Remember of course that our benefit levels are very low in comparison to most other EU countries.

Thatcher’s children

Thatcher’s children become Browns paupers in retirement.

hora I am not falling in to the trap of arguing with an idiot as they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience

There is a difference between my depth of experience and the shallow waters in what you chose to swim.

Trolling or serious?

Hence why its nice on the bike' forum…

@OP you don't know how they are getting that money-why you ask them instead of being a jealous man.

Everyone in my street has a brand new car, I run a banger-whooppee doo da who gives a single speed? 😆

Joke obviously. Forums are moshpits sometimes.

I can only dream of a new car!

Just to clarify, the 80% stated above was a STW sourced statistic 😀

Thought i best inform you all of that before someone has a stroke and ended up needing DLA!

by the way, we got a focus on dla/motability and it wasn't free. also, the fact that the person qualifying for it may not drive it is irrelevant. should taxis be banned cos the passengers don't drive them?

Jellybaby – Member
Dont even get me started on the mobility/DLA scheme! A family member is on this his first car was a Focus now its a Volvo – a new car every 2 years, free services, all you have to pay for is fuel and the person on it doesn't even drive it! I have to bite my lip every time i see him and he starts boasting about it – grrr!

Careful. Lots of people deserve and need help from the scheme, it certainly helped my dad when he was having to make 200 mile round trips to visit his terminally ill wife in hospital. Anything like this will be open to abuse and if you stopped the motability scheme (which has charity status anyway) the minority that abuse the scheme would just abuse something else. People are far too quick to condemn something because a friend of a friends neighbour is using it unfairly. Try looking at it through the eyes of the needy instead of through the eyes of a Daily Mail journalist.

Horas other half must be able to get him into respite care, surely?

Jellbaby +1 , I'm totally with you on this rant.

People opposite have a 59 plate family sized car , 2 kids , smoke like chimneys and for some reason seem to have access to a limitless supply of money. In the last 12 months they have had fitted laminate flooring throughout the house ,a brand new kitchen(on what I've seen in shops at least 6K worth), had the garden completely landscaped and new patio windows. On top of this they have a 50" plasma in the living room and 32" flatscreens in all the bedrooms.
Neither of them work or have any type of disability and nor do their children.

If the state lets them get away with this then I can't blame them really for exploiting the system , but it does wind me up that while some people have to work hard for what they have others appear to have their lives handed to them on a silver plate. Hopefully benefits is one area the new government will be taking an extra close look at. There was a debate on radio 2 a few months back one interviewee said he'd worked out that it would need a take home wage of £26K for it to be worth him going out to work! (2 adults,3 kids)

crikey – I believe its "care in the community" for him

by the way, we got a focus on dla/motability and it wasn't free. also, the fact that the person qualifying for it may not drive it is irrelevant. should taxis be banned cos the passengers don't drive them?

Why not just buy a 2k car? You don't have to justify yourself to me in anyway but I own and drive a 2k car which is reliable.

So many twitching curtains! Stop being so angst-ridden. It'll make you ill.

Dont even get me started on the mobility/DLA scheme! A family member is on this his first car was a Focus now its a Volvo – a new car every 2 years, free services, all you have to pay for is fuel and the person on it doesn't even drive it! I have to bite my lip every time i see him and he starts boasting about it – grrr!

You obviously know **** all about this scheme so don't jump to conclusions! I drive a motability car (which is hired in my wifes name as she cannot drive). She has had cerebral palsy since birth and is entitled to the full mobility benefit because of this. In order for us to get the car she basically pays for it by giving up the money she would get as that benefit. It works exactly like a contract hire car – it's just paid for directly instead of getting benefits.

If people didn't have the car they would get money instead. What level of mobility entitles you to what benefits is an entirely different kettle of worms….

And BTW its every 3 years.

carlosg

Have a look at exactly how much benefit you get in that situation then work out what your neighbours have spent.

they either have a private income / capital or are fiddling the benefits on a major scale.

hora – Member

by the way, we got a focus on dla/motability and it wasn't free. also, the fact that the person qualifying for it may not drive it is irrelevant. should taxis be banned cos the passengers don't drive them?

Why not just buy a 2k car? You don't have to justify yourself to me in anyway but I own and drive a 2k car which is reliable.

we're not martyrs – we're using a very good service designed to help us both, and it does.

carlos they would get about £100 a week as a couple

Sorry aboiut this, but I'm just going to have to swim upstream about this.

My oldest brother is on benefits and gets a motability vehicle.

The story goes like this.

Well educated, self employed bloke, works VERY hard and builds business up the point where he can’t cope alone. Brings in long time mate to work with him, then gets turned over by mate and loses most of his business as a result. So works even harder to try to recover. Due to working all the hours God sends wife leaves him. He makes sure she is OK, and carries on working harder than ever so he can pay for her, with work becoming the only thing keeping him going. Borrows money from bank, because business isn’t really profitable…..can you see where this is going yet?

Well eventually it arrives at a situation where he collapses with a serious nervous breakdown, debts up to his ears, house in a shambles, health fecked etc etc. My other brother and I then spent 18 months sorting his finances and what have you out. It then transpires that big Bruv’s health is totally shot and hes probably taken 20 years off his life span. Externally he looks fine, but he can’t walk more than 200 yards, and is apparently likely to collapse at fairly short notice and peg it.

So now, rather than put him into care, a package of measures have been put in place to support him at home and keep him as independent as possible for as long as possible. However, there is only ever going to be one outcome. That is that in essence he has worked himself to death.

A casual observer could easily make assumptions about his situation.

All I will say on the subject, is that I would most willing swop my brothers motability privileges for 20 years of Hora’s life. Somehow I can’t see Hora reciprocating.

<Cue: Usual MTFU, uninformed Daily Mail style vitriol>

I have not read anything past the tags. Whoever put 'hora is an idiot sometimes' got it very wrong. The sometimes isn't needed.

Have you stopped studying yet?

WOW Oh my gosh this has really gone too far – still this is STW! I feel the need to explain myself. Here goes…

Firstly, This post isn't a gripe at my neighbours! We get on well with them and they are a good couple its the Government im annoyed at. Im bright enough to figure out that they cannot be getting all these luxeries solely from benefits.

Secondly, I do think the DLA/Mobility is a fantastic scheme for getting immobile people mobile. I can see how this system is abused and think the cars on the scheme should be more resourceful of government spending. As for all schemes it must be difficult to work out who should really be on it.

All my knowledge is 'striaght from the horses mouth' in both circumstances. I have no reason to doubt anyone and I can't figure out why anyone would feel the need to lie about any of it?

Alexpalacefan

WTF? Is this a Bike forum or the Daily Mail?

If it helps i was next to my bike when i wrote this wondering how i can afford to go biking abroad next year.

Oh and i've never read the Daily Mail!

i think the Daily mail stuff was aimed at others like Hora.

there's some really idiotic views being expressed here.. people legitimately claiming benefits find it a terrible struggle and have to adjust to a low quality of life.. most that I know manage admirably and with a strong heart..

to abuse the mobility scheme would be effing hard as far as I'm aware as you have to be on the highest rate of disability allowance.. (that's not sickness or incapacity benefit by the way.. it's disability benefit.. for DISABLED people) this is a strictly controlled benefit for severely disabled people that will have to meet very stringent guidelines and undergo serious review procedures and medical examinations..

It's possible to get small loans of up to a grand or so for home improvements that are then paid back out of your benefits.. meaning shit food.. no holidays.. no luxuries and watching every penny every hour of every day..

If you guys are seeing people that are living the high life then they are without doubt criminals.. criminals that are abusing much effin more than just the poxy benefits system..

…. people legitimately claiming benefits find it a terrible struggle and have to adjust to a low quality of life.. most that I know manage admirably and with a strong heart..

My experience too, with the emphasis being on legitimate and I don't think any reasonable person would grudge the help that these people deservedly receive. However…………

…….there is also sizeable number, who I come into contact with on a regular basis, who seem to be able to milk the system for every penny and have a very comfortable lifestyle to the point where they expect and demand that their every need is taken care of. I could give numerous examples of this but can't due to patient confidentiality issues. If what TJ says re "private income / capital or are fiddling the benefits on a major scale" is true, then there should be an awful lot of people in jail as I'm bloody sure there is no private income or capital about with many of the people I come into contact with.

Small tip – **** what your neighbours are doing and get on with your own life.

A regular new car is hardly massive compensation for being disabled anyway.

I actually worry more about the angry "middle classes" (Daily Mail/Express readers) than I do about chavs, immigrants, benefit claimants because they have a voice that's too powerful for their demented rantings.

If anything it's these people who are the scourge of our society with their damning judgementalism rather than the people they rant about.

Make your own way in life, roll with the punches any government throws at us and just get on with it.

Couple spending all the time at home … Check
Expensive cars …Check and double check.
New bits in the house, expensive lifestyle (throwing partie … Check
Expensive bike and lots of tiem to ride … Check

Well WCA you've been busted you too must be on benefit then 😉

well, when I introduced myself earlier today, I was advised I'd be fine if I stuck to the bike forum and stayed clear of the chat forum and I can now kinda see why. Opinionated bunch aren't we!!!!

my only contribution to this is as follows

Opinions are like butts, everyone has one, not everyone should share theirs with the public

niallmb – Member

Opinions are like butts, everyone has one, not everyone should share theirs with the public

Have you seen my butt? Like my opinions it deserves an airing. Elegant erudite and gets right in your face

Live and let live, and quit f**king whining!!

I have first hand knowledge of the Motability/DLA,MC scheme as my wife has secondary progressive MS, up till 3 years ago she had a car on the scheme.
Now she is university educated and pretty switched on but the forms are a real minefield and unless you are really good or have a doctor willing to swing the system for you getting the higher rate award of the Disability Living Allowance Mobility Component I very much doubt you can cheat the scheme.
Now she cant drive she no longer has the car as it was a real waste only using it for stuff she needed, she now has the money instead and helps me run my car or gets taxis.

I do know of people who drive a relatives Motability car all the time irrespective of use but that is outside the bounds of the scheme & should they be caught the recipient of the benefits could loose them.