Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Please sign the petition, as usual channel 4 focusing on the worst of the worst and portraying this as the norm.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/channel-4-channel4-stop-broadcasting-benefits-street-and-make-a-donation-to-a-relevant-charity-for-the-harm-caused

to be somewhat caustic, i don't hear any squawks here when the BBC has some pretty badly left-slanted programme ... for that matter, if right-slanted as perhaps this prog was and/or those on immigration

and talking of bias .....

slavery
the star of this latest film makes me cross
while he is quite right to say that pupils in english schools should understand the role that britain had in the slave trade and how it prospered from it, he and others conveniently choose to forget that the africans themselves had captured and traded slaves with the arabs for centuries .... for them, the english were just another export opportunity

and how about highlighting that britain championed the abolitiopn of slavery?
should one also mention that the likes of thomas jefferson also owned slaves?
and what about the brutality of the belgians in the congo that no one ever mentions?

I see that not only is Cameron and Cronies considering flogging the Railways to the Chinese but flogging off the Gas supply to France.

After this con coalition Cameron EU negotiations will he will have to negotiate with the Chinese.

GHU.

Did you watch the programme Cyners? truly awful and made benefit receipitents out to be thieves hooligans and scummy deadbeats.

They always focus on the worst 1% and misrepresent the other 99%.

Dont forget if your 65 YOU are in receipt of benefits.

no i didn't, but most assuredly wouldn't sign some nonsense petition even if i did .... in fact, i know how difficult it is for genuine cases to get the benefits to which they are or should be entitled .... nevertheless, there is a significant minority who assuredly know how to work and milk the system

as for my "benefits" assuming you leave aside pension, i think it's ridiculous that i am entitled to tax-free winter heating allowance and even some sort of bus pass (somewhere) .... i don't get any other to my knowledge

============

fossy - as usual, you're spouting absolute rubbish

I do not wish to intrude cynic but if the government states that over a certain age gets an entitlement for winter fuel whether you are rich or not then take it with the grace which it is given or give it to someone you may know who may be less fortunate than yourself to help them keep warm - there are hundreds and thousands of them out there. Bus pass well I have one but have never used it and hope I never have to use it. If Tony Blair had the balls to be interviewed about his last child and whether or not he would take the child allowance and he stood/sat proud in front of the world and said "Yes" he would then why feel bad???? I rest my case.

Cyners youve forgotten your free TV license.

do i get free tv? .... was not even aware as that is something Beloved looks after, and as she is younger than me, we may not qualify, but equally silly ... hence make all those "small" things either taxable or not even given in the first place in your (combined) income is more than say 30/50k

Free TV over 75.

More than 50% of the benefits budget is state pension.

I think you should get everything your entitled to.

Its not charity you have paid for it.

What about the winter fuel allowance for people who live abroad.

Yep but they have still paid for it.

And lets not forget that survey last year where it was found over 90% of the winter fuel allowance went on ANYTHING but fuel . In fact it was found to go on xmas shopping and lets face it was an election bribe by I think by Gordon Brown and the Tories to be honest dare not remove it, although Sir Giddeon is having a good try.

Thanks for verifying the TV license freebie Hays. I stand corrected.

Interesting to see Farage and Benn in the top 20!!!!!!!!!! in the UK.

Very interesting , Putin number 3 in the World ?

It tell's you a lot of the mind set of countrys of the World.

Bush 4
Bill Clinton 8

No Winston Churchill on the list , or Thatcher . Well what would you expect if Lady Gaga was 9th in Germany just behind the Queen

Haystack - I don't personally agree with people who live abroad getting Winter Fuel Allowance as in the main they are not living in in a cold climate and I would suggest that the majority of people in the UK (genuine people) spend it on keeping warm. As for the TV licence - if one was to reach the age of 75 years young then they deserve a free licence for putting up with the crap which has been on the TV for years and which they have paid for practically most of their lives. Getting off my soap box now, good night all.

i question whether someone with a good standard of living, even if of pensionable age, should get these tax-free fringe benefits, which patently they do not need ..... if they're taxable, then fine, as i think much pension income also is