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Wednesday 7th January 2009 Make us your HOME PAGE  What is RSS?
 
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ARTICLE SUMMARY

Long term sick cases 'could be slashed by 60 per cent'

MINISTERS were yesterday accused of hypocrisy by trying to gloss over 11 years of failure to tackle the benefits culture.

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SANDIEL - LONG TERM SICKNESS.

25.08.08, 2:40am

SandieL - I entirely agree with your comments about the form filling that genuine claimants have to go through. I also agree with what you say about MPs and their expenditure claims.

I read somewhere that over 96% of all MPs claim their maximum Parliament allowance for second home expenses to be nearer London. Besides getting tax payer funded help with any second mortgage, 96% seem to claim this max perk to purchase things like fridges and TVs, one Female Labour MP even tried to claim for a pergola.

They use the system to the maximum, all of them.
Is it any wonder therefore, that we have so many scroungers abusing and using the benefits system.
Wake up people! these politicians are not so intelligent as they try to make themselves out to be. In reality, few have any understanding of the real world. They abuse the system and others simply mimic their actions, it's as simple as that.

• Posted by: steveg • Report Comment

LONG TERM BALONEY

23.08.08, 6:04am

I know for a fact that here in the Philippines, unknown to the D.S.S.,there are hundreds, if not thousands, of middle aged men drawing sickness benefits from the UK. Their girochecks are cashed by a UK relative and the money is forwarded here. By immigration law they have to leave the Phils once a year and re-enter. They go to Malaysia or indonesia for a couple of days, then return to the Phils. Sometimes they return to the UK with suitcases full of cigarettes. The profit is so big that it can pay for a return trip. Then they show their faces at the D.S.S. as if nothing has happened.
To these guys the "credit crunch" is some sort of breakfast cereal.
I know one case where a guy was on sickness benifit for years unti he became eligible for, and draws, a state pension. Now he lives the life of Riley.
Er, he isn't sick anymore!

• Posted by: poorboy • Report Comment

PENSIONS COULD BE INCREASED BY 1000% IF THE RICH PAID THE TAXES WE DO

20.08.08, 1:41am

does this take into account the ageing population? No. Is £60 a week incentive? No. How many billions a year are lost to the British public through the tax avoidance of the rich? That's the story. Why not tell it? and support the hard working British public that are the ones that buy you paper? is it because the bloke that pays your cushy wages is one of them perhaps?

• Posted by: brusselssprouts • Report Comment

THE GOVERNMENT CREATED THIS...LET THEM CLEAN IT UP!

16.08.08, 8:14pm

They should be ashamed the worst prime minister ever not that he ever was and this incompetent government......when are they going to learn their liberal values created this situation and yet they employ illegal immigrants within their public services take the NHS, which is a huge money wasting bearacracy that employes illegal immigrants that apparently care for vulnerable patients.....not too far away eaither take one of the othropedic wards at Walsgrave Hospital.....what lunacy is this when British people are either being made redundant or find it so difficult to get back into work that theres just no incentive.......

I wish a few labour politicians had to go and claim benefit then that would teach them a lesson.....instead they bleed hard workng tax payers for their money not only for benefits but to tline their own pockets....!

• Posted by: RealIstic08 • Report Comment

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TIP

13.08.08, 1:22am

Eventhe MP's £24,000 would take years for someone on Jobseekers Allowance to get.

The shysters in Government are taking the mick when they are twittering on about long term sick cases.

I posted earlier on this thread because I know by my friends experience how hard it is to get benefits for being unfit for work.

The MP's must assume because they get everything so easily, these benefits are the same - too easy to get.

Well they are wrong... they should try claiming under an alias and see how far they get, and try living on the meagre amount of money allowed.

They wouldn't even get a round of drinks and a snack the the House of Commons bar.

• Posted by: SandieL • Report Comment

BENEFIT

12.08.08, 11:43am

Too many politicians are on benefit and have been for a number of years. Lets get them to pay more before we tackle benefit cheats. The biggest cheaters are the M.P.'s with all their handouts paid for by us the taxpayer.

• Posted by: Tip • Report Comment

RUHE/LIBLAB

11.08.08, 1:00pm

rihe, i will second liblabs comments in that, unlike most of those on your side of the political spectrum on these pages, you actually make thoughtful comments most of the time, and actually try to back up what you say with evidence and logic. so are a welcome addition here, and the only one really who represents your side.

although, i have to say that demanding apologies is not what i was getting at. recognising that the situation we, as a country, and you and i, personall, are in is an inherited one based on previous cruelty is important however. and it is only a lottery that brings us to being born in one place or another.

aid fails to work in most cases because aid does not change the system of relationships between the developing world and thier former colonial masters. that set of relationships continues to be in our benefit, sucking wealth form them and giving it to us at a bargain.

oh, and black sheep is an excellent beer. i took a tour of the brewery once. it is made by the family that used to own theakstons before they sold it off to scottish and newcastle breweries.

if you are ever up in the yorkshire dales, you should check it out.

• Posted by: LeFinDuMonde • Report Comment

FRUITY - TELL MY NEIGHBOUR

11.08.08, 9:29am


I do not know your neighbour, nor would I comment on a specific case.

However, I have seen with my own eyes, people who for one reason or another are on long-term benefit but can otherwise lead a full and active life, even going out and participating in forms of gainful activities. The only time they ever feel ill is if they are asked to go out and do a proper day's work to earn their bread. Then, all of a sudden, they come over all weak and incapable again.

Before you answer, I can back up what I said above. I will say again, I have seen these spongers with my own eyes, I know what they do and I know they exist. Skivers cost you and me money. They are essentially thieves and should be exposed.

I am NOT talking about GENUINE cases which must continue to be supported, but we MUST stop the skivers.

• Posted by: beefsandwich • Report Comment

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STEVEG/FRUITY

11.08.08, 1:59am

Steveg

I don't think some people realise how difficult it is to actually claim some kinds of disability benefits.

You are right about the form filling situation though, I have a friend, like you, who had to fill in thick forms and virtually jump through hoops to get their disability money. There are then assessments, then tribunals etc., all very stressful to *genuine* people. Scammers don't give a damn, know the rules and work the system to their advantage.

There will always be scammers, like the football referee who claims he cannot walk very far, yet runs around a football pitch, and men who claim they have bad back and build patios for people while claiming sickness benefits.

I also totally disagree with alcoholics and drug addicts being allowed Disability Living Allowance for their 'problems'. Those problems are self inflicted and surely giving them money is encouraging addition? They must spend their benefit on drink and drugs?

These people spoil it for genuine cases - people with REAL medical problems.

Fact is though, the biggest scammers of all with taxpayers money are the MP's themselves!

Fruity

I'm sure your neighbour will receive her money no problem. Anyone who begrudges a person money when they cannot work for the reason you said, obviously hasn't had anything bad happen to them.

She must be in an awful state, and will need time to recover from this. Poor woman.

• Posted by: SandieL • Report Comment

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ONE OF MY NEIGHBOURS...

11.08.08, 1:41am

lived in a grace and favour social housing home and regularly walked down the road tapping his white stick. The funny thing was, when you waved at him, he waved back.

• Posted by: Harveymiff • Report Comment

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BEEFSANDWICH - TELL MY NEIGHBOUR

11.08.08, 1:01am

would like to tell this to my neighbour who lost her baby boy in a car accident that she is skivving because she cannot get the will to work?

Insensitive and shameful!

• Posted by: Fruity • Report Comment

FRUITY - "IF PEOPLE ARE UNWELL, THEY ARE UNWELL".

10.08.08, 11:02pm


That's the whole point mate. Most of the time they are not unwell, they are skivers waiting to be found out.


• Posted by: beefsandwich • Report Comment

FRUITY- STAY ON TOPIC

10.08.08, 9:26pm

Your neighbour is irrelevant. Stay focused.

• Posted by: ruhe03 • Report Comment

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LONG TERM SICK

10.08.08, 4:10am

I thought the government were already going through and checking all 2 million plus, incapacity claimants, as well as all people on disability benefits? The government have called this new policy 'Right Payment Programme.'

I say this, because I have a friend who received an 80 page report to fill out about his illness and disability way back in February. He did this, then they sent a 15 page questionnaire to his GP, after this, they wrote and said they would write to his hospital consultant, finally, they arranged for a doctor to visit him to give him a medical and check how he coped with his disability at home. The whole process of DWP tests to check his validity, was finally completed after 6 months. He finally received a letter to say his claim was correct.

• Posted by: steveg • Report Comment

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CALLOUS AND SHAMEFUL

10.08.08, 1:41am

If people are unwell, they are unwell.

It is shameful that many of you vent your frustrations about life onto those needing our help.

Doctors, hospitals and clinics determine who are unwell and require medical treatment.

My neighbour who is a school teacher had a car accident in which her baby died. She cannot go back to work because of psychological flashbacks. Maybe some of you would like to stop her benefits! Callous and insensitive.

I dare not ask my neighbour to read your comments on this forum! Shameful!

• Posted by: Fruity • Report Comment

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