Benefits Street

[The God Emperor]

It's just a popularist move.

 

There is more of an argument for having no minimum wage.

spot on, was originally brought in to keep the skilled trade unions quiet. what do you call someone who's labour isn't worth the minimum wage? permanently unemployed

[MooseBreath]

People having to sleep in bins couldn't really be less funny to be honest.

Yeah well I find the idea of a tramp being so boozed up that he has passed out in a bin, and then not even waking up when it has been moved, so he ends up being tipped out in a heap on the floor covered in litter pretty funny tbh.

[Rincewind]

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/dr-john-sentamu-for-millions-of-people-work-is-no-longer-a-way-out-of-poverty-9117824.html

[Rincewind]

People having to sleep in bins couldn't really be less funny to be honest.

It is only funny to those sleeping in warm beds at night.

[Soar Fox]

Channel 4 8pm.

Should be good viewing and worth watching.

[jonthefox]

Do you think they'll all do a dance down the street. Y'know. season finale?. 

[bovril]

Maybe it'll all turn out to be a dream, Dallas style.

[bovril]

David Cameron will get out the shower and Rebekah Brooks will say "honey, I just had the strangest dream".

[Rincewind]

David Cameron will get out the shower and Rebekah Brooks will say "honey, I just had the strangest dream".

I doubt it. David Cameron is living on a different planet.

 

http://mfabtg.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/press-statement-the-bedroom-tax-is-dead/

[ADK]

spot on, was originally brought in to keep the skilled trade unions quiet. what do you call someone who's labour isn't worth the minimum wage? permanently unemployed

 

Exactly.

 

With no minimum wage, the unemployed would be able to get work on reduced pay. This would allow them to gain practical demonstrable work experience and they would soon be commanding better pay on merit. It would be good for the economy as business that was previously unviable would become viable with the lower cost of wages. 

 

This would be particularly helpful to young people who hadn't had work before or people returning to work after illness or some other reason for not having relevant work skills. Much better than working unpaid as a volunteer in a charity shop which still would not be regarded as real experience by an employer. 

 

It's a populist move as people already in secure jobs will receive a small pay rise which they would have got anyway if they were at all hard working. Even unskilled manual work pays better than minimum wage if you have a good work record. Employers can't simply keep paying people less because people will leave the company for another and contrary to popular belief, most companies don't like high turnover of employees (apart from companies like McDonalds that expect it). 

[Captain...]

Exactly.

With no minimum wage, the unemployed would be able to get work on reduced pay. This would allow them to gain practical demonstrable work experience and they would soon be commanding better pay on merit. It would be good for the economy as business that was previously unviable would become viable with the lower cost of wages.

This would be particularly helpful to young people who hadn't had work before or people returning to work after illness or some other reason for not having relevant work skills. Much better than working unpaid as a volunteer in a charity shop which still would not be regarded as real experience by an employer.

It's a populist move as people already in secure jobs will receive a small pay rise which they would have got anyway if they were at all hard working. Even unskilled manual work pays better than minimum wage if you have a good work record. Employers can't simply keep paying people less because people will leave the company for another and contrary to popular belief, most companies don't like high turnover of employees (apart from companies like McDonalds that expect it).

That's all well and good when there is high employment but if there are 21 applicants for every vacancy, I seem to remember that being a quoted stat, then people will compete by being prepared to work for less than other applicants. Which is not ideal. It also wouldn't work while we are part of the EU and have freedom of work within the EU. If we had close to full employment then it would work, but I do think we need the safety net of a minimum wage to stop exploitation, I just think it is too high, and raising it will only serve to increase prices.

[Strokes]

People having to sleep in bins couldn't really be less funny to be honest.

Only 58% of those found have been homeless, that means 42% have chose to kip in a bin rather than go home.

What must their missus look like?

[Strokes]

That's all well and good when there is high employment but if there are 21 applicants for every vacancy, I seem to remember that being a quoted stat, then people will compete by being prepared to work for less than other applicants. Which is not ideal. It also wouldn't work while we are part of the EU and have freedom of work within the EU. If we had close to full employment then it would work, but I do think we need the safety net of a minimum wage to stop exploitation, I just think it is too high, and raising it will only serve to increase prices.

Another good argument for exiting from the EU.

[The God Emperor]

people sleeping in bins? this thread is supposed to be about benefits street not sesame street 

[Rincewind]

15 min and no comments about scroungers

[MooseBreath]

Feeling sorry for white dee, her continuous laughter and jovial nature clearly just a front covering her soul crushing depression.

[absolutelegend]

I'm sure they've edited out all of the bits where the residents are trying to learn new skills and applying for jobs.

It's unfair on them that they are shown as people who sit around doing nothing all do, bemused why they can't get work.

[Dr The Singh]

Feeling sorry for white dee, her continuous laughter and jovial nature clearly just a front covering her soul crushing depression.

She's not been the same since Mattp stopped packing her fudge!!

[Thracian]

Here is an example.

 

 

 

Ahhhhh blame someone else, it's the stock-in-trade of the benefit claiming excuse-maker.

I have a poorly friend who works in my line. Lovely person who has me in stitches whenever we speak. Where would he/she rather be? At home fretting about the future. Or on their stall talking to people, laughing and joking and, just for a while, forgetting their troubles.  

The real loser's the guy who went for treatment then promptly got a letter from DVLA  demanding he hand in his driving licence.

Arseholes.....the medics/administrators who effectively and collectively reported him and can't ever be trusted and the DVLA  for kicking a self-employed man out of his living as a penalty for getting poorly.       

[Zingari]

Ahhhhh blame someone else, it's the stock-in-trade of the benefit claiming excuse-maker.

I have a poorly friend who works near me. Lovely person who has me in stitches whenever we speak. Where would he/she rather be? At home fretting about the future. Or on their stall talking to people, laughing and joking and, just for a while, forgetting their troubles.  

The real loser's the guy who went for cancer treatment then promptly got a letter from DVLA  demanding he hand in his driving licence. Arseholes.....the medics/administrators who efrfectively and collectively reported him and can't ever be trusted and the DVLA  for kicking a self-employed man out of his living as a penalty for getting poorly.       

Has he/she been so ill you can't tell what he/she is anymore ?

[ADK]

That's all well and good when there is high employment but if there are 21 applicants for every vacancy, I seem to remember that being a quoted stat, then people will compete by being prepared to work for less than other applicants. Which is not ideal. It also wouldn't work while we are part of the EU and have freedom of work within the EU. If we had close to full employment then it would work, but I do think we need the safety net of a minimum wage to stop exploitation, I just think it is too high, and raising it will only serve to increase prices.

 

I don't see why it is a problem. Yes they will get less in wages, but they will be gaining more than they would on benefits and they will be getting work skills. Yes wages will fall during a recession, but they will rise during a boom. Swings and roundabouts. You'll get full employment soon enough with no minimum wage.

[Dr The Singh]

Has he/she been so ill you can't tell what he/she is anymore ?

Thrac has been in he/she's behind for so long to even bother to find out!!

[Captain...]

I don't see why it is a problem. Yes they will get less in wages, but they will be gaining more than they would on benefits and they will be getting work skills. Yes wages will fall during a recession, but they will rise during a boom. Swings and roundabouts. You'll get full employment soon enough with no minimum wage.

 

But it's not going to create jobs, well not in the short to medium term, employers aren't going to employ more than they need because they are cheap, you will still have the same number on benefits, but those in work will earn less money. Unless there is high employment or a commitment to employ more people or government subsidies, in the current climate eliminating the minimum wage would only create jobs in the long term after a sustained period of growth.

 

I really do think that the wage solution is to bring down wages at middle and higher levels in the company to allow for wage increases at the bottom.

[Zingari]

Thrac has been in he/she's behind for so long to even bother to find out!!

I thought you were the only obvious  he/she on Foxestalk .

 

 How many other he/she s are lurking around the forum waiting to pounce on innocent  unsuspecting posters like me?

 

I  think Webbo and AoWW might be he/shes. now .They pretend to be innocent mods but all the time they are intent on he/she world domination.

 

Forget lizard people,  illuminati , and shape-shifters etc  .  The he/shes are the new threat to the world as we know it .

 

RUN FOR THE HILLS !! THE HE/SHE S  ARE COMING !!!!

 

edit;

i'm not sure where people who live in the hills should run to though ?

[Alf Bentley]

Extraordinary. Not a single post in here all day....

 

Has everyone got bored of Benefits Street or are the people featured becoming a bit less like stereotypes, a bit less easy to condemn maybe?

 

For anyone who missed it, it's repeated tonight (C4, 11pm):

Fungi has a cancer scare and White Dee is very supportive; a new bloke is introduced who's in permanent employment as an IT bod with the council - he helps to clear up litter after unidentified scrotes throw garbage over his fence; a Zimbabwean bloke is trying to set up scrap metal business; another Zimbabwean bloke is unable to work or claim benefits as his immigration status has expired (seems to be his fault), he resorts to booze and alienates his caring missus and his mate, Zim 1 (Tich), who seems like a decent, if naive bloke; there is the sharing of mashed potato and various other examples of generous community spirit.

 

"Pick the bones out of that one, Nigel!", as Stringer might say.

 

Apparently, the C4 debate is on next week, after an extra edition with some sort of "right to reply" by the people featured in the series. Should be interesting.