Don't Cap My Benefits...

[ferlew]

How do you feel about this programme, BBC1, now.

[B00]

It'll depend on the number of children DrF. CD didn't have any.

[murraymints]

Speaking as ex benefits manager I can say yes there are some irresponsible people who take advantage, but in my experience there are more deserving than not, some have found themselves in dire straits because of a change in circumstances,divorce,bereavement, leaving job with tied accommodation,ex forces, ill health etc etc. do not tar everyone with a bad brush..there but for the grace of god go I and you....as I saw it I was there to help and I did...I received many letters of thanks etc for merely being human !

[factor-fiction]

To get £800 a week you need to have numerous children living with you and your 'own' home

[black_cat51]

it seems the prevailing attitude on this post is the folowing:
I think capping benefits is a good idea (as long as it doesn't apply to me, my Housing benefit or my pension)

[black_cat51]

I am talking about state pension.

[ladybirder]

What has the State Pension got to do with the OP?

[black_cat51]

Nothing :)
I am talking about hte attitude of *some* people who have contributed to this thread that seems to be that benefits (of which pension IS one) need to be capped as long as it isn't theirs

Yada yada yada i know that pension is contributed to through NI, but so are other benefits

[Jjones]

I know a sick woman with a 2 bedroom house who has a girl and a boy, and because they only spend weekends with her, she has to pay a bedroom tax and goes to a food bank to eat. I feel it's unfair, when the extra tax that the Tories put on poor people such as bedroom tax and VAT, is paying for their subsidised Parliament bars and restaurants. It was Thatcher who introduced income support, to put older men on after she closed down industries such as ship building. She thought it was worth throwing money at banks than keeping people in work.

[Jjones]

People who complain about a few who seem to want to live on benefits, need to look back in history, where generations of proud skilled workers were told the government thought it was worth creating millions of unemployed, to turn us into a banking nation that relied on everybody being in debt, where our credit rating is the most important thing. Then when it crashes after a few years people people can't pay back, they think it's worth throwing endless money at banks, instead of at ship builders to keep them in work. Of course the Tories blame the poor and vulnerable for what they cause, while their MPs live in luxury on expenses. Then Sun readers repeat propaganda taking away the real blame.

[jennyjoan]

Just a few words - why should the government pay for you to look after your own children. Where in the world would you get it?

[sherrardk]

Well, according to this - http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/08/uk-benefit-welfare-spending

47% of the welfare budget goes on pensions. If all the older people in the good old days worked hard and didn't rely on benefits, etc, etc then why didn't they plan for their old age? What did they think they were going to live on, fresh ar?

[jennyjoan]

Sherrard - I planned on my pension from when I was sixteen and worked for 40 years - so my private pension was well earned. That makes me older than I am but did start work in wee shops etc from when I was twelve.

[sherrardk]

Obviously some older people didn't plan ahead otherwise the state pension bill wouldn't be in excess of £77 billion.

[woofgang]

But part of the planning ahead was the state pension. You get no choice over whether or not you can contribute to it and the expectation is that you will get paid it!

[sherrardk]

So some older people planned to live on benefits? Strange that that is somehow an acceptable way of life but when younger people do the same they are considered to be feckless, work shy benefits scroungesrs.

[woofgang]

no, but when I started work (I am 60) The assumption was that the state pension would be enough to live on...not well perhaps but still enough.

[factor-fiction]

>"So some older people planned to live on benefits? "
Not really- they were contracted in to the state pension scheme and some will have also made other provision.
But if you are talking about the pension credit top up, then yes, there is something in what you say, sherrakd

[Psybbo]

Sher, don't forget that a lot of those pensioners are helping their children and grandchildren who are having a tough time of it now

[shaneystar2]

People are living longer and those of us who have worked and contributed are entitled to what we worked and paid in for .Myself and Mr S also provided ourselves with a private pension . Hard going when you have a family to bring up as well but we did it so we wouldn't be a burden on society .So don't knock pensioners ! We're not all scroungers .