Benefit Britain

[KeithD]

Fixed ..... and deducted from Fred as punishment

Rosie, you need a bit more time on the forum to be promoted

[keithAngel]

cant see the rep star whered that go then?

[KeithD]

Under your sig.... if it's not there change styles.

[JimOttley]

Thanks Rosie and thanks Fred hope the boss didn't really take one off you

My long post was inspired by memories of my very good friend Smithy, I still miss him, he might have been a worthless work shy layabout to some but he was a very very good friend and a great man to have a debate with. As he used to joke, he had a brain the size of a Planet, he got that from the luxury of being able to spend vast amounts of time reading and from having a good education in the classics as well as a strong grounding in Engineering.

The number of times we were both skint (or at least I had a couple of quid and he was broke) and we would go into the pub and he would empty the quiz machine on my one quid opening stake is uncounted, I only ever helped out on the hard science questions he did most of the rest, we could drink all night on his winnings

I was sitting in Manila in 2007 when I received a text from a mutual old friend that I had not heard from in years, the moment I received the text from Linda I knew Smithy was dead, even though the text was just asking me to call. That was a very difficult night in Manila.

I still think of my friend often and I still have a recording of his 15 minutes of fame when he got onto "Fifteen to One" and got through to the last three on his episode of the show

He had a hard life on benefits but ultimately it was his choice, I think he got scared of the thought of real work after he had been unemployed for a few years and he also got used to the lifestyle, it is quite possible to get used to being very poor so long as you get the odd bit of relief from it now and then.

He was one of the luckier ones on benefit, there are many who have a much harder time and as I mentioned the real purchasing power of benefits is significantly lower now than it once was.

[joebloggs]

i dont think you get use to the life style you get in a rut and its difficult to get out of it , who's going to take the risk of employing anyone who's long term unemployed? when your probably lacking the social skills, demoralized, depressed and undesirable from potential employers' point of view
i've been there to, wasted a year in the dark days of thatchers record unemployed but i got a break and I've never been out of work for longer than a week .

[JimOttley]

Smithy was not really depressed, part of the problem was that he would sit in an interview and look so far down his nose at the interviewer that nobody would hire him, he could show unmitigated contempt for those of lesser brain he really was an arrogant lad, although albeit in a nice way

But I agree most people are not like him and for most it's more like getting in a rut, if you can occupy your mind while unemployed you won't suffer from that rut but I agree you still need something to get you out of the pattern.

I got through Thatchers years fully employed but it was a miserable time in most ways, the 90's were much more fun

Sadly I think we are in for another hard decade and that we just have to tough it out.

[gWaPito]

Jim Ottley, that was one of the best posts I have read on this forum. .

[Rosie1958]

I agree Rosie..Very interesting and easy to understand due to the beer inflation calculations..
I wish we could do all math equations like that... I`d be a mathmatical genius in about 1 week flat.
I will give him rep on your behalf.

Thank you so much Fred, that's very much appreciated!

.......... Rosie, you need a bit more time on the forum to be promoted

I've never had to do time before ......... guess I will have to be patient

[JimOttley]

Jim Ottley, that was one of the best posts I have read on this forum. .

Thanks gWaPito - just my memories of things gone by, it's just a shame that yet another generation are going to experience this level of hardship once more.

[Rosie1958]

Thank you so much to the very kind person who gave me some rep in this thread!