Petition

[King Gizzard]

For IDC to live on £53 a week ;-) https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week

After he said this...


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9964767/Iain-Duncan-Smith-I-could-live-on-53-per-week.html

Iain Duncan Smith has claimed he could live on £53 per week - the same amount as one benefit claimant said he survives on after rent and bills.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, says it should be necessary to make 'a commitment to the country you are in before you can start drawing things down from that same country'

By Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent

10:35AM BST 01 Apr 2013


Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said it would be possible to live on so little, after a benefits claimant told the BBC he gets by on £53 per week after housing costs.

The senior Tory was put on the spot as he defended the need for billions of pounds in cuts to the welfare budget because of the country's "economic mess".

Labour has branded yesterday the start of "Black April" as a number of cuts and freezes in benefits and tax credits took effect on April 1.

However, Mr Duncan Smith criticised those who portray the changes as "attacking" and "slashing" benefits, arguing the Coalition is "reforming" the system to make it "fair".

Speaking on BBC Radio Four's Today programme, Mr Duncan Smith said limiting the rise in benefits to one per cent this year is a better deal than many people are getting in countries like Ireland and Portugal.
Related Articles


The MP, who earns £134,565 a year as a Cabinet minister, insisted he could live on £53 a week after a 51-year-old market trader told the BBC that he gets by on the meagre sum.

David Bennett said he earned around £2,700 last year - around £50 a week - and has had to borrow money after his housing benefit was cut to £57 a week.

It later emerged that Mr Bennett also gets tax credits, which can be worth between £37 and £50 from the Government. However, he is left with just £53 a week after paying rent and bills.

The current rate of jobseekers' allowance for unemployed people is up to £56.25 a week for people between the ages of 16 and 24, and up to £71 for an adult over that age.

Yesterday, more than 33,000 people signed an internet petition challenging the Work and Pensions Secretary to live on around the same amount as a young person on unemployment benefit.

"If I had to, I would," Mr Duncan Smith told the BBC. "The reality is what we are trying to make certain is that the amount of money that taxpayers pay sees some value at the end of it in terms of people being supported.

"There’s been a huge amount of money which, in the course of the welfare system now, has absolutely been wasted.”

The minister also admitted the overall welfare bill will carry on rising. Benefit payments to people of working age will fall to levels last seen in 2009 under the Labour Government by the end of this parliament.

However, total bill for all benefits and tax credits is forecast to carry on rising by billions a year well into the second half of the decade.

On Monday, Mr Duncan Smith and George Osborne, the Chancellor, told The Daily Telegraph that the Coalition is “restoring the original values of the welfare state”.

Go on Iain, possibly move into a smaller house in a different area, too

[Kizzy]

possibly live in another country too preferably up a tree infested with arse invading spiders...

[Shaun]

Signed it earlier, think Vicky posted it somewhere.

[Vicky.]

Signed this earlier on.

He wont do it though, not a chance. Because he knows he couldnt.

He was aparently on the dole years ago mind, but that was before the cost of living rose...and bedroom taxes etc came in. Hes too used to his expenses account now I reckon. Claiming 30 quid for a breakfast and such.

[Marc]

He won't though

[Vicky.]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/why-iain-duncan-smith-should-look-1400558

[joeysteele]

He should be sacked, pure and simple, get rid of the rotten heartless creep.

[Vicky.]

https://twitter.com/msjenniferjames/status/318846263909023744

https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/318838912313348099

Mail trying to deflect attention away from this, and onto the worker who challenged IDS to it in the first place :joker:

[joeysteele]

I think he could do it for a week and possibly a month but he has the knowledge of what he is going back to at the end of it,he knows it isn't going to last.
Living on that amount every week for years is a totally different scenario.
What a ridiculous statement from such a privileged individual like him who gets in excess of £1,500 a week.

Since he states he can do it then he should be made to for at least a year and then see how he gets on but also with someone totally independent supervising it too to make sure he stays within that limit as well.

[Omah]

acc del

[Omah]

112,918 supporters

[arista]

Dom was on SkyNewsHD
who wants IDS to live on 53 pounds



http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2013/4/1/229847/default/v1/mirror-front-02apr-1-1-329x437.jpg

[joeysteele]

That man really does irritate me, for some reason he always has.

I have a feeling these words are going to really come back and haunt him and hopefully wake people up to the rotten hard hearted people that are in this Coalition Govts cabinet.
Also, whose choices are those people to be in it, David Cameron's.

I have to say, I rarely read the Mirror but that is a really good headline, 'the final insult'.
That is exactly what this comment is, a gross insult from someone who should know better not to say such ridiculous things and more to the point should act far better too.

[Omah]

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week


129,318 supporters

[Suze]

Thanks for posting that up Nathan.

[joeysteele]

I see the other ignorant one is at it again today too, the daft Chancellor who said words to this effect, think of the early shift worker going to work past closed curtains of those still in bed being on benefits.
What a shocking bunch of smug,arrogant rubbish talking people there is in this cabinet,

Not every one works an early shift, as for curtains being closed, when we go off to Uni, we leave our blinds closed when we are out.
The people who live nearest us, both work but always have their blinds and curtains closed too when they are at work.

I really am now longing for the day when this Chancellor and this sad excuse for a decent human being as in Ian Duncan Smith are removed from their jobs by the voters.
They are really getting downright silly now.

[Omah]

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week

279,327 supporters

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22006841

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has insisted he knows what it is like to "live on the breadline".

The comment comes after 250,000 people signed a petition urging Mr Duncan Smith to try living on £53 a week.

But Mr Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, told the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian: "This is a complete stunt which distracts attention from the welfare reforms which are much more important and which I have been working hard to get done.

"I have been unemployed twice in my life so I have already done this. I know what it is like to live on the breadline."

If you know, IDS, then show the way ..... :evilgrin:

[Suze]

Link to Matthew Parris News Item (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/shortcuts/2013/apr/02/iain-duncan-smith-mp-living-on-benefits)

[Omah]

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week


303,831 supporters

[AnnieK]

He won't do it...even if he does it's easy for a week....wait till birthdays, Christmas, house repairs and holidays etc etc crop up...

[Harry!]

I have also signed this.

[joeysteele]

He won't do it...even if he does it's easy for a week....wait till birthdays, Christmas, house repairs and holidays etc etc crop up...

Exactly, he should be made to do it for at least a full year with all the extra bills in Autumn and Winter that call for extra funds and as you point out other things arising.

It would have been good thing had he done that too before he planned these heartless policies too.

I really am mystified he has any say in other peoples livelihoods,he is a truly hard hearted and rotten,already failed, politician anyway and long before the Coalition govt came to power.

[Nedusa]

Why do think the Govt owes you even £53 a week , it owes you nothing you work for money to live you do not sit at home and expect someone else to just give you free money regardless of how much it is.

Of course there are certain groups of people ie disabled who cannot work and should receive considerably more than £53 as that is not enough to live on , but the rest of the dole scroungers should get nothing.

I'm sick of reading about people who get all their bills paid and free money to spend for doing nothing, moan about not getting enough free money.

Go out and get a bloody job, you lazy idle useless scrounging freeloading waste of spaces....!!!!

[Omah]

341,115 supporters

[joeysteele]

Why do think the Govt owes you even £53 a week , it owes you nothing you work for money to live you do not sit at home and expect someone else to just give you free money regardless of how much it is.

Of course there are certain groups of people ie disabled who cannot work and should receive considerably more than £53 as that is not enough to live on , but the rest of the dole scroungers should get nothing.

I'm sick of reading about people who get all their bills paid and free money to spend for doing nothing, moan about not getting enough free money.

Go out and get a bloody job, you lazy idle useless scrounging freeloading waste of spaces....!!!!

I don't think anyone on here is in that position so presumably you are yelling at the people not connected to the forum.

No one believes anyone is entitled to benefits if they are not warranted and have no reason to be on them.
We do have 2.5 million unemployed in the UK and at best 500,000 approx vacancies.
Now I am not a brilliant mathematician by any means but you cannot fully employ 2.5 million people in half a million vacancies.

Furthermore, a great number of people now on benefits have worked for many decades and ill health has forced then to stop working.
It is not as simple as black and white, there are many grey areas as to benefits.

A decent society should have the duty to provide for it's weakest and poorest.The most vulnerable getting the greater help obviously.
This Govt is attacking and taking from the most vulnerable and many of the people left with a pittance to live on are infact working anyway but still in the bracket where they are entitled to benefits.

Having some pompous arrogant politician like IDS telling the poorest that he could live on £53 a week when he knows the luxury he can go back to after it is not only patronising it is downright insulting.

The vast majority of people try to and would take a job if it was offered to them, the fact is as I said at the start, full time jobs are rather rare, part time jobs leave people still on some benefits and I repeat, you cannot give 2.5 million people jobs with only half a million vacancies.

Scroungers is too general a term and the vast majority of people who now find themselves on benefits are far from being scroungers anyway.
It is time this Govt stopped demonising them and started on the people who are rich and powerful enough to find ways of not paying what would be due income tax.

I come from a privileged background, I know how lucky I am but I have gone out to learn what it is like for people on benefits and I have yet to really meet what could be termed a genuine scrounger.

[Kizzy]

Let's hope there is no situation where you find yourself knocked off that very tall horse you are currently astride...
Being on sickness benefit is no joke I can tell you that, there but for the grace of that big shmuck in the sky eh?..

[Nedusa]

I don't think anyone on here is in that position so presumably you are yelling at the people not connected to the forum.

No one believes anyone is entitled to benefits if they are not warranted and have no reason to be on them.
We do have 2.5 million unemployed in the UK and at best 500,000 approx vacancies.
Now I am not a brilliant mathematician by any means but you cannot fully employ 2.5 million people in half a million vacancies.

Furthermore, a great number of people now on benefits have worked for many decades and ill health has forced then to stop working.
It is not as simple as black and white, there are many grey areas as to benefits.

A decent society should have the duty to provide for it's weakest and poorest.The most vulnerable getting the greater help obviously.
This Govt is attacking and taking from the most vulnerable and many of the people left with a pittance to live on are infact working anyway but still in the bracket where they are entitled to benefits.

Having some pompous arrogant politician like IDS telling the poorest that he could live on £53 a week when he knows the luxury he can go back to after it is not only patronising it is downright insulting.

The vast majority of people try to and would take a job if it was offered to them, the fact is as I said at the start, full time jobs are rather rare, part time jobs leave people still on some benefits and I repeat, you cannot give 2.5 million people jobs with only half a million vacancies.

Scroungers is too general a term and the vast majority of people who now find themselves on benefits are far from being scroungers anyway.
It is time this Govt stopped demonising them and started on the people who are rich and powerful enough to find ways of not paying what would be due income tax.

I come from a privileged background, I know how lucky I am but I have gone out to learn what it is like for people on benefits and I have yet to really meet what could be termed a genuine scrounger.

OK I agree my post was a little knee jerk , and everyone has their own story and their own problems. Perhaps there is no real dole scrounger perhaps it is just a stereotype , but our welfare system is too complicated and needs reforming. The money must go to the people who need it the most not just given week in week out for years to someone who is then pursuaded not to pursue paid employment as they would lose their benefits.

They are not their benefits this money comes from you and I the ones who work and pay taxes.

Not sure what the answer is but the status quo is cannot be maintained indefinitely.....!!!!

[joeysteele]

OK I agree my post was a little knee jerk , and everyone has their own story and their own problems. Perhaps there is no real dole scrounger perhaps it is just a stereotype , but our welfare system is too complicated and needs reforming. The money must go to the people who need it the most not just given week in week out for years to someone who is then pursuaded not to pursue paid employment as they would lose their benefits.

They are not their benefits this money comes from you and I the ones who work and pay taxes.

Not sure what the answer is but the status quo is cannot be maintained indefinitely.....!!!!

Well, that's right, I agree with the idea to reform and simplify benefits and make sure people are checked regularly as to the benefits they are getting and that they are still entitled to them.
I will admit there will be people who claim benefits wrongly but they are a minority in my view anyway.

I totally agree with the benefit cap too and also agree with limited rises in benefits for a period too
I don't agree though with piling undue stress and penalties on people who can ill afford to have that done to them through no fault of their own.

Also people,obviously not all, on benefits have also likely paid into the system for decades too when they were able to work.

Thanks for that reply Nedusa,good of you to reply that way.

[Vicky.]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9968031/IDS-challenged-to-live-on-53-a-week-by-man-who-gets-156.html

LOL at this story. Trying to make out the (working)man who challenged IDS has more money than he claimed.

However

Mr Bennett claimed on the Today programme on Monday that he made £53 a week on his stall, sometimes working as many as 70 hours a week. It later emerged however, that he is also in receipt of £200 a month Working Tax Credit and £232 a month housing benefit. Out of that he pays £400 a month rent, plus £190 a month utility bills, including £120 a month gas and electricity, £36 a month water and telephone, insurance and council tax.

53 earnings x 4 = £212 + £200 WTC + £232 HB = £644 per month income
£400 rent + £190 bills = £590 per month outgoings

£54 difference, not £53...£1 off...

Seems the torygraph is panicking a little bit too much trying to rubbish what this man said...trying to deflect attention from IDS. Failed quite badly IMO.

[Vicky.]

OK I agree my post was a little knee jerk , and everyone has their own story and their own problems. Perhaps there is no real dole scrounger perhaps it is just a stereotype , but our welfare system is too complicated and needs reforming. The money must go to the people who need it the most not just given week in week out for years to someone who is then pursuaded not to pursue paid employment as they would lose their benefits.

They are not their benefits this money comes from you and I the ones who work and pay taxes.

Not sure what the answer is but the status quo is cannot be maintained indefinitely.....!!!!

If you are able to work, you have to prove each fortnight that you are actively looking. A few years ago it seemed people could get away with writing anything in their jobseekers diary. But these days they check literally everything. If you say you applied for a job, they will check. Writing that you handed CVs out is no longer an acceptable form of jobsearch. If you fail to do enough to find work, you are sanctioned. No money at all.

Basically, pretty much the only way to sit on your arse and do nothing, is to claim disability benefits falsely. And even then you will be found out by ATOS soon enough, since they also kick as many genuine claimants off as possible so clearly they will spot a real fraud.

[Nedusa]

If you are able to work, you have to prove each fortnight that you are actively looking. A few years ago it seemed people could get away with writing anything in their jobseekers diary. But these days they check literally everything. If you say you applied for a job, they will check. Writing that you handed CVs out is no longer an acceptable form of jobsearch. If you fail to do enough to find work, you are sanctioned. No money at all.

Basically, pretty much the only way to sit on your arse and do nothing, is to claim disability benefits falsely. And even then you will be found out by ATOS soon enough, since they also kick as many genuine claimants off as possible so clearly they will spot a real fraud.

I'm a little shocked I have to say if what you're saying is true. I thought most people who had worked and paid huge amounts of tax had essentially paid into the system. When they become unemployed they need time and money to look for another job. They also need enough money to keep their bills at bay and they need space to look for work etc.

What they don't need is stupid petty rules that start from the premise that they are dole cheats. They don't need to be forced to continually prove they are looking for work as that is distracting and would reduce their chances of finding new employment.

Anyhow they are only receiving the money they paid in , in any case !!!

[Vicky.]

I'm a little shocked I have to say if what you're saying is true. I thought most people who had worked and paid huge amounts of tax had essentially paid into the system. When they become unemployed they need time and money to look for another job. They also need enough money to keep their bills at bay and they need space to look for work etc.

What they don't need is stupid petty rules that start from the premise that they are dole cheats. They don't need to be forced to continually prove they are looking for work as that is distracting and would reduce their chances of finding new employment.

Anyhow they are only receiving the money they paid in , in any case !!!
Yes its true

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland/benefits_s/benefits_in_work_or_looking_for_work_s/benefits_for_people_looking_for_work.htm

To get Jobseeker's Allowance, you have to show that you meet certain conditions about looking for work. You have to actively seek work, be available for work and have a current Jobseeker’s Agreement with the Jobcentre Plus office. In Northern Ireland, this is with the Social Security Agency. A Jobseeker’s Agreement is a document which says what you have agreed to do to find work. You will have to sign on at the Jobcentre Plus office at least every two weeks so that they can check whether you meet these conditions and see if you need any extra help to find work. You can be called into the Jobcentre Plus office at any time and if they think that you are not keeping to your Jobseeker’s Agreement, your benefit may be cut or stopped

Jobcentre Plus can sanction you for some kinds of misconduct, for example if you fail to take part in the Work Programme. A sanction normally means Jobcentre Plus stops your JSA for a certain period, although in some cases they can reduce it instead. In most cases, Jobcentre Plus cannot sanction you if you have a good reason for your behaviour.

The work programme can include you having to work 35 hours a week for a company such as tescos or poundland...for free(and conveniently, when on 'workfare' you dont count in the unemployment figures ;) )


Yeah, theres a lot people dont know about benefits. I bet the majority of claimants wish it really was as good and cushy as its made out to be in the daily mail. The reality though, is very different.

[Omah]

348,993 supporters

[Kizzy]

That petition could get a million supporters, he won't do it though :(

[Suze]

That petition could get a million supporters, he won't do it though :(

Yo are most likely right, Kizzy, I put a link up earlier in the thread where another MP did similar quite a few years back now and he couldn't hack it, so would love for IDS to live on said allowance for not a week, but a few months at the least. But he has at least been called up on it, and the fact that so many have signed the petition shows manys thoughts on it and allows them them to get those thoughts across. He has done himself no favours with shouting his gob off like that. I have told a few about the petition incase they want to sign it, it does need loads more signatures still to reach the goal though.

[arista]

He could in a Shed
with no heating , lots of jumpers.
A battery radio. torch.
and a bucket with lid as a bog

[Omah]

371,702 supporters

[Omah]

405,537 supporters

[Omah]

441,793 supporters