Family life on benefits

[Iron]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16812185

200 cigarettes a week (and a large pouch of tobacco)

24 cans of beer per week

4 pints at the pub on a Friday night

Sky TV

Mobiles for the whole family

Sounds like hell on earth...

Jeff

[Mr Undercover]

I'm thinking of signing up.... one question: do I get the movie channel ?

[Iron]

It would appear so.

If you click on the box that says 'Sky TV', the guy is quoted as saying:

'We get the Sky Movies package because we're stuck in the house all week - otherwise we wouldn't have any entertainment.'

If the guy is after cheap entertainment, he could do worse than visit his local library...

Jeff

I'm thinking of signing up.... one question: do I get the movie channel ?

[Iron]

"The market for my skills dried up 10 years ago - there's a total lack of work in my area of expertise."

"On the cigarettes, my wife tried to give up, but she missed one appointment on the course and they threw her off it."

It seems to me that this guy has a loser mentality that's being encouraged by the state.

He should be saying: 'Rather than feeling sorry for myself about having skills that are out of date, I'll learn new skills'.

And his wife should be saying 'Rather than smoke 200 fags a week - money that could go towards heating the house - I'll quit, course or no course!'.

Jeff

[mister man]

hey
since when has jsa been £100 a week?

[Iron]

It isn't - single blokes with no kids like me get naff all from the state (although I'm pleased to say that I've now found a job, and I didn't have to sign on in the end).

Jeff

hey
since when has jsa been £100 a week?

[mister man]

ferru

most of those figures are wrong that are quoted...

and I AGREE, with your statement, single blokes get naff all, you either find a crap job, which is what they want and claim working tax credits to top up your wages, so no real saving for the government their, or if in an area where their are few jobs descend into crime through desperation or ill health through a poor diet and bad living conditions, both of which have huge add on costs to the country,so again no real savings for the taxpayer.
these benefit bashers dont know the half of it, and are in the main ignorant, self righteous, smug idiots.

[Mr Undercover]

You can see why this family is completely stuck, he needs to earn 50k to better his circumstances and there's no incentive to climb that mountain. You can bet he's out doing cash in hand jobs to suppliment his existence but it's not a very inspiring way of life is it. Philosophically I have a problem with so much being given with nothing in exchange surely it would be better if he had the opportunity to give something back to society and in so doing develop himself and strive towards something better.

[Iron]

most of those figures are wrong that are quoted...

Are you sure?

I wouldn't have thought the BBC would present an open goal to their critics by quoting amounts that were blatantly incorrect...

and I AGREE, with your statement, single blokes get naff all, you either find a crap job,

...which is fair enough.

Welfare should be a safety net, nothing more.

which is what they want and claim working tax credits to top up your wages, so no real saving for the government their,

I bet there's some saving most of the time...

For a start, they're getting income tax from the person, rather than just paying them money.

or if in an area where their are few jobs descend into crime through desperation or ill health through a poor diet and bad living conditions, both of which have huge add on costs to the country.

Those are possibilities, but if you suddenly increased JSA by 100 pounds a week, I doubt crime would plummet and the NHS would treat far fewer people with poverty-related health problems.

these benefit bashers dont know the half of it, and are in the main ignorant, self righteous, smug idiots.

There are some crude and inaccurate stereotypes out there, but as a country we have very limited resources, as we need to limit the amount we pay out to people.

Jeff

[Iron]

According to the Direct Gov website (http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg ... 00090.html):

Under 25 £53.45
Over 25 £67.50
Couples, civil partnerships £105.95

Jeff

hey
since when has jsa been £100 a week?

[LeTiss]

although I'm pleased to say that I've now found a job, and I didn't have to sign on in the end

Congrats

I thought you'd been posting less during the day of late.

[Ethanol]

I think it is oft-overlooked that this guy is actually on the equivalent of a £41,209 salary.

What a terrible situation he is in. Maybe he should consider doing some Betfair trading on the side to top that up to a reasonable wage...

[Iron]

Thanks

I don't actually start till the 14th, so I'm enjoying my freedom before I have to return to the joys of office politics!

Jeff

Congrats

I thought you'd been posting less during the day of late.

[mister man]

it said she wasnt fit for work i thought...

and those figs are wrong anyway, at least according to lord freud the government advisor who ive been corresponding with...either way, whilst i agree he (they) are getting too much, he least did work for many years she also probably,so hes paid in to get out,unlike most of the migrants here now,who have paid nothing in.
I challenge any single male, and i mean any to live purely on jsa for a year, it cant be done, and with the job situ as it is many are forced to endure a living hell..through no fault of their own.

congrats on the job.....

[Iron]

I challenge any single male, and i mean any to live purely on jsa for a year, it cant be done,

It's not easy, but you can subsist on very little money if you're inventive.

I do feel for people who have worked hard all their lives, played by the rules, and find themselves on the scrapheap.

But the problem is that, if you pay people too much for being on the dole, you get people taking advantage of it, and thinking 'Why should I bother going out to work when I can just sit at home all day smoking fags, drinking beer and watching Sky Movies? This has got to beat stacking shelves in Sainsburys or flipping burgers in McDs'...

congrats on the job.....

Thanks!

Jeff