General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Owd Codger,

Although I don't disagree with you that there are more people on benefits, I disagree with the statement putting everybody in same category - that's wrong. You have to breakdown the different people on benefits as to why ? This includes working age, disabled, retired etc. There are for example people that actually work and still get benefits because their salary is low - and the benefits top up to minimum salary. You have also disabled people who cannot work. Unless you are talking just about working people who are on benefits ... Yet another example is a friend of mine 55 years of age who was working as a chef at all hours - nights, weekends etc. - he hated his job - the only reason he did it was that he had bills to pay - then during COVID - it gave him a chance to relook at his life, when he was on furlough and had some time to reevaluate his life - and he decided after COVID was that he wouldn't work everyday - and switched to stocking shelves. He worked part time and took some of his pension early. From time to time he works still as a Chef but only when he needs to. I am sure he is not the only one. So when you see the headlines - more people are on benefits - then you have to take this into account and look into the details. Its a good headline... Statistically, England has less unemployment benefits than the top OECD countries - France, Germany, Italy have more that the UK. This is a line that the tory party has used every single general election time....