tha not as ill or as old as me though

buy a smaller car

I would be somewhat more convinced if they pledged a two-pronged attack. As well as cutting benefits for the work-shy, they made as much effort at clawing back some of the £120 Billion that the Revenue is not getting from those who (legally or illegally) avoid paying income tax...... but as this practice is inextricably linked with Tory party funding I won't be holding my breath!!

Higher rated PAYE will be fleeced next year, so its not just a one way street. Self employed will hopefully have loop holes removed soon but the simple facts are the last government was not interested in nailing the scroungers who play the system (the latest one is getting their kids diagnosed with behaviour illness) or the immigration problem.
We cannot afford the drain of the public spend levels, lets hope they hit the rogues and not the genuine needy. We have created a section of society who dont understand work ethics, this government MUST change that by making that section of society get out what they put in, because that section breed more than the grafters which gives a far bigger problem in years to come if not tackled now.

You're quite right, I've seen them disableds, scroungers and your single parents, in a pub together...plotting the downfall of international capitalism they were, the barstewards. In fact, it was them that forced the banks to spend hundreds of billions they didn't have then get it off us. Yep, they have a lot to answer for.

Totally agree Billie. To quote Jeremy Kyle "Why don't they get off their idle backsides,stop using social networking sites, put something on the end of it and stop producing kids that we all have to pay for and get a job"

I’m not against people getting benefits in fact my Father became crippled with arthritis and my Mum had to give up work to care for him, up to his death. But we have had lads working for us via the Shaw Trust with the aim of getting them back to work, some have been great lads, but when we’ve offered them a Full time job some can’t ‘afford’ to work, one lad was getting approx the equivalent of £600 per week. Something needs to change when people are capable of working but simply don’t because they are better off.

is that including his rent and council tax rebate/payment?

Does it matter, low income gets family credits. Take take home £600 a working man needs to earn £900. It should never be more rewarding not to work.
Benefits are designed to help those in need in bad times, I often see kids going without as parents drink,smoke and live on take aways. Benefits should mean diet is provided, clothes are provided, shelter etc we must stop paying them in cash when they choose not to work.

100% agree with this, they should be given vouchers for clothing & food etc so they can't go and get there flat screen TV's and booze!

We never went into the details but probably and although I don't know in this particular lads circumstances, it's possible that if he worked he'd have to pay CSA and/or court fines, and probably doesn't if on benefits, so to them thats seen as money saved.

But as Mo said the point is those who are capable of working but don't, shouldn't be better off than those who do actually work.

Not long ago I would have frowned at such comments. Nowadays I would agree with this. We should always have a safety net for people that hit hard times, and they should be helped as much as possible to get by and look for work. There is something wrong with the system when the excuse is "I am better off not working" money wise.

Also a footnote - That Union backed new leader of the Labour party will ensure I won't be voting for them again.