Benefits Street.

[anneasquith]

nice to see neighbours helping others in the street :)

[naomi24]

hc, yes I do get it. No one is cleaning that street.

[DrFilth]

naomi i think it was from this report

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/30/poundland-case-workfare-forced-labour-employers-workers

[ummmm]

Yes they are. You see the street sweeping machines going down.

[DrFilth]

that is the right one

[naomi24]

They must have to swerve around all those old sofas then, Ummmm. Even the council dustmen wouldn't take the rubbish until the residents threw it all into the middle of the road and blocked the street with it.

[ummmm]

Lol...how is someone on benefits suppose to take a sofa to the tip? The council charge to take away bulky items.

[DrFilth]

we use to have a free service from the council for bulky items , ring a number leave the item were they tell you. ie in front garden , back of property then they would pick it up for free

[naomi24]

ummmm, it was rubbish - rubbish that should have been put out tidily in black dustbin bags for the council dustcart to collect. The sofas appear to be in use as al fresco seating.

[DrFilth]

naomi it seems that some residents caused the problem
from the mail
> Large migrant family cram into a terraced house meant for four people
They search through their neighbours' rubbish for items to sell
One man, Alex, tells cameras his child bride is 'no problem'
He claims the practice is 'tradition' because he is a Roma gypsy
The family claim no benefits, but annoy their neighbours by opening their bin bags
Residents take action after council doesn't collect refuse for two weeks <

[cazzz1975]

Im not sure how "real" benefits street is, I have lived all over birmingham at one time or another, I have never seen chairs and furniture outside for sitting on and masses of rubbish in any streets on my travels and I have lived in some pretty bad area's

[hc4361]

I have seen all those things in Birmingham, Cazz. On the council estates around Rubery/Frankley in the early 80s recently in Handworth, Weoley Castle and Alum Rock.

Also seen a lot of it in Keighley, near Bradford.

[ummmm]

Like DrF says...it wasn't all the residents fault that the Roma's went through the binbags, then the council refused to pick it up because it wasn't bagged.

[emmie]

our council will take away bulky items if you are on benefits.

[hc4361]

My council charges £15 per item and no discounts for anyone.

[emmie]

i think you have to get something like income support, haven't asked them lately, but some of the neighbours don't bother, they just throw the stuff out the back doors.