So depressed about the representation of benifit claiments in the media

[bigissue]

I am feeling so down right now, downstairs my family are getting ready to settle down to watch the new "exploitation" programme about people on benefits that is on channel 4 tonight at 9pm. It will most like be yet another show pandering to the outrage of "taxpayers" and will portray those on benefits as lazy chancers. I'm on ESA in the Support group although I have an invisible disability. I live with family and they fluctuate between being supportive and resentful of my situation. I find that they main thing that seems to anger them and others about my not working is that they work in jobs they hate and resent the fact that I don't have to (currently) and there anger does seem to vary depending on what they have been exposed to on the TV or in the paper.

 

I just feel sad and depressed about the whole thing.

[filrobbo]

Yes I've experienced the same as I get working tax and child tax credits end only work part time but do what I don't give a **** so do the same a d don't let them put ye Down

[sadone]

Yes it seems like the media are hand in glove with the governments propaganda machine. I fin it amazing that so many people seem to swallow this biased and often very misleading tripe without question.

[bigissue]

Thank you for the replies, I agree it really is propaganda. I try not to let it get to me but the way it really effects me is when the resentment comes from my family who I live with, its not easy to shrug it off then. As I expected the show is a farce making todays benefits seem overly generous and the claiments especially the one on ESA is shown to be a chancer, rude and entitled. Warming up the public for the next lot of cuts. I am not looking forward to all the increased digs and comments over the next while.

[filrobbo]

Sonds like you need a new family or find some were else to live but head up and keep smiling

[sadone]

Sadly judging by Twitter folks are just eating up this crap. I've never seen such a torrent of abuse.

 

God, when is the general public going to wise up to whats really going on here?

[Nystagmite]

 

God, when is the general public going to wise up to whats really going on here?

 

They won't. Until it happens to them. I have a relative who has moaned about the benefits system a lot and says we're scroungers, etc. Oh, and he claims benefits too.

[bigissue]

They won't. Until it happens to them. I have a relative who has moaned about the benefits system a lot and says we're scroungers, etc. Oh, and he claims benefits too.

 

It seems many claiments are portrayed as thinking they are the only ones who really deserve it and its all the others who are scrounging, just another way to play us all off against each other, divide and rule plain and simple but very soul destroying.

[filrobbo]

What gets me is it not scroungeing when people or there perrants have paid into the system all there lives its realy your money or hower money there given us back

[Sparks_]

I sometimes wonder who is paying for these types of programmes, the cynic in me thinks the government are providing it to add another nail into our coffins

[sadone]

Oh of course they are. It's all part of their war on welfare.

[filrobbo]

If all the banks give just 1%of there profits towards the benefit system or in the nhs we would not be in this mess

[Consumer dude]

I fear more civil unrest..

[osdset]

I fear more civil unrest..

 

I'm slightly bemused that we haven't seen rumblings yet, however the full brunt of the cuts has yet to hit home.

[jasta11]

I think some people are now starting to get more informed but sadly, still not enough. The classic image of 'unemployed = lazy waster' still prevails a lot of the time.

 

I only have to think of the salaries & expenses paid to MP's; the installing then scrapping of £22million worth of new computers by the government some years ago; the hand-outs to immigrants who are only here for the healthcare/housing/benefits they can get; the millions wasted by every Local Government on 'improvements' like horrendous art sculptures, etc, etc and I see where the true 'wasters' in this country are.

 

Local government can waste more money in a week than 50 of us could in a year of claiming benefits. They're 'employed' though, so that makes it okay. Big difference!

[LongHairedLily]

I find most of these nay sayers hypocrites! My Sister is a typical benefits basher (and votes Tory)... She and her husband went bankrupt a few years ago and refuse to give up their two cars, private Schools, dinner parties lifestyle, so what do they do use my Father who has Dementia as a bank. They borrow every month , pay it back only to borrow within a week, sums of £6K +.

[osdset]

Many people with substantial assets are in debt, on purpose.

 

The rationale behind this is the mantra of not using ones own money to fund anything, they use their considerable collateral to raise huge loans, then using the rob Peter to pay Paul principal they pay off the loans at minimal increments using yet more loans.

 

All this money shuffling funds their extravagant lifestyles without ever eating into their core wealth which is salted away in offshore accounts.

 

The final reckoning never happens because they peg it before the creditors get to them, Jason and Jemima inherit daddy's Swiss bank account and 'orf we jolly well go again.

[LongHairedLily]

Well unscrupulous Sister put a £50K cheque in to my Mums account to clear. They didn't want the courts to take it. Mum denies it, despite me seeing it on the bank statement. Mum enables her, even if the DWP could look at her statements and ask where has that money gone!?

[filrobbo]

Well nothing wrong with that just stop the goverment spending it on more wars.

[citizenB]

I am moving this to the Bear Garden. This forum is for people who need advice, not a pity party.

[filrobbo]

Or citizenB we were just enjoying that.

[citizenB]

You can continue to post, filrobbo, but not take up the time of the people who give their time to advise on serious issues

[filrobbo]

This is a serious issue Bigissue is depressed about been put down for been unemployedI was only trying to keep their spirits up.

[jasta11]

I am moving this to the Bear Garden. This forum is for people who need advice, not a pity party.

 

..this Bear Garden, do we get in at a reduced rate for being unemployed?

[filrobbo]

That would be nice but don't drink