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Viewers react with fury to Channel 4 Dispatches show exposing Britain's 'welfare trap' and hit out
Revealed: Britain’s worklessness capital where more than half of adults claim benefits
Britain’s worklessness capital has been revealed as central Grimsby after it emerged that more than half of its working-age population claims out-of-work benefits.
Analysis compiled for an upcoming Channel 4 documentary presented by Fraser Nelson, the Telegraph columnist, found that 53 per cent of people in the East Marsh and Port area of the Lincolnshire seaside town were on welfare in the first quarter of this year.
No fewer than 33 per cent of residents claim sickness benefits, 11 per cent are on jobseekers’ allowance and nine per cent receive other benefits.
Life expectancy in the area, where more than half of residents live in social housing, is just 70 years of age, 12 years below the national average.
Other benefits hotspots revealed by the analysis include central Blackpool, where 51 per cent are on out-of-work benefits, central Birkenhead, where the figure is 47 per cent, and the north of Drumchapel, in Glasgow, where it stands at 46 per cent.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/revealed-britain-worklessness-capital-where-144340548.html
Britain’s worklessness capital has been revealed as central Grimsby after it emerged that more than half of its working-age population claims out-of-work benefits.
Analysis compiled for an upcoming Channel 4 documentary presented by Fraser Nelson, the Telegraph columnist, found that 53 per cent of people in the East Marsh and Port area of the Lincolnshire seaside town were on welfare in the first quarter of this year.
No fewer than 33 per cent of residents claim sickness benefits, 11 per cent are on jobseekers’ allowance and nine per cent receive other benefits.
Life expectancy in the area, where more than half of residents live in social housing, is just 70 years of age, 12 years below the national average.
Other benefits hotspots revealed by the analysis include central Blackpool, where 51 per cent are on out-of-work benefits, central Birkenhead, where the figure is 47 per cent, and the north of Drumchapel, in Glasgow, where it stands at 46 per cent.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/revealed-britain-worklessness-capital-where-144340548.html
Comments
Benefits assessors have blown the whistle on major holes in the welfare system helping to fuel Britain’s worklessness crisis.
Benefit department staff have said that dishonest claimants for sickness benefits exploit the assessment system by using key phrases and claims of suicidal thoughts.
The whistleblowers spoke out in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary presented by journalist Fraser Nelson, claiming the system financially rewards assessors if they wave through cases without proper consideration.
It comes as the number of people in the UK classified as having a long-term illness reached 2.8 million, the highest level on record. The government has been warned that on current trends the welfare bill is set to hit £100 billion by 2030, according to forecasting by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
Since 2010, the approval rate for sickness benefit claims has doubled to 80 per cent.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/claim-suicidal-thoughts-benefits-job-154055714.html
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/sickness-benefits-worth-more-minimum-223000133.html
Long-term sickness is a major reason for a growing number of people in the UK without jobs, with the government strategising on how to get people back into work.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/sickness-benefits-payment-pip-174736978.html
A lot of people will always try to beat the system, but there are a lot of people who ( try ) to live on benefits who are well below the poverty line.
The experts are apparently suggesting that if current trends continue benefits will be unaffordable in the not too distant future.
I dont know what happens then.
There is a limit to how much you can tax working people, and we surely cant be far off that level now.
Encouraging those that are able to work, to do so, seems like an obvious solution.
That will create a double whammy.
A smaller benefits bill, and more tax receipts.
I havent looked for one for a long time.
Which sectors are on the shortage list?
The immigration salary list sets out the occupations that are in short supply.
The list is part of the UK’s immigration rules and is used to make it easier for employers to sponsor skilled non-UK workers under the skilled worker visa.
Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services – only “fishing boat masters”
Chemical scientists – only jobs in the nuclear industry
Biological scientists – all jobs
Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists
Graphic and multimedia designers – all jobs
Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally.
Pharmaceutical technicians – all jobs
Artists – all jobs
Dancers and choreographers – only skilled classical ballet dancers or skilled contemporary dancers who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK ballet or contemporary dance companies. The company must be endorsed as being internationally recognised by a UK industry body such as the Arts Councils (of England, Scotland or Wales).
Musicians – only skilled orchestral musicians who are leaders, principals, sub-principals or numbered string positions, and who meet the standard required by internationally recognised UK orchestras. The orchestra must be a full member of the Association of British Orchestras.
Arts officers, producers and directors – all jobs
Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified – only jobs in the fishing industry
Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally.
Boat and ship builders and repairers – all jobs
Stonemasons and related trades – all jobs
Bricklayers – all jobs
Roofers, roof tilers and slaters – all jobs
Carpenters and joiners – all jobs
Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified – only retrofitters
Care workers and home carers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants.
Senior care workers – all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity.
Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified – only racing grooms, stallion handlers, stud grooms, stud hands, stud handlers and work riders
Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified – only deckhands on large fishing vessels (9 metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/jobs-shortages-list-immigration-visa-sector-skills-workers-b1174975.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57349802
Pressure on the UK’s labour market increased over the winter, with official data showing the number of unfilled jobs rose to a record of more than 1.3mn as wages fell in real terms and people continued to leave the workforce.
https://www.ft.com/content/60a79b3e-5d94-400c-84c5-a8b812619e2f
NHS Digital figures show there were 133,446 full-time equivalent vacancies at the end of September
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nhs-job-vacancies-record-high-b2236960.html#:~:text=There were 133,446 FTE vacancies across the health,June, according to new figures from NHS Digital.
A quick Look at that list and care workers is the only jobs around here that you could get quite easily and to be honest it wouldn't be high on ma list.
The Gov should change the tax avoidance laws and that would put a few quid in to the coffers instead of hounding folk who are unwell or not fit for work.
Both of which must be untrue.
Although I wouldnt have a clue about the extent.
I appreciate that some people are unable to work, and that others are caring for a family member, but even when I was growing up there were families that hadnt had a job between them for 3 generations.
Some get away with it some don't.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/careersandeducation/lockdown-broke-will-to-work-says-former-waitrose-boss/ar-AA1vb3fL?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=05eb5fac628a4fc297e60642f8ed34d8&ei=120#fullscreen
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14152395/Viewers-fury-Channel-4-Britains-welfare-benefits-system.html
Unemployed single mother caught in Britain's 'welfare trap' admits she's too scared to find a job - and lose her sickness benefits - in new Channel 4 Dispatches
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14148829/channel-4-dispatches-Britain-welfare-trap-single-mother-job-real-reason.html
Sh1t system.
Its on the documentary thread.
Benefit scroungers are a cancer on our society. @Enut wrote;
"The latest figures I could find suggested that 43% of all adults don't pay any income tax (23 million), whilst 31 million (57%) do. So the 57% are paying for everybody."
How can that be acceptable?
I could name any number of poker players who are on long-term sick & unemployment benefits, but manage to play online every night - then have the gall to claim they are "unlucky" because they lose a hand or two of poker.
Half a century ago, there was a stigma attached to benefit fraud, but nobody seems bothered these days.
He also bragged that he had never paid a penny in tax his whole life (at this point he was in his 50s).
For some unfathomable reason the committee gave him a bar key so he could be behind the bar one day a week when the local doctors played tennis and stayed for a drink afterwards, I found it amazing how much Stella the doctors drank on those evenings as, to the best of my knowledge, none of them drunk Stella.
As far as I'm aware he was caught drink driving twice, he thought this was unfair as he was 'a better driver drunk than most people are sober'!
He is no longer a member as, somehow, he got the impression that no one like him up there (quelle surprise). He joined another club and was caught 'relocating' a case of Stella into the back of his car, of course he was 'just going back in to pay for it'!
I'm sure we all have similar examples of the sort of low life that abuse the system and have absolutely no regrets about doing so.