2 ms·
"..some people in the UK who think that unemployed people in the UK can get away with not doing anything." As someone who was unemployed for a while in the lat
by dazc 9y ago
"..some people in the UK who think that unemployed people in the UK can get away with not doing anything."
As someone who was unemployed for a while in the late 90's, it was possible. I believe the system is a lot stricter now but a lot of people base their ideas on past experience.
I have a friend who has been long-term unemployed due to health reasons. He has to attend courses and such from time to time, which he actually enjoys because he would like to work. He does a bit of voluntary work too.
The story all seems to be the same though, on the first day there are maybe 20 people who turn up and by the end of the week most of them have dropped out.
I don't know the facts but, just guessing, maybe there are still ways of playing the system?
- DanBC 9y agoIt's really hard to play the system. Here's someone who was signed off work for heart problems. He had to have an independent medical (because DWP doesn't believe doctors) before he could claim disability benefits. During the independent medical he had a heart attack. The healthcare professional had to stop the assessment and call for an ambo. The ambo staff arrived, and took him to hospital. To you or me this is proof that he wasn't faking his heart problems and he is genuinely ill. To the DWP it's failure to complete an assessment, and he was sanctioned for this non-completion. (Read the Debbie Abrahams comments here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130319/debtext/130319-0002.htm#column_839 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm13... ) There are literally thousands of these. So, while it's possible to defraud benefits it's not easy, and it's not common. It's certainly much tighter than it used to be in the 90s.