Austerity Intensifies.

[Theland]

News item. Now we have baby banks. Food, nappies cots and toys.
Disgraceful.

I wish we could have retrospective prosecutions for the bankers and the other elites responsible for the 2008 crash, including the so called regulators who failed us all.

These Tories are shameless.

[Theland]

Naomi - "Many can help their circumstances but won't."
I entirely agree.
But the many you speak about are miniscule and you overstate your case.

[kvalidir]

RR what is the actual percentage of those defrauding the benefits system compared to legitimate claimants do you know?

[Rockrose]

I can’t give you the figures now as I investigate corporation tax now but back when I did it 4 in 10 of the cases I investigated committed some kind of fraud

[Theland]

Where they investigated at random or referred to you as suspicious?

[kvalidir]

So that would be about 40% of cases you investigated, which is less than half of the allegations, but what percentage of the whole benefits claimants are ever reported in the first place I wonder? Overall it must be a really low percentage of people claiming who actually commit benefit fraud. I'll see if I can find some reliable data x

[ladybirder]

Plus the ones that haven't been caught I guess.

[Rockrose]

A mixture Theland

[Rockrose]

Yup ladbirder it would be impossible to investigate every claim

[Theland]

My God!
The unfortunates are really hated on here aren't they?
How about that other selfish section of our society? The sick! Clogging up hospitals, eating up the countries resources!
Better to die and let society prosper.
Euthanasia is the way!
Popular on Answerbank I think!

[Rockrose]

Oh stop being a drama queen

[kvalidir]

Without doing an enormous hunt for data it seems that of benefit fraud reported, around 85% is found to have no evidence to support that and that benefit fraud as a whole runs at about 1.5% of total public sector fraud, so that's really a very, very, very low number of people who commit fraud by bogusly claiming benefits.
Glad they've shifted you to dodgy Tax folks RR, far more important imho. x

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/benefit-fraud-public-tip-offs-legal-action-police-no-evidence-dwp-work-pensions-department-a8144096.html

[kvalidir]

That's a tad dramatic Theland, but I do think the poor get a generally rough deal, not just on here but everywhere x

[naomi24]

Quit the drama Theland and answer my questions. I’ll look in tomorrow for your answer. Night night.

[Theland]

Drama Queen. Could have put the kettle on for that one. I wish buses arrived with such predictable regularity.
Ah well! Maybe I asked for that.

Anyway, to answer your questions.
Go to "catch up," on your telly and watch two programmes.
The first is from 29th October, channel 4 Despatches, Baby Banks.
The second is BBC 1 Panorama, (sorry no date), but entitled, The Crisis With Universal Credit.
These two programmes will reveal some astonishing facts.
For example, 1 in 5 of Baby Bank users are working people. Two in the programme were nursery school teacher, and another a painter and decorator.
Please watch them both.

[1ozzy]

The tighter an economy becomes the harder it is for some.

Doesn't mean they are bludgers, living off the state, a helping hand can quite often work wonders and help them get back on their feet.

In saying that there are a small percentage that will expect "everything for nothing".

The more that small percentage rises the worse the economy becomes.

[Theland]

Just an afterthought Naomi, and this is asked with the dreariest of respect.
What would your friend the vicar of the local church where you help out with the fabric fund, make of your attitude towards the food banks, baby banks, benefit sanctions etc etc?

[Theland]

The GREATEST of respect! (Smart ass spellchecker!)

[1ozzy]

Are you sure spellchecker didn't get it right?

[Theland]

The Ken Loach film,"I, Daniel Blake," (which I have not seen myself, only trailers,) deals effectively and it is said, accurately with the unfairness and heartlessness of the benefits system.
Nobody should be treated this way, and written off as a parasite.

[Theland]

Hi Ozzy. Yes of course, there will always be the dishonest freeloaders. But once identified they are used as an example to attack all this who need help, and provide the excuse to treat them heartlessly.
As has been amply illustrated on this thread.