The state benefits system mega-thread.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Osem

I'm sure their decision has nothing whatsoever to do with continuing a life on benefits and a convenient reason for not working. Possibly they're just supplementing their meagre state income and paying any tax due of course...

Not a million miles from here we have a couple of large families in a HA owned development. I've lost count of how many kids they have between them but none of those who've left school appear to be working and most of them seem to have already followed their parents' example and wasted no time producing their own offspring. Given that they struggle to look after themselves their only ambition, if you can call it that, appears to be having kids to get benefits and ultimately more social housing. I wonder what their children will aspire to...

One woman locally married a Turk and had a child with him, she boasted about the money she received and that his business was in her name. Now that the child is in school I get the impression she wants another.... she has been told me and another guy in the pub that she doesn't like to use certain types of contraception, I get the impression she is trying to trick someone into giving her her next meal ticket.

Another young one with 2 kids had been talking about having a third with her current boyfriend, within the past few weeks she appears to have gone a bit quiet on the issue.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Why not just leave them to get on with their lives and we get on with ours?

In many ways because these are the type of economic leeches that give people with real reasons for support a bad name. And because I often see their offspring develop into forms of life that plague our society.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Why not just leave them to get on with their lives and we get on with ours?

I agree with you, let them get on with their lives and pay their own way like those that work. Benefits should only be for the period of helping those that have become unemployed whilst they are making a serious effort to find work, or for those that are unfortunate enough to have a real illness that means they are unable to work.

If the person is healthy and is not making the effort to find work, by all means leave them to get on with their lives but without the benefit money.

[Jimmy-J]

But there will always be people like that, no matter what. So wouldn't it be better to forget about them and concentrate on your own life?

[Gary L]

The thing is though. we used to just live and let live. take no notice of what everyone was doing. whether they're working or not. where or how they've got their money from. who they're seeing or what they had for breakfast today.

but now we're really nosey and wanting to know all the gossip on anyone and everyone.
but mainly we want to know how the unemployed people are doing because we've heard that they're all loaded.

truthfully. do we really give a fig if the woman next door gets a job at Tescos now?
are we happy for her?
are we going to be pleasant to her now. or are will still going to be grumpy and question her lifestyle still?

I call it a 'Big Social Experiment'

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Taf

In many ways because these are the type of economic leeches that give people with real reasons for support a bad name. And because I often see their offspring develop into forms of life that plague our society.

Their lives are not only dedicated to sponging off others but perpetuating the 'something for nothing' culture that has been handed down to them. If we want to make society better and fairer we need to challenge those who cynically abuse the system and make life harder for the genuinely needy. Turning a blind eye to this sort of nonsense is what has got us into this mess and created another generation of lazy spongers who don't see any reason to better themselves.

Society should protect the needy/vulnerable not reward the feckless.

[Jimmy-J]

Are these feckless leeches committing benefit fraud?

[djfunkdup]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

But there will always be people like that, no matter what. So wouldn't it be better to forget about them and concentrate on your own life?

They don't have the ability to do that ... The word ' mundane ' exists in their own reality too much to be able to concentrate on doing what you suggest

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Are these feckless leeches committing benefit fraud?

LOL claiming what the law says is rightfully theirs. and encouraged by government departments to claim what if any, and all benefits that they're entitled to.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

But there will always be people like that, no matter what. So wouldn't it be better to forget about them and concentrate on your own life?

I'll forget about them when I stop paying for them.

[Jimmy-J]

Originally Posted by Pierre

I'll forget about them when I stop paying for them.

That'll probably be when you stop paying taxes or when you're dead. If they're claiming what they are rightfully entitled to, what's the problem? And if they are claiming benefits that they shouldn't be entitled to, then do something about it.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Are these feckless leeches committing benefit fraud?

Some of them very definitely are which is why they get taken to court, found guilty, fined and/or imprisoned. Those who cynically exploit the rules to their own advantage and have kids purely as a route to additional benefits, housing etc. are almost as bad.

Doing what you suggest and letting them get on with it doesn't achieve anything but simply gives them the green light to carry on. Doing something about benefit abuse is why so many people (including non Tory supporters) voted for a government which is at least trying to tackle the problem.

[Jimmy-J]

Do you think that removing benefits will stop them having kids?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Do you think that removing benefits will stop them having kids?

Not really.

but it will subconciously encourage society to hate her baby.

even before it's grown up and learned swear words

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Do you think that removing benefits will stop them having kids?

Removing incentives usually has a deterrent effect and vice versa.