Any Tories care to defend this?

Not all benefits, specific areas of the budget need reforming. The welfare bill is dangerously high and is growing very unsustainably. It either grows in parallel with the GDP growth (which for a long time it has not) or we identify a cap. Any party declaring we should let it grow unsustainably is childish and needs to go back to school. You don't introduce these things and let them grow as they like.

The greatest growth in welfare spending and the biggest element of welfare by a country mile is pensions. However a Conservative government wouldn't touch them as it would hit their core demographic, so they go for easier targets that fit with their lazy underclass narrative. It won't do much to substantially reduce the welfare bill, but it will get them reelected.

The greatest growth in welfare spending and the biggest element of welfare by a country mile is pensions. However a Conservative government wouldn't touch them as it would hit their core demographic, so they go for easier targets that fit with their lazy underclass narrative. It won't do much to substantially reduce the welfare bill, but it will get them reelected.

Not all benefits, specific areas of the budget need reforming. The welfare bill is dangerously high and is growing very unsustainably. It either grows in parallel with the GDP growth (which for a long time it has not) or we identify a cap. Any party declaring we should let it grow unsustainably is childish and needs to go back to school. You don't introduce these things and let them grow as they like.

You would be a good debater if you weren't completely wrong. Pensions may be the fastest growing welfare, but in terms of cost it is not as high as say ESA. Furthermore, the demographic for conservative is mainly middle aged professionals. The reduction of benefits will help the economy, when looking at the alternative of raising it, we then raise the taxes of the hard working people. This is seemingly forgotten, it isn't about screwing over the unemployed, its about reducing taxes for those who work.

You would be a good debater if you weren't completely wrong. Pensions may be the fastest growing welfare, but in terms of cost it is not as high as say ESA. Furthermore, the demographic for conservative is mainly middle aged professionals. The reduction of benefits will help the economy, when looking at the alternative of raising it, we then raise the taxes of the hard working people. This is seemingly forgotten, it isn't about screwing over the unemployed, its about reducing taxes for those who work.

That is the lowest rate, most earn far more than that and on top of that they are all eligible for free travel, prescriptions, healthcare, food, housing, energy, support and many other perks. Do not play the victim card. 100 quid including free everything is a dream for many many people

I wish I could rep you millions of times over. You basically put what I say much better and back it up better. I'm a poor man's scrotgrot scuse the pun.

The life is dreadful, I won't dispute that, but the support is sufficient. We have one of the best packages for the disabled and elderly in the world. You people need to look at America, India, China, France, Greece, Russia and many others before you bash the UK policy. The left have nothing better to do than complain about UK services when situations in the rest of the word are more dire

The life is dreadful, I won't dispute that, but the support is sufficient. We have one of the best packages for the disabled and elderly in the world. You people need to look at America, India, China, France, Greece, Russia and many others before you bash the UK policy. The left have nothing better to do than complain about UK services when situations in the rest of the word are more dire

Thanks please do weigh in though, it often seems there are a good few lefties here but we aren't as zealous and we are scared to say what we think.

I'm disabled. My life is not 'dreadful'. I have friends, I have hobbies. My life is actually pretty good. But I am still disabled.

Some of the not good things in my life are the stigma of being on benefits and the way people think they can tell me what to do because I'm on benefits; the stigma due to my disability; people like you telling me my life is 'dreadful' purely because I'm disabled.

I did weigh in earlier on in the thread- I felt like I had said everything I needed to say- and I don't particularly want to keep bashing my head against the wall with some people. But I will always speak up... I sometimes get hammered for the things I say but I'm not afraid to put my thoughts out there.

Why should disabled people receive more money than your normal job-seeker does? What do they need to spend money on that isn't provided for them by the NHS already?

To be quite honest I think a lot of disabled people try to live too luxurious lives. If you are disabled then why should you expect more money spent on your than the bare minimum required. Why do disabled people need cars for example? I'd rather the government spend more money on those disability buses to haul these people around.

All we have done is create a society where you can gorge yourself until you become morbidly obese and then have taxpayers facilitate the avoidance of rehabilitating exercise by forking out money for mobility scooters and the like.

I shall tell you where a lot of this money is going...to the willing precariat! You may get two long-term unemployed individuals (say husband and wife) and one of them becomes ill through natural ageing or poor lifestyle, the wife for example, and applies for ESA. The husband (who never had an intention of getting a job anyway) then becomes the 'full-time carer' for the woman and receives £62.10 a week for sitting at home all day while his wife probably still continues to hoover and cook dinner as before.

Disabled people shouldn't be some holy untouchable group that must be kept in luxury while the rest of society tightens its belt. It might upset people to read this but disabled people are intrinsically of lower worth to the state and society. This is not debatable (but you can give it a go).

There is a true decadence among the so-called disabled that needs to be harshly stamped out and unfortunately some of the truly disabled will suffer, but we have all had to suffer over the last 8 years and everyone needs to take their fair share of the burden.

Taxpayers shouldn't help subsidise nonsensical expensive homoeopathic remedies like coco-butter that disabled people can live without, and frankly, only people with severe motile disability, say those lacking legs, should receive disability car-parking permits. "Oh I've got a bad back I can't walk 10 extra steps"...

It's laziness and complacency frankly, these people would be tramps on the street if it wasn't for the money they receive and they should be more grateful that they aren't forced to do peoples' ironing or something.

Your honest account which is more effective at splicing the narrative than any of my retorts is great.

It makes people realise that what they are 'arguing' over is actually a real thing, and highlights just how many people have big misconceptions.

You're an inspiration.

I am also not inspiration porn.

I personally think people who are brave enough to stand up for themselves in a space full of people berating them are inspiring. I'm sorry if that offends you but I wasn't using you as inspiration porn.

Its okay. I think your more inspired about those of us who are class conscious. If you have came to the point where you are able to see your own class and the benefits, privileges, disadvantages and handicaps of others you making a lot of progress to be a more benevolent human being.