Soft Touch Britain

[Parafox]

I think that people like her should be given vouchers not cash, that way she can't have fancy holidays or designer clothes. Vouchers for bread, milk and other essentials.

The system is a joke and you can't blame people for using it. I believe using vouchers would stop people just buying alcohol, ciggiesand the like. This would be a kick up the arse to get a job if they want nights out and holidays etc.

They'd sell 'em.

[The Quick Brown Fox]

They'd sell 'em.

Yep or start stealing to find whatever they wanted. I didn't say it was flawless, just trying to think of a way of stopping all the handouts being wasted on things that people who work see as a priveledge, like a night on the town or a holiday. These things shouldn't just be free to people.

[FoxyPV]

Maybe in your situation, but if you think those on benefits are not having the full sky tv package and going on overseas holidays, you are wrong

What you describe is how it should be.

How he describes it, is the way it is for most of those of the dole. If you see lots of Sky dishes etc in an area of high unemployment you can be guaranteed 90% of those boxes are chipped, so in effect costing very little.

Has anybody heard of Dysgenics?

Happening to society (albeit slowly)

Population increase in this country is now only due to the scum breeding with each other, having 5+ kids and never working. And let's not forget immigration. For every intelligent and contributing Asian doctor, there is one of his countrymen living in a council house in Belgrave impregnating his wife for the 7th time since he's been here and claiming benefits.

Slippery slope people. The layabouts will outnumber the decent members of society in time. It'll be a while yet, but it'll happen.

Absolute xenophobic bollocks. If only we could get of the dross that was born here....

...and traits...

The "benefits" lifestyle has nothing to do with genetics, and everything to do with the environment in which those kids are raised.

The fact that people who don't want to work can find a myriad of loopholes to avoid doing so is hardly news though. Various governments have tried and failed to weed out scroungers, but unfortunately some of these initiatives end up targeting people who genuinely can't find employment.

The fact is that people like this woman are career scroungers, their 'job' is to know all of the loopholes, kinks and technicalities of the system. It's how they make a living. It's been going for as long as we've had a welfare state and has steadily grown, especially in a time where now competition for jobs is at its height.

Should something be done about it? Absolutely it should, lazy parasites like this woman tar benefit claimants across Britain with the same brush but it's going to take a very long time and some very unpopular measures to force change.

It says in the article that she works 16 hours a week and has to careful about the hours she works. This is the case for many parents in the UK, who have to work a maximum of 16 hours to ensure that they receive the most help they can from the state because it is so prohibitive to put a child into creche.

I get paid well enough and my childcare cost is crippling me.

If the state actually looked after working parents then it would allow more parents to work full time and thus contribute more.

The vast majority of people who are benefits in the UK are actually working. A point which most people in the media seem to have missed.

[Guest BlueBrett]

They'd sell 'em.

Yep or start stealing to find whatever they wanted. I didn't say it was flawless, just trying to think of a way of stopping all the handouts being wasted on things that people who work see as a priveledge, like a night on the town or a holiday. These things shouldn't just be free to people.

You could require them to show photo ID when redeeming their vouchers.

[Rincewind]

I thought the minimum hours was 24? For over 60's it's 16. I can work up to 16 and I will still receive rent and CT benefit. It goes down the more hours I do. Tax credits come in after 16 (ignore first sentence) The woman could do over 24 and get Tax credits. For me its 16. I think it would be about £6. So I would have to earn enough in 16 hours to take the place of JSA and part of my benefits.

It won't make a lot of difference to me but a mother with young children may have to pay for child care whilst at work.

I have not read the article and it seems only part of the circumstances have been reported.

From April Universal credits start so if the money is going to be paid into her bank account and she digs into it she is going to be in deep shite when her rent and CT is not paid.

I do not envy her situation. Loans of thousands debts from housing and CT building up and second hand designer clothes going threadbare in her wardrobe.

[lavrentis]

Complete disgrace

[MooseBreath]

The "benefits" lifestyle has nothing to do with genetics, and everything to do with the environment in which those kids are raised.

You're right it's obviously not genetic, but coolings point still stands. The idea that the more, shall we say feckless members of society are breeding a lot more rapidly than the educated is commonly observed, even to the point where someone made a popular movie out of it. The way our country has been turned into the go-to destination for poor, unskilled economic migrants is only going to make things worse. The only saving grace is that the status of our country on the global scale is falling so rapidly that soon these migrants won't want to cone here anyway.

[FoxyPV]

You're right it's obviously not genetic, but coolings point still stands. The idea that the more, shall we say feckless members of society are breeding a lot more rapidly than the educated is commonly observed, even to the point where someone made a popular movie out of it. The way our country has been turned into the go-to destination for poor, unskilled economic migrants is only going to make things worse. The only saving grace is that the status of our country on the global scale is falling so rapidly that soon these migrants won't want to cone here anyway.

See my previous point about childcare.

If the state wanted to help working parents then it would help more with the cost of childcare.

If you want to enfranchise people then give them something to live for. I understand that this is a cycle of benefits but if you put value on learning and the benefits that work/ education brings then you may challenge the cycle.

Make the minimum wage a living wage and try and do some thing about rack renting landlord ****s.

[Bettsj2]

There's nothing wrong with our benefit system. The sort of scumbags that take advantage of the system, would be equally scummy if the system wasnt there.

All that will happen when benefits are cut is that petty crime will increase.

If you're some idiot on the dole and your dole is taken away, are the government seriously thinking these fools will sit up and say, 'my God, I'm going to get up from this sofa and work to contribute to this great society'? I certainly dont.

Leave it alone. Dont waste any more time or money trying to reform it. Chase the billions owed by the rich offshoring their money to avoid tax. That's where you'll make a dent to the debt.

[Rincewind]

You want the politicians to chase themselves? That will never happen.

[The Doctor]

You're right it's obviously not genetic, but coolings point still stands. The idea that the more, shall we say feckless members of society are breeding a lot more rapidly than the educated is commonly observed, even to the point where someone made a popular movie out of it. The way our country has been turned into the go-to destination for poor, unskilled economic migrants is only going to make things worse. The only saving grace is that the status of our country on the global scale is falling so rapidly that soon these migrants won't want to cone here anyway.

Not when he's talking about something that exists entirely in terms of genetics...

[The People's Hero]

You want the politicians to chase themselves? That will never happen.

Politicians are hardly the wealthiest around. Admittedly there are a few in the HoL, but if you're talking the HoC, they are certainly not the top say 5% wealthiest in society as a rule. Some may be, but they won't have accumulated that wealth through politics.

[purpleronnie]

The vast majority of immigrants are here to work and make a better life for themselves and their familiy, the vast majority of EU immigrants leave within 2 years, there is a tiny tiny percentage who claim benefits....why does it scare people so much? People seem unable to have their own opinion and look to the daily mail and the sun for what opinion they should have, that's whats sad.

[The People's Hero]

The vast majority of immigrants are here to work and make a better life for themselves and their familiy, the vast majority of EU immigrants leave within 2 years, there is a tiny tiny percentage who claim benefits....why does it scare people so much? People seem unable to have their own opinion and look to the daily mail and the sun for what opinion they should have, that's whats sad.

Yes. Immigrants are a small part of the problem. However, they do take jobs that British citizens could have. The weakness here is that despite all this perceived clamouring for a job, actually many British citizens don't want the job that the immigrants take. There are an awful lot of people on benefits who simply do not want a job. Something to consider though - if we want to genuinely fight unemployment, lets stop letting people in and force British citizens on benefits to take these perceived 'unskilled' (but often hard work) jobs that they don't really want. Stop the handouts for nothing.

Something really does need doing. I've mentioned it before but I think there is a bitterness creeping in and a bit more ill feeling developing in whatever you want to call it -its not a class divide, but its a divide of some sort.

The contributors and those genuinely seeking work or genuinely unable to do so (disabled etc) vs The scroungers, career benefit loophole experts, lazy and those who feel a job would be an inconvenience.

[BoneDog]

I agree we're a soft touch. Just look how many billions we gave to bail out the bankers for their own, intentional, miserable failings. The banks are just one example, of many.

Supposed to be a capitalist country for crying out loud!

[Bellend Sebastian]

I just hope her next acting job is something a bit more rewarding (from an artistic point of view, anyway) than appearing in a bollocks story in a shit newspaper aimed at cretins

http://politicsuk.eu/archives/14347

[The People's Hero]

I agree we're a soft touch. Just look how many billions we gave to bail out the bankers for their own, intentional, miserable failings. The banks are just one example, of many.

Supposed to be a capitalist country for crying out loud!

Yes, but they we do need them. The entire economic system in Britain (and globally) relies of credit and the movement of money that it facilitates.

I'm sure we could do without a few scroungers on the other hand

[leicsmac]

Yes, but they we do need them. The entire economic system in Britain (and globally) relies of credit and the movement of money that it facilitates.

I'm sure we could do without a few scroungers on the other hand

So if a person or group of people are supposedly indispensable to a country they should be allowed to make horrible errors that affect millions but not them, act in the most immoral way and generally act however they like? where's the accountability? That's the basis of a capitalist system, right?

How did it get to the stage that groups of parasitic lowlifes (at both ends of the social strata, scroungers and bankers, though the bankers demanded more money) can hold this country to ransom?

[BoneDog]

Yes, but they we do need them. The entire economic system in Britain (and globally) relies of credit and the movement of money that it facilitates.

I'm sure we could do without a few scroungers on the other hand

I agree, we do need banks, I didn't mean that we should have abolished the banking and financial system.

In a capitalist system, if a group of bankers fail miserably, they shouldn't be bailed out by their customers. They should pay for their own mistakes, as everyone else has to, and be replaced by other people in that line of business.

I find it astounding how the people who got us into this financial catastrophe are being rewarded and paid even more millions. And at the same time, the people who have been swindled are blaming another group of people, who are mostly innocent, for our country's financial mess. Astounded I tell you!

[The People's Hero]

So if a person or group of people are supposedly indispensable to a country they should be allowed to make horrible errors that affect millions but not them, act in the most immoral way and generally act however they like? where's the accountability? That's the basis of a capitalist system, right?

How did it get to the stage that groups of parasitic lowlifes (at both ends of the social strata, scroungers and bankers, though the bankers demanded more money) can hold this country to ransom?

No. You've either deliberately misunderstood my point to try to put words in my mouth or you fail to understand how important these various financial institutions are to our economy, culture and way of life in Britain.

This country cannot do without banks etc. It can do without scroungers.

Try reading my words and understanding just what is there and please do not assume inferences which are not there.

I'll tell you one thing though, if I had a choice of getting rid of banks or scroungers, I'd get rid of the scroungers. The scrounging mentality is partly responsible for killing this country - not just financially but socially also.

[The People's Hero]

I agree, we do need banks, I didn't mean that we should have abolished the banking and financial system.

In a capitalist system, if a group of bankers fail miserably, they shouldn't be bailed out by their customers. They should pay for their own mistakes, as everyone else has to, and be replaced by other people in that line of business.

I find it astounding how the people who got us into this financial catastrophe are being rewarded and paid even more millions. And at the same time, the people who have been swindled are blaming another group of people, who are mostly innocent, for our country's financial mess. Astounded I tell you!

Well yes, but that was never going to happen was it?

And given no other option, I think the gov't really had to get involved in some form of bail out.

Its regrettable and its not really right, but it was necessary.

[The People's Hero]

Anyway, I'm fed up having this discussion. Both bankers and scroungers are bad.

Bankers - greedy & stupidly high level opinion of own entitlement.

Scroungers - lazy & stupidly high level opinion of own entitlement.

We can't do an awful lot about the former, but we could make life less comfortable for the latter and make a real difference between the lifestyle available on benefits and the lifestyle available working on min wage.

[MooseBreath]

Scroungers don't really harm the economy to be fair. You give them money, they spend it. No money is lost. The problem is more of a social one. No-one likes the thought of paying for other people to do nothing.

[Guest MattP]

Scroungers don't really harm the economy to be fair. You give them money, they spend it. No money is lost. The problem is more of a social one. No-one likes the thought of paying for other people to do nothing.

That's pretty much it.

The defence of it by some and the idea we 'leave them to get on' it just because the people spouting that realise they are the voting core for their warped political views is a bigger one mind.

[The People's Hero]

Scroungers don't really harm the economy to be fair. You give them money, they spend it. No money is lost. The problem is more of a social one. No-one likes the thought of paying for other people to do nothing.

Their damage is more a social sort of damage yes.

I do think though that financially more should be done to help working people with children (like myself) as opposed to those who can't be arsed.

I'm biased though, of course I am - and naturally greedy since I'm a product of the capitalist and materialistic environment in which we all live.