Re: benifits
 

Although I totally agree with you in my head, in my heart I could not do it. :( I made it quite clear that I thought what she was doing was wrong and then left it to her conscience. At the moment she has no lodgers and has not had for several months ( but is thinking of getting some more).

She has worked, we worked together in our twenties but lost touch for about ten years.

Re: benifits
 

I suppose life eventually consists of claiming as many benefits as possible and paying the least tax. I don't believe you can achieve that without at least some compromises that may affect your conscience.

Of course you can lead a totally honest life, but you will get less than most of the neighbours in your street. And you won't get any more for reaching for your phone, unless they're paying bounties.

Re: benefits
 

Here's an article to cheer up anyone who has ever had to claim benefit, and some of the names made me sit up with surprise.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...conomic-growth

Re: benifits
 

[QUOTE=The Oddities;9651665]I have to be honest, friend or no friend I would be on the phone straight away. The whole situation makes me very angry whether it be politicians or the council house tennant. I remember a next door neighbour I had, was forced to take a job he lasted half a day then came home and said let them work who want to. Unfortunately for him he said it to the wrong person who was so incensed he decked him. I knew him for a further three years but he never took another job just kept claiming for his wife and three kids.
Think of all the good that could be done if the cheats, scroungers and fiddlers were stopped.

Graham

Graham[/QUOTE

Think of all the good that be done by politicians,bankers,business if there lies, corruption and greed could be stopped.
It's years of bad economic management has created such high unemployment and creates areas of social deprevation with little hope of a way out.
It's the system that is at fault, put the blame where it belongs.

Re: benifits
 

Well that makes three of us...you had better add me to that list too! :rofl:

Re: benefits
 

Benefit fraud is no different to other types of financial fraud.

Fraud against the state results in the rest of the community paying either through their taxes or in a reduction of benefits/services provided by the state.
I also think it occurs on a much wider scale than people think from blue badge holders (you know who you are) upwards. My mother recently had a bad fall resulting in her obtaining benefits to enable her to pay for help at home etc.
It shall not be stopped until she informs them she doesn't need the help. How many on these benefits actually arrange to have them stopped when they do not need them?
That's one the reasons you see so many people walking around with walking sticks/other means of support that clearly don,t need them. Many are feigning their disability.
I just do not understand the attitude "if they can get away with it good luck to them"
It's anti-social.

Re: benifits
 

Go on then, we will......:D

Re: benefits
 

You can't disagree with such an excellent post, it says it all.

I have a neighbour who is super-honest, and is forever berating benefit cheats and I usually agree with him. On thing worries me, slightly.

He lives in Spain for nine months of every year and brings his foreign car with him for his stay in the sun. He doesn't have residencia, isn't on the padron and doesn't have a NIE number . . . .

I consider it none of my business.

Re: benefits
 

No one but no one is condoning benefit fraud and there is nothing more disgusting than disability fraud.
I just wish there were threads as long as this one debating the true crooks in society who create benefit fraudsters.
There should be the opportunity for everyone to earn a decent days pay for a decent days work and I leave it up to individuals conscience to decide who is responsible for creating that opportunity.
Personaly I feel that if business sources their work force from overseas slave labour in order to increase their own personal wealth they are far bigger crooks than the 0.2% benefit frauds.
I have nothing further to add to this debate.

Re: benefits
 

And if governments stopped screwing businesses so hard financially to make it necessary for them to reduce their costs in this way, things might be better

Re: benefits
 

From what I have seen the people who commit the most benefit fraud are not the people who have been affected by cheap labour overseas.

The most prolific fraudsters would not take a job under any circumstances.

The professional scrougers, the lads who have loads of kids to different women, would never consider taking a job, the women claim for the kids, but if the work they will have the CSA on theirback.

There were 2 guys on Jermey çKyle the other day, they both had their face tatooed all over, they have zero chance of finding a job. One of them has a few kiddies, it seems all well and good to have an individual style and look, but when people deliberatly shut themselves out of the job market, that sends out a message to me, that the last thing they want is a chance to support their family.

They have effectively chosen a life of dole, they feel freedom , play stations, face book, nintendo and long sleeps in the morning are more important than other considerations, ie being a man and earning a living.

And lets not forget the little scams on the side that crop up for them to fill the days.

I am not talking about the genuine people who find themselves in this situation, but the ones who have no intention of ever working or looking for work.

Re: benefits
 

And us as consumers, do we have a responsibilty?
Do we look at the label and say I am not buying this as it has been produced by "slave" labour.
How many of us buy British?
Where was your car made etc.?

Re: benefits
 

What makes you think "slave labour" doesn't exist in Britain, that name might not be used... but for many there it's still the same!

The industrial revolution was fueled by slave labour, poor country folks who had to move to towns to earn a living.
They were often paid in kind not money, and they had to spend their tokens in the shop that belonged to the factory owner.
If they were injured or became too ill to work they not only lost their job they lost their home too and ended up in the workhouse.

Meanwhile the bosses lived it up in their palatial mansions on the hill and never gave a thought to the hardship of the workers......

Not a lot has changed for the working classes of Britain! :(

Re: benefits
 

[QUOTE=megmet;9653018

Not a lot has changed for the working classes of Britain! :([/QUOTE]

Has it changed for you?

Re: benefits
 

The benefits system?
The NHS?
State Pensions?
Social housing
etc