Benefits Britain 1949 (TV Program)

[BrianW]

People forget that in 1949 there was full employment and employers were grateful for any workers they could recruit. Joe Bloggs could walk out of his job on Friday in the sure knowledge he could walk into another on Monday.

It's the very opposite now, and likely to stay that way. Employers can pick and choose. And anyone who thinks they don't discriminate against the disabled and people with long-term conditions that may impact on their ability to work is living in cloud cuckoo land. They discriminate on age too. It gets harder to get a job the older you get, unless you have some exceptional rare skill.

 

[Ducado]

People forget that in 1949 there was full employment and employers were grateful for any workers they could recruit. Joe Bloggs could walk out of his job on Friday in the sure knowledge he could walk into another on Monday.

It's the very opposite now, and likely to stay that way. Employers can pick and choose. And anyone who thinks they don't discriminate against the disabled and people with long-term conditions that may impact on their ability to work is living in cloud cuckoo land. They discriminate on age too. It gets harder to get a job the older you get, unless you have some exceptional rare skill.

You are half right but the age thing is wrong it's gone the other way now

 

[micah-micah]

Don't base much of your opinions on a Channel 4 documentary.

They are well known these days to just twist, manipulate or make shit up just to get ratings and people talking etc.

Give it a few weeks and I'll imagine information will come out of how they edited things to make them look bad etc.

The fact is the governments own statistics put benefit fraud for illness and disability at less than 1%, even if you were to triple it, it wouldn't reach 2%.

No one said there was any benefit fraud on the show at all. I dont think it was even trying to imply that unless I smoked to much crystal meth last night and missed the point entirely

It was strongly hinting those on benefits shouldn't be on it.

 

[Plaything of the gods]

Don't base much of your opinions on a Channel 4 documentary.

They are well known these days to just twist, manipulate or make shit up just to get ratings and people talking etc.

Give it a few weeks and I'll imagine information will come out of how they edited things to make them look bad etc.

The fact is the governments own statistics put benefit fraud for illness and disability at less than 1%, even if you were to triple it, it wouldn't reach 2%.

No one said there was any benefit fraud on the show at all. I dont think it was even trying to imply that unless I smoked to much crystal meth last night and missed the point entirely

It was strongly hinting those on benefits shouldn't be on it.

Why did it have them on it then?

 

[Howling Wolf]

I hope they do a program where people are taxed at 1949 rates and Bankers get 1949 style bonuses.



Im actually getting very fucked off with these constant programmes about welfare claimaints and the way they influence peoples opinions with extreme examples,

The demonisation of the poorest people continues apace.

Did you watch? Don't think they were extreme examples at all, and quite representive of people living off the state with different disabilities and actually really proved that the disabled need companies to be forced to wven look at them, and past their issues.

I have lived off benefits while working, receiving substantial housing benefits and tax credits when my first child came along so would never demonise or look down at anyone, and will argue fiercely with people that when the benefit system works it is something to be proud of. I won't go into any details but I don't know what would have happened to us as we simply did not have enough to survive without hand outs, I just didn't earn enough even though I worked full time, and I wonder now that cuts have been made would we have had move in with family.

For those who are in this situation, please note I would go to the labour agency every morning not always getting a days work and eventually something came along permanent an I have been employed ever since. I think it was right I was helped through a rough period, and am happy to pay my taxes knowing someone else like me is being helped. Now, people who openly say they never intend to work make my blood boil, and I don't care what their individual issues are.

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

People forget that in 1949 there was full employment and employers were grateful for any workers they could recruit. Joe Bloggs could walk out of his job on Friday in the sure knowledge he could walk into another on Monday.

It's the very opposite now, and likely to stay that way. Employers can pick and choose. And anyone who thinks they don't discriminate against the disabled and people with long-term conditions that may impact on their ability to work is living in cloud cuckoo land. They discriminate on age too. It gets harder to get a job the older you get, unless you have some exceptional rare skill.

I didn't watch this programme because I think that this kind of experiment is stupid quite frankly. But I thought I'd share my experiences of what you've said above. I have spina bifida like the lad above, but less severe in the sense it affects one of my legs and not both. So as I'm able to walk and do most things I don't claim Disabled Living Allowance or whatever it's called now. I have never to this day had an interview with a company for which I've had to state I'm disabled on the application form. I have had 6 face-to-face job interviews in my life, all with companies who didn't know I was disabled beforehand. Now that's obviously just a soundbite, but I find it a bit of a strange and rather unsettling coincidence, if indeed it is one.

 

[Howling Wolf]

Don't base much of your opinions on a Channel 4 documentary.

They are well known these days to just twist, manipulate or make shit up just to get ratings and people talking etc.

Give it a few weeks and I'll imagine information will come out of how they edited things to make them look bad etc.

The fact is the governments own statistics put benefit fraud for illness and disability at less than 1%, even if you were to triple it, it wouldn't reach 2%.

No one said there was any benefit fraud on the show at all. I dont think it was even trying to imply that unless I smoked to much crystal meth last night and missed the point entirely

It was strongly hinting those on benefits shouldn't be on it.

No it was trying to see if people now would've had help the year it was first brought in, 1949 wouldn't have helped the woman because here problems would not be recognised by 1949 doctors. This is a series btw.

 

[stonerblue]

I hope they do a program where people are taxed at 1949 rates and Bankers get 1949 style bonuses.



Im actually getting very fucked off with these constant programmes about welfare claimaints and the way they influence peoples opinions with extreme examples,

The demonisation of the poorest people continues apace.

And from reading a lot of the preceding posts, it seems to be working. Far too many quick to jump in and slag claimants off.

 

[East Level 2]

The demonisation of the poorest people continues apace.

And it will continue as the rich can pay the demon to go on holiday for a few years.
The rich pull the strings (and the media), always have and always will. Watch the government front bench then watch Monty Python's Upper Class Twit of the Year sketch and spot the difference. And the mob across the debating chamber weren't much better when they were in power.

 

[Plaything of the gods]

I hope they do a program where people are taxed at 1949 rates and Bankers get 1949 style bonuses.



Im actually getting very fucked off with these constant programmes about welfare claimaints and the way they influence peoples opinions with extreme examples,

The demonisation of the poorest people continues apace.

And from reading a lot of the preceding posts, it seems to be working. Far too many quick to jump in and slag claimants off.

How were the poorest people being demonised in the programme and on this thread?