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Panorama Britains Homeles

(94 Posts)
Paula8 Tue 24-Jun-14 17:08:32

I have been watching BBC's Britains Homeless....

There was a women that was 8 months pregnant and had two other children and has been on Housing benefits for many years...This lady was upset because the private house that she was living in was riddled with mould--which was the case when she moved in...so my question is..why did she fall pregnant with another child knowing, A that she could not afford the two children that she already had and B, why would you go for another baby knowing that the house you are living in is riddled with damp

Also there was a man upset that he and his partner and two babies were living in temprorary accomodation, one room basically--my question to him would be..did you not know that if you have a family it costs money and you need to be able to porvide for that family if you are going to have one.

No one forced them to have children,it is a concious decision that you make. I would have liked a few children but could only afford to have two, just about.

I do feel for these people , really I do but I am baffled as to why they dont think things through before having children and starting a familysad

papaoscar Thu 26-Jun-14 16:46:52

Yes, it really p....s me off to hear my State Retirement Pension, to which I contributed all my life, described as a benefit by the present bunch of dodgy politicians, most of whom are not old enough to remember the old days.

Aka Thu 26-Jun-14 16:48:25

47% of welfare budget goes on state pensions

TriciaF Thu 26-Jun-14 16:58:54

re Papaoscar's post on the previous page - yes originally the state old age pension worked like an individual savings pot, but since the ?70s the contributions have been syphoned off to pay for other things.
So now our state OAP is another benefit, and we, being more numerous than any other needy group, are the main beneficiaries.

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 17:06:49

I don't drink Galen and it's the only one I've heard of!

Eloethan Thu 26-Jun-14 17:39:02

Sorry my mistake - I was reading percentages instead of pounds. Nevertheless, 46% is still a substantial amount and means that the amount allocated to what most people understand as "benefits" is significantly less than the "welfare budget" as a whole.

petra Fri 27-Jun-14 07:47:03

The Mother mentioned in the OP did get another house, but she lost her baby.
Very sad.

durhamjen Fri 27-Jun-14 12:02:33

https://fullfact.org/economy/welfare_budget_public_spending-29886

2013 figures.

Ana Fri 27-Jun-14 12:15:33

So now only 38% of the welfare budget is being spent on state pensions.

HollyDaze Fri 27-Jun-14 12:49:28

Looks like GNs are solving the financial crisis on this thread - the rate it's coming down is very impressive I have to say!

Aka Fri 27-Jun-14 13:18:01

grin

durhamjen Fri 27-Jun-14 13:25:42

Homeless going up though.
www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/25/homelessness-crisis-england-perfect-storm

durhamjen Sun 29-Jun-14 23:45:39

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/25/how-i-became-homeless-cant-happen-to-you-think-again

ninny Mon 30-Jun-14 13:10:15

Some categories of people are more likely than others to be affected. Migrants, for example, may lack support networks of friends and family, familiarity with English and knowledge of how the benefits system works, and are vulnerable: people from the east European accession states – including Poland, the Czech Republic, the Baltic states, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – make up nearly 30% of London's rough sleepers. This is an extract from The Guardian newspaper you highlighted.

If we didn't have open borders because of the EU, the 30% of London's rough sleepers would not be here. Never mind they will soon get on the benefits gravy train if they stay here for long enough!

rosequartz Mon 30-Jun-14 15:15:26

Especially now we have Juncker in charge!

durhamjen Mon 30-Jun-14 15:45:14

Obviously neither of you have read the links.
It could be you next.

rosequartz Mon 30-Jun-14 16:12:07

blush multitasking again and doing nothing properly!

ninny Mon 30-Jun-14 17:24:09

I did read the links. If we were not in the EU all these EU migrants would not be in the UK taking up our valuable housing stock and there would be more housing available for UK homeless.

durhamjen Mon 30-Jun-14 17:56:03

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/25/how-i-became-homeless-cant-happen-to-you-think-again
This link is nothing to do with migrants. It wasn't migrants that made him homeless. He has been helped by Crisis, and is now recovering from his problems. He does not blame migrants, so why should you?