The Miracle of St George

Going4TheDream

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Most of the low paid "public" sector jobs are now in the private sector.

Most councils are shedding staff no employing them.

Whether they are on JSA/DLA or whatever they still need to be housed, kids fed etc.etc.

True but DLA should be for people who need it not for people who 'want a little extra without working', if they are now on JSA then they will have to prove their eligibility for it each time they sign on, like all other JSA claimants by proving they are looking for work.

The fact there may not be any jobs isnt the point really, the point is 900000 people have 'possibly' been taking the p*ss out of the system and it has been allowed to go on for years.

I feel for the genuine claimants who are facing cuts to their benefit in some way, not the workshy cheats who have milked it for years at mine (and others expense)

The money saved may not run into billions but apart from the sum it saves it is about 'changing attitude and ending entitlement culture' for many

princeofpounds

Those are utterly epic numbers of people.

I'm pretty impressed by IDS; I think the fact that he had a go often leadership and failed means that he now has the courage to actually take tough decisions rather than gain popularity for the top job.

leveller2911

PaulF81 wrote: »

At least the conservatives didn't use taxpayer money to bribe voters .

What do you think the Council housing Right to buy scheme was?..........

I'm no Lefty but your cherry picking as usual......

michaels

princeofpounds wrote: »

Those are utterly epic numbers of people.

I'm pretty impressed by IDS; I think the fact that he had a go often leadership and failed means that he now has the courage to actually take tough decisions rather than gain popularity for the top job.

I think this is a good point - history will show whether the benefits reforms are right or wrong but IDS is obviously doing them because he thinks they are right rather than just as a political career calculation which is sadly the motivation for most of the current crop of career politicians.

grizzly1911

Going4TheDream wrote: »

True but DLA should be for people who need it not for people who 'want a little extra without working', if they are now on JSA then they will have to prove their eligibility for it each time they sign on, like all other JSA claimants by proving they are looking for work.

The fact there may not be any jobs isnt the point really, the point is 900000 people have 'possibly' been taking the p*ss out of the system and it has been allowed to go on for years.

I feel for the genuine claimants who are facing cuts to their benefit in some way, not the workshy cheats who have milked it for years at mine (and others expense)

The money saved may not run into billions but apart from the sum it saves it is about 'changing attitude and ending entitlement culture' for many

You say taking the p**s but if they were claiming within the rules, then in force and you simply change the rules so that they are no longer eligible it isn't necessarily the claimants that are at fault but the system. A,bit like reducing the speed limit and then saying people were speeding on that stretch of road for years.

Yes work shy cheats need to be tackled but a targeted "SAS" attack would be better than B52 carpet bombing that will leave high levels of collateral damage. That collateral damage may get picked up but only if they have the good fortune and tenacity to get through the quagmire of bureaucracy.

I wonder if the slimmed down job centres will be able to cope with 900000 extra applicants or whether they will simply be allowed to log in from the armchair to register?

I am still wondering where these extra 900000 jobs are.

Shake the basket and hope a few drop out.

wotsthat

grizzly1911 wrote: »

I am still wondering where these extra 900000 jobs are.

Can't see why it's relevant.

The taxpayer burden has presumably been reduced as a result of 900,000 people self diagnosing that their disabilities are no longer a barrier to work. That's an end in itself.

StevieJ

Generali wrote: »

900,000 people have decided that they are well enough to work after all now they face being properly tested to see whether or not they can work.

Included in the 900,000 were 30 people with blisters and 60 with acne apparently!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9963012/900000-choose-to-come-off-sickness-benefit-ahead-of-tests.html

It's a miracle I tell you, a miracle. Almost a million people are suddenly well. Beatification and canonization are surely not far away. You normally only need 1 miracle to be beatified, 2 to be a saint.

Kettle and black spring to mind, after all wasn't it dear ole Maggie that kicked off the party, financed by Black gold

Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, said the old system was “evil” and accused Labour of using sickness benefits to “hide the unemployed” when the party was in power.

Moby

Generali wrote: »

900,000 people have decided that they are well enough to work after all now they face being properly tested to see whether or not they can work.

Included in the 900,000 were 30 people with blisters and 60 with acne apparently!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9963012/900000-choose-to-come-off-sickness-benefit-ahead-of-tests.html

It's a miracle I tell you, a miracle. Almost a million people are suddenly well. Beatification and canonization are surely not far away. You normally only need 1 miracle to be beatified, 2 to be a saint.

Even though it was the Torygraph I read that article and it actually says very little about how those statistics were compiled. Its also interesting that these so called statistics are published just at the time the planned changes come into effect. Its all about timing;)
I also note that these new rigorous tests are forcing people that have chronic illnesses such as cancer back to work. This article is also very interesting:-
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/25/atos-nurse-joyce-drummond-disability-benefits-dwp_n_1911928.html

Moby

wotsthat wrote: »

Can't see why it's relevant.

The taxpayer burden has presumably been reduced as a result of 900,000 people self diagnosing that their disabilities are no longer a barrier to work. That's an end in itself.

Don't be naive....the reality is these people will just put further strain on other hard pressed services such as the NHS!

princeofpounds

Even though it was the Torygraph I read that article and it actually says very little about how those statistics were compiled. Its also interesting that these so called statistics are published just at the time the planned changes come into effect. Its all about timing

Actually I don't believe there is anything particularly dodgy about the statistics. It's a release that has been planned for some time, I remember reading about upcoming figures in The Independent some time ago (not exactly a right wing newspaper!).

It's just the number of people who cancelled their claim instead of going through an incapacity benefit test. It's about one-third of the total.

Now you can speculate about why they gave up their claim rather than go through the test. Maybe the test is so brutal they just couldn't face it. Maybe not...