Stigmatising of people on benefits

chiefie

I saw a recent post about the government contemplating reducing housing benefit due to austerity cuts, it shocks me how some people tar all people on benefits with the same brush. But they are not all !!!!less, lazy people who want something for nothing and scrounge from the state. So many people find themselves in poverty through illness or disability and struggle to get by. Our society should be there for them first, it could be any of us in their shoes. please think of those who are in real need, we should not be lumping them in with others that are not.

Generali

chiefie wrote: »

I saw a recent post about the government contemplating reducing housing benefit due to austerity cuts, it shocks me how some people tar all people on benefits with the same brush. But they are not all !!!!less, lazy people who want something for nothing and scrounge from the state. So many people find themselves in poverty through illness or disability and struggle to get by. Our society should be there for them first, it could be any of us in their shoes. please think of those who are in real need, we should not be lumping them in with others that are not.

It has always been a problem, since the C17th at least, separating the 'deserving poor' from the lazy.

I don't think anyone has a problem with paying the bills of those that genuinely can't work. People get very annoyed with paying the bills of those that can or, worse, work but claim benefits anyway.

elsien

And cue Billywilly.

Mistermeaner

chiefie wrote: »

I saw a recent post about the government contemplating reducing housing benefit due to austerity cuts, it shocks me how some people tar all people on benefits with the same brush. But they are not all !!!!less, lazy people who want something for nothing and scrounge from the state. So many people find themselves in poverty through illness or disability and struggle to get by. Our society should be there for them first, it could be any of us in their shoes. please think of those who are in real need, we should not be lumping them in with others that are not.

Pretty pointless post imo, generalizing about anything is dangerous as there are exceptions to every rule, however almost everybody knows that so please show me anyone who says 'all people on benefits are lazy'

As poster above says how do you separate real need from want in a cost effective manner, answer is you probably can't. Country cannot afford it's benefits bill so cuts will effect all.

Fyi I am a single father who earns a very good wage, I don't get a penny in benefits. I do however pay alot of money on childcare as I work in Europe 2/3 nights a week.

I live in a 2 bed semi, park on the road and don't have foreign holidays.

I know couples who not only frig the system but live in far bigger houses than me, in nicer areas than me, doing little or no work with the added bonus of picking their kids up at 3pm from school every day. I love seeing the pics of them and their midweek bbqs with kids in the paddling pool while I'm in an airport somewhere.

My choice yes and perhaps in retirement I will be wealthier but there seems something wrong with the balance somewhere.

I would love some of my 40% tax back at their expense. Is that unfair of me?

chiefie

No not unfair. But let's say next week you have an accident and can no longer work. It happens to people. You get no compo and are left on benefits. most people agree that we should target benefit reduction to those who could work but have no intention to. Then the real,people in need then receive the safety net of benefits to ensure they have appropriate support - it's a lottery whether you end up here and is often not through choice.

Generali

chiefie wrote: »

No not unfair. But let's say next week you have an accident and can no longer work. It happens to people. You get no compo and are left on benefits. most people agree that we should target benefit reduction to those who could work but have no intention to. Then the real,people in need then receive the safety net of benefits to ensure they have appropriate support - it's a lottery whether you end up here and is often not through choice.

Surely the best part of the annual median wage for the country as a whole plus all your medical bills paid is plenty for anyone to live off.

It may be a struggle but it's also a struggle for those that earn the median wage.

princeofpounds

Surely the best part of the annual median wage for the country as a whole plus all your medical bills paid is plenty for anyone to live off.

Indeed. I think this is where the political Left in the country kind of lose the general population - they complain about benefits cuts but forget the sense of perspective.


It's the so-called working poor I feel sorry for. The other big mistake we made was to subsidise them with tax credits and, on occasion, housing benefits when tax cuts would have caused far less distortion and cost far less.


Thankfully the coalition did something about that, raising the tax-free allowance to a half-sensible level, and hopefully the current government will take it further.

ukcarper

Generali wrote: »

Surely the best part of the annual median wage for the country as a whole plus all your medical bills paid is plenty for anyone to live off.

It may be a struggle but it's also a struggle for those that earn the median wage.

A single person where I am would receive a total of £8784 and be left with £73 a week after rent (a room in shared house) and council tax.

lisyloo

it could be any of us in their shoes

I do have compassionate for those who fall on hard times, but don't agree with the above statement.
Anyone who's done proper financial planning and covered themselves for dealth, illness, accident and redundancy should not find themselves in that situation.
I realise it's possible to be down on your luck before you've have time to get established and save up and take out insurance, but why are most people findind themselves not covered???

Generali

ukcarper wrote: »

A single person where I am would receive a total of £8784 and be left with £73 a week after rent (a room in shared house) and council tax.

Plus all medical bills paid.

Are you saying all single people on benefits only get enough for a shared room in a house?

SingleSue

Unfortunately, there was no insurance available for having a disabled child....and then no further insurance for a wandering husband who plundered the bank account for a good amount before it could be stopped....or insurance against local child care providers refusing to take said disabled children to allow the remaining parent to work.

Insurance would not have helped us unfortunately.