Boom-time on benefits: The 140,000 families who claim £20,000 a year in handouts

mewbie_2

And if there is a cannabis factory next door you might find this information handy...

http://www.weedfarmer.com/joint_rolling/index.htm

I wish the internet had been around in 'my day'. Still we had Oz.

macaque_2

beingjdc wrote: »

You could probably get somewhere straight away if you said your husband was violent, but then the police would be angry when they found out he wasn't. After that, you'd get told to go away by the housing part of the Council, and have to make an application under the Children Act. They'd probably find you somewhere under that, but equally they might decide the kids should go back to your husband, or decide you're both numpties and get them fostered.

Here's who gets emergency / top priority housing (this is for Hillingdon, but it's the same across much of the country)

• You have a life threatening medical condition, which is seriously affected by your current housing, (or you are an in-patient in hospital unable to return home as the property is unsuitable for medical reasons).
• You are homeless, in priority need and in temporary accommodation and the landlord wants the property back and it is not possible to find you suitable further temporary accommodation.
• Housing have agreed to a recommendation by social services that you need to be provided with permanent accommodation to ensure fostering or adoption.
• You are a tenant whose life is threatened if you remain in your home, because of violence. (Please note that this applies to Council Tenants only).
• You are an ex service tenant whom the council has a contractual obligation to re-house.
• You are a tenant who needs to move because your home is about to be demolished or redeveloped within three months.
• You are a tenant in an adapted property you no longer need which could be used by someone else.
• You are a tenant of a property with two or more bedrooms and you are willing to move to a one-bedroom home or give up two bedrooms.
• You are a non-statutory successor of a council tenancy and approved for a move to a studio or one bed or you are giving up two or more bedrooms.
• You are occupying a property, which is subject to a compulsory purchase order and/or where the council has a Statutory Duty to move you.

Here's "Urgent" (don't be fooled, it doesn't mean what it sounds like...)

• You have an urgent need to move for medical or social reasons, as approved by the council.
• You are homeless, the Council has accepted a duty to re-house you, and you are staying in bed & breakfast or a hostel
• You are statutorily overcrowded.
• You have more than one serious housing need.
• Welfare agency referral (as agreed by panel).
• You need move-on accommodation as agreed with partner organisations.
• You are a tenant occupying larger accommodation, but are willing to give up a surplus bedroom, but still need two or more bedrooms.
• You are a tenant and your home is to be demolished or redeveloped.
• You are a non-statutory successor of a council tenancy and approved for smaller accommodation comprising 2 or more bedrooms.
• You are an ex tenant whom the council, at the time you relinquished a former tenancy, undertook to re-house at a future date.

I am surprised that you are allowed to publish this on the net but it is very revealing. I suddenly realised why high blood pressure has become such a problem in the UK.

Here we have a policy document drawn up by a senior administrator with an IQ of 90 which passed to someone with degree in social science to implement. The application forms are then filled in 'ner do wellls' with IQs of 120 who mysteriously manage to tick all the right boxes.

Decisions about which human being is given a roof over his or her head should be made by people, not drones filling in tick boxes.

JoJoB

margaretclare wrote: »

Personally I regard you as 'one of ours' far more than e.g. the migrants from Eastern Europe.

You're part of the Anglo-Saxon diaspora. Most of us have relatives in Australia, Canada, NZ etc, descended from our family members who emigrated within living memory.

Also English is your native language and your culture is same/similar to ours. You don't come here wanting to bomb us, or set up cannabis farms, or force a foreign religion on to us.

I shall no doubt be criticised for saying this, but I am no longer subscribing to political correctness.

I love how "political correctness" is quoted every time someone wants to be racist, bloody rude, or just plain impolite.

Foreign religion.... where did Christianity emanate? Not good old Blighty, that's for sure!

As for cannabis farms - I live in a white ghetto and every week the local rag runs details of yet another local "farm" being busted. Everywhere I go I smell the weed being smoked and it's always by white youngsters.

Anyway - don't know what I think about the title of this thread really. My husband is facing possible redundancy and if we claim 20K a year in benefits that's simply because it takes about that much to pay all the bills.

If there is a problem persuading people to take up full-time work doing soul-destroying horrible minimum wage jobs then it's because they don't pay enough to survive on or feed a family on. And because they are soul destroying and !!!!!. There are loads of jobs like this, but usually they have a big wad of cash attached to make up for it - like working 14 hours a day for a big law firm and never seeing your family.

When my husband was last unemployed, 15 years ago he was made to go on courses in woodwork (lasting a week, after working as an accountant). He appreciated learning the beginnings of a new skill even though realistically a weeks training doth not a carpenter make and was hardly suited to him in light of his previous career. But still... he went on to work as a roadsweeper... in the days before this work was contracted out and the pay became even less and hours even more. Family men used to do this job, and willingly - but how many would be prepared to now that the wages are so low?

The problem these days is not that benefits give people just enough to live on - it's that working bloody hard for a living gives you only just enough to live on. Where's the incentive to work, especially when you know that your employer can just dispose of you like trash when times get rough? My husband has given 10 years to his current employer (a university) and because of financial mismanagement his department is to be closed down as part of a mass redundancy measure. His final few months have been loaded with extra work as the extra shafting before the final shafting lol.

Now that we are facing going on benefits for the first time in years I realise we are facing the reality of so much prejudice as well as financial hardship. I can deal with the financial hardship better - so what if we lose the house etc, we'll survive. But facing the prejudice that so many others have faced for years is actually scary. I feel ashamed to be British when I hear such disgusting reactionary, unkind and racist opinions of the people at the bottom of the heap in our society. They are the people in most need of help - and the people at the top, the rich and the powerful, are the ones most deserving of our wrath.

StevieJ

Some of the rates of pay people get paid are shocking these days but Dopster still thinks they should be cut :eek:

lynzpower

Generali wrote: »

Better and cheaper than what, please?



This estate in Elephant and Castle was pretty pricey and is now a very horrible bit of South London. IMO.

this building is not an "estate" generali!!

This is Metro Central Heights.! The old Alexander Fleming Building which was part of the NHS. I *think* it might be listed. ( v draughty windows)

i worked ( v breifly) in an estate agents in this area, and was tasked with finding buyers for a one bed atr 375. ( peak!)

original brochure http://www.metrocentralheights.com/files/original%20MCH%20marketing%20brochure%201997.pdf

and now http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/new-homes/property-21491108.html/svr/2004;jsessionid=6E1A47194A3E13886CFD4961A9302358?locationIdentifier=REGION^85214&pageNumber=1&showcase=true&backToListURL=/property-for-sale/find/Southwark/Newington.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E85214

The estates surrounding this building are all due for demolition. They are well known as crime holes, and most now, thank god arre sitexed with a view to wiping out this area of severe deprivation for good. It does no child any good to live in an area like this. I live around here, and I will tell you now I pity whichever child grows up in this area, it is derelict, depressing and very dangerous. The area is crammed with crack users & street drinkers & hoodies. It is an embarrassment to one of the worlds richest cities, piling needy people into this sort of environment is a disgrace and its demlition is long overdue.

macaque_2

StevieJ wrote: »

Some of the rates of pay people get paid are shocking these days .....

Finally we agree on something. Here are some examples:

Chief Executive
Employer: STOKE ON TRENT CITY COUNCIL
Industry:Government - Local government Senior executive - Government
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: up to £195,000

Executive Director – Place
Employer: SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Industry:Environment - General Government - Local government Housing - Regeneration Senior executive - Government Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: To £141,516

Executive Director – Communities
Employer: SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Industry:Government - Local government Senior executive - Government Social care - General
Contract: Permanent Hours: Full Time
Salary: To £141,516

Deputy Chief Executive
Employer: SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Industry: Senior executive - Government
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: To £141,516

Corporate Director Corporate Services
Employer: NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Industry:Government - Local government Senior executive - Government
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: £121,371

Director, Child Protection
Employer: ISLINGTON COUNCIL
Industry:Senior executive - General Social care - Children's care
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: Up to £110k + benefits

Chief Executive
Employer: STEVENAGE HOMES
Industry: Housing - Housing services Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: circa £105,000 plus benefits

Director of Public Health (joint appointment with NHS Barnsley)
Employer: BARNSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL
Industry:Health - Health management Health - Public health Senior executive - Public sector
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: c.£100,000

Head of Service for Children and Families
Employer: CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL
Industry:Senior executive - Education Senior executive - Health Senior executive - Public sector Social care - Children's care Social care - Youth work
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: c.£100k

SGE1

margaretclare wrote: »

Personally I regard you as 'one of ours' far more than e.g. the migrants from Eastern Europe.

You're part of the Anglo-Saxon diaspora. Most of us have relatives in Australia, Canada, NZ etc, descended from our family members who emigrated within living memory.

Also English is your native language and your culture is same/similar to ours. You don't come here wanting to bomb us, or set up cannabis farms, or force a foreign religion on to us.

I shall no doubt be criticised for saying this, but I am no longer subscribing to political correctness.

I know, these damned Church of England and Catholic folk - refusing to let atheists express their beliefs via a few crummy bus ads, telling us that HIV isn't a good enough reason to use condoms, etc. How annoying are they!

Oh, and I think you're confusing "political correctness" with "common sense".

lynzpower

macaque wrote: »

Finally we agree on something. Here are some examples:

Chief Executive
Employer: STOKE ON TRENT CITY COUNCIL
Industry:Government - Local government Senior executive - Government
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: up to £195,000

Executive Director – Place
Employer: SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Industry:Environment - General Government - Local government Housing - Regeneration Senior executive - Government Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: To £141,516

Executive Director – Communities
Employer: SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Industry:Government - Local government Senior executive - Government Social care - General
Contract: Permanent Hours: Full Time
Salary: To £141,516

Deputy Chief Executive
Employer: SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Industry: Senior executive - Government
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: To £141,516

Corporate Director Corporate Services
Employer: NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Industry:Government - Local government Senior executive - Government
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: £121,371

Director, Child Protection
Employer: ISLINGTON COUNCIL
Industry:Senior executive - General Social care - Children's care
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: Up to £110k + benefits

Chief Executive
Employer: STEVENAGE HOMES
Industry: Housing - Housing services Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: circa £105,000 plus benefits

Director of Public Health (joint appointment with NHS Barnsley)
Employer: BARNSLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL
Industry:Health - Health management Health - Public health Senior executive - Public sector
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: c.£100,000

Head of Service for Children and Families
Employer: CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL
Industry:Senior executive - Education Senior executive - Health Senior executive - Public sector Social care - Children's care Social care - Youth work
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Salary: c.£100k

god not this one again!

you ALWAYS post these lists of jobs! :rotfl:

botchjob

macaque wrote: »

Finally we agree on something. Here are some examples:

What point are you making ? That you're bitter that people in top jobs earn top salaries? Or that you find these jobs unimportant and unworthy?

You are Paul Dacre AICMFP.

Cleaver

botchjob wrote: »

What point are you making ? That you're bitter that people in top jobs earn top salaries? Or that you find these jobs unimportant and unworthy?

The former. But he will state the latter.