The Benefits Cap : is it working ? BBC 1 , anyone watching ?

[HalfShellHero]

I'm preparing to feel quite depressed by it all,

agree about boiler

Helena, we don't know whether they attempted repairs though. My experience of HAs and Council landlords is very different to that.

I don't understand why she couldn't use her washing machine though? Don't they all run off cold water now?

It's really annoying me. Channel 4 did a similar one about the benefit cap recently. And, they chose even less sympathetic people to feature. Single mums with 5 kids saying stuff like "I deserve the money". "Im entitled to it", "putting kids in nursery is morally wrong " etc.

Apparently nearly 2/3 of children living in poverty are children of working parents. Why not feature them? Or fulltime carers? It's making me really cross.

Bubble totally agree - brought up by parents with a work ethic!

(Am not knock those who genuinely cannot work!)

Sarah is broad Mansfield.

I don't understand how this woman will pay the rent here on in?! She couldn't afford the last place, so why suddenly can she afford this one?

Hang on, she's speaking like this to her social worker? I would have hung up on her.

Why are they picking people who look like scroungers?

I know a single dad of 3 (the mum was a druggie and alcohol problems), he has a mortgaged house and social services paid mortgage as he couldn't work when the youngest was 13 months and oldest about 6. He does work when he can but specialist and he does try. Now he's got a toddler with his lovely DP but she works I think almost full time now and he probably helps with childcare. How could you penalise him for being a single dad though?! He's lucky his mum and dad and sisters have helped (one sister lived in Scotland) but his mum still worked up until recently. I honestly don't begrudge him anything.

The tosser on his wii though with table top football etc and spending £40 on booze and fags is bound to stir up anger amongst viewers.

daytoday, don't think we've been told why the grandmother is responsible for them. I want to feel sorry for her but if she's using benefit money for 'stuff like other kids have' when she's behind on the rent and watching every penny on food I'm a bit

YY Sarnie That was Dispatches.

Bubblebed HA tenants in several cases have been left without heating and hot water for 8 weeks or more. Worst case i ever found was four years.

In fact Hyde Housing tenants are planning a demo outside the housing awards in late April.

If a client talked to me like that I'd be putting her at the bottom of my list!

Superfly I suspect he would also be financially abusive if he was working.

Helena, i wasn't aware of that. Locally we are lucky with our HAs and Council it seems. To be without heating and hot water is an awful way to live. I had an awful system in my old house that couldn't warm the chill of the old house, and had portable heaters from freecycle to keep us warm. It is awful to be that cold.

Sad to say the grandma with 4 kids she's caring for, YES she's doing a great job but she isn't misinformed re the £29K allowance not being able to use it for the rent she's just being belligerent and stubborn (so they've painted her) because her other benefits to pay rent have been cut. She doesn't come across as stupid at all.

I like Bruce - I think they do find awful examples or perhaps only a limited number of people are willing to go on shows like this. I certainly wouldn't!

Interesting that the mum is kicking off at a social worker for lack of money but is pushing a Silver Cross pram (£400-500) and calling off her iPhone, and clearly has hair extenions. But won't pay the rent difference..........

I contact my heating engineers directly here with problems, bypassing the council, but the council pay for the repairs. Works bloody well. It's a shame there is such a discrepancy between associations and councils.

Your HA sound great Bubble.

Helena of course he would be.

The woman pisses me off, ME and you can't work?! The kids side I sort of see the point of (don't have so many) but they've had that many before the cap came in so can't be helped, but don't bleat on about ME and not being able to work. I know 2 younger people both had ME and both now work or worked, one is a part time SAHM.

I just can't get along with this kind of poor hating propaganda not with the epidemic level of homelessness and working people having to go to food banks, etc And why won't panorama address the elephant in the room the collapse of CSA the hundreds of dads who pay naff all amd create children.

Yay Bruce

The Grandma who gets £49K a year to take care of her 4 grandchildren, is bitching about now having to pay her rent out of that £49K.

Un. Feckin. Be. Leeeeev. Able.

DH is currently shouting at the TV in a blind rage.

Agree HalfShell. They would need more than a one hour programme.

Good on Bruce. Hope things continue to improve for him (but you can see he seems slightly better or or in different position) with nice non council house and car etc (though could be like my friend where social paid mortgage).

Oh no Bruce couldn't do it... Childcare is a real bug bear/bugger for a lot of single parents.

Bruce's situation makes me cross for totally different reasons. System is so unfairly stacked against him.

OMG the grandmother - that 29K is for the children - trips etc but can't pay the rent.... can't see she it's a roof over their heads.