A culture of entitlement…

(Image Source: bromford.co.uk)

The British Welfare System, is arguably the talking point on the lips of many a heated conversation as we move further into the new year. My reason for choosing to discuss this lays with an article of which I read on BBC News, just this morning (which for the life of me I can no longer find). The article proposed the idea that post-Christmas financial blues were coercing working families into quitting their jobs to ‘sign on’ to their welfare entitlement, as for many low-earning families, this would leave them financially better off.

I find this entirely abhorrent on a number of levels.

To begin with, take this disclaimer: I am not against the benefit system, and believe that in the developed world in which we profess to live, financial aid should be given to those in GENUINE NEED, and provide those individuals with the resources to get them back to work if at all possible.

As a man who pays tax, I digress, I find myself recoiling in horror when I read that working people are quitting their jobs, as doing so will result in better financial stability, and even more so when I read headlines such as:

“Working is not worth it!” Benefits mum rakes in £70,000 in welfare. ~Mirror.co.uk

The woman in this particular article, turned to the Welfare System when she divorced her husband, before which it is alleged that she was an accountant earning in the region of £120k p/a. and claims that she would much rather work, but it’s not worth it, and could not maintain her lifestyle. The mere fact that this is possible is entirely unacceptable.

In British society however, ‘Benefit Families’ are only becoming more common. In December of 2013, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation released a report which suggested that as many of 17% of households in the UK have 1 generation of unemployment, and a growing 1% (15,000 households) have 2 generations of no employment whatsoever.

This problem is relentlessly showcased to the 82% of working households on persistent ‘reality TV’ shows such as ‘Benefit Street’ (Channel 4), which feature a culture where unemployment is normal, and the sole claiming of welfare benefits is a prerequisite to living in particular areas or on identified streets (James Turner Street, Birmingham – See image).

Apart from a complete misunderstanding of how human beings are happy to endure such a useless existence, giving nothing (or very little) back to society, while watching one particular episode, one comment left me feeling particularly riled:

The Council have cut MY money…

The complaining individual was totally unashamed to refer to the financial aid, paid to her by the Government of the United Kingdom, funded by the UK taxpayer, as ‘my money’.

This left me deep in thought for a while, and forced me to consider the type of society which we are becoming: We are so used to being privileged, that we believe that we are entitled to it. British society has begun to take welfare payments as a basic, normal, RIGHT of being a UK citizen.

Well I conclude simply by stating that this is not the case, people need to stop claiming because they CAN, and only claim if they NEED. Welfare payouts are not an entitlement or a right, they are a last resort for people with no alternative.

PROPOSED RESOLUTION:

I believe without exception, that the identification of an issue with no additional proposal resolution is ultimately unhelpful and irrelevant. Therefore I offer this as mine:

Anyone who claims benefits as the sole household income, should be mandatorily obliged to undertake remedial jobs designated by the council*, such as helping people within the community, taking the elderly shopping, or even standing in train stations and assisting vulnerable passengers with heavy luggage.

Failure (in terms of recorded attendance) to do so would result in the removal of benefits and potential sanctions. Voluntary work in charity shops and assisting other voluntary organizations should qualify also.

*The only exception to this rule should be disabling illness, and as such, the individual should have to undertake quarterly medical examinations to ensure they truly are unsuitable for work.

The aim of this system, is to not only cut down on the number of benefit defectors, and keep people in employment, but to give people a repertoire of experience in public relations to list on their resume, and ensures that those who chose to claim are giving something back.

I’m aware that my ‘proposed solution’ is unrefined, but I genuinely believe it could be the foundation for a more efficient system, and promote a more proactive, less torpid society.

T