make £2500 a day.... didbnt you know?

I did laugh (to myself) when Funghi referred to the Romanians as 'tramps'.

oh the irony