90 Years on Benefits

I hope you don't think when I referred the poster to student nurse"s pay in the 1980s I was implying that you were lying. I wasn't. I didn't realise the poster/s were implying you were being untruthful. Please accept my apology. Naive to these kind of threads I guess.
There's a huge difference between 1962 and 1985. A period of over 20 years being one and rampant inflation in the 1970s being another.

Oh sorry - That was to GabriellaG

Newnanny that programme you saw wa the same one I watched . They were all extremely short staffed and I think a few were on UC themselves, just working there a few hours. The Minister for Pensions made a visit and the staff shortages across the country were highlighted to him. I think he gave them just few more staff as a token.

Could somebody tell me what the name of the programme was? I’ve looked on 5*, and can’t find it. It’s the My5 app I’m using.

It’s called On Benefits: 90 Years Claiming. I saw it on 5Star which is a Sky channel, but it may be available on other channels. Will have a look.

You and I may disagree but be assured, I will never stoop to questioning the veracity of any comment you make nor will I seek to derive satisfaction from rebutting your fancies about my previous employments.

I did not say you lied so please don't accuse me of something that is completely untrue. Strangely enough, I do not follow each and every post you make. Would you suggest anyone else saying it was an interesting shift - it was - was calling you a liar. I rather think you make just as many nasty comments as anyone on here - usually about those who have no way to reply.

How sad that this discussion has ended up with unpleasantness. Only yesterday there was a post about how unpleasant a Gran had found GN

How sad that this discussion has ended up with unpleasantness. Only yesterday there was a post about how unpleasant a Gran had found GN

It didn't end up as unpleasant Evie64, it started as unpleasant, the opening post was "unpleasant" as are some of the comments about people nobody knows or the stories of others no one can check.

What may be worth considering is that we do not all see the same things as unpleasant.

You may well be right GracesGranMK3, personally I found it becoming confrontational.

I saw the program.It featured three claimants. It showed two people who clearly needed the extra disability payments and a third couple who had been informed that their disability payments were being discontinued. It was only the extra payment that was being stopped. The third couple had not worked for 70 years between them. They looked to be in their fifties. She had diabetes and agriaphobia ( can't spell that) but that did not stop her from going to bingo and down to the DHS offices to complain. She was also planning her trip to the Court Tribunal as they were appealing the decision . Annoyingly did not show the outcome .Her patner ( the carer) had recently been diagnosed with COPD... manageable and not yet at a severe stage. He had been claiming a carers allowance which had also been stopped. The program was factual and followed the difficulties that a younger woman had in sorting out her claim.It certainly did not present the first two claimants as scroungers. Katek was asking what our opinions were of anyone who had seen the program so it is difficult for other posters to answer if they had'nt . IMO....l think the first two claimants undoubtedly deserved their disability payments and any other help they could be given.They are genuinely disabled. I think the DHS made the correct decision as regards to the third couple. The program highlighted the difficulties in claiming especially if you live alone .

GGmark3
I don't understand why you are saying the OP is unpleasant.... Firstly you did not see the program and secondly the OP didn't make it.She merely watched it as did l. She was asking for a discussion on our opinions. There is nothing wrong with saying she had reservations.

That's ok CherryCezzy None needed but generous of you to offer one.
I read it as you offering a comparison which is indeed what you confirm. ?

Hetty58
Oh my gosh! I remember those people. I'd completely forgotten that I'd taught a few YOPS courses way back when.
You're absolutely right. There will always be a borderline cohort that is simply unemployable. Not through anyone's fault. But just because they just don't have the capacity - physical, mental, intellectual, with resulting/concomitant poor life choices/ pressure of circumstances.

Every gvt factors this cohort into their budgeting, yet many of these people who are in this fuzzy borderline between indisputably unemployable and 'well, they seem ok' are amongst those who get vilified for being scroungers. Few of us would actually employ them ourselves because their incapabilities would be very clear to us.

But none of that negates the fact that, no matter how they articulate and present themselves, they're overwhelmingly decent people who do have meaningful aspirations and ambitions that sadly will never be realised.