Force low-life to work for a living

By Carole Malone, 07/12/2008

I USED to live next to a council estate in the North East, much like the one in Dewsbury Moor.

It was full of people like Karen Matthews. People who'd never had jobs, never wanted one, people who expected the state to fund every illegitimate child they had-not to mention their drink, drug and smoking habits.

They were the ones who'd go robbing and mugging because THAT was work to them. They believed they were entitled to other people's money because THEY didn't have any (although they always had enough to buy a big telly and the latest stereo equipment).

And no, they didn't use that money to make a better life for themselves or their kids. They spent it on fags, booze and getting high.

No matter that their houses looked like pigsties-dog c**p on the floor (trust me, I've seen it), putrid carpets, piles of clothes and unwashed dishes everywhere.

They had better things to do than take personal responsibility for their lives or clean the houses they'd been given for free. They had to get drunk, watch TV, abuse their kids.

However, there were also decent people on that estate, people who, for whatever reason, had ended up there and for whom there was no way out.

Monstrous

And these are the kind of people who rallied round to help the monstrous Karen Matthews look for her "lost" little girl.

They're the kind who tramped the streets day and night and who used what little money they had to help fund the search for Shannon.

They're the ones who furiously berated me when, months ago in this column, I suggested Karen Matthews, who's had seven kids by five different men, might have done more to look after her little girl. I was told in no uncertain terms that Karen was "one of theirs". And if I criticised her, I was criticising them.

Well, now we know Karen Matthews, Craig Meehan and his uncle Michael Donovan were never those sort of people. Because all three belonged to that sub (human) class that now exists in the murkiest, darkest corners of this country.

A whole legion of people who contribute nothing to society yet believe it owes them a living - good-for-nothing scroungers who have no morals, no compassion, no sense of responsibility and who are incapable of feeling love or guilt.

That is Karen Matthews's scummy world. That was poor Baby P's world.

This woman didn't just betray her daughter and the whole ethos of motherhood, she betrayed her class.

She betrayed the decent working class people of Dewsbury Moor who felt her (pretend) pain and worked tirelessly to help find her child.

These people put their own lives on hold to search for Shannon because they believed she was in the hands of a maniac. And she was. What they didn't know was that it was her own mother who'd put her there.

Karen Matthews sobbed on TV, she posed for sickening pictures with Shannon's teddies, and she pleaded for her safe return.

She was prepared to perpetrate this grotesque sham and to put the little girl she regularly drugged to keep quiet through hell just to get her hands on the reward money.

And yes, yet again social workers let Shannon Matthews down. She was taken off the At Risk register because despite the fact she was being starved and beaten by her delinquent mother, social workers deemed she was not in danger. And yes, they should be punished for that.

Starved

But what's more terrifying is how many more Karen Matthews are out there? How many more aimless, feckless, pregnant young girls are morphing into her as we speak - espousing her despicable values, adopting her (laughable) mothering skills?

How many more stupid, ignorant, morally devoid men and women are having children for no other reason than to collect the benefits they afford?

As a society, we blanch at suggestions of enforced sterilisation, we shrink from anything that's deemed to be an assault on human dignity. But what are these sub-humans doing to the next generation of children?

What kind of future does any child have with a mother who's prepared to keep that child drugged, tethered, starved, possibly even let her die, just so she can buy a few more smokes and drink a few more cans of lager?

The system isn't working. In particular the benefits system isn't working-not if Karen Matthews is anything to go by and not if giving people so much money means they never have to work, never have to take responsibility and don't have to live by the rules the rest of us do.

Your comments

This article has 52 comments

Hi Carole

I think you a bit hard on Meredydd Hughes, as tax paters we should pay him what he is worth, but how he would get by on a pound a week I dont know ?

By Bertie Johnson.. Posted January 10 2010 at 9:07 AM.

I say change the system in relation to benefits before it collapses completely. There are three generations now living on hand outs. Each one thinks a P45 is a gun, and a credit crunch is a new chocolate bar!!

By Jerbear.. Posted June 7 2009 at 10:12 AM.

Carole,has the thought ever occurred to you that the reason that these girls have so many babies is because they have zero self esteem and a lousy education and do not feel they are capable of ,or deserving of anything better.

By Rita Cocking.. Posted March 22 2009 at 5:53 PM.

You Ms Malone are the monster. And a deluded "middle class" snob to boot. How dare you paint a whole community with the same remedial brush. Get your head out of you over-inflated bottom and seek the truth. Not every one on the breadline is cut from the same cloth as Karen Matthews. Get some perspective.

By mae.. Posted March 16 2009 at 1:38 AM.

I applaude Carol`s take on the benefit scroungers across our country.One thing that that makes me rather apprehensive though.While the net is cast to catch and stop the abusers,most people who depend on help,for a variety of misfortunate reasons,feel vulnerable, and in some cases guilty.
The DWP must make sure the deserving needy do not pay the penalty for the GREEDY.

By Ian Summersi.. Posted December 14 2008 at 1:05 PM.

It´s a shame that the UK is breeding a new class of people who don´t want to work for a living and expect all these handouts. It enrages me to think my hard earned taxes are being used on these wasters. The government needs to think long and hard about how they will tackle this. The main problem being that people now expect these handouts, so if you´ve never worked, don´t worry free house, have a couple of kids and upgrade, whilst hardworking citizens who don´t know how to work the system are given next to nothing after paying all their taxes. These people should be ashamed of themselves but they´re not as it´s now widely acceptable.

I applaud you for your article, it´s about time people started to take a stand against this class of scumbags. If the people in power actually lived in these normal societies and not in Chelsea, Westminster etc, maybe we´d see decent laws for the decent majority. Unfortunately, I believe that this will continue to manifest itself.....Great Britain...not anymore

By Mark Q.. Posted December 13 2008 at 8:08 PM.

I am a single mum of two children 16 and 6 year old. I was with my childrens dad for a long time before i got pregnant also worked before i had children, my partner left me when my youngest was 1, he has no contact with his children i tried hard for him to see his children but no interest why is it that single mums get such a hard time i am a great loving and caring mum who is trying my best to bring up my girls the best way possible it seems that these so called fathers can walk away from there children and get away with it but if all single mothers was to do the same then you would hear about it. I dont smoke drink or live in a dirty council house my girls are well behaved and are doing very well at school i am currently on benifit I am trying to better myself and my children by starting up my own online business i spend a lot of my time researching on the net trying to get as much information for my business to work so i can come off benifits for good. I am really trying as i want the best for my girls. Why is all the stick and pressure on single mums what about these so called fathers who walk from there responsibilities why hasnt the goverment not concentrated on the childsupport agency to crack down on these fathers who dont support there children its always bad press on the mothers the goverment need to focus on child support the same way they do in the states it works for them, there shouldn't be no reason why it doesn't work in uk.

By mandy.. Posted December 10 2008 at 8:00 PM.

The comment of the people here are indicative of the much larger problem. If, as some claim, these people are in the minority, THEN PRESS YOUR LAME GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE OFFENDERS!!!!! And don't vote for politicians who tell you they will take care of everyone's interests, it is impossible to do. Now, even America is going to find this out the hard way!~~~

By Brian.. Posted December 10 2008 at 4:23 PM.

Snobs who sneer down their noses at people they feel are below them are just as vulgar as benefit scroungers (as you put it) I am a single parent and have been since my boys were 2 yrs old, they are now 16 and 15 yrs old. I work thank you and my eldest son is studying A level Maths, Physics, History and Bilogy at Comprehensive school. I don't get a penny from CSA from my useless ex husband and he has not been a father to our children, he's gone on to have several kids with several different woman, and that to me is far worse than a single parent struggling alone on benefits. You forget that 99% of the time there is a selfish useless man behind many of these situations. I have worked for many years but I claimed benfits when my children were very young and I live in a council house, am I going to apologise for that? I don't think so... I was brought up not to be judgemental and to keep my nose out of other peoples business, maybe people should take note of that and worry about what they're doing instead of slandering people they don't even know... Karen Mathews is evil and not a representative of single parents who quote live in council houses, what an insult I am appalled...

By Leanne.. Posted December 10 2008 at 10:10 AM.

I am unable to work due to ill health, attributed to having served 16 years in Her majesty's Forces, I did not chose to be this way, and it makes me very angry to think that many people conclude that the majority benefit recipients are lazy, chain smoking, larger louts.
It is obvious that the system is at fault and until such time that a radical shake up takes place many more "Karen Matthews' " will continue to rape the funds so urgently needed elsewhere, on the other side of the coin many people are not receiving they're full benefit entitlements simply because they are not informed of them?

By chris duggan.. Posted December 8 2008 at 8:07 AM.

It narks me to hear the age old whine about those living on Incapacity benefit. To get this benefit, you have to jump through hoops and when you have it, you don't get any other support to help you back into work. My wife is crippled with arthritis and hates not being able to go out and work as she has all her working life but although she is desperate to work again, she has had to pay her own college fees as she learns the skills she needs to set up a business of her own. Bearing in mind that course fees cost many hundreds of pounds and her actual income on benefits, as a result of my working, are small.

The young able-bodied, who've never worked, get absolutely everything given to them and spurn it all because they have no intention of doing anything other than drink, smoke, get high and produce more brats with which the naive state is sure to dole out even more money.

Stop bashing the disabled and start bashing the dole stealing, underclass vermin who are eating away at our society like a cancer.

By Mark.. Posted December 8 2008 at 1:15 AM.

benefits is a way of life for generations now, there are people who claim it and go to live abroad. Disablilty Living allowance is not means tested and workers in govt jobs are so incompetent that it is easier to carry on granting state benefits. when i have tried to report on benefit fraud, nothing happens at all. we have a couple who both get DLA and go for long walks everyday,,,, as they claim they are severely depressed and laugh about it as their GP is a friend of theirs.its us who have to get out of bed at 6 in the morning and work till late night that have no time for depression!!!! the benefit culture is not fair on the working class

By mary.. Posted December 7 2008 at 10:54 PM.

i work within social care as a support worker and DLA for many people is for life most of the time. i have clients who are awarded over £300 per week, incapacity, Disability living allowance and income support, plus they have council tax benefit and housing benefit entitlement in full. i work from 8.30-500, run a car for work, and earn £225 per week net, i also pay rent and full council tax, etc..... does it pay to work?NO is the answer.
when my clients say they are better and want to return back to work and realise how much worse off financially they will be they decide its simply not worth even trying!!!!

By mary.. Posted December 7 2008 at 10:05 PM.

OK. The article is spot on.
It beggers belief how people such as Karen Matthews get away sponging off decent hard working people.
Notice I do not say sponging off the Government, for we all know these politicians are not decent - I don't care what you think or say and in my ascertain this ruth. For the benefits system has to be based on truth and just and in my experience it just isn't so, and such people who can claim and get almost everything and not produce anything worthwhile to society, it just sickens me. Just like the politician does.

By Robert.. Posted December 7 2008 at 8:42 PM.

The benefit system cannot and should not be expected to cope with the abuse it gets. It is absolutely the case that there are people who will say they cant afford to feed their kids but will have a 42" TV with Sky, holidays, cars, X-Box etc - the system was not intended for this. It is wrong that girls go out, get themselves knocked up and expect and get a flat out of it. Get yourself knocked up again and you get a house - result! I know someone who desperately wanted to get pregnant to get a flat and was told by her mother that she would never get on benefits if she stayed at home!!! she had a flat which was re-decorated for her and had new white goods - it is a disgrace. If you want kids, fine but it is your choice - you pay for them - why should I pay? Same as people who want to give up work - that is fine by me - I would love to stay at home to bring up my children - but you should have to fund it yourself - why should someone else pay. It is time the benefit system was completely overhauled - everyone knows it is being abused and it is time it was stopped

By Jane.. Posted December 7 2008 at 8:04 PM.

Just think the people recently made redundant are about to recieve £60.50 a week job seekers allowance! If they are renting the rent will be paid, if buying tough the help will be some time coming.So the newcomers to this life will see for themselves how wonderful it is! In the war the people keenest on the fighting were generally the furthest from it and never experienced any themselves! Likewise people dissing those on benefits have obviously never been on it.

By J Green.. Posted December 7 2008 at 8:01 PM.

Carole's collumn is 100% correct. I live in what used to be a very nice part of Castlemilk. Now, due to the Labour Party housing policy, every flat which becomes available is used to house the can work wont work. Drunks, junkies and small time dealers that the police just ignore. Young single mums who are given everything under the sun in benefits. [ How else can they afford their booze and fags ? ]... Carole didn't include single mums left on their own by scumbag 'fathers' who have disappeared... As long as our government agencies keep this shower on our hard earned wages/tax the worse it will get. You can guarantee there will be more atrocities like the ones we've all read about these past few months. Drunken rowdy 'mums' looking after kids??? Don't make me laugh! Or, should that be...cry!

By JAMES.. Posted December 7 2008 at 7:16 PM.

I agree with most comments,yes benefits are paid out so easily to pople who have no intention of ever working.But if these laws were changed it would be the same as always,the worse offenders would somehow carry on getting away with it,and the only people who the government would clamp down on would be those who are the 'soft option'.. I was a single mother ,raising two kids on my own after my husband walked out on us.I worked,but received family credit to top up my wages because they were low.I only claimed this for 4 years,then I got remarried & my kids left school so I didn't claim anything after that.But during my toughest time when I was on my own I couldn't have survived without that help,and I didn't spend the money on cigarettes or drugs (I don't do either ) ..but every penny went on my children,who both had part time jobs and grew up appreciating everything they were given,both did well at school and I am proud of them,and gratefull for that help I was lucky enough to receive.It would be a shame if familys who need and appreciate the help given to them are penalised and made scapegoats for those who have 'played the system for years' ,and will probably be allowed to continue doing so....

By Kaz.. Posted December 7 2008 at 7:10 PM.

Carole's collumn is 100% correct. I live in what used to be a very nice part of Castlemilk. Now, due to the Labour Party housing policy,every flat which becomes available, is used to house the can work wont work. Young single mums who are given everything under the sun in benefits. [ How else can they afford their booze and fags ? ] Drunks,junkies and small time dealers the police just ignore. Carole didn't in

By JAMES.. Posted December 7 2008 at 6:43 PM.

i agree with many of the comments, what is needed is nothing short of a revolution in the relationship between the individual and the state. What has happened with the Shannon case is the results of many decades of so called 'social engineering'. based around the notion of the welfare state, quite simply the experiment has failed!
Broadly benefits of all kinds need to be 'time' based ie they stop after so many months and claimants must then do useful work for the community (small jobs for oaps, gardening etc cleaning up the sink estates, plus many other needed things.)
Child benefit must stop after the third child, if folks want more kids they must pay for them themselves

we must break the idea that the state will pay for you to be idle from the cradle to the grave.
There is much to be said but not doing so will lead to massive social disruption and doubtless even more government interferance in peoples lives. possibly to the creation of a police state.
we must take responsibility for our own lives

By Ian.. Posted December 7 2008 at 6:10 PM.

By Ian.. Posted December 7 2008 at 6:09 PM.

i used to work as a debt collector..and the amount of people out there claiming "poverty" whilst sitting in front of their widescreen tv's, watching sky, is laughable. honestly. i have people telling me they cannot afford to eat....then i have a look around the room and see they have the internet, sky, all the latest dvds and mountains of empty fag packets. its a joke. i dont care if i am stereotyping as the majority of benefits claimants are EXACTLY like this.

me and my mrs have 1 child...and dont get tax credits because we earn too much.but our outgoings (including mortgage and full time nursery) are £2000 per month! we cant afford to have another child, and if i want more money then i just work overtime. middle-class families like mine are the ones missing out. i thought tax credits were designed for people like me and my mrs...who, because we both work full time, get a bit of extra help?

we have 1 holiday per year...1 car between us and are not frivilous with our money. i have 1 customer, a single mother with 2 kids, who has 3 x-box's in her house!! 3!!! thats one for each kid and one for the mother. then she claims she cant afford to eat!

the problem with the benefits system in this country is that is throws money at people who have no idea how to spend it properly.

By adam.. Posted December 7 2008 at 4:36 PM.

I agree with what you have written in your column about Karen Matthews she deserves all she gets.
What you have got to remember is that Labour have been in power for 11 years as long as the Tories have been in power and look at the mess the Labour party as left us in.
They cannot rule they have left every position in government on its knees and they have brought this country to bankruptcy.
If you want this country back on its feet you are going to have to put in a NEW government, Have you heard the expression "new broom sweeps clean".
New and radical changes have to be implemented so that the likes of baby P and Shannon Matthews will not happen again, I applude Mr Balls minister for children for coming out and saying the social services are at fault and that a wide ranging update of this service is to be implemented but this is a horse bolting after the gate as been shut and this should have been picked up sooner rather the later.
EVERYONE who was involved in this system is to blame, everyone from the evil mother to Mr Balls the minister for children we are a 3rd rate system comparable to India or Brazil where they execute children on the street.
If we dont want to be tied with this tag then we need to change and change fast.

By David.. Posted December 7 2008 at 3:40 PM.

I think just watching the Jeremy Kyle show in a morning (I do occasionally on days off work) shows us that it is an epidemic. We see all these breeding machines that have kids but dont have the sufficient funding to pay for them.
"I will get a job when the kid is born" yeah right course you will! Lets be fair would your company employ someone with the intelligence of Karen Matthews? Thought not.

By Ed.. Posted December 7 2008 at 3:36 PM.

maybe we need a system similar to China. to have a child you must first be vetted and gain a child license. you should be judged on your financial situation, your personality, your family life and stability. say what you want about China, but they have it sorted when it comes to children. stop the slime breeding like rabbits, seperate the wheat from the chaff. maybe then we can avoid the benefit thiefs and lazy slobs of our societies. Our government spends £16 million on benefits a year, and were in a recession? heres an idea, how about we stop giving our money to scum who can work but dont wish too, so we can be pulled out of this credit crunch quagmire?

By andy m.. Posted December 7 2008 at 3:08 PM.

I am sorry Carole but you are wrong and I am afraid you are about to receive the facts on this one, has the remark you've made is a typical remark made by someone like your self that has very little or no knowledge of council estates firstly I think you need to get your facts right, has it is a minority of problem families that live on these estates that are place there by government agencies such has the social services which assists different types of problem family's and it is government policy to force councils to take them secondly the reference to the Mathews family situation could have happen on any estate be it a plush privet estate or council estate anywhere in the country and social background as very little to do with it, has this type of crime has more to do with the social psychotic element in our society which is not defined by class barriers and would take another four pages of writing to explain to you the route cause of social psychotic behavior and why it is not defined by class barriers,
However I feel you may not wish to show this response to your wildly inaccurate remarks regarding council estates has it may not be the response you where looking for

By john.. Posted December 7 2008 at 2:10 PM.

people dont choose to get left on their own with the kids...
my ex is out making more and because he says hes unemployed he has to pay me just £2.50 a week for 2 kids...im sure if he was chased up by the dss they would soon see that he has other money coming in....he has been on 3 holidays this year so how the hell can he do that if he is on unemployment?...hmmmm...ive been miss marple finding this out doing a damn better job than them!
As usual the fathers who walkout get away without paying for their kids!!
Oh and by the way carole...i dont drink OR smoke and my kids are all A grade and never been in trouble!!...
People who do have money can still be scum too-dont forget that!

By jane.. Posted December 7 2008 at 12:58 PM.

Allow Iain Duncan Smith to chair an inquiry, carefully consider its findings and implement them. Furthermore, I believe that:

a. access to training for those out of work should be predicated on participation in a community employment scheme (as seen in Ireland), on a points system
b. local community funding should not be increased until such time as the people affected become actively involved in the decision making process
c. parenting and social skills sessions should be offered as a condition for receipt of child benefit and housing benefit respectively
d. benefits and social care agencies should be re-organized on a community basis, with regular inspections of the people involved in their homes by those who are truly familiar with the area
e. benefits to be paid, in large measure, in vouchers- redeemable at supermarkets, corner shops etc
f. a review of all the relevant inspectorates, with a view to focusing their efforts on how actual problems are addressed in flesh & blood/bricks & mortar terms, and not by the quality of the tick boxes spewed out to no useful end

By kt o'connor.. Posted December 7 2008 at 12:55 PM.

I think if a woman has a child without the father around the dss shouldnt pay for the child it should be the parents responsiblity to pay for the upkeep and if the parents arent working they shouldnt be allowed to have kids. The system is a joke !

By Kazz.. Posted December 7 2008 at 11:37 AM.

A whole legion of people who contribute nothing to society yet believe it owes them a living — good-for-nothing scroungers who have no morals, no compassion, no sense of responsibility and who are incapable of feeling love or guilt.

Yeah, and they live in Buckingham Palace.

By gen bac.. Posted December 7 2008 at 12:26 PM.

Carole yet again you hit the nail on the head,NU LIARBOUR have created a monster for this great nation and they have no idea how to kill it, realists like MR FRANK FIELD are ignored. LIABOUR thoughts are throw money at the problem along with with worthless BOX TICKERS,they are the most wasteful smug bunch of incompetents to MISGOVERN this GREAT NATION. they have encouraged feckless teenagers breeding to get council housing hard working people are penalised by higher taxes,OH some get tax bungled credits let workers keep more

By Bill.. Posted December 7 2008 at 12:25 PM.

I am a single mother with 1 small child. Until recently I had worked full time since the 90's. Unfortunetly I have had to give up work due to illness, I have gone onto incapacity benefit but I have decided I want to go back to work. I am actively seeking work but I've had no success. Karen Matthews is a revolting thing who deserves to rot in prison, but instead of the taxpayers paying, she should be made to work from 7am-10pm to pay for her bed and board.

By Tally.. Posted December 7 2008 at 11:27 AM.

We found ourselves in a situation were we had to claim JSA, you have to understand this was not a choice but a need. My husband has been out of work for 18 months but has trawled the pages of the internet and every other avenue he could think of. As of today nothing has become available. However, rather than sit on his backside day in and day out, he is a special constable. He felt he should give something back and this is his way of doing it. I agree with the poster who said that some sort of community service should be enforced on those who claim there is nothing. I also feel that spot checks should be made on a regular basis. Karen Mathews was claiming handouts but as I have read they guy she lived with worked?
There are loads of people who don't see this as a lifestyle but rather a need. But for 1 of those there are 10, people who think its a right.

By Kim.. Posted December 7 2008 at 10:52 AM.

By Tally.. Posted December 7 2008 at 11:07 AM.

I am a working class father of two girls. I have worked solidly for 31 years since leaving school with 8 "0" levels.It is only in last 3 years my take home pay has reached £200 pw.There has been many times when we would have been better off being unemployed but for us that was not an option. I have often wondered does that fact make me a bad parent -for not giving my family the extra few quid a week ,which we could have done with? My wife also works term time for min.wage so we never have to worry about babysitting our kids.Our kids have excellent manners,we try to instil a good work ethic in our kids. They are terrific kids-its our youngest daughter's 11th birthday today-and they NEVER ask for much.We would have loved another child but decided we could not afford to and I got the snip. How we regret that, especially when all we see around us are the feckless people, you described so succinctly, breeding like nobodies business with absolutely no intention of contributing to society. This govt need to start listening to the maj. of the workers of this country instead of being hell bent on implementing crazy PC- usually from the EC laws on us. I seriously think that people like yourself & Richard Littlejohn should either stand for Parliament or start a campaign to get the govt. to listen to the majority, not the very vocal minority. This is what is wrong with this country we are too polite to speak our minds,partially for fear of being branded and hounded as being a "phobic".

By Stewart Cockburn.. Posted December 7 2008 at 10:39 AM.

dear carol i agree with you 100%,i live in a small village and i can pick out at least 5 lay-a-bouts who have never worked for he last 20 years, not to mention the young girls who have at least i child,they live in a council bungalow with all rents/council tax payed for them, may i make a suggestion that the nhs proform operations on them so that they can not breed any more children that they do not wan,t
regards m twite

By martin twite.. Posted December 7 2008 at 10:28 AM.

Carole I don't always agree with the name-calling tactics you use but when it comes to issues like the Matthews case you always tell it exactly like it is.

I am serious when I ask this question: do your articles only get published in the paper or do you ever make sure they get sent directly to the people involved? You talk so much sense on some issues that Govt need to see them.

I despair for future generations because the scummers are breeding fast and furious and decent people, including my own future children and grandchildren, will become outnumbered and life on this amazing planet will become hell.

By kit.. Posted December 7 2008 at 10:18 AM.

Carole Malone. I'm in love with you.

By Geoff Stringer.. Posted December 7 2008 at 9:18 AM.

It's freeloading wasters like you that prove you need an iron rod up your backside. I had a good job and lost everything due to an unexpected severe disability. I spent a year on incapacity benefit up north while I learnt how to adjust to my condition -since then I have fought back-and have now risen up the career ladder to a good job in london and am now buying my very first home on my own. I am hugely proud of myself but it makes me sick that I still struggle and see over a third of my salary being taken to support pieces of waste like you!
GET A JOB AND STOP TAKING OUR HARD EARNED MONEY.
And why the hell doesn't the government think of implementing Angelas suggestions? NOTW why don't you put them forward?

By VC.. Posted December 7 2008 at 8:22 AM.

I absolutely agree with Angela, great ideas there. The thing I would add is that people claiming benefits should be made to do community work to earn it. Not only would society get something for their money, but it would skill-build and maybe with some help to build some self-respect. Fair enough that mothers want to be at home when they have young babies but once they are of nursery age, there is no reason why they cant do part time hours.

If mothers want to stay at home with their kids, its very admirable but dont expect the tax payer to pick up the bill for it.

Our benefits system used to be a safety net but for some its become a way of life. We need to break that habit.

By Kelly.. Posted December 7 2008 at 8:41 AM.

why work when mugs like you pay for my keep. god bless the dhss

By i p squint.. Posted December 7 2008 at 4:32 AM.

There are so many comments on here I agree with but ANGELA FOR PRIME MINISTER! I'd vote for her anyday.

I've seen all the scrounging with my own eyes and it absolutely disgusts me. About time it stopped so that us who actually work for a living don't feel like we're supporting lazy wasters who just want to get off their heads and breed like rabbits for the benefit they now see as their 'entitlement'. Living on benefits should never be a lifestyle choice. Why should the rest of us support their sloth? No wonder the country's on it's knees.

Just for the record I'm not criticising people who are claiming benefits genuinely just people like Karen Matthews et all.

By Lottie, Washington.. Posted December 7 2008 at 4:07 AM.

Iam a single parent who works part time. I feel people like karen mathews was most probably better off then my self. I pay my own rent and bills. I know people who are single parents like myself,who are unemployed they dont have children just to get the benefits. Again I feel the goverment needs to put in place tougher policies regarding benefits. Obsviously karen mathews doesnt know the meaning of the word jobor responisiblity.

By ANDREA YATES.. Posted December 7 2008 at 2:33 AM.

maybe some money should be cut from JSA and a little extra paid to those who are willing to work but have low wage jobs. people that arent able to get great jobs through lack of education or whatever end up worse off than those that sit home all day and scrounge.

By marie.. Posted December 7 2008 at 2:07 AM.

Who in there right mind wants to be on benefits its not a life, i would not even call it a existance but the fact is people find them selfs in that position through ill health. In my opinion there should not be a underclass in this Country, it should never have been allowed to deveolp too produce people like Karen Matthews and the fact is, maybe its just a fraction of the rotten decline in common decency from this so-called underclass. From my own experience the rot as been building for a long time, but society just ignored the problem and now we are seeing the shocking consequences of the disgusting decay manifesting in front of our eyes. So my first action would be too try and understand these so-called underclass people, and listen and learn to understand there concerns, because it will only get worse before it gets better. We need to encourage people to speak out where there is injustice or cruelty no matter who ever they may be parents, or professionals, time to embrace the whistle blowers because they are the true new hero's of these cruel greedy disgusting times we live in!

By mary morrell.. Posted December 7 2008 at 1:56 AM.

i agree about whats said in respects its more affordable to have children on the dole than to have to work to keep them and an urgent review is long due.
i live in an area where no one bothers to look for work because dole is too easy and ive witnessed guys "kicking off" at the job centre because their "handout" is a day late like its a owed them.
i think food vouchers should be more common place and single mothers given money for only one child and i guarantee the drop in teen pregnancies would be overnight.
im tired at the nation we live in which only needs foriegn workers because most youth in this country wont work as benifits are so easy to get use to.

By christopher macallister.. Posted December 7 2008 at 1:08 AM.

teddy m, when there is deaths because of these pen-pushers watch their unashamed , unrepentant arrogance, lowlifes? lower than that.

By rightly so.. Posted December 7 2008 at 1:06 AM.

very sensible suggestions from the writer and Angela- well said

By Chris.. Posted December 7 2008 at 12:50 AM.

well said carole, will you add to the lowlife list, the bureaucrats/politicians, who have attacked the safety, security care, dignity of sheltered housing residents and im speaking in particular the most vulnerable of the vulnerable of our elderly and disabled. These lowlifes, with their platinum plated salaries/pensions and early retirement, whose only interest is their self-serving/preserving lowlife selves. send this to the audit commission for their "whitewash" called a supporting people review 2088. The warden/resident crisis is at its highest danger level ever .

By teddy. mcnabb@googlemail.com.. Posted December 7 2008 at 12:34 AM.

People are fed up at scroungers. Here is a simple suggestion.

Have the equivalent of child benefit put into an account at Tesco or other on-line retailer. Only items for the benefit of the child would be able to be purchased, (nappies, milk, food, school uniform etc). Not fags and booze. Even have it delivered to all those in the area claiming. It wont stop all the ways round it but it would make like more difficult for these scroungers. Would also stop the rich putting money into a holiday fund (I am not joking as everyone gets it, regardless of your wealth!). I live in Jersey - child benefit is means tested and you have to earn less than £7k to qualify so most people get nothing. We also do not have unemployment benefit and amazingly there are fewer than 300 people unemployed!

Housing benefit - is only paid out on regular inspections of the home. This would also be unannounced visits and perhaps would pick up any other abuse going on in the home. With whole estates claiming, a couple of people could do the rounds in no time! See below.

Unemployment benefit - most people can do something. Once every 2 weeks at a certain time to sign on is an easy way to cheat the system for those that have a job and those that cant be bothered to get one.

(I am excluding all the genuine cases of course).

The whole benefits system needs a major overhaul.

By Angela.. Posted December 6 2008 at 11:38 PM.

Ihave looked after my grandaughter for 7 years,her mother has claimed social and child benifit all these years.We have lived with the fear that if we put a claim in she would take the child from us.

By gran.. Posted December 6 2008 at 11:34 PM.

Yet again Carole Malone tells it as it is, you are wasted on the newspaper you should be in Parliment.
The government should only pay for one child, as the only people who can afford lots of children are those on benefits, working people can't afford children.
Having children on benefits seems to be an investment in this country.

By Jayne.. Posted December 6 2008 at 10:22 PM.

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