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Quite an interesting programme, about three people, one was disabled but looking for work, another on Incapacity Benefit with a number of things limiting her from working, but could possibly work, and another person who was an old aged pensioner. All had to live for a week on Benefits as they were in 1949, but inflation adjusted to today. The three of them had to live on something like ?38.00 a week (I can't remember the exact figure but it was something like that). The first person, the guy in the wheelchair, was keen to work and got a job in a call centre, he was very happy and was in tears when he got the job offer; the second person, who had diabetes and a bad back, was not keen to work at all, and she seemed quite well off on Benefit in the modern era, they even paid for her to have her own car. She was not keen to work but went to do a part time stint in a factory sewing garments. This didn't last for more than that day and she was glad when the process ended, she got her car back, and was on full modern Benefits again. The old boy couldn't manage at all, had to pawn his dad's old watch, and was eventually moved to a care home under his GP's recommendation as he was properly skint and couldn't afford to eat. It was an interesting programme. One thing I noticed was how much time and care the Benefit office people could devote to each case, even visiting the claimants regularly. I assume this could be done in 1949 as only a small number of people claimed then. Unlike now.

"All had to live for a week on Benefits as they were in 1949, but inflation adjusted to today."

Whose definition of inflation was that?

There was an article I was reading the other day about how the cost of living has risen over the last 20 years.

The headline numbers I remember are

TV Licence less than 200%
Pint of beer about 300%
Gas and Electricity 500% !!!!!!!!!!!

That was a really good idea wasn't it selling off the power companies?

spider wrote:


> That was a really good idea wasn't it selling off the power
> companies?

Whilst I wouldn't defend the selling off of the "family silver", the programme was nothing to do with that.

The most shocking figure: 20 million people receive some kind of benefit. Lord Beveridge must be spinning like a top...

Don't forget that families with incomes over ?80,000 can claim child benefits and 16.5% of population are claiming a pension. Not surprising 20 million on some kind of benefit. Child benefit should really be looked at!

How many people need their benefits to pay their Gas and Electricity bills?

It's just the state subsidising the Gas and Electricity Company?s profits.

And a hefty amount of that is paid as in work benefits as the wages paid are too low.

And so the state subsidise employers who can receive more profit rather than pay a decent wage which would result in more tax gathered and less benefit paid out.

fairness developing, when there is a programme called Benefits Britain 1949 which has as its main participants comparing now with the past:

1. Someone who owns a Central London flat and rents it out for a huge amount paid for by housing benefit.

2. An employer who pays the minimum rate and whose profits are subsidised by tax credits.

3. An employer who uses zero hour contracts for the vast majority of their employees and depends on the state to support those employees.

Scroungers and parasites all!

4. employer who uses economic migrant labour from a country that has a far lower cost of living/wage and in the spirit of the program as its set in 1949 they'd probably be German.

In Episode 2 of my version of Benefits Britain 1949

1. The bloke who owns the place in Central London breaks down in tears when the tenant applies to the Rent Tribunal for a reasonable rent which results in a vast reduction in the rent that can be charged.

2. The employer who pays the minimum wage breaks down in tears when told that there is no such thing as tax credits for low paid staff and he cannot get employees to work for starvation wages.

3. The employer who runs his business on zero hours contracts finds his workforce have all joined the same union and he breaks down in tears when he realises that he will be forced to provide minimum hours contracts to the workers.

Like it.