Benefits Street

Ninnut85

Poor really does not necessarily mean dirty/unclean/lazy at all.
I attended a dinner party at a friend’s house (who is fairly new into my circle of friends and seemed to want to make an effort). It was his parents’ house we attended. His father is a consultant pediatrician and his mother is an osteopathic physician. I have never seen such a messy, dirty and quite frankly disgusting state of a home in my life. I was in totally shock that 2 such professional people could live in such squalor. The house certainly would have been acceptable to the various "how clean is your home" type programs you see on TV.
I think some people just have different conceptions on what is an acceptable standard to live and it has very little to do with income or how you obtain your income.

Vicky123

Angelicdevil wrote: »

Well that's not what I got from it at all! And quite frankly, IMO, this kind of comment is exactly what's wrong with many people in this country.

The Romanians needed work permits to gain decent employment, whilst they were denied that they did what they could to survive using their own employ instead of expecting the state to provide. Short term pain for long term gain.

Most of them went home according to the programme but then again had they been entitled to benefits do you think they would've refused which isn't the same as not expecting the state to provide.
As far as employment goes it's the same for Romanians as Brits, work has to pay, living 14 to a room isn't a serious option as a permanent solution.
Simplifying a real problem for those at the bottom of society is what's wrong with many people in this Country who are looking for someone to blame, try looking above the soft targets.

silvercar

As far as employment goes it's the same for Romanians as Brits,

It wasn't for these people as they didn't have the necessary paperwork to work.

Angelicdevil

silvercar wrote: »

It wasn't for these people as they didn't have the necessary paperwork to work.

Precisely.

Vicky123 wrote: »

As far as employment goes it's the same for Romanians as Brits, work has to pay, living 14 to a room isn't a serious option as a permanent solution.

I think most sensible people are able to see that 14 to a room isn't a permanent solution. Just a temporary one until circumstances change.

Our current benefit system stops people from taking the initial steps to bettering themselves and becomes a trap because it's no longer seen as the done thing to start from the bottom.

When I got my first proper job in a town 100miles away from my "home" town, I was in a real dive of a studio flat in a huge building crammed full of crappy, unsociable tenants. It was hell and then I was made redundant........

I worked all the hours I could in supermarkets whilst searching for something in my field. It took 3 months of hard slog and cutting back to the minimum but I did it.

I knew it was only temporary until the right thing came along. This kind of attitude is sorely missing from a section of society and the sooner things change, the better.

You don't get something for nothing. Sometimes life is bl00dy hard, but it's not necessarily forever.

DRP

Ninnut85 wrote: »

Poor really does not necessarily mean dirty/unclean/lazy at all.
I attended a dinner party at a friend’s house (who is fairly new into my circle of friends and seemed to want to make an effort). It was his parents’ house we attended. His father is a consultant pediatrician and his mother is an osteopathic physician. I have never seen such a messy, dirty and quite frankly disgusting state of a home in my life. I was in totally shock that 2 such professional people could live in such squalor. The house certainly would have been acceptable to the various "how clean is your home" type programs you see on TV.
I think some people just have different conceptions on what is an acceptable standard to live and it has very little to do with income or how you obtain your income.

If these are their occupations then I imagine they don't have much time for cleaning after long hours spent saving lives and bringing relief to the injured

Our home isn't as clean and tidy as i'd like - I work away during the week and we both work long ours for not brilliant pay (both NHS) we clean & tidy once a week but it isn't easy to find time - tbh we'd rather spend our time looking after and enjoying our little toddler - that's the priority!

That said, I'd be sure to tidy and clean if i was having guests over for a dinner party!

Ninnut85

DRP wrote: »

If these are their occupations then I imagine they don't have much time for cleaning after long hours spent saving lives and bringing relief to the injured

Our home isn't as clean and tidy as i'd like - I work away during the week and we both work long ours for not brilliant pay (both NHS) we clean & tidy once a week but it isn't easy to find time - tbh we'd rather spend our time looking after and enjoying our little toddler - that's the priority!

That said, I'd be sure to tidy and clean if i was having guests over for a dinner party!

Myself and my partner both work full time but we manage to find the odd 10 mins here and there to keep up an acceptable level of cleanliness. To do no cleaning what so ever (as they clearly haven't) in your own home is just silly. Not to mention devaluing the home you have paid to own.
The other thing though is they have a maid. She has been coming for years but because they just don't seem to be bothered at all about living in quite frankly, dangerous house, she doesn't do any cleaning and they don't seem bothered.

It don't matter how busy you are or what your job is. There is always some time to do some kind of tidying or cleaning. There house hadn't been cleaned in at least 20 years for to get to the state it's in. Being Dr's you'd think they'd realise it can be bad for your health.
But my point is just because someone, like the people being discussed in this thread, are on benefits isn't an indication of their ability to keep a clean home.
I'm sure if a lot of the patients of the Dr's knew how disgusting dirty their home was they wouldn't be quite so keen about being treated by them.

lincroft1710

deannatrois wrote: »

And yes I have a 47inch LED TV I got cheap through Amazon warehouse. It won't be replaced for many years.

If it lasts longer than 5 years, then judging by the threads on the Consumer Rights board, you'll be doing well.

gazter

Did anyone else feel quite sad for the Romanian men that were clearly being exploited? I felt ashamed, not that this kind of thing happens now and then, im sure they always do, but that the authorities they contacted (the Police) essentially told them there was nothing they could do.

They knew the farm they drove to, and they had the phone contacts. It wouldnt have taken much detective work. These employers were abusing multiple labour laws and most likely a few immigration ones.

The woman just after though, who has probably had so many chances and opportunities and chose to take none of them, who has probably not known hunger to last more than fifteen minutes allies herself with these starving young men desperate to work. All I saw was contrast.

tryfan

Ninnut85 wrote: »

Poor really does not necessarily mean dirty/unclean/lazy at all.
I attended a dinner party at a friend’s house (who is fairly new into my circle of friends and seemed to want to make an effort). It was his parents’ house we attended. His father is a consultant pediatrician and his mother is an osteopathic physician. I have never seen such a messy, dirty and quite frankly disgusting state of a home in my life. I was in totally shock that 2 such professional people could live in such squalor. The house certainly would have been acceptable to the various "how clean is your home" type programs you see on TV.
I think some people just have different conceptions on what is an acceptable standard to live and it has very little to do with income or how you obtain your income.

The first house I bought was owned by a professor of microbiology at the local university, when we moved in it was gross beyond words, lets just say the maggots in the kitchen carpet were the least of the filth!

J_i_m

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If it lasts longer than 5 years, then judging by the threads on the Consumer Rights board, you'll be doing well.

I've had a 32" flat screen LCD TV since 2009, and thus far (touch wood) there hasn't been a single fault with it, the tube TV I had prior to it I had for over ten years and it was perfectly serviceable when I got rid of it.

Technology can last as long as you don't abuse it.