[Chuck]

is this show as sad as "How the other half live"?

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

and yall can stfu anyway, my parents have worked and paid taxes their entire lives

[Judas]

Originally Posted by Scott

and yall can stfu anyway, my parents have worked and paid taxes their entire lives

Thats hardly the point. I don't understand why you show no guilt

(I hope you don't think I'm being mean, but I do think it's absurdly stupid how you can claim money you don't really need when others are struggling.

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

no D':

once they have the report back from the medical lady i wont need doctors notes anymore

[InOne]

Originally Posted by Scott

no D':

once they have the report back from the medical lady i wont need doctors notes anymore

I had to appeal for mine, and with this new benefits reform might be quite hard for you

[Livia]

I think that the only way out of poverty is education. The fact that poorer people don't usually have access to great schools is the greatest shame there is in a country as rich as ours. I come from a working class area and a working class family. I work in a field that is dominated by people from privileged backgrounds who automatically had access to the best schools because their parents could afford it. That's simply not fair because there are talented, intelligent people who don't get a fair crack of the whip because they don't have (or can't afford) the education that'd make them rise to the top.

Also, I think contraception should be addressed sensibly. Every child should be a wanted child, and if you can't afford to have half a dozen kids, then you shouldn't have them. Contraception is plentiful and its free. I'm not saying that poor people should not be supported when they have kids, I'm saying that the benefits should not be thrown at people who have loads of kids they can't control or provide for and then rely on the state to support them.

[Chuck]

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

sorry but you can **** right off

you know nothing about my situation or why the doctor says i shouldnt work so be quiet

[Judas]

Originally Posted by Scott

sorry but you can **** right off

you know nothing about my situation or why the doctor says i shouldnt work so be quiet

Oh sorry, I wasn't saying the reasons the doctor gives aren't right (I'm not that horrid haha, you explained to me on ******** a while ago when we were speaking about it all with Tommy)... and I'm not suggesting you can just get a job.

What I am saying however is that you don't really need the money. Unless the situation has changed, before you were saying your parents were relatively comfortable, and therefore the amount of money you recieved does not match what it is needed for. What I'm saying is you don't really need the money compared to some people, as your parents can afford to give you some, whereas others genuinely need the money.

I hope this hasn't offended you but I personally feel this is one of the failures in the system.

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

oh well thats ok then

i thought you meant i was faking an illness or something to get the money

[Judas]

Originally Posted by Scott

oh well thats ok then

i thought you meant i was faking an illness or something to get the money

haha no I'm not that harsh, and I don't think you're that mean. I just was arguing that the money is too much... I think it should be more means tested and dependant on whether you live on your own or with parents, and consider how much the parents earn.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by Judas

haha no I'm not that harsh, and I don't think you're that mean. I just was arguing that the money is too much... I think it should be more means tested and dependant on whether you live on your own or with parents, and consider how much the parents earn.

You shouldn't sponge off anyone. But it's a lot better to sponge off the parents than it is sponging off the government/other people's taxes when that money can be used for genuine poor people!

[Judas]

Originally Posted by Beastie

You shouldn't sponge off anyone. But it's a lot better to sponge off the parents than it is sponging off the government/other people's taxes when that money can be used for genuine poor people!

Exacatly, I'm not saying Scott isn't ill, but I am saying that the money isn't really needed. (And he is just a minor example for people that do it to a much larger scale - often genuinely not even being ill/needing the money)

[InOne]

Originally Posted by Judas

Exacatly, I'm not saying Scott isn't ill, but I am saying that the money isn't really needed. (And he is just a minor example for people that do it to a much larger scale - often genuinely not even being ill/needing the money)

So are you saying just cos his parents earn a bit of money he's not entitled to any, just cos they might be able to afford to support him?

[BB_Eye]

I watched the show on iPlayer today and it's made me rethink some of my feelings about the benefits for families with children.

Even though I know a few low-income single parents from work, I've never gotten to see that sort of life first-hand so I've often naively taken it for granted that as long as you have the child benefit and child tax credit with your rent paid for you, you'd be okay, but in actual fact, it's really not a lot of money and if you're unluckly enough to be the unfortunate souls who occupy those decrepid tower blocks, it must feel like living in Eastern Europe. I really hope we can soon build more council properties so such families won't have to deal with so many awful private landlords.

As it happens, those kids are wonderful and really count their blessings. Amazing how hardship makes people grow up so quickly.