UK's Benefit culture

[Oscar Namechange]

United Kingdom Unemployment Rate

It's worth noting with today's news that unemployment In 1984 under Thatcher was at 12.0 %.

Between 1971 and 2012 unemployment rates have averaged at 7.3 % and In October 2012 the figure stood at 7.80%.

Today's 7.8 % shows that unemployment Is no worse today which Includes millions of migrants seeking work In the UK.

Yet today's announcement shows that unemployment benefit jumped In value by 20 % since 2007 while wages have risen just 12 %.

Chancellor George Osborne is to impose a one per cent cap on working age benefits for each of the next three years, in a bid to save £4.5billion-a-year.

Read more: Labour challenged to say whether it would cut schools or hospitals to pay for bigger rises in benefits | Mail Online

Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[gmc]

There's me thinking you were going to bang on about all the MP's fiddling their expenses and rich people and companies using tax evasion schemes to avoid paying their fair share - fiddling your expenses in a manner that would get you sacked in a private sector job and then complaining about the benefit culture is no way to behave. Lead by example and maybe the rest of us might take politicians seriously.

I lived through the recession of the seventies - when I was unemployed for around two years this is worse, it's different in nature and it's far more serious - at least in the seventies people were building houses. In the seventies you could make a case that industrial society was going through a major change. Thatcher effectively destroyed industry in this country with her we can all work in a service economy stupidity. Jobs filling shelves in a supermarket is not all it's cracked up to be.

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1414856 wrote: There's me thinking you were going to bang on about all the MP's fiddling their expenses and rich people and companies using tax evasion schemes to avoid paying their fair share - fiddling your expenses in a manner that would get you sacked in a private sector job and then complaining about the benefit culture is no way to behave. Lead by example and maybe the rest of us might take politicians seriously.

I lived through the recession of the seventies - when I was unemployed for around two years this is worse, it's different in nature and it's far more serious - at least in the seventies people were building houses. In the seventies you could make a case that industrial society was going through a major change. Thatcher effectively destroyed industry in this country with her we can all work in a service economy stupidity. Jobs filling shelves in a supermarket is not all it's cracked up to be. I do agree with you.

We are a service Industry now where In the 70's we had Industry's that provided work for unskilled labour... But there Is work out there. The Unemployment stats show that.

[Bruv]

A high percentage of staff work less than a standard working week of 30 plus hours.

Many 'service' industry jobs are anti social hours and need lots of staff at peak times so contracted hours are for these peak times. Two workers cover the peak period but work the same hours as one full time worker.

I work 20 hours a week, I am termed as working full time, I could not live on my wage, and neither can many of the others who have to have their wages topped up by benefits.

[Betty Boop]

Bruv;1414905 wrote: A high percentage of staff work less than a standard working week of 30 plus hours.

Many 'service' industry jobs are anti social hours and need lots of staff at peak times so contracted hours are for these peak times. Two workers cover the peak period but work the same hours as one full time worker.

I work 20 hours a week, I am termed as working full time, I could not live on my wage, and neither can many of the others who have to have their wages topped up by benefits.


That was my point in another thread, so many people nowadays cannot get full time jobs because there are none available.

I like the comments under the graph, particularly about methodology of collecting the data, it's actually not that easy to just compare 'figures' between now and the 70's.

[Oscar Namechange]

Bruv;1414905 wrote: A high percentage of staff work less than a standard working week of 30 plus hours.

Many 'service' industry jobs are anti social hours and need lots of staff at peak times so contracted hours are for these peak times. Two workers cover the peak period but work the same hours as one full time worker.

I work 20 hours a week, I am termed as working full time, I could not live on my wage, and neither can many of the others who have to have their wages topped up by benefits.


So If there's only part time work available out there, what's wrong with finding two, even three part time jobs?

As I said In another thread, we live In the me me me society where everyone expects jobs tailor made to suit their lifestyle Instead of people getting out of their comfort zones,getting hands dirty, working odd hours and being willing to travel.

We have seen a change In society since the 70's where there were no 24 hour petrol stations who sold milk and when shops shut at 5 pm and stayed shut all Sunday.

The me society expects to be able to buy food at 3 am, fill the car at any time, shop at Industrial estates all day Sunday, drink In bars all half the night and expect fast food outlets serving 24/7. But god forbid, the job centre offers someone a job In any of those outlets, suddenly, they're being unreasonable for expecting them to work unsociable hours. If It was the 70's and you were asked to work a Sunday from 10 pm until 2 am, then yes, It would be unsociable hours but no-one can expect the convienience of 24 hour In this day and age and not expect anyone working those hours.

I've got a neighbour who thinks there should be jobs on tap that fit In with the school run and tea time, pay for a creche, no weekends, nice cosy office and pay her above the minimum wage when she has no skills or qualifications whatsoever.... then she whines ' There's nothing out there'.

[Betty Boop]

How old are the children of this nieghbour you keep banging on about Oscar?

[Oscar Namechange]

Betty Boop;1414913 wrote: How old are the children of this nieghbour you keep banging on about Oscar? I fail to see any relevance to the question. The mere Indication of my mentioning school run and tea time along with creche should make It quite plain one Is at school and the other Is under school age.

Giving my neighbour as an example In two relevant threads Is not 'banging on'. It's a typical example of how today's generation are believing jobs should be tailor made to their own personal requirements.

[Betty Boop]

oscar;1414914 wrote: I fail to see any relevance to the question. The mere Indication of my mentioning school run and tea time along with creche should make It quite plain one Is at school and the other Is under school age.

Giving my neighbour as an example In two relevant threads Is not 'banging on'. It's a typical example of how today's generation are believing jobs should be tailor made to their own personal requirements.


So who is meant to look after these children? Do you know what the cost of childcare is?

You think the answer is to put our kids into 24 hour creches?

[Oscar Namechange]

Betty Boop;1414916 wrote: So who is meant to look after these children? Do you know what the cost of childcare is?

You think the answer is to put our kids into 24 hour creches? The bone Idle husband who sits on his backside all day.... that's who I expect to look after them If she wants to work.

Childcare cost Is a financial burden I agree but sorry, people make choices In life and they make lifestyle choices. If a woman chooses to have a child while she's single or choose's to go It alone, put It this way... who do you think should pay for their child care? Or do you expect the government and the tax payer to fund free child care because of someone else's lifestyle choice?

[Betty Boop]

oscar;1414918 wrote: The bone Idle husband who sits on his backside all day.... that's who I expect to look after them If she wants to work.

Childcare cost Is a financial burden I agree but sorry, people make choices In life and they make lifestyle choices. If a woman chooses to have a child while she's single or choose's to go It alone, put It this way... who do you think should pay for their child care? Or do you expect the government and the tax payer to fund free child care because of someone else's lifestyle choice?


Her problem lays solely with her husband then, should think she needs to stand up to him and make him get on and deal with the children if he's not willing to go out to work (might be easier said than done though, as no one really knows what is going on behind the scenes).

[Oscar Namechange]

Betty Boop;1414919 wrote: Her problem lays solely with her husband then, should think she needs to stand up to him and make him get on and deal with the children if he's not willing to go out to work (might be easier said than done though, as no one really knows what is going on behind the scenes).


I couldn't agree more.

I phoned him very recently because I knew he'd done pointing work before and told him a garden I was working on had a patio that needed pointing. And I told him It was an afternoon's work worth £100... I thought he'd snap It up with Christmas coming up.

He wanted to do It but asked me to put the customer off for 3 weeks.... err don't think so. I came home, read up on the Internet on pointing patio's for an hour and then went and did It myself. It took me a few hours because I was paranoid about spilling cement but I not only did It, I did a bloody good job of It.

Going to pm you now about something else...

[Betty Boop]

oscar;1414920 wrote: I couldn't agree more.

I phoned him very recently because I knew he'd done pointing work before and told him a garden I was working on had a patio that needed pointing. And I told him It was an afternoon's work worth £100... I thought he'd snap It up with Christmas coming up.

He wanted to do It but asked me to put the customer off for 3 weeks.... err don't think so. I came home, read up on the Internet on pointing patio's for an hour and then went and did It myself. It took me a few hours because I was paranoid about spilling cement but I not only did It, I did a bloody good job of It.

Going to pm you now about something else...


Is he on benefits? were you suggesting he did a bit on the side :wah:

[Oscar Namechange]

Betty Boop;1414921 wrote: Is he on benefits? were you suggesting he did a bit on the side :wah: I'm not daft... anything like that, I get them to sign to say they are responsible for Informing the relevant people and pay their own tax.

[gmc]

oscar;1414925 wrote: I'm not daft... anything like that, I get them to sign to say they are responsible for Informing the relevant people and pay their own tax.


Why not use a proper tradesman could it be because you want to dodge paying VAT? Not only are you encourager the very benefit scroungers and black economy you are constantly complaining about you are defrauding the taxman in a small way you are helping out legitimate tradespeople out of business. You're a hypocrite You just don't see anything wrong when playing the system and using the black economy when it suits you and boast about doing so in a thread attacking the very thing you are complaining about. Incidentally you are knowingly committing fraud by dodging VAT.

The real scroungers

Osborne's £700m bonus for the banks - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

Cameron's government is attacking the welfare system to distract from the very real failures to address what is wrong in our economy and people like you are buying it hook line and sinker.

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1414968 wrote: Why not use a proper tradesman could it be because you want to dodge paying VAT? Not only are you encourager the very benefit scroungers and black economy you are constantly complaining about you are defrauding the taxman in a small way you are helping out legitimate tradespeople out of business. You're a hypocrite You just don't see anything wrong when playing the system and using the black economy when it suits you and boast about doing so in a thread attacking the very thing you are complaining about. Incidentally you are knowingly committing fraud by dodging VAT.

The real scroungers

Osborne's £700m bonus for the banks - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

Cameron's government is attacking the welfare system to distract from the very real failures to address what is wrong in our economy and people like you are buying it hook line and sinker.


You really don't think things through do you ? You're so eaten up with fraudulent bankers that you actually knock someone for getting off there arss and finding work.

I am a gardener not a pointer. I started out myself a few months ago to earn extra money. I had enough work come In to register with the tax man. People see my adverts and web site for gardener not pointer or fencing but as a one off one job I had doing a garden needed a patio pointing which i felt at the time I couldn't do. The neighbour I offered the job to had been out of work for months and was a pointer. If he had done the job and done It well, I could then have advertised gardening AND pointing work undertaken giving him more work and who knows, may have got him off benefits...

That's how small business's grow and how they become bigger by diversifying...... or didn't you know that ? what you don't do Is advertise a service outside of your capabilities and then wonder who you can employ to do the job.... that's business suicide

[gmc]

oscar;1415030 wrote: You really don't think things through do you ? You're so eaten up with fraudulent bankers that you actually knock someone for getting off there arss and finding work.

I am a gardener not a pointer. I started out myself a few months ago to earn extra money. I had enough work come In to register with the tax man. People see my adverts and web site for gardener not pointer or fencing but as a one off one job I had doing a garden needed a patio pointing which i felt at the time I couldn't do. The neighbour I offered the job to had been out of work for months and was a pointer. If he had done the job and done It well, I could then have advertised gardening AND pointing work undertaken giving him more work and who knows, may have got him off benefits...

That's how small business's grow and how they become bigger by diversifying...... or didn't you know that ? what you don't do Is advertise a service outside of your capabilities and then wonder who you can employ to do the job.... that's business suicide


You don't really read things properly do you. You gave a job to someone on benefits gloating at the fact you covered your backside by getting him to sign a declaration he would pay his own tax. I get them to sign to say they are responsible for Informing the relevant people and pay their own tax. You deprive a legitimate tradesman of a job and save yourself VAT which he would have to charge you if he supplied the materials. Don't start threads about the UK's benefit structure and then boast about how you encourage people to play the system.

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1415043 wrote: You don't really read things properly do you. You gave a job to someone on benefits gloating at the fact you covered your backside by getting him to sign a declaration he would pay his own tax. You deprive a legitimate tradesman of a job and save yourself VAT which he would have to charge you if he supplied the materials. Don't start threads about the UK's benefit structure and then boast about how you encourage people to play the system.


Get off your high horse. You're talking sh.it.

The customer was a terminally Ill man with limited money.... He'd had seperate quotes fort the patio and the skilled tradesmen as you put It were trying It on quoting him anything up to £250 for a small patio which even with my limited knowledge was way over the top. They were attempting to rip him off which Is exactly why many people don't want skilled professionals... haven't you noticed ? People these days don't have much money and paying way over the top Is not ethical In these climes. Or would you rather the old man get ripped off?

Go and watch a few episodes of ' Cowboy Builders' and see exactly what some of your ' skilled tradesmen' get up to...

Other than that.... hard luck.... I did the job myself, I didn't rip him off, he was delighted and will probably recommend me to his friends and I get more work... that's life.. that's how business's survive.

[YZGI]

Ok, what is a pointer? I googled it and all I can find is pointer dogs and pointers for presentations.

[Oscar Namechange]

YZGI;1415058 wrote: Ok, what is a pointer? I googled it and all I can find is pointer dogs and pointers for presentations.


:wah:

How to point a patio. - YouTube

[YZGI]

oscar;1415060 wrote: :wah:

How to point a patio. - YouTube


I think we call that grouting.

[Oscar Namechange]

YZGI;1415064 wrote: I think we call that grouting.
We only grout tiles In England

How to grout tiles | tile grouting - YouTube

Now I know how to do It, I may put some ' skilled tradesmen' out of work. Ha bloody ha.

[Snowfire]

oscar;1415068 wrote: We only grout tiles In England

How to grout tiles | tile grouting - YouTube

Now I know how to do It, I may put some ' skilled tradesmen' out of work. Ha bloody ha.


Might give you a job if your any good.

Tip: There are proprietry materials on sale that you can use dry and just brush in and iron. It doesnt stain and saves a lot of strain on the knees and back. Saves a lot of time and effort and in the end is cost effective.

This sort of stuff........

Everbuild Geo-Fix Paving Jointing Compound DVD - YouTube

[Oscar Namechange]

Snowfire;1415072 wrote: Might give you a job if your any good.

Tip: There are proprietry materials on sale that you can use dry and just brush in and iron. It doesnt stain and saves a lot of strain on the knees and back. Saves a lot of time and effort and in the end is cost effective.

This sort of stuff........

Everbuild Geo-Fix Paving Jointing Compound DVD - YouTube


Funny enough, that's what I Intended to use but the old man had already been to B & Q and bought the cement himself so I had to use that.

That method seems quicker and safer. I was so so worried about spilling the cement and worse It raining before It had gone off.

[gmc]

oscar;1415075 wrote: Funny enough, that's what I Intended to use but the old man had already been to B & Q and bought the cement himself so I had to use that.

That method seems quicker and safer. I was so so worried about spilling the cement and worse It raining before It had gone off.


Did you know the romans had cement that would set under water? They built an empire using the stuff.

[Snowfire]

gmc;1415241 wrote: Did you know the romans had cement that would set under water? They built an empire using the stuff.


Hydraulic lime sets under water too. It was used long before the Romans. Egyptians, Macedonians used it.

[Oscar Namechange]

gmc;1415241 wrote: Did you know the romans had cement that would set under water? They built an empire using the stuff. Tell you what.... I'm going back there this week... I'll take a photograph of my work.