First they came for...

With the benefit cap story yesterday comes the inevitable scrounger stories and the stories (like this) from the daily mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2364718/No-benefit-child-youre-dole-Tories-unveil-controversial-welfare-plan.html

These stories completely misunderstand the point of benefits. They are not a lifestyle choice but a back up plan. They are not a cushion but a safety net. They are NOT permanent but a temporary solution.

If you consider all the stuff they have been peddling in the last few days some of their suggestions are downright ridiculous.

Teenage mums not being allowed housing benefit, or access to a flat? There no consideration of individual circumstances where this might be the only and safest option for young mums. Or even that they might be responsible enough to consider parenthood. It reduces the young single Mum to a feckless scrounger who wants to live off the state for her entire life. It is at best responding to a dangerous stereotype.

Under 25s not being allowed housing benefit? I have seen this suggestion before. Unfortunately, this would even affect graduates who find work, but a few years later it dries up and then they would become homeless. It will affect anyone, even those people who have worked from the age of 16 and then lose their jobs. It is not a well targetted idee at all. Again, all young people are obviously on benefits to get a cushy life from the state. I think someones been watching too much shameless.

The last one, and the one in the article is the 'best' though. If you have a large family then they think you shouldn't be entitled to more than 2 childrens worth of child benefit. Again, looking at the comments, it seems that people have been sucked in to the idea that all these changes are only affecting those people who haven't worked and have no intention of doing so. These people who have large families and fit into these small criteria are very few and far between, but often highlighted by the daily mail and other media outlets making them seem commonplace. Unfortunately who this will actually affect more is those people who have been working and through no fault of their own find themselves out of work. They didn't chose to have these children whilst on benefits, they didn't choose to lose their jobs. They can't simply get rid of their children when they find themselves out of work.

remember, first they came for, but I didn't speak because it didnt affect me.. or so I thought.