Hi folks,

We wanted to draw your attention back to this notice by Martin, and this post that he made over the weekend:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=35247283&postcount=16

The benefits board has been consuming a disproportionate amount of the forum team's time over the past few months, and it is vital everyone who psots here reads these notices.

The key point is this: "Want to discuss the benefits system? Go to the discussion board". This board is for helping people get what they are entitled to.

So, these general rules will continue to apply, and the forum team will be taking action against any breaches of these over the next few weeks...

IN THE BENEFITS BOARD

This board is for people to work out what they are entitled to, and we hope other forummers will continue to provide invaluable help in this.

However, anyone disrupting threads in this board with their views on the benefits system, making impolite comments about benefits claimaints, or taking part in arguments (whether or not you started them) will have action taken against them

If you spot a thread promoting benefit fraud, please report it to abuse.

IN DISCUSSION TIME

As long as opinions on the benefits system are expressed politely, and refrain from personal comments, then debate is totally allowed within Discussion Time.

Please do not take part in bad-tempered arguments in Discussion Time, and accept that everyone is entitled to their views. If you do not feel you can participate in debates in that board without becoming offended or argumentative, please refrain from posting in those discussions.

Obviously, posts which break the forum rules should still be reported to abuse and you should NOT engage in discussion about the rule-breaking. The forum team are obliged to read through the whole of any discussion so that they can make a fair decision, and hundreds of argumentative posts massively increases the reaction time.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Dan

Martin has now written a blog which may explain this situation further.

http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2010/08/02/policing-benefit-bashing-in-the-forum-valid-debate-or-hate-crime/

Will Benefits Board users please have another read of this and remind themselves of the rules?

Thank you!