The Obese, Drunks and Junkies

[public school boy]

David Cameron has just made some new friends. Is he right to criticize the above claiming them to be work shy or just plain lazy. I agree with him that some of them who are claiming benefits are quite capable of working. There will be those who claim that Cameron is being nasty but what do you think.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

You need to get a grip on this self loathing.

 

[bhaexpress]

Cameron would have a valid point if his government did a lot more than it currently does do help people who have these problems. All three conditions are treatable given a suitable amount of funding. There tends to be underlying issues with all of them. I'm currently ill and yet Cameron's administration has insisted I go for a medical check up. I wouldn't mind but this is done by a private company working on contract for the government. Unlike my doctor the person who did my questionnaire (as that's what it was) is not qualified. Cameron would be better off cleaning out the civil service and ridding it of the parasites who get paid by the state and are only too happy to waste tax payers' money on pointless scheme such as this.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

The medical assessments are working with more than half of claimants signing off benefits before the appointment date is reached.

 

[public school boy]

Cameron would have a valid point if his government did a lot more than it currently does do help people who have these problems. All three conditions are treatable given a suitable amount of funding. There tends to be underlying issues with all of them. I'm currently ill and yet Cameron's administration has insisted I go for a medical check up. I wouldn't mind but this is done by a private company working on contract for the government. Unlike my doctor the person who did my questionnaire (as that's what it was) is not qualified. Cameron would be better off cleaning out the civil service and ridding it of the parasites who get paid by the state and are only too happy to waste tax payers' money on pointless scheme such as this.

In cases of drug addiction and alcoholism the initial help has to come from the person themselves. A person can be sent to a treatment centre or put on a scheme funded by the government, but if that person has no intention of giving up then it would be a waste of time and money. Firstly any addict, whatever their addiction is to, has to accept that they have a problem and secondly they have to want to do something about it. This I would say also applies to those who's obesity has been caused by excessive eating.

 

[bhaexpress]

In cases of drug addiction and alcoholism the initial help has to come from the person themselves. A person can be sent to a treatment centre or put on a scheme funded by the government, but if that person has no intention of giving up then it would be a waste of time and money. Firstly any addict, whatever their addiction is to, has to accept that they have a problem and secondly they have to want to do something about it. This I would say also applies to those who's obesity has been caused by excessive eating.

Believe me as somebody who has worked mainly for the NHS the facilities to suitably treat a drug addict or an alcoholic are totally inadequate. There are insufficient treatment centres for these people, of course far be it for the government to listen to qualified clinicians. As for obesity yes it's often (but not always) caused by overeating as I said earlier, there tends to be an underlying problem. Eating is the same as drugs or alcohol, they are merely methods of masking depression.

 

[bhaexpress]

The medical assessments are working with more than half of claimants signing off benefits before the appointment date is reached.

Where's that from ? The Daily Mail ? I think that is rubbish as anybody who is on ESA can soon go on JSA but still be unemployable. Using unqualified people to give an opinion over that of a qualified clinician ? It's ridiculous. What this and previous governments can't seem to grasp is the simple fact that in order to get people into work they need to have jobs to go to. Factor in that a lot of people would be considerably worse off as they would loose benefits such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit many people simply can't afford to take a low paid job. For example, the cost of childcare is prohibitive as single parents cannot pay rent and a child minder on a low wage. I know from personal experience (as doothers here) that people over fifty have real problems getting jobs, they just aren't there.

 

[sir albion]

Yes he is spot on and its time to get these lazy bastards back to work.

 

[bhaexpress]

Yes he is spot on and its time to get these lazy bastards back to work.

Okay then, where are they going to work then ?

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Where's that from ? The Daily Mail ? I think that is rubbish as anybody who is on ESA can soon go on JSA but still be unemployable. Using unqualified people to give an opinion over that of a qualified clinician ? It's ridiculous. What this and previous governments can't seem to grasp is the simple fact that in order to get people into work they need to have jobs to go to. Factor in that a lot of people would be considerably worse off as they would loose benefits such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit many people simply can't afford to take a low paid job. For example, the cost of childcare is prohibitive as single parents cannot pay rent and a child minder on a low wage. I know from personal experience (as doothers here) that people over fifty have real problems getting jobs, they just aren't there.

Are loose benefits not very tight ones? In all seriousness there are jobs available to all sections of society, however its the willingness of employers and employees to diversify or re-train that is fundamental to the point.

 

[sir albion]

Okay then, where are they going to work then ?

Thats tough shite until they do find work,fact is many of these people never worked while this country was booming,its taken a bad recession to finally sort these problems out but at least its happening now.

They can at least do some charitable work for the community,these people have had it so bloody easy for far to long and now its caught up with them.To many lazy fu$kers in this country and its these lazy fuc$kers that are now moaning that the polish have all the jobs.

 

[Seagull Steve]

I think he is trying to do the right thing, but doing it in the wrong way. 99% of these people need a lot more than just being kicked back to work. I used to be one of those that thought that most claimants were shirkers, but since my disability, I have changed my view somewhat. A lot of illness can't be seen, but can be just as debilitating as physical conditions. But we could talk forever on that and if you have never gone through it, you just wouldn't understand.

One thing that does need a lot of work, are the medical interview themselves. I had my application for disability Living Allowance turned down (quite common apparently) The guy who did my assessment had said I was fit for work. Both my GP and my consultants were gobsmaked, as I cannot walk for more that ten yards without either falling or being in extreme pain. Because I couldn't work any more I felt useless as both a father of three and a wife. I became very depressed and attempted to take my own life. I was then diagnosed with clinical depression. Sorry I'm rambling. Any way the upshot was that I went to a tribunal and got full DLA.
I am not looking for sympathy, I just thought that telling you my circumstances, will show how inept these assessments can be really.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

It was tricky for DC tbh

He had two speeches lined up

One was about work-shy obese people, drug addicts and alcoholics

And the other was about uncovering massive corporate fraud in the upper echelons of society

He plumped for the former as we can see, so perhaps the latter will come up at a later date

 

[cannedheat]

Don't matter what way you look at it he is saying what joe public wants to hear, apart from a few crustys and Guardian readers.

 

[public school boy]

Some alcoholics and drug addicts ( both are the same really as alcohol is a drug ) are not capable of working as it would be impossible due to their mental and physical condition but there are many who have been used to gvt hand outs so see no point in working. I don't see why the tax payer should have to pick up the tab for the those who can work. I found a job for a recovering alcoholic which paid £6.80 per hour (08.30 till 1200hrs then 1300 till 1630hrs). The job lasts for a month but this person could not be bothered. If addicts are serious about sorting out their lives there are various Fellowships such as AA and NA which are funded by donations from those attending. Clinics are part of the recovery process but the 2 most important steps are to admit that one has a problem and secondly a desire to stop.

 

[tedebear]

Sorry but if you stick it up your nose, inject it in your veins or shove it down your throat, I don't want to pay for you when you can't get by anymore. Very harsh but very true. I try and look after myself and I have a heck of a lot of issues that I manage to deal with, without social care, so why can't they.

People may ask what they could do to get back to work, maybe they should be asking why previous governments thought it was appropriate to pay for them to feed their habits through dishing out benefits instead of spending the money to help rehabilitate them. The press are focusing on the taking away of benefits not the spending to get them back to work.

Good work DC, in my view this is a tough call but the right one.

 

[sydney]

one of my good mates in England, recently,after battling to pay off a credit card bill ,decided to go bankrupt.......two failed marriages and being rinsed out by two different bitches and sets of kids hasn't helped , but he has always paid his way as best he could , the cc issue came about after he hurt himself at work and ended up in hospital for six weeks and off work for nearly 6 months , unable to keep up the cc payments it all snowballed into almost 20 G worth of debt. the bankruptcy was granted and he slowly got back on his feet and back to work............then last week the bailiffs turned up unannounced and took his 1998 vauxhall van away with all his tools in it , he asked them what would be done with it and they said it would probably end up getting scrapped,he is now totally f***ed and because he has no car he doesn't get his job seeker allowance either. he has worked hard all his life and paid his fair share of taxes , i spoke to him on monday and he is completely depressed ............that scenario just seems totally LUDICROUS to me.

 

[hitony]

one of my good mates in England, recently,after battling to pay off a credit card bill ,decided to go bankrupt.......two failed marriages and being rinsed out by two different bitches and sets of kids hasn't helped , but he has always paid his way as best he could , the cc issue came about after he hurt himself at work and ended up in hospital for six weeks and off work for nearly 6 months , unable to keep up the cc payments it all snowballed into almost 20 G worth of debt. the bankruptcy was granted and he slowly got back on his feet and back to work............then last week the bailiffs turned up unannounced and took his 1998 vauxhall van away with all his tools in it , he asked them what would be done with it and they said it would probably end up getting scrapped,he is now totally f***ed and because he has no car he doesn't get his job seeker allowance either. he has worked hard all his life and paid his fair share of taxes , i spoke to him on monday and he is completely depressed ............that scenario just seems totally LUDICROUS to me.

He must have run up more debt AFTER being discharged from bankruptcy as any debts incurred PRIOR to being made bankrupt would have been dealt with under his bankruptcy, and his official reciever would not have let him run up any debt during his bankruptcy period.

That being the case, and really not wanting to sound harsh, but if he owes money and wont / cant pay then unfortunatly the people he owes money to will want it back and do what they have to do to get it, which is understandable.

I can't work out why having no car makes him ineligable for job seekers allowence? as long as he is seen to be activly looking for work he should get it.

A vehicle does not come under the protected parts within bankruptcy law, but his tools within the van do, as long as he can prove that the tools are for his work he will be able to get those back, the van unfortunatly will be kept by them unless he settles any debts owing, and in all honesty a 1998 van is not going to be worth very much.

Obviously there may be more to this than my thoughts above?

 

[NMH]

I don't know if it would work, but perhaps the government could subsidise firms that take on 'rehabilitation' employees.
The company could pay them a reduced amount for the work and allow that they may not be 100% ability-wise or energy-wise, the rest could be made up from benefits.

Thus many would be employed, confident that they can integrate, and too busy and well occupied to booze/inject/whatever.
Eventually they could be (so long as the company agrees) taken on fully by the firms if they prove compatible.
Those that do not would have regular benefits reduced.

 

[algie]

He must have run up more debt AFTER being discharged from bankruptcy as any debts incurred PRIOR to being made bankrupt would have been dealt with under his bankruptcy, and his official reciever would not have let him run up any debt during his bankruptcy period.

That being the case, and really not wanting to sound harsh, but if he owes money and wont / cant pay then unfortunatly the people he owes money to will want it back and do what they have to do to get it, which is understandable.

I can't work out why having no car makes him ineligable for job seekers allowence? as long as he is seen to be activly looking for work he should get it.

A vehicle does not come under the protected parts within bankruptcy law, but his tools within the van do, as long as he can prove that the tools are for his work he will be able to get those back, the van unfortunatly will be kept by them unless he settles any debts owing, and in all honesty a 1998 van is not going to be worth very much.

Obviously there may be more to this than my thoughts above?

Not true. They cannot take his van and tools if he is self employed and can prove it.