Comments on The purple scorpion: How they steal from us

To the doctor ...Do I say every claimant is a scro...

2008-02-25T05:54:00.000Z

To the doctor ...

Do I say every claimant is a scrounger? No.

Hi jo ...

I completely accept what you say. I'd expect most government administration to be inadequate, and the systems are so complicated that I can well see how cock-ups would be almost impossible to unravel. That's why I'm more interested in fraud rather than mess-ups.

In all fairness to those convicted of minor benefi...

2008-02-24T04:37:00.000Z

In all fairness to those convicted of minor benefit "fraud", it is very easily done and isn't always deliberate.

Three years ago, my husband and I were forced to apply for benefits when he became poorly. The whole process was a nightmare.
Despite immediately registering for Income Support and Housing Benefit , a catalogue of cock-ups by the benefits agencies meant we waited 5 weeks for the former and didn't receive the latter for 3 months! By the time the HB cheques did start to arrive, husband was back at work and it became nigh on impossible to link the individual payments made with specific dates of unemployment. It was all just so damn complicated.

We too were informed (about a year later) that we had been overpaid and - despite hours and hours on the phone to about every 12 year old employed by the benefits agencies concerned (and it's always a different one) we eventually had no choice but to pay up, though I am still convinced to this day that they got it wrong. What made it all worse was that we were made to feel like criminals for even daring to question these arrogant little Hitlers. It's impossible to communicate with them! For the most part they are as thick as two short planks and just don't care! The whole system seems to be run by bossy juveniles who haven't a clue what they're doing and is in total meltdown. Absolute total nightmare!

Enough of this crap PS , I am a double doctorate a...

2008-02-23T19:13:00.000Z

Enough of this crap PS , I am a double doctorate and was on Incapacity Benefit following a serious accident . I tried to get work , unsuccessfully , and went to the job centre only to be told , twice , to " go home and put your feet up " . I ended up doing voluntary work for some 35/40 hours a week , mostly in the health field ,for the exorbitant sum of £127 a week ( my I.B. ).
So depart in a reciprocatory manner dear PS , we are not all scroungers .