To work for a living, or live off the state?

[Twatybollocks]

A recent UK TV program, changing wife’s ending up shocking the nation and not just for the obvious reason you mucky minded lot!

:eek:

Basically it showed a family who owned their own house, had two children; both parents worked and they had worked for most of their working lives. The wife of this family then swapped places (for two weeks) with the wife of a family who lived in a council house, had 8 kids and neither parent had worked for years. Incredibly it was discovered that the out of work family collected £37,000 pounds a year in benefits while the working family earned £27,000.

It could be argued that if the benefits system did not exist, or was a lot tougher, then more families would be homeless and on the streets. On the other hand, others think a lot of these people should be forced back into work. So what are your thoughts on this subject?

If you live outside the UK, what is the state benefits system like in your country?

[SemiCircle]

unemployed people are a drain on society. unemployable people should be shot. case closed.

[squealpiggy]

There needs to be a welfare state to act as a safety net for when things go wrong in people's lives. 37 grand a year and 8 kids is stretching the safety net a little bit. I think that the people in the programme at least one of that couple should be forced to work or lose their benefits.

There are way too many people who are on benefits for most if not all of their lives. This is wrong, as I'm paying through my taxes to support them.

[Jimpy]

In america, people who live off of welfare, are poor, and will always be poor, and then there are those people that go out and have as many kids as they can so they can get more money.

[squealpiggy]

In britain people on welfare have lots of opportunities. Yeah they're opportunities to get a sucky job but it's a start. I was on benefits for about three weeks. So I got a job. It sucked. So I did that job for a bit until I saved money for a decent interview suit and then I got a better job. Now I'm in a pretty good job which I wouldn't have got sitting at home scratching my arse and watching Trisha.

[felixdahousecat]

I haven't got a job n i scrounge off the government. woohoo!! yay me, i'm workshy scum (at least by a lot of peoples opinion)

Actually, i'm not proud of the fact, and have sent off countless CV's and job applications, and I AM ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET A JOB, the fact is that getting a job is easier when you have a job already

I think it is wrong for people to purposefully avoid working through sheer laziness. Social security is a good thing to be able to fall back on when times get tough, I have had to cut back on a lot of things since i lost my last job i.e broadband, digital tv etc. so it pisses me off when people instantly think that i have no job simply because i can't be arsed

[squealpiggy]

Originally posted by felixdahousecat
I haven't got a job n i scrounge off the government. woohoo!! yay me, i'm workshy scum (at least by a lot of peoples opinion)

Actually, i'm not proud of the fact, and have sent off countless CV's and job applications, and I AM ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET A JOB, the fact is that getting a job is easier when you have a job already

I think it is wrong for people to purposefully avoid working through sheer laziness. Social security is a good thing to be able to fall back on when times get tough, I have had to cut back on a lot of things since i lost my last job i.e broadband, digital tv etc. so it pisses me off when people instantly think that i have no job simply because i can't be arsed

Egg-frickin-zactly! It's a safety net but so many people live in the safety net that some employers think that anyone signing on must be a freeloader... Basically the trick is to do voluntary work so you can display that you haven't been idle in the time you have signed on.

[donkey_pie]

Some people take major advantage of benefits, however others do need them and are not just lazy arses. Thus I believe that it depends on the seperate case situation.

My God isn't wife swap crappily amazing?:p

[Bonsai]

I was unemployed for 6 months a few years ago ... but i WOULDNT go and collect the dole out of principle. I felt i shouldnt have it as i was more than capable of working, its just noone wanted me / no jobs around.

Anyway - I started temping, and found full time employment almost immediately. As someone above (sorry not up on peoples names yet) has said, its easier to find a job when in a job .... so do temp work :)

[Destrukto]

I am currently unemployed due to health reasons, an I am VERY happy we have at least that kind of benefits system here that allowed me to work things out the last three months...

Next month I have another checkup, and from then on I will be officialy healthy (I will voluntarily leave the sick peoples benefits) and unemployed...

I know I will be able to get a job, as I am not afraid to do things that are beneath my education level...
If I can work, I will work...
It's compulsory to send out 3 letters applying for a job here anyway, and I wholeheartedly applaud it...
Maybe it will be crap, but that's just how life works, isn't it?

The exceptions are of course people who have grown into a position where they just don't have enough education to be taken on, but we have lots of work-reintegration programs...

Plenty of chances if you know where to find them and take them...

A good job is not a right, it's something you earn by applying everything you have got...

[Bonsai]

You have hit the nail on the head for me Destrukto when you say that "I know I will be able to get a job, as I am not afraid to do things that are beneath my education level... If I can work, I will work..."


Thats how i felt when i was unemployed. I just get annoyed when i see signs all over the place advertising for staff, and the free paper is FULL of job adverts. Im sure something would be suitable for some of the idle peeps out there. BUT no, they would rather sponge.

I used to live next door to a small council estate (dont get me wrong, i have no problems with council estates) but i kept seeing one bloke in the pub, smoking, drinking etc and he was proud of the fact he was on benefits, lived in a 3 bed semi and drove a BMW ... and he hadnt worked for 15 years. He couldnt be bothered. THATS what annoys me :twisted:

[flyingmonkey]

Destrukto is right. If you are unemployed, rather than living off of welfare you should just swallow your pride and take a job that is below your education level. I've known too many people in my relatively short lifetime who mooch off the welfare system simply because they "can't find a job they like" or "working minimum wage is beneath them". No one says you have to stay at a minimum wage job your whole life! Just use it as a stepping stone until you find a job you REALLY enjoy!

I in no way think the welfare system should be abolished though. As was said before the welfare system should be used as a safety net. I understand that people get ill/injured and are unable to work for a while. Things happen. Or maybe they do work and just cannot make enough money to support themselves and their family. It's understandable. Just don't stay on welfare your entire life!

And one last thing. Slightly off topic, but I hate those people who mooch off of their parents!!!! You know the type I'm talking about. 20+ years old, living at home, never worked a day in their life. Their parents give them money and pay for everything! I don't think it's bad to live at home when you're older. That's not what makes me anrgy. If you wish to live at home that's fine and dandy, but you should also hold down a job and contribute to the household expenses.

I'm only 16 but I work at a minimum wage job 30-35 hours a week on top of going to school full time. (slighty illegal infact, darn child labor laws!) It just makes me so angry when I see friends who have never worked a day in their life complain when their parents won't give them money for an unncecessary pair of $90 shoes! Then I'll ask them why they don't just go get a job if they want them so bad, and they'll say something like "Oh, I need my free time." or "I can't find a job I like" or "All the available jobs are beneath me."

DO THEY THINK I LIKE THE LACK OF SLEEP THAT OCCURS WHEN YOU WORK UNTIL 1AM AND THEN HAVE TO GET UP AND GO TO SCHOOL AT 6:45 IN THE MORNING? DO I ENJOY GRINING LIKE A MORON ALL DAY AT STUPID PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE COMMON SENSE TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO ORDER BEFOREHAND AND INSTEAD HOLD UP LINES FOR CLOSE TO 10 MINUTES WHILE THEY ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT EVERY SANDWHICH ON THE MENU BEFORE DECIDING THAT ALL THEY WANT IS A SODA? NO, I DON'T LIKE IT! IN FACT, I HATE IT! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I GET UP EVERY DAY AND GO TO WORK BECAUSE I NEED MONEY SO I CAN GO TO COLLEGE SO I DON'T WIND UP WORKING AT McDONALDS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! My parents warned my siblings and I at a very young age that if we wished to go anywhere in life it would have to be of our own doing, as we'll "appreciate it more" if we earn it ourselves. According to their philosophy as soon as you start working (even if it's just babysitting) they are no longer financially responsible for you and furthermore you must contribute 1/4 of your paycheck to household expenses. Personally I think they're just cheap but I guess it works. All of my siblings and I work hard in life and don't take anything for granted. It's just rather difficult at times. Maybe if more families had this sort of philosophy then their kids wouldn't mooch off of them and the kid's wouldn't grow up to mooch off of the government. Oh well.

I'm sorry. It's late and I'm rather tired and fustrated at the moment and need a place to vent. The ranting is over, I promise!