ITV's This Morning has decided to have a go at people on benefits.
Some people wonder if it's so
Philip Scofield can make up to David Cameron for ambushing him with a list of accusations that he got from the ever-reliable Internet, only to accidentally flash it to the camera.
However, it could also be because ITV wants to divide and rule in order to get more people watching and therefore gain more advertising.
Aside from the fact that Philip Scofield has no right to take the moral high ground over anything after his disgraceful interview with David Cameron, let's take a look at who This Morning got on today.
Last week, the age old debate of benefits reared its head on the show when Natalija Belova, a Lithuanian mother of one, defended claiming £14,500 a year in benefits despite working a part time job, arguing that she got more money than she would working full time.
In yesterday's papers was the case of Danny and Gina a couple who claim £17,680 a year in benefits and don't even bother looking for work because it would leave them worse off. They join us, along with Nick Ferrari who thinks that this attitude to state handouts needs to be stopped.
So ITV have found an extreme case and a
dubious case to stir up benefit bashing amongst viewers of this morning.
No attempt to examine how typical the attitudes of Danny and Gina are by interviewing other people on benefits.
And no-one on to balance out Nick Ferrari's anti-benefits views. What does Nick Ferrari know about people on benefits anyway?
In this economic climate, anyone might lose their job and be forced to claim benefits. Unlike the couple on This Morning, most on benefits want to work.
Anyone who thinks being on benefits is an easy life should be first in the queue for any voluntary redundancy.
It is rather disgusting of Danny and Giny to use their status to spread hatred about people in the same situation as them who want to work or would like to work if they were able.
I am also surprised that they can claim so much in benefits as a couple - I am unable to watch the bit where they read out what benefits the couple had as you can only catch up on ITV Player after the programme has finished.
Here are some typical remarks from people who swallow anything ITV pumps out and who have clearly never had to go on benefits:
I know it sounds harsh but give them a very small amount of cash ie £15 a week and then pay the rest in food stamps and pay the housing benefit directly to the landlord. People would soon find a job, any job if it meant they couldn't have their hair done, a night out, a packet of cigarettes, sky+ all of which are luxury items that shouldn't be funded by benefits anyway!
Clearly Leigh Griffiths is unaware that benefits are also used to pay bills and to take the bus/train.
I like the idea that jobseekers shouldn't get their hair done - as if turning up with uncut hair will make a good impression.
Not sure where Leigh Griffiths thinks all these jobs are going to come from with millions unemployed - wonder how she'd feel using food stamps if she lost her job. I know that sounds harsh.
I don't care how much this upsets people you shouldn't get benefits unless you work for a charity , being educated or the forces ... And it shouldn't be cash straight on your account it should be stamps so they can't abuse the system.
Wendy Woo Percival there. So a private sector worker who loses their job shouldn't get benefits because they aren't training and haven't worked for a charity or in the armed forces? That's is a silly idea, and it's not less silly by putting "I don't care how much this upsets people" at the beginning.
These two comments were just some of the rubbish posted on the This Morning Facebook page and on Twitter.
One of the problems is that people who have never been on benefits tend to be told by the media that people on benefits are scroungers. As they have never been on benefits themselves, they don't know the truth.
I think that all these people who want restrictions and stigma-inducing food stamps should try being on JSA for a couple of months and see how hard it really is.
£71 a week for food, transport (especially if the Job Centre is not within walking distance), bills, loo roll, kitchen roll, and other essentials.
That's before the bedroom tax and the problems of housing benefit shortfall if you live in a house more expensive than the Local Housing Allowance Limit.
Philip Scofield, Holly Willoughby and everyone involved with bringing such an unrepresentative story to ITV should be ashamed of themselves.
Most people are unemployed due to cutbacks in training opportunities, a lack of vacancies and illness.
Very few people are like Natalija Belova or Danny and Ginny. This Morning's one-sided look at people on benefits was a disgrace.
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