CH4 to pay claimants £26K benefits in one annual lump sum.

CH4 to pay claimants £26K benefits in one annual lump sum.

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Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Friday 5th February 2016
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ILoveMondeo said:
or the lunatic fringe of PH may be

1) Buy elephant
2) rent to indian weddings
Ahh, now that idea takes me back.

e21Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Friday 5th February 2016
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I'd be surprised if these families still got their benefits once they declare that they have £26k in the bank. My understanding was that you could only have a £7k maximum and more would mean you no longer qualified. Things may have changed but I doubt it.

Troubleatmill

10,210 posts

158 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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This is why we need to teach financial management in schools.

And the value of money.


We are quite happy to build a culture of.... "don't worry if you don't get a job.... we will give you money."



The school I was at only taught up to 4th year... to do 5th and 6th year ( before you went to university )..... you had to go to another school.
One day... all of the 4th years stayed behind at assembly, and after some careers guidance (over a period of time) we were each asked whether we wished to leave now, or continue education to 5th and 6th year.


The percentage of the year that left at the earliest opportunity - was a direct correlation to their socio-economic background.
The most astonishing bit - was that a high percentage of the girls wanted to start a family at the earliest opportunity.
The males wanted to do st jobs, but earn some money - and the peer pressure to encourage their friends to drop out was high.

I haven't watched the show, but if 20% of the candidates invested in training, or setup their own business to make a better life - I would be impressed.
I would take a punt at the figure being lower - and pretty much everyone blows it on tangible things

If that is the case - we need to change our education system - and we need all political parties to agree -that state freebies are a no-no.
Then and only then will the situation improve.



I should add. Poor people have been voting Labour for 120 years or so. But they are still poor.
State handouts should only be a temporary measure

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

188 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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Troubleatmill said:
This is why we need to teach financial management in schools.

And the value of money.
Sadly, in a lot of cases that lesson would be falling on deaf ears.

If your parents don't bother working, nor your grandparents, nor your aunties & uncles & they are all "on the social" then it doesn't matter what a person in authority (you have no respect for) tells you. When you've got people you live with & people you see every day around you getting free money, the house paid for, pulling numerous scams etc. then the majority will take the easy route.

We live in a country where, compared to most places in the world, the opportunities are immense yet they don't bother taking them.

The "value" of money to this sort of people is nil. They haven't had to do anything for it - it's just given to them & it becomes an expectation. A bit like Pavlov and his dogs - they do a trick (sign on) and get a reward (all-of-it card).

An ex-tenant of mine and his pregnant partner were made by Social Services to go on a Budget Planning course & do their own weekly budget as Social Services were concerned they weren't going to be capable of looking after a baby. Good idea & something pretty much everyone does.

It went something like this...

Weekly Income £154

Outgoings

Brighthouse £20
Court Fines £10
Fags £30
Weed £40
Beer £25
Food £15
Electric £5
Gas £5

Luckily, (a) I was paid the rent direct, (b) the baby was taken off them the moment it was born, and (c) he managed to get himself put in prison before Universal Credit was introduced...

I don't know what the answer is, but I don't think giving people large amounts of money is it.

ferrariF50lover

1,834 posts

225 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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Nope, not having this, you can't pay your fine out of benefits. You get a job, sell a possession or go to debtors prison.


AstonZagato

12,649 posts

209 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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Troubleatmill said:
Poor people have been voting Labour for 120 years or so. But they are still poor.
State handouts should only be a temporary measure
Labour has a vested interest in keeping people poor. And dependent on state handouts.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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55palfers said:
Just thinking about the whole scenario.

If your savings exceed £16K (I think?) you are precluded from claiming benefits.

Don't they have to give £10K back?
Presumably that's if the individual is honest and declares it. I know a family (wife's relatives) who claim a significant amount of benefits (3 kids, neither parent works) who also have around £400,000 in savings as they used to own property in France, sold it and came back here.
Their plan next is to clear off to the US to invest that money in a business.
I'm not one to grass, but I would be tempted if I knew their address, as it's taking the piss in a huge way, and is a long way removed from the purpose the benefits system is intended for.

e21Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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ferrariF50lover said:
Nope, not having this, you can't pay your fine out of benefits. You get a job, sell a possession or go to debtors prison.
Don't see a huge amount of possessions, let alone any worth selling.

Just watched last night program on catch up and surprised literally none of them sought any advice on starting a business. The guy who wants his own zoo appears to simply be spunking chunks of cash on a whim. The classifieds are littered with bouncy castles and the like, where they simply don't generate much income. The animals he wants to take to schools and parties will require a vehicle that has been converted to be suitable. You can be sure it won't be cheap and he's getting through that cash at quite a rate of knots. He hasn't even considered rent and council tax etc.

The couple who want to launch a second hand shop, after being schooled by watching ''cash in the attic'' do at least appear to be questioning how much stuff costs. There kid obviously has no idea of the value of money and didn't even flinch at spending hundreds on his PS4. Then again, given the squalor they've been living in, who can blame him for grabbing the chance of having a treat he most likely wouldn't get any other way?

The single mum appears to have been doing whatever she can to manage her life, whilst bringing up 3 kids. It's a shame she he had to rely on the likes of Brighthouse, as they are the only winners there. At least she appears to be keeping tabs on the money and where it's going.


djt100

1,734 posts

184 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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98elise said:
This

I know 3 people on long term benefits. All live within a stones throw from me, and all have a house a car etc and live pretty much normal lives.

One of them has not done a days work in the 25+ years I've known them, at no point has he ever considered working.
My misses 1/2 sister has a nice new Council house, with a nice newly laid drive for her nice new Toyota Aygo, never worked a day either.

Jim the Sunderer

3,238 posts

181 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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That feckless Scouser with a Raoul Moat head is around the twist, burning all the money on hot dog carts, inflatable slides and one of each animal.

Bungleaio

6,324 posts

201 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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What happens when these career scroungers get to pensionable age? Do we continue to pay for them or do they drop just to state pension?

98elise

26,372 posts

160 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Bungleaio said:
What happens when these career scroungers get to pensionable age? Do we continue to pay for them or do they drop just to state pension?
The benefits continue.

The member of my family who has been on benefits for 25+ years passed retirement age a few years ago. Nothing changed as such, they still get HB, free council tax etc on top of their pensions.

The value of a benefits+pension is quite large compared to saving for your retirement. You would need a 500k+ pension pot to beat it, and I'm not kidding.

dub16v

1,115 posts

140 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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beanbag said:
If you give idiots money, they'll do idiotic stuff with it....all for our amusement.

This is just about creating cheap entertainment for Channel 4.
Channel 5 people, it was on Channel 5.

Calza

1,979 posts

114 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Is it worth a watch?

I quite fancy it but the CH5 OD service is doing weird things on my Roku and dropping the playback to a quarter of the screen. If it's an entertaining watch I may investigate fixing it.

e21Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Calza said:
Is it worth a watch?

I quite fancy it but the CH5 OD service is doing weird things on my Roku and dropping the playback to a quarter of the screen. If it's an entertaining watch I may investigate fixing it.
I think it's better than the usual ''lets look at the poor'' Channel 5 type stuff.

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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e21Mark said:
Calza said:
Is it worth a watch?

I quite fancy it but the CH5 OD service is doing weird things on my Roku and dropping the playback to a quarter of the screen. If it's an entertaining watch I may investigate fixing it.
I think it's better than the usual ''lets look at the poor'' Channel 5 type stuff.
But the weird thing was that non of the fkers work as I assume they have issues, etc that mean they are not able to work.

Give them £26k in one lump sum, what do they do??? They try and create a business... Hang the fk on, if they can work, then why are they not stacking at the local tescos and claiming benefits?

Cant have it both ways... not work until they feel like it.

bigbob77

593 posts

165 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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northwest monkey said:
Troubleatmill said:
This is why we need to teach financial management in schools.

And the value of money.
Sadly, in a lot of cases that lesson would be falling on deaf ears.
Also who would teach it? All they could do is teach you the mathematics skills required, which are pretty basic for day-to-day money management. Where do you find all these teachers who are skilled enough with financial management to explain it to children?

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

188 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Du1point8 said:
e21Mark said:
Calza said:
Is it worth a watch?

I quite fancy it but the CH5 OD service is doing weird things on my Roku and dropping the playback to a quarter of the screen. If it's an entertaining watch I may investigate fixing it.
I think it's better than the usual ''lets look at the poor'' Channel 5 type stuff.
But the weird thing was that non of the fkers work as I assume they have issues, etc that mean they are not able to work.

Give them £26k in one lump sum, what do they do??? They try and create a business... Hang the fk on, if they can work, then why are they not stacking at the local tescos and claiming benefits?

Cant have it both ways... not work until they feel like it.
Very good point.

The bloke who is buying up the contents of Gumtree is a qualified electrician apparently - why he doesn't work is beyond me as there is always a demand for electricians. He said something about having to pack in work because his son was disabled and needed both parents to care for him 24/7. Smells of bullst to me. He can't be an electrician, but can quite happily bugger around with animals & bouncy castles...

Also, surely you can't just fill up the garden of a rented (or any really) property with crappy cages & animals. There's a petting farm thing up the lane from where I live & they've had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get a license.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Couple of them were applying for jobs and getting interviews but not offers.

I guess if someone is unemployable, helping them to become self employed might actually be a realistic strategy rather than a reality show conceit.

e21Mark

16,205 posts

172 months

Thursday 11th February 2016
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Bottom line is it is a social experiment I guess. Whilst it's easy to see how it's all likely to go tits up, maybe one of them will surprise us? Something has to change, as society is doing no favours by taking responsibility for such a large number of people, in paying them to simply exist and have no motivation to better themselves or foster ambition.