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.
It is not only that.
I dont know if you have seen the programme?
The woman featured above has never had a job ever. She is too afraid that if she got a job, and signed off, and it didnt work out, whether or not she was able to get the same benefits, if she signed back on.
There was another guy who wanted to do a plastering course with a view to finding a job. He seemed quite keen, until the Job Centre told him that doing some work during the course (ie he would be required to plaster) would lead to his incapacity benefit being reassessed, which would lead to him losing some of his benefits.
They included a guy who has to clean a few windows part time. Both he and his son were assessed. His son was succesful, he wasnt. His son gets £1400 per month, he gets £400, which is why he has to clean a few windows. He appealed against the decision.
Lastly there was a part time taxi driver. His case is absolutely pathetic. Some years ago he signed off sick. This was subsequent to him having open heart surgery. He claims to have just wanted some short term help. Well thats fair enough, I hear you say. When he felt ready, he phoned them up to ask to sign off. The response was that it was not that simple. He would have to be reassessed, before he could stop claiming. This reassessment was to show that he was now fit for work. So they wouldnt stop his claim until he had proved that he was fit for work. He has subsequently phoned 3 or four times to ask about this, before giving up. This was over 3 years ago, and he has still heard nothing. So he was trying to give us money back, but they wont let him.
It seems that more people are becoming sick, because sickness benefit open the door to a number of additional benefits. So going sick can mean doubling the amount you receive in benefits, compared to just claiming unemployment benefit.
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.
Incidentally, I thought I posted a trailer on the documentary thread, but it seems to be the whole programme. Well worth a watch.
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.
Incidentally, I thought I posted a trailer on the documentary thread, but it seems to be the whole programme. Well worth a watch.
Comments
I dont know if you have seen the programme?
The woman featured above has never had a job ever.
She is too afraid that if she got a job, and signed off, and it didnt work out, whether or not she was able to get the same benefits, if she signed back on.
There was another guy who wanted to do a plastering course with a view to finding a job.
He seemed quite keen, until the Job Centre told him that doing some work during the course (ie he would be required to plaster) would lead to his incapacity benefit being reassessed, which would lead to him losing some of his benefits.
They included a guy who has to clean a few windows part time.
Both he and his son were assessed.
His son was succesful, he wasnt.
His son gets £1400 per month, he gets £400, which is why he has to clean a few windows.
He appealed against the decision.
Lastly there was a part time taxi driver.
His case is absolutely pathetic.
Some years ago he signed off sick.
This was subsequent to him having open heart surgery.
He claims to have just wanted some short term help.
Well thats fair enough, I hear you say.
When he felt ready, he phoned them up to ask to sign off.
The response was that it was not that simple.
He would have to be reassessed, before he could stop claiming.
This reassessment was to show that he was now fit for work.
So they wouldnt stop his claim until he had proved that he was fit for work.
He has subsequently phoned 3 or four times to ask about this, before giving up.
This was over 3 years ago, and he has still heard nothing.
So he was trying to give us money back, but they wont let him.
It seems that more people are becoming sick, because sickness benefit open the door to a number of additional benefits.
So going sick can mean doubling the amount you receive in benefits, compared to just claiming unemployment benefit.
Well worth a watch.