new bt call plan for those on benefits..

[entwisi]

Yep, we had one here for a lad ( dave buick RIP) and we have a bloke who is totally blind who uses screen reading software and a braille keyboard. He does just as good a job as anyone else and is the 'guru' on some systems.

[K.S.H]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

I think getting about £1.50 a week off your phone line rental doesn't qualifiy anybody as scum.

£1.50
Is BT line rental not around £11 a month?
This ones £13.50 for 3 month and you get £4.50 worth of calls so that makes it £3 a month for the line rental.
Can't say I agree with it but if your on benefits and they're offering it to you then go and take it, others will so why should anyone who's entitled to it miss out

Oops, see you said per week not per month

[K-P]

entwisi.. there are ambulant disabled who can run to the shop and back with no problem.. you may want to stop and think for a moment that you dont actually know everything.. you certainly dont know each individuals circumstances based on wether they can get to the shops or not. i find your comments insulting to the extreme

I was on invalidity and no one would give me a job unless I got a signed letter from my doctor saying I was fit to work..my employer kept my job open for me.. they took someonme else on a rolling contract in case i could go back.. I went on a course at the globe and as soon as they found out my condition they asked me to leave saying they wernt insured for me...and lo and behold it was the disability officer at the jobby who sent me there.. hey and i can lump a heavy camera bag about with the best of em

I have managed to get off benefits now by being self employed.. its the only way around it for me. its a hell of a lot harder than working for a company as well.

sweeping statements ...thats what annoys me

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Neil

You don't annoy me John, I know you are a pussy cat really.

Does that me you can find me a place in pets corner

[entwisi]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Does this mean if you lose your job you should cancel your phone line

If you can't afford it then yes, just like selling the flash car, cancelling the 3 weeks in Florida, etc. Its not essential to life. By making teh call early on you give yourself the best opportunity to keep teh really essential things going like food, shelter, heating etc.

Originally Posted by lancsdave

I'm sure there must be loads of circumstances where job hunting at home is better than trekking to a library. Some people may not even have a library that close to them. I have no idea what sort of facilities libraries have or even how many towns don't even have a library. Do all libraries have internet facilites ?

I believe so,

if you live miles from a library then you are likely to live miles from employers, to quote " get on your bike" you need to consider if you are in the right location to get back in employement. I've been lucky in my work to now and have a very good well paid( if stressfull) job. If it all disappeared tomorrow I have always said that I can drive, I can wait tables, I can work a bar and I'm a qualified chef. If I'm out of work its because I'm a lazy git and no other reason. It may not be a 'career' job or even one I enjoy butI'd do it till something better came along.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by flashytart

yes but on the other hand J, some people actually get addicted to the internet and stop going out altogether

And there again there are those who don't have much choice flashy

[Studio25]

I don'tknow why anyone bothers with a home 'phone any more. It's no longer prohibitively expensive for someone to ring your mobile from a landline, and most plans, including pay as you go deals, have some degree of free/cheap outbound calls. I pay a tenner a month and all my calls and texts are free (but only because I'm always below the threshold - no friends, you see). When we moved the business number from home to the studio, we didn't bother replacing the home landline.

[Neil]

This is turning into a good thread

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Studio25

I don'tknow why anyone bothers with a home 'phone any more. It's no longer prohibitively expensive for someone to ring your mobile from a landline,

Is it more expensive than nothing?

I pay for inclusive calls on my landline so I can sit on the phone for hours talking to people if I so wish. I also would not expect others to have to phone me on my mobile and pay the expensive call charges. Sometimes I can be on the phone for 1/2 an hour just talking to residents of Ossy about the park - I am sure that would not happen if i had no land line ( erm - might be a good idea )

[onlyme]

I think having a phone line in the house is slightly different to 3 weeks in Florida, or a flash car. I have a young asthmatic child in my house, having the security of a landline in case of emergencies is more than essential to me. Yes I have a mobile, but signal strength can not always be relied upon.

I think LancsDave post more than hit the nail on the head. Its about time that people actually realised that its the minority of people claiming benefits that 'milk' the system. I personally cannot wait to go back to work, then again, I have the choice.

[Stanleymad]

Gee, i go to work & come back home to a debate

Entwisi, really having the privilaged lifestyle u have has blinded your opinion!! I think u would find that u need a phone in order to get a job, how else would they be able to contact u should they need u also people having a phone does mean security too like our pensioners needing an ambulance or cops etc, so seriously your point is very weak indeed for this day & age - a phone is essential to us all not to a few.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by Neil

I see it like this - everyone should be able to choose whichever package they want to be on regardless of their income as long as they can pay the bill.

People would soon be moaning if BT said they would only allow people in employment to have broadband as it is a non essential commodity that people on benefits should not be able to afford.

You're right again, Neil.

You've been making a habit of it lately.

There's no doubt having a home phone and internet makes life easier but they are not essentials.

[Stanleymad]

Have to say im disgusted at the bad attitude to people on benefits genuinely needing help & support, it makes me sick, having been there know how much having a label is soul destroying - i hated it, many are on benefits without much choice because of circumstances & it is hard times, many would love the opportunity to change that & be more self sufficient but is not always the case! My goat would be to those who do milk the system & getting away with it while many genuine people get nowt much - then a point would be made & i'd agree.

To refer back to entwisi, never take your lifestyle for granted - one day u may have to enter the misery of the benefit system & suddenly become belittled & demenoured, then u many understand that the stereotype is not what it seemed to u as it does now.

[Lilly]

I for one have no beef with genuine claimants of benefits and do not look down on them at all, I don't get the impression that anyone on here does.

There is a lot of help out there for people on benefits......free dental treatment, free prescriptions, free school meals to name but a few....and now, it seems, money off the phone bill.

This is great for the genuine claimants as it all makes life a bit easier for them.

I have said this before....I get annoyed by people who have no illness/disability but pretend they have. They know all the loopholes and claim everything they can get their hands on. The ones I know have more disposable cash than me but never get off their bums and do a day's work for it.....oh no, they're not stupid they tell me.

I wouldn't tar everyone on benefits with the same brush. I know there are two very different types of claimant and I have no problem with one, it's the other. It's very frustrating to be at work knowing you are paying for people who are as strong as an ox to sit at home and there seems to be a lot of it about.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by K-P

sweeping statements ...thats what annoys me

I'm afraid I have to admit until 2002 I too would have been guilty of sweeping statements. I thought nothing of working a 60/70 hour week and frowning on those in society who didn't hold the same views. Then it all changed and I became a single parent ( contrary to belief the majoirty of single parents are not that way through choice, apart from of course choosing a selfish partner ).

I wasn't physically unable to go to work like some but the circumstances made it extremely difficult. I was lucky and found a job and more importantly a childminder that fit in with my circumstances, but they are few and far between.

I now apologise to anyone who's ears were burning at my thoughts of how people sponged off the state, you never know when life is going to kick you in the goolies even if you think you are in control

I have no problem with sorting out the won't work brigade but there are many circumstances where people can't work.