"This business of it being more lucrative to stay on benefits than to work for a living is patently ridiculous."
Out of context I could take this two ways: The first being that people who believe this to be the case are clearly idiots, or latterly, that a situation where someone is better off on benefits than being in work is ridiculous.

I'm not sure which one was meant.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:34, 1 reply, 11 years ago)

He meant it in the second sense. He thinks that there are a lot of people better off on benefits rather than working, and feels this is ridiculous

(Bazongaloid, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:36, Reply)

Would that include people working fewer hours, on low pay, and getting it topped up with tax credits
just to bring them up to a halfway decent standard of living?
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:38, Reply)

I didn't get that impression, from the context he was referring to people living a life of luxury
with fags and flat screen tv's paid for by the state with them doing nothing.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:39, Reply)

oh, you mean members of parliament
liddlebiddapoliticsladiesangennelmen
(katie hopkins telling it where its at, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:42, Reply)

There may well be some circumstances where a large family
are better off claiming benefits than working once you take into account factors like paying rent, council tax and childcare etc. I have seen a few myself. But the time comes when the last child leaves full time education, and then suddenly all that lovely free money dries up, and they're fucked, especially in the case of single parents (mostly mothers) who haven't worked for 20-odd years and suddenly find themselves having to jump through job hunting hoops.

Also, I'm out of work at the moment and have a flat screen TV. Which I bought 4 years ago, when I was working.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:43, Reply)

I'm not saying that the situation doesn't exist where some people will end up being entitled to a number of benefits
because of their kids etc.

What I've said is that the existence of a few people like that is not the reason we have a fucked economy. And taking steps to stop that tiny minority of people form getting as much money has the knock on effect of really, really hurting the majority of people who need some help so that they don't starve to death.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:45, Reply)

"if you want to know a man's character, look at how he treats his inferiors"
albus dumbledore, I believe
(katie hopkins telling it where its at, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:47, Reply)

Oh, I wholly agree with you on that score.
See also "benefit tourism is bleeding the country dry". Er, no it isn't, it's costing the country a very small amount of money in the grand scheme of things. It happens, yeah, but not to the extent they'd have you believe.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:49, Reply)

You see, you have formed this opinion by looking at actual facts
Which is why you're not an idiot.
(Bazongaloid, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:53, Reply)

Mismanagement of the Universal Credit IT system
has cost more than benefit tourism in the last year. I'd be interested at seeing how much money various governments have squandered on shite computer systems over the last 20 years, including systems that were scrapped before even coming on line because they just didn't work.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:56, Reply)

or the benefits of working make him look ridiculous

(katie hopkins telling it where its at, Thu 24 Apr 2014, 16:39, Reply)