Unemployment

[Glutton4...]

Well, if you will read the Daily Mail....what do you expect?

Hmmm - my Parents read the DM, and genuinely believe everything in it is true!

Many many years ago I went with Mr. G. when he signed on. We were made to feel like scum throughout the whole procedure, and I swore then, that I would never do it.

Two and a half years ago, I was made redundant, and I refused to go and sign on. I suppose I should have, £60 a week would have been useful. However, I decided to find work for myself, and struggle along on one wage instead. Couldn't see me getting much sympathy at the DSS office, turning up in my big diesel Chelsea Tractor.

I know someone, whose friend used to turn up to collect her dole cheque draped in gold, wearing a fur coat and driving a Rolls Royce!

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Well, if you will read the Daily Mail....what do you expect?

How very dare you!

I haven't bought a newspaper in 5 years! (Unless you count Garden News?!)

[Cosmo and Dibs]

The point was that surely media organisations have a duty to not whip people up into a frenzy by using emotive language?

Apparently, we are all in this together but if you believe the media it is the employed vs. the jobless!

[zazen999]

How very dare you!

I haven't bought a newspaper in 5 years! (Unless you count Garden News?!)

I didn't mean YOU - it's the generic 'you'.....

[zazen999]

The point was that surely media organisations have a duty to not whip people up into a frenzy by using emotive language?

Apparently, we are all in this together but if you believe the media it is the employed vs. the jobless!

No - they have one duty and that's to maximise sales.....however they can, they will....

[Glutton4...]

No - they have one duty and that's to maximise sales.....however they can, they will....

Now, when I said that twenty years ago (to a newspaper reporter ) I was told I was far too cynical for my age!

[FionaH]

MrH and I were discussing this last night. For every time there is one of those articles about women having boob lifts paid for by their benefits, there is another person prepared to accept that all on benefits are scroungers. No will say a word then when the poorest, most vulnerable section of our society is hit again.

[di]

MrH and I were discussing this last night. For every time there is one of those articles about women having boob lifts paid for by their benefits, there is another person prepared to accept that all on benefits are scroungers. No will say a word then when the poorest, most vulnerable section of our society is hit again.

I was really annoyed last week...one of the 'not really news fluffy breakfast programmes' was interviewing people on the street to see how the cuts would effect them....every single person they interviewde was of Ethnic minority...I cringed watching,and was proved right on the school run when several mums moaned about 'immigrants coming here scrounging our benefits'....I just don't know whether the media are so thick that they don't realise what they're stirring up or if they genuinely are out their to stir up ****.

[bubblewrap]

SO! Our wonderful? new all singing all dancing new government are saying there are jobs out there(Where?)
It's getting someone to take you on that's the problem.
Even then they want the sun, the moon, your body and soul for a pittance(national minimum wage)and if you don't try to get one of these "jobs" or turn one down you loose your benefit.

[petal]

in any situation, there is always one person who spoils a situation for everyone else.
I, for one am very worried about future cuts in nhs and education. I feel the same as glutton about applying for benefits - even when we were desperate, 15 years ago returning from work in Denmark, i was expecting my son- we refused, my oh took a terrible cleaning job in a factory for a while- it paid less than benefits but he was simply too proud to do otherwise!Its frustrating to see a country with a sensible system like denmark succeeding and our government approaching it a..e about t..s

[Hilary B]

Another problem is that the media seem intent on calling anyone on benefits a 'scrounger'. Literally anyone and everyone who is receipt of benefits is made to feel like a low down piece of scum!

Of course, when you hear discussions about benefits they are always prefaced by a comment along the lines of 'not all benefit claimants are scroungers', but by allowing the right-wing mob to use words like 'scroungers' they are propagating the myth that they are all scroungers!

Is someone a scrounger for claiming pension, even though they have paid for it? Or a free tv licence? Or the winter fuel payment? Or someone on JSA after being made redundant at 50? If you read the Daily Mail the answer is yes!

There is a big problem in society just now, whereby anyone who suggests that a certain group INCLUDES those who have an indesirable attitude gets accused of saying/thinking that the WHOLE of that group are like that. Folk need to read WHAT IS THERE, not add in words between the lines!
If I refer to brats, I mean the ones who ARE brats, not ALL young folk in the right age group, and if I mention ILLEGAL immigrants or PHONEY asylum seekers , those are the ones I am talking about, not immigrants or asylum seekers as a whole!
A scrounger is a scrounger, a legitimate claimant is something else. Even the Daily Mail may actually mean WHAT THEY SAY sometimes!
Sorry for the rant, but it really does get on my nerves when people jump on a comment in that particular way. (doesn't happen as often on here as other places I post... fortunately)

[Two_Sheds]

A scrounger is a scrounger

Does anyone know any genuine scroungers? As opposed to people making the best of a bad situation?

Just as a for instance, I know a family where neither parent has worked for 5 yrs. They used to, but were made redundant, then went through various "training" schemes which didn't have a job at the end of them... in the last year or so there haven't even been any training courses available.

They have a council house. They have a computer and mobile phones. They smoke & drink (not excessively).
They don't have a car, holidays, new clothes or go to the pub/movies/restaurants.

They are doing the best for their kids, and their kids are lovely, bright & polite. Hopefully by the time the kids leave school there will be jobs for them. If not, the whole cycle will be repeated.

[Hilary B]

Does anyone know any genuine scroungers? As opposed to people making the best of a bad situation?

Just as a for instance, I know a family where neither parent has worked for 5 yrs. They used to, but were made redundant, then went through various "training" schemes which didn't have a job at the end of them... in the last year or so there haven't even been any training courses available.

They have a council house. They have a computer and mobile phones. They smoke & drink (not excessively).
They don't have a car, holidays, new clothes or go to the pub/movies/restaurants.

They are doing the best for their kids, and their kids are lovely, bright & polite. Hopefully by the time the kids leave school there will be jobs for them. If not, the whole cycle will be repeated.

Where I used to live there were a few families which COULD have got work, but the jobs going paid less than the unemployment pay. One unmarried couple, the man went off for a few days every second week and it was generally believed that he went so he could 'sign on' in a different area, his wife then getting benefits as an unemployed single mother while he got separate benefits as an unemployed single man, the total being rather more than they would have got if they admitted living together.
That is actually the sort of thing that the clampdown is intended to deal with.
There are also those who claim unemployment benefit while working for cash (an the above person did that too from time to time). The person who doesn't admit to working because the work is temporary, and the process of getting back to JSA is slow, leading to weeks without income, well I can understand it, but it isn't right! (the system needs sorting out so that someone can state the work is temporary, of predetermined length, and not have to wait another 6 weeks after the end of the work!)

[di]

Where I used to live there were a few families which COULD have got work,

Exactly....a 'few'.
Sometimes the media would have us believe that every person claiming benefits or top ups are scroungers....it's not always the case.

[HeyWayne]

They are doing the best for their kids,

Not if they smoke they're not.