Yes, not to mention the media scumbags who drool as they bash out a story which focuses on how person X managed to con N thousands out of the system, only briefly mentioning in passing that it was over the course of a number of decades - never bringing the two figures together to say that N thousands not much really, instead using N decades to show ease of manipulation. Which leaves the reader with the impression that benefits are mega bucks and easy to attain. Not that benefits are actually a pittance and you need to struggle up stream against a powerful current for months to get even a sniff.
I get sick to death of people saying they should just quit work and go on benefits because they'd get more money. I've tried to tell these people that I've lived on benefits. You don't get more money at all. I've tried to point out to them that their nasty habbits of smoking and drinking would be almost impossible at their current levels if they were on benefits, as would their ownership and running of a nice shiny car. They never listen and tell me that you can go out every night of the week if you're on benefits and get trollied. I ask how much it costs them to get trollied and it's always £25 or more. I then do the math for them and ask where they're getting the extra from to do that every night, let alone to eat, smoke, run their car, cloth themselves, heat their house, have lights when it gets dark and TV when they get bored. I'm always wrong, however, even having presented the figures.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-09-11 11:12 am (UTC)I get sick to death of people saying they should just quit work and go on benefits because they'd get more money. I've tried to tell these people that I've lived on benefits. You don't get more money at all. I've tried to point out to them that their nasty habbits of smoking and drinking would be almost impossible at their current levels if they were on benefits, as would their ownership and running of a nice shiny car. They never listen and tell me that you can go out every night of the week if you're on benefits and get trollied. I ask how much it costs them to get trollied and it's always £25 or more. I then do the math for them and ask where they're getting the extra from to do that every night, let alone to eat, smoke, run their car, cloth themselves, heat their house, have lights when it gets dark and TV when they get bored. I'm always wrong, however, even having presented the figures.