Benefits Street

Dukesy

Poppops wrote: »

i'm always gobsmaked at programmes like this when you see someone who could work but admits they don't want to, and their houses are messy or dirty.

I'd love to have more time to clean.

The world looks like a better place when you've hoovered.

This is what gets me - there seems to be a chronic laziness. You may be on benefits, but it costs nothing to be clean and tidy.

I can't believe anyone can care so little about their surroundings. I've been known to come home from a ten and a half hour nightshift, knowing I have another shift that night, and still chuck a load of washing into the machine and run around the house with the hoover before I go to bed - just because I can't relax knowing my house is a mess! These people have much more time to clean than I do, but I would die if my house looked like that!

ivavoucher

I haven't seen it. Is it about bail outs to failing banks, subsidies paid so that employers can pay poverty wages and housing benefits paid to landlords? Is it about tax loopholes so that **** like Gary Barlow can avoid paying tax and then **** like Terry Wogan can get paid £1,500 per hour to host Children In Need to collect charity to pay for the children's services that have been cut so that ***** like Gary Barlow don't have to pay tax?

Lord_Baltimore

ivavoucher wrote: »

I haven't seen it. Is it about bail outs to failing banks, subsidies paid so that employers can pay poverty wages and housing benefits paid to landlords? Is it about tax loopholes so that **** like Gary Barlow can avoid paying tax and then **** like Terry Wogan can get paid £1,500 per hour to host Children In Need to collect charity to pay for the children's services that have been cut so that ***** like Gary Barlow don't have to pay tax?

Nope, but that would have made for a better programme. However, we shouldn't be too cruel to that gifted wordsmith Mr Barlow (t-h-a-t ' s a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c yawn) who in fairness does have a harmless, if metronomic, personality nor that National Treasure, Sir Terry Wig On whose singing could send a glass eye to sleep .

jules888

Think last nights programme would put any Romanians off coming here!

BillJones

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

The whole programme was an insidious manipulation of the viewers' perspective.

For follow up programmes can we have Greedy Banker Street, Fiddled Expenses Road, Extortion Estate (where Power Companies are located) and Where's My Fat Cat Bonus Avenue?

The amount of money ploughed into that lot would really make your hair curl.

The people fiddling will tend to be the same ones that were on the original program. Bnakers will, in general, be on PAYE, so will be paying every pennny that they are supposed to. I'm not sure what precisely you;d like to see on TV about us, though, as the day would mainly be getting up at 5:30 for work, getting home about seven, cooking dinner, then sleeping.

Very little for anyone to get upset over, really.

Hoof_Hearted

BillJones wrote: »

The people fiddling will tend to be the same ones that were on the original program. Bnakers will, in general, be on PAYE, so will be paying every pennny that they are supposed to. I'm not sure what precisely you;d like to see on TV about us, though, as the day would mainly be getting up at 5:30 for work, getting home about seven, cooking dinner, then sleeping.

Very little for anyone to get upset over, really.

Yup, I think they have stopped bankers having their bonuses paid into tax-dodging offshore accounts or calling themselves a company to reduce their tax liability.

Pitchshifter

Vicky123 wrote: »

Am I the only person who thinks those featured on the programme had an utterly miserable existence? They didn't appear to be living the high life at all and most of them presented as unemployable, who would seriously consider giving them a job, especially when there is so much choice today?
There seemed to be no future for them, nothing to aspire to and probably worse to come.

You're not the only one Vicky. This is what survival looks like in Britain today. These are some of the poorest people in society, for whatever reason (addiction, depression, poor education, etc). Their situation is not enviable whatsoever, but they're trying to make the best of a bad lot. I'm happy paying taxes to support the unfortunates in society, and I'm proud that we have such a tolerant welfare system. I fear it's days are numbered though and survival in the UK is going to become more and more difficult in the coming years. The ecomony is more f####d than most of us realise and many more people will be forced out of their homes and end up dependant on the state. I feel sorry of those poor Romanians coming to the UK, then unable to leave because they were treated as slaves and ended up on the streets. Hope they make it home.

Angelicdevil

Watched last nights episode and I really feel for the Romanians. It shocked me how much my heart went out to them, if I'm honest!

Unlike some residents on the street they were actively trying to support themselves, without expecting the Government to do it for them but all they got was crap from their neighbours, employers and ultimately landlord when they couldn't pay the rent.

I'd much rather have the Romanians here, striving for a better life using the skills they have than some of the lazy, spongers living on that street.

I really hope that they got their work permits sorted too!

Vicky123

Angelicdevil wrote: »

Watched last nights episode and I really feel for the Romanians. It shocked me how much my heart went out to them, if I'm honest!

Unlike some residents on the street they were actively trying to support themselves, without expecting the Government to do it for them but all they got was crap from their neighbours, employers and ultimately landlord when they couldn't pay the rent.

I'd much rather have the Romanians here, striving for a better life using the skills they have than some of the lazy, spongers living on that street.

I really hope that they got their work permits sorted too!

The residents on the street already knew what the Romanians had yet to learn that slave labour does not pay rent, heat and eat even with all of them sharing hence the need for benefits.
They were the second lot to pack up and try to get back home but that's not the message some people want to get over.
Half of nothing is still nothing and work ethic only happens if there is a liveable wage at the end, these Romanians were proof of the need for a welfare state and/or decent living wage.

lincroft1710

Angelicdevil wrote: »

but all they got was crap from their neighbours, employers and ultimately landlord when they couldn't pay the rent.

I'd much rather have the Romanians here, striving for a better life using the skills they have than some of the lazy, spongers living on that street.

Are you referring to the Romanian family who were berating the landlord because their electricity and gas were cut off as they hadn't paid the bills.