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pendy · 27-01-2006, 13:56

I have mixed feelings on this. Those who are genuinely incapacitated, for whatever cause, should be allowed to receive benefits. The problem is that there are so many people claiming who are swinging the lead. We had a one day tube strike in London a while back because London Transport had sacked a tube driver (a job you do sitting down) who had been off sick for nearly 18 months, who claimed that he was unfit to work because of, as I remember, a bad back. LT were suspicious, so had him followed - to his Squash Club, where he proceeded to play a hard-fought game. What do you do about people like that? When I was working at the Royal Free, we had a man who complained that he had fallen off a ladder TWO YEARS BEFORE and was thus rendered incapable of work ever again - except that our suspicious Registrar noticed he was wearing paint-spattered Armani glasses, and reported him. Of course, he was claiming benefit and working as well, for cash.

I do agree that anyone claiming Income Support or whatever it is now should be made to do something useful, perhaps helping in a hospital or whatever. They might well decide that working for a living was not a bad alternative.

27-01-2006, 13:56	#20
pendy Resting in peace Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: London/Oswaldtwistle Posts: 1,123 Liked: 0 times Rep Power: 910	Re: Benefit reforms. I have mixed feelings on this. Those who are genuinely incapacitated, for whatever cause, should be allowed to receive benefits. The problem is that there are so many people claiming who are swinging the lead. We had a one day tube strike in London a while back because London Transport had sacked a tube driver (a job you do sitting down) who had been off sick for nearly 18 months, who claimed that he was unfit to work because of, as I remember, a bad back. LT were suspicious, so had him followed - to his Squash Club, where he proceeded to play a hard-fought game. What do you do about people like that? When I was working at the Royal Free, we had a man who complained that he had fallen off a ladder TWO YEARS BEFORE and was thus rendered incapable of work ever again - except that our suspicious Registrar noticed he was wearing paint-spattered Armani glasses, and reported him. Of course, he was claiming benefit and working as well, for cash. I do agree that anyone claiming Income Support or whatever it is now should be made to do something useful, perhaps helping in a hospital or whatever. They might well decide that working for a living was not a bad alternative.