Benefits Street

[Rincewind]

For me, the word "street" gave me the impression it was about a street.

Me too/

[Guest MattP]

For me, the word "street" gave me the impression it was about a street.

But how do they know its a street?

Just because it's loads of houses in a row either side of a road doesn't make it that, it could be a field or a shopping centre. I won't be making a judgement until I've seen the facts. Ian Duncan Smith forced a dying man back to work, I read it on a blog.

I'm on Papa Shine Shang radio tomorrow, Leroy Munanaga hour, Bungey Bungle Barisha segment.

We'll be talking about this show and how Channel 4 has always been a Tory donor, George Osborne wont go in Big Brother, ive heard the show has been cancelled as they couldn't pay the bedroom tax. I suppose the concensus on here is it isn't true as they have a new series on. Hard to preach to the converted though.

I have an open mind.

Just opened a selection box I found, I bet David Cameron had ten for Christmas.

[danny.]

Sometimes you have to think outside the street and look at the bigger picture.

 

Well not in this case, as it's a programme about, people in a street.

[danny.]

Just opened a selection box I found, I bet David Cameron had ten for Christmas.

 

[Guest MattP]

I have a friend, he's 34, with severe Down's syndrome and severe autism. They say his mental age is 4, but he can't talk, or go toilet alone, whilst he can at least shower himself, brush his teeth etc, so it's hard to say. He can't cook, or drive or anything like that he doesn't have the mental capacity. He has other physical disabilities too. He can't walk far, or manage much physical exercise. I'm really close to the family, his nephews my godson, so I'm not relaying hearsay. He was assessed recently, and they tried they're damned hardest to make out he was capable of much more than he is. It's extremely stupid and dangerous to suggest this guy could work, left alone for 10 minutes outside his home, I'd be amazed if he didn't endanger himself or others. In the end, he lost quite a lot of his funding, and his day centre has closed down. Other options are being looked at, but a lot involve him spending different parts of his day in different places and his mum ferrying him to and fro. Hardly helping his mum stay in work is it, and not particularly helpful that if she did have to quit work to look after him/ferry him around, she'd get less benefits. So way to go Tories, not only trying to force a severely disabled person into work, but also cutting his benefits and taking away his place to go during the day, making it harder for his mum to work. Without getting all Rincewind here, I'm only speaking from personal experience, but why would this be any different for other people in the same boat. If they're prepared to do that to him, what a are they prepared to do the less severely disabled people who are still disabled enough to be unable to work.

You wanted some proof.

Not really proof is it? Surely the people assessing him are far more capable of making this decision than me or you?

[Unabomber]

Well not in this case, as it's a programme about, people in a street.

I wasn't being serious, I was agreeing with you in a clearly mysterious way.

[Rincewind]

Well not in this case, as it's a programme about, people in a street.

That's OK if the majority just view it as that.

 

hopefully the Doc we made will be available soon. People talk about their experiences and how their lives have changed.

[Jimothy]

Not really proof is it? Surely the people assessing him are far more capable of making this decision than me or you?

You wanted proof they aren't trying to force people into work. You think a severely disabled man, who can talk, go toilet alone, can't read or write, **** sake he can't be left unsupervised for 10 minutes, is capable of work. All he does is scream and giggle to himself, and occasionally touch is cock in public (he doesn't understand he shouldn't). Yet you're happy to say, oh these people who assessed him and tried their hardest to say he should work must be right, they know more than us. No! They are being paid to get the benefit bill down by hook or by crook, including totally irresponsible things like this. You must never have met anyone like him if you seriously think he'd be ok to work.

[Harry - LCFC]

This has nothing to do with the program.

Didn't see you asking for predicaments, excuses, a wider range of people etc when channel 4 followed a handful of bnp or edl nutters.

 

I didn't watch or hear about that show so no I didn't.

 

In any case I don't see how what I said could be described as excusing these people. Was I not clear enough when expressing my anger at people who were declining the opportunity to feed their children? Criminal, I think I described it as.

 

People have every right to be angry at the lazy and irresponsible. I would just prefer it if they were not angry at every single claimant.

[Guest MattP]

What do you want me to say? I've never met him. Fact is these people are qualified to decide things like this.

People are always saying we should trust these experts then when they give a verdict we don't like we change our view.

If he ia generally as bad you say then something is clearly wrong as I know people supposedly incapable of working who are nowhere near like that.

[danny.]

That's OK if the majority just view it as that.

 

hopefully the Doc we made will be available soon. People talk about their experiences and how their lives have changed.

 

I'm not sure how it could be made any clearer? It's called "Benefits Street", with the description:

"This documentary series reveals the reality of life on benefits, as the residents of one of Britain's most benefit-dependent streets invite cameras into their tight-knit community"

 

Maybe "Benefits Street (content not evocative of a wider geographical or attitudinal catchment area)"?

 

Not as catchy though.

[Jimothy]

What do you want me to say? I've never met him. Fact is these people are qualified to decide things like this.

People are always saying we should trust these experts then when they give a verdict we don't like we change our view.

If he ia generally as bad you say then something is clearly wrong as I know people supposedly incapable of working who are nowhere near like that.

Exactly, something is clearly wrong with a system that would try and make him work. They may be qualified, but when the pressures on to save money on benefits, you wonder how many people are going to be seen as fit to work when they're clearly not. I know you've never met him, but what it might have been nice for you to say is that you admit these experts aren't always right, and in some cases, such as this are having the hands forced.

Also not really on he's losing money and care is it? I mean for me that's the real issue here. I don't mind taking money off those that can help themselves but refuse to, but as a society I think the least we can do is care for those that have noway of helping themselves.

[Beliall]

I havent watched it and dont plan too. the advert showed all I need to know. they found the worst that they could and put it on tv. as some have said, the general opinion on people on benefits will now be that everyone is like that.

this pisses me off. I havent worked for 8 years now. I wish I could. im a trained chef and had a good career, but I now am a carer for my better half and stay at home parent to our kids.

not her fault of course but I wish I could be the one providing for her rather than the state. these utter arseholes are the reason its so difficult for us to get what we need, but you dont see us at home getting pissed, or stoned, or buying lots of shit we dont need, our kids are fed and clothed and watered and happy, these clowns get more than enough if I can feed and provide for 7 people than they can ****ing cope too.

its late and thats turned into a rant. for my benefit more than anything. thanks for listening. .... reading.

[Jon the Hat]

Picking a few unfortunate examples is simply not enough to condemn a system. You think there weren't many more examples if people taking the piss before? Nothing that relies on judgement is ever perfect.

[Jimothy]

Picking a few unfortunate examples is simply not enough to condemn a system. You think there weren't many more examples if people taking the piss before? Nothing that relies on judgement is ever perfect.

I'm sure there were. I'm actually happy there reassessed all the cases. And no nothing that relies on judgement will be perfect, but I'd expect if to be reasonable.

[Rincewind]

Surely those qualified to access a persons disability are doctors not civil servants paid by the government to balance the books and meet targets?

 

perhaps I'm being silly thinking that.

[Rincewind]

Picking a few unfortunate examples is simply not enough to condemn a system. You think there weren't many more examples if people taking the piss before? Nothing that relies on judgement is ever perfect.

I think it can be judged by the number of successful appeals. Which BTW is costing as much as setting the thing up.

[Jimothy]

Surely those qualified to access a persons disability are doctors not civil servants paid by the government to balance the books and meet targets?

perhaps I'm being silly thinking that.

I know you look at this stuff a lot Ken, so I was just wondered do you have any figures, or articles on how many of these people assessed fit for work, have been offered any kind of retraining, rather than simply having there benefits stopped? I'm just thinking of someone who's done manual work all their life be expected to walk into an office job with no training, and no money to pay for training. No idea if they are offered anything or not.

[Jon the Hat]

I know you look at this stuff a lot Ken, so I was just wondered do you have any figures, or articles on how many of these people assessed fit for work, have been offered any kind of retraining, rather than simply having there benefits stopped? I'm just thinking of someone who's done manual work all their life be expected to walk into an office job with no training, and no money to pay for training. No idea if they are offered anything or not.

Who says their benefits are stopped? They move on to job seekers allowance, retaining housing benefit and so in no? Disability benefits are higher to cover additional costs. If you don't

have them then JSA is sufficient.

[Jimothy]

Who says their benefits are stopped? They move on to job seekers allowance, retaining housing benefit and so in no? Disability benefits are higher to cover additional costs. If you don't

have them then JSA is sufficient.

Pretty sure I was mainly asking about being retrained, but just gloss over that part why don't you.

[Rincewind]

Who says their benefits are stopped? They move on to job seekers allowance, retaining housing benefit and so in no? Disability benefits are higher to cover additional costs. If you don't

have them then JSA is sufficient.

And if they lose the extra they will have to pay for it out of a lesser amount. They would not suddenly not need carers or specialist care.

[Guest MattP]

And here's to you PanijPani radio. ..

Rincewind loves you more than Dnoooooo woahhhhooo

Sorry just came into my head reading the chants thread.

Facecloth - of course they can get it wrong, like John says a system like this wull never be perfect but I'd rather they hit this hard considering what has happened over the last 15 years.

I'll get some stats when im on the pc but I read that about a third who have come off incapacity or disability benefits have found work which shows what a shambles the system was.

I have no idea how but we need to try and disabled numbers down, it's increasing every year and at current rates we won't be able to pay for the genuine cases in 50 years.

[GingerrrFox]

The problem is it's cyclical and the majority of the kids they showed on that program will follow their parents lead and get **** all qualifications, leave school at 16, get their girlfriend pregnant, try and claim a council house and live off benefits for the rest of their existence. Don't get me wrong there will no doubt be a few good eggs who will actually try and get themselves out of the hell hole and make something better for themselves but the majority is the problem.

 

What infuriates me is these ***** saying there are no jobs and they can't find a job. This is incorrect. There are jobs, they just don't want to do them. The problem is they are not qualified for anything other than menial jobs but believe that they are above them and are "holding out for something more". They left school with nothing, what do they think they can work as? 

 

The whole benefit system is ruined and it will never be fixed, not at least until civilisation breaks down and it becomes every man for himself again. I firmly believe the world will go back to the days of the strongest dog survives. It is only a matter of time.

[ozleicester]

A world in which too many have too little, and too many have too much.

 

Sweeping generalisations and targetting of anyone who falls under a particular headline friendly term is just exploitation and shameful.

 

Those whose lives have lead them to being cvnts cant be entirely blamed for their predicaments and a decent society would be trying to make itself better for ALL, nevertheless there will always be some total cvnts in every walk of life and they need to be exposed and educated on what being a part of society means, whether that means by removing their money or reducing their freedoms.

 

The same applies for the poor.

[Harry - LCFC]

The problem is it's cyclical and the majority of the kids they showed on that program will follow their parents lead and get **** all qualifications, leave school at 16, get their girlfriend pregnant, try and claim a council house and live off benefits for the rest of their existence. Don't get me wrong there will no doubt be a few good eggs who will actually try and get themselves out of the hell hole and make something better for themselves but the majority is the problem.

 

What infuriates me is these ***** saying there are no jobs and they can't find a job. This is incorrect. There are jobs, they just don't want to do them. The problem is they are not qualified for anything other than menial jobs but believe that they are above them and are "holding out for something more". They left school with nothing, what do they think they can work as? 

 

The whole benefit system is ruined and it will never be fixed, not at least until civilisation breaks down and it becomes every man for himself again. I firmly believe the world will go back to the days of the strongest dog survives. It is only a matter of time.

 

What are you talking about? Do you have any good reason whatsoever to believe this or are you just interested in making sensationalised comments to attract attention?

 

Far too many drama queens in political discussions.