Benefit street - why not it looks easy.

[Norman Verona]

Came in for lunch and put TV on.

 

Programme about benefit cheats. Chap was claiming disability allowance and had claimed money from social service to do his house up as he couldn't do it himself. Fair enough, except that he was working as a bus driver.

 

The Fraud people took weeks investigating and 3 days covertly filming him driving the bus and walking down the high street.

 

OK, fair enough.

 

EXCEPT that the benefits, total of £46,000, would have been paid via a NI number and his Tax and NI from the bus company would have been deducted with the same NI number. Can't we get computers to talk to each other and automatically stop the benefits? 

[AdamR]

EXCEPT that the benefits, total of £46,000, would have been paid via a NI number and his Tax and NI from the bus company would have been deducted with the same NI number. Can't we get computers to talk to each other and automatically stop the benefits? 

 

One would think so...

[blue ass fly]

I watched benefits st filmed in bham

People were saying that it makes you want to sign on yourself

It made me want to do anything but

I might not have much but i earned every penny myself - something i seem to have managed to install in my kids too

What amazes me is that no matter how broke they claim to be,they all have 50" plasmas,smoke and are covered in tattoos - none of which are cheap

[Petemac]

That's just it Norman it is easy, they learn how to survive on whatever the state gives them, they know every trick in the book and how to get as much as they can. Someone I have known for 12 years who is fitter than me and has not worked in 9 years was actually bragging to me about what the state pays things like half his rent, no council tax, and a few other bits to help him enjoy his life without work, and I see him in the boozer quite often and a smoker. We're the mugs mate I'm sorry to say. But at least we have pride in our work he is a qualified Chef and he can't find or won't find a job!!!!  So thanks to benefit system it will no doubt continue.

 

Wind me up big style.

Petemac

[Norman Verona]

I had a chap i knew from the bowling club do some labouring on a building project. He wouldn't work outside in case he was seen and wanted £40 a day cash paid every day. I said he should sign off and I'd pay the full rate (I didn't want to get lumbered with his tax bill). He laughed and told me what he got. It was more than £400 a week in cash and benifits. This was in 1992.

 

I thought about this and decided it wasn't all his fault but the system that allowed him to get away with it.

[M444TTB]

My wife works as a housing benefits assessor on behalf of Swindon council. The stuff I hear on a weekly basis is unbelievable. The system seems poor at best. HMRC and DWP may as well exist in separate realities much of the time which is a great helping had to the many p*** takers.

[blue ass fly]

My daughter is currently going through uni to be a teacher

She does about 25 hrs a week in a teaching enviroment as part of it

She has a two yr old daughter that she has to put into nursery when work/uni clash with sitters

After paying out for nursery shes

Wait for it

£2.00 a week better off

It drives her mad to think that the easy way is to give it all up,say her partners left her and get it all paid for - like lots of people she knows do

Its quite difficult to convince her otherwise at times

[Lawrie]

If we know this, why don't the politicians.  I suppose they don't dare do anything because there are so many doing well on benefits, you can't afford to upset them as they'd vote for the other party.  Some deserve the money and some don't get enough but...

 

There was a case on the TV yesterday.  They had investment properties in Dubai etc etc

 

And you've forgotten the cars and the iPhones.

[Norman Verona]

The real answer is to raise the minimum wage to a realistic local value which will pay for basic food, low cost rent and a few bob for luxuries like a cheap TV and a cheap car. The total benefit package would be £10 less than a 38 hour week at minimum wage and paid for 6 months only then the recipient would be given a job at the job centre. Take or lose the benefits and if they lose the job as "unsuitable" they can't claim for 6 months.

 

I know children could suffer but who should care more, the parents or the state (or more to the point the taxpayers). If people won't work and their children are suffering they would be fostered out.

 

I know it's tough but taxpayers have no problem paying out for those that need it but not those that decide it's better on the dole than working.

[M444TTB]

I agree on a higher minimum wage. I'd also put a stop to some of the multiplying up of benefits (child benefit for more than 2 children for example). I suppose you could apply that to anyone not already receiving it to try and be fair. Ultimately I believe, as I'm sure that most do, that benefits need to return to being a safety net for society. Something to keep the poorest from living in Victorian-style slums.

[Meakin]

My neighbour at my old house knew every trick in the book including putting his sofa out for the night to claim the house was damp and had it completely refitted. It's plain wrong. I believe we should have a credit system where you have to do a days community work per fortnight to get a credit to claim. Also the total income possible to claim should be minimum wage and no more regardless of circumstances. I was unemployed for 6 months I said I was willing to do voluntary work at a school and I was told I would lose benefits if I did.

The credit system would get the owt bars doing at least something and certainly the max claimable to min wage would encourage actually getting a job

Just my 2 worth

Paul

[blue ass fly]

As far as children are concerned i think that child benefits should be paid for one child while people are claiming

Why should we have to fork out for some scrounger to continually breed and end up on £30+k with a 4 bedroomed house

I had to wait until i could afford my second - and was out the house 6 days earning to do it

If a limit was set so that your benefit increased for the first child only,i wonder how many ferrel litters would be produced

[jeff oakley]

The system was put in place when people were starving then it was a good thing. Now it is completely out of hand.

When I was a kid people who were on the dole, had appropriate belongings. Those who worked had more it was simple and there was a pride in self reliance and perhaps a shame when they could not provide for their own.

Now the opposite is true. We flew to Florida one year and there was a whole extended family on the plane. I got chatting to the guy and he told me that he was unemployed and this was his second holiday that year. They were typical, tried to drink the bar dry noisy etc. On the way back, same plane they were in premium economy. How could they afford one holiday let alone two?

In the states in Arkansaw, they referred to kids as welfare puppies. When Clinton was the Governor he introduce a bill which said that the state would provide for the first child born to women in need, as everyone could make a mistake. They refused to pay for multiple children, the birth rate fell overnight. We should do the same. 

As for our government, it should be joined up but there are too many who have built empires to want to see common sense amalgamations. Watch yes minister to see how close to the truth that is.

Benefits are slowly being reformed but the reaction to the changes is being undermined. The Russell trust this week said that millions are starving as food banks are growing, no they are not they are making choices with their money and whilst there are other avenues for food they will use it. A young lad I know was telling me he had to use them as his money was late coming. He drove there in his Car and then the next week posted on Facebook a picture of his three year old in his first Nike trainers which he had bought !!!!

There is genuine anger at the system and slowly the tide is turning where decent people have had enough. The unfortunate thing is sometime those who do deserve help will be caught whilst those who work the system find new ways around.

[blue ass fly]

And while we're having a moan

I was talking to a lovely girl while at work from east europe

She and her partner have been over here about a year and both working

Great

She is pregnant,and the child will be british and she was telling me how she wont come back after having the child and will bring her parents and sister over here and get a nice house for them all

Her mother can then have the treatment she needs on the nhs

We're being screwed every which way through the back door on things never considered by the government

Ive nothing against them coming over , they do the jobs our kids wouldnt

When did you ladt see a young british girl cleaning hotel rooms etc

But somet now know the system and we not only end up supporting them but their extended families once they have a child

And ime up at 4am and driving 50-60k a year to get to jobs to bring my bit in

[iain m]

If you want to get really  XXXXXXX  annoyed take a look at " please don't cut my benefit " Brent Council refusing to paying out £800/900 a week in rent to the unemployable as it exceed the £25k (net ) average income set by IDS.