I dont agree - thats the ideal, but things happen in life, we make wrong decisions etc and as this programme showed with the worst consequences, now these are the people you are calling scroungers etc, to me they are not, they just need someone to hold out their hand and i dont begrudge a single penny of my wages going to them. Thats my contribution to the society im part of and have responsability too.

Of course people make bad decisions some get into drugs and others crime...and I don't begrudge a penny going on prison cells to punish them and rehabilitate them, or drugs programs if used efficiently.

I don't have a problem with genuine incapacity benefit (although there are a lot of fraudulent) claims with that, but I do have a problem with housing benefit, job seekers etc. If you're on the dole, take any job to pay the bills - I don't see why this is such an issue to some people, while you're working you can look for your dream job!

I have no problem with my responsibility to society, we have the NHS system, which kept my mother alive for longer than she would have lived had it not been there, we have the education system, which provides people with the opportunity to better themselves but when people choose not to go to school etc, then no I don't think they should then have all the luxuries we hand out to them on a daily basis. Before my partner and I bought this house, I was living in an apartment where my rent was £600 a month, with over £100 council tax, my bills came to about £100 a month which after my income tax was also taken out of my wages each month left me with about £200 for myself, to put petrol in my car, pay insurance, etc. Now how can anyone tell me that people deserve to have their houses paid for, no council tax, benefits given to them for staying in bed all day when I was working 8-8 6/7 days a week leaving me with enough money to do b*gger all with?

The Americans don't have this system and they do just fine, its about time Britain toughened up and stopped getting taken for a ride

Does America do just fine? People die in that country because they cant afford healthcare etc and live in absolute poverty = to the third world.

Heres the reality of life for so many in America who do not have social housing benefits etc, i for one do not want this in our country:


There are nearly 40 million people living in poverty in the United States; that's nearly one in every seven Americans. Poverty crosses every barrier—age, race, gender, and family situation—but most Americans in poverty are children, elderly, or people unable to work due to illness or disability.

The poverty rate for children is higher than for any other age group. In fact, U.S. children are nearly twice as likely as adults to be poor. The overall figures are staggering. In 2008, over 14 million children—19 percent of all children in this country—were living below the poverty line.

Over 95 million Americans experience housing issues such as excessive cost burdens, overcrowding, severe physical deficiencies (no hot water, no electricity, no toilet, or no bathtub or shower), and homelessness (including families who are sleeping in cars or abandoned buildings, or constantly on the move from friend to friend).

Over 36 million Americans experience food insecurity each year, which means they do not have enough food due to lack of financial resources. (In young children, even mild undernourishment can impact the development of their brain, behavior, and ability to learn.)

My family as i have said have received job seekers allowance in the past, when my dad lost his job under the Thatcher government. A government who did pretty much which you suggest as the ideal.
There were no jobs and mass unemploymeny, so you coulnt just go out and get a job, so what do you expect people to live on if we get rid of jobseekers allowance?
Housing benefit is essnetial, what happens to a women who is thinking of fleeing domestic violence for example if there is no housing benefit to get her a hostel place and eventually into social housing?. This is just one of the many examples of people just needing some help and i dont see the problem with that.

You say you dont have a problem with incapacity benefit, but whats the difference by your own acoount between that benefit and the others, there all there for people who just need some help, just in different ways.

My SIL is a 20 year old single mum, with 2 kids under 3.

She never finished school, cos she couldn't be bothered.

She attempted to work before she got pregnant, but never managed to get to work on time, took loads of 'sick' days, complained that the job was too difficult and ended up getting the sack.

Since getting 'accidentally' pregnant twice before she was 20 (and the father of her children leaving her because he didn't want the children), she now has a HA house and full benefits. She doesn't work. She doesn't want to work.

She complains that she never has enough money for electric/gas/food etc. but bought a PS3 after Christmas and now wants a Wii.

It drives me crazy that me and OH work to pay for her 'mistakes'. She should never have had children in the first place in the situation she was in.

OH and I have worked (and studied) since being 16, both have degrees and decent jobs. We have a nice house and 2 cars and a shed-load of debt because of it. It annoys me that I work to pay for people like my SIL to sit on the internet all day and complain about how skint she is and how much hard work it is raising children...

I don't think anyone can deny that some people do have a genuine reason to claim benefits. For those genuine claimants, I am grateful the system is there (as are they, I'm sure). But something NEEDS to be done about these people who are physically able to work but choose not to do so, opting to live off the taxpayers for their entire life. It is a very sad state of affairs when those who do not work, do not contribute to society and choose to remain on benefits EARN BETTER and in many cases LIVE BETTER than many of those who work full time. That is very, very twisted.

I have a friend who works 6 days a week and can only just afford the rent and utilities on his flat. Obviously, he can't afford to splash out on too many luxuries; just the basics. By contrast, there is a family living on the other side of our village with 6 children. Neither parents work and ever have done (the man is Nigerian), yet they have a 5 bedroom council house with a large garden, a BMW on the drive and I believe go on holiday quite regularly.

Many people on here may remember that I was in a violent relationship a couple of years ago. I tried to leave, but because I was working full time I was told that I either had to quit my job or find my own housing arrangment - it resulted in me having to stay long enough to end up in a and e again with head injuries. I refused to quit my job as that would have landed me in the benefits trap, but because I refused to I had to stay and suffer the consequences. We're not talking a little slap here and there either, she was an incredibly INCREDIBLY violent woman. Now why is it fair that I had to stay, and yet someone who doesn't work gets the help? Shouldn't it be available to all? I should have been allowed to continue working; as it was my wages which enabled me to privately rent my own house 2 months later. Shouldn't that be what the government is encouraging?

I remember you were. I dont think you were given correct info to be honest, who gave you it?
Many of the women at the hostel still continued to work and were working when they came into the hostels and others got employment after fleeing their partners as a way to financial independence from their partners.
ts the hostels place to give sanctuary to all women fleeing DV as as you wrightly said the service should and as far as im aware available to all.
For anyone in this situation, the best people to contact are womens aid.

Lorna, here is the info from womens aid on what you can do in your situation< i dont know if thats the kind of advice you were given?
http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic...08000100320002