Re: Benefits Britain!

It is difficult, knowing how to "Spend" a life.

Re: Benefits Britain!

While I agree expensive presents are not needed, perhaps the laptop may be a way out of the benefit system for her, a job or make her own employment using it ?

Re: Benefits Britain!

I get as angry as most when I see someone abusing the benefits system but we do need to ignore the sensationalism and put it into context. Each year in the UK some £1.2 billion is estimated to be claimed fraudulently. However, at the same time, £1.3 billion which people are entitled to claim isn't claimed, so the government is making a slight profit on the deal.
On the other hand, tax avoidance by the rich, costs the exchequer over £30 billion each year. There is something wrong somewhere when all our energy is spent on attacking the few who fraudulently claim benefits, while ignoring the much greater crimes of those who can well afford to pay their taxes.

Re: Benefits Britain!

Tax avoidance (as far as I'm aware) is not a crime. Tax EVASION is.

Your statement "On the other hand, tax avoidance by the rich, costs the exchequer over £30 billion each year. " is incorrect.
Although there is a 'tax gap' of approx £33 billion, tax AVOIDANCE only accounts for around £4 billion while tax EVASION acounts for just over £5 billion.(Source : BBC News) As you rightly say " we do need to ignore the sensationalism ".
Note also that the government encourages some types of tax avoidance eg. using ISA's or even transferring capital to a non-tax paying spouse to avoid tax on interest.

Re: Benefits Britain!

Not everyone on benefits wants to be on benefits, nor do they invariably live a luxurious lifestyle funded by the taxpayer. I was seriously ill for almost 10 years and have slowly regained my health as my illness goes back into remission once more. I'm 60 next year and no employer will take me on, not given a look at my history of long-term illness and also bearing in mind the fact that there are tens of thousands of young people they can employ on a zero hour contract of for a minimum wage. While classed as not in work I am a carer for my doubly incontinent, wheelchair-bound brother and I also help with childcare for my son and his partner - both of whom work and can't afford not to - and take an ever-growing role in keeping an eye on my mother. I might not be working but I am far from idle and probably save the government spending even more money on my brother's care and on subsidising child care for my grandson. Oh, and I'm also signed up to do volunteer work for Age UK which entails helping people my age and older who have come out of hospital and live on their own, doing a bit of shopping and picking up prescriptions, etc. for them. I'm NOT an idle waster - I'm stuck where I am and see no way out but I do my best.

As for the stupendous benefits I rake in, well, I get most of my rent and council tax paid for me but apart from that I get £100 per week to pay for my gas, electricity and water bills, my food and my clothing, contributions towards my rent and council tax and all the other minor, miscellaneous expenses people have. I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol and I don't have holidays anywhere never mind go abroad. Let's not start tarring people with the same brush just because the media like to wind people up to the extent where they only have to hear the word "Benefits" and they almost start foaming at the mouth.

Re: Benefits Britain!

I'm well aware not everyone wants to be on benefits but those in the tv programme did, they had no intention of looking for a job and a young woman who decided to have 8 children obviously never wanted to earn a living

Re: Benefits Britain!

Why would such people go on a TV programme, what is to be gained?.

Re: Benefits Britain!

I really don't know as it shows many of them in a bad light, the two men who openly said how they were on the fiddle and managed to buy their heroin every day along with booze, they were banned from several shops because of thieving and at the end they were boasting about life and how they are able to live with what they've got which hardly costs them a penny.

Re: Benefits Britain!

Maybe they are on a Payroll.

Re: Benefits Britain!

As I mentioned, the media is winding up the public to the extent that even hearing the word "benefits" is enough to start people dismissing anyone on benefits as a feckless leech. It's cheap TV, grabs large audiences and there's always another wave of contempt for people on benefits every time another one of these programmes appear.

It's got to the point that I'm ashamed to even reveal to people that I am on benefits, because you can see their faces change as soon as they hear it.