PeteBrant

Netherlands is 5

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Its a shame in a way that "teenage pregnancy" carries such a stigma, both my boys mum and myself were teenagers when we had him.

Deep Singh

I said Europe, afaik the USA is not in Europe.

PeteBrant

I dont think you can seperate it out - You can deal in the western hemisphere, the US has less welfare ( and lower taxes) and a higher Teenage pregnancy rate. France has better welfare (and higher taxes) and a lower Teenage pregnancy rate.


Which sort of goes completely against your theory of people doing it for the money.

unclebuck

Don't worry that's what he accuses everyone of being.

Apparently his foaming at the mouth ranting is the only 'balanced' opinion on Scoobynet.

ahar

iTrader: (3)

I love threads like this....

One of the few groups of people who get to see all the different people who claim benefits are those that work in Job Centres and other related government offices. Go and ask them what they think - it's enlightening!

PS I've spent 5 years working with exactly those people, have been in Job Centres etc. I've found that the people I speak to see it as 50/50. Lots of scroungers but also lots of people for whom the system really does work as its supposed to.

Deep Singh

Ok from the horse's mouth then. Ahar thinks 50% are scroungers, which is a far cry from the 'minority' that Pete Brant thinks it is

cster

Perhaps we should all take a visit to the job centre and benefits office to get a first hand idea.
The coal face of the welfare system!

PeteBrant

Its anecdotal! not proof!

Martin2005

How you've got the neck to accuse anyone of 'ranting and foaming at the mouth'.....

Luan Pra bang

The trouble is that the basic cost of living makes it a bad idea for many single parents to work. When it becomes more realisitic for more single parents to work then a little bit of help from the state may encourage people to work more. Personally I would look to trial a system where by free child care was offered on the basis that parents did not get any benefits at all but then had the option of going to work. At least decent child care could guarantee 2 decent meals a day.
I do get annoyed with the number of single parents who still manage to get drunk and buy a gram of coke every friday and saturday night. My local has a fair few and I cannot help but think their drug and beer money could be better spent else where. I now drive a crap car, wear old clothes and spend next to no money on myself as current circumstances mean this would change how good a life I give for my son. This does not upset me I feel lucky that I can make sacrifces for my son and am happy to do so. What does annoy me is women who seem to think children are an unwanted accesory to be dumped on the grandparents so they get get drunk and take drugs.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Kind of a key point there Luan.

What is poverty? £10 a day is it? As said, with rent paid etc that isn't bad at all. Look at all the African aid schemes, what is the solution to poverty? Education.

Every child and i mean every child has access to education in this country. If the parents were any good then they would encourage their kids to take the opportunity that in all likelyhood they rejected. Lets be honest very few of those on benefits are university or even a level educated are they yet they had the chance and threw it away.

Even then, some people will always have more than others, unless we resurrect communism and everyone really is given exactly the same things by the governemtn there will always be the haves and the have not. someone will always make up the bottom rung.

IMHO a child with a roof over its head, food on the table (which parents could provide cheaply if they make the effort) and access to education and a loving home environment is not in poverty whether they have the latest trainers/ipod/playstation etc etc or not.

5t.

Luan Pra bang

The USA and the UK are lucky poor people still have acess to medical care tv's education and cars. All around the world whole families live in homes smaller than my living room. I may moan about politicians all of the time but at hte end of the day its still pretty good to be jobless in the UK the only major problem is that mentally people struggle when they have no work to do.

Deep Singh

We are not trying to prove the existence of sub atomic particles, ie something we cannot see

Why do you insist on some sort of graph or statistic, when we can all see what is going on around us?

You must be a very annoying person to have a drink with if whenever someone has a difference of opinion to yours you demand a randomised, controlled, double blinded study to back it up!

Norman D. Landing

/Homer

"It's funny because it's true!"

PeteBrant

How do you see it? Do people on benefits have big neon signs above their heads? Do they tell you explicitly "Hi, I'm Dave, and I'm on benefits" when you meet them?

I mean, how are you deciding which people are, and are not on benefits?

And from that, how are you deducing that 50% of all people on benefits are on the take?
I probably would if I talked politics when I go out for a drink, but thats not going to happen

Also, they would probably take me to one side and sort me out if I did

cster

NOT
Is there supposed to be any point to your posts?
All you seem to do is involve yourself with, shall we say "rabid" posts and not the ones that are more validly argued.
It is as though you are not interested with the subject of the thread as much as with point scoring.
I think the subject matter is more worthy than you appear to think it is.

PeteBrant

Oh the irony

OllyK

Well actually ALL of the people on benefits are on the take, otherwise they wouldn't be on benefits.

Leslie

There was a time when it was considered to be essential to support yourself in work. Most people had a feeling of shame if they were unable to do this and would go to great lengths to get a job, of any kind if necessary. Most would not have a child deliberately if they felt they could not afford it at the time or were not married.

It is an indication of how attitudes have changed now. I wonder what is best, should we all show more moral resonsibility over these matters.

Les

PeteBrant

Well yes, in the literal sense, but of course I was referring to fraudulent claims.