Followers

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Tell me Mr Brown.....

Alky girl’s £8k benefits binges

HARD-drinker Hayley Nash has more than doubled her benefits to £8,000 a year - by being signed off sick as alcoholic.


Twin Charlotte is also set to sting the State - as she registers as her sister's CARER.

Hayley, 20, started boozing aged 12 and sinks 12 cans of lager and a litre of vodka a day.
She's been warned she'll die if she does not stop.

Hayley gets £316 a month income support. On top of that, she's paid £350 disability allowance. The annual total is £7,992.

She gives mum Wanda, 56, a bit as keep, but the rest goes on booze.
Hayley, who's never worked, was diagnosed alcoholic at 14.
She and her sister live with Wanda in Walsall, West Mids.
Charlotte, who'll get at least £50 a week, said: "Hayley is the most important person in my life. I don't want to lose her, that's why I don't mind becoming her carer."


The above newspaper story prompted me to write to the
Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
I'll let you know if I get a reply.





11th April 2010


Gordon Brown PM
10 Downing Street
London
SW1 2AA


Dear Mr. Brown


With the forthcoming election I thought I would give you the chance to explain why as a pensioner I should vote Labour, when your party’s treatment of pensioners is diabolical.

 
I would like you to explain why a 20 year old alcoholic is in receipt of benefits totalling £7,992 per annum (see enclosed newspaper cutting), whilst I, after 40+ years of working and paying into the system, will receive only £7,034, which includes the paltry £2+ weekly rise? I retired, aged 60, in December 2009 and that figure is the total sum of my state pension including SERPS. This is my only income and I have just received my notice of coding for the tax year 2010/2011, which informs me that I will have to pay tax on £559 of my pension, amounting to approx £100. That's £2 a week - the equivalent of my pension rise! A member of the Labour party had the cheek this week to say that the Conservatives would give with one hand and take back with the other! A prime example of the pot calling the kettle black!


How can this be fair? The woman in the newspaper article has probably never done a stroke of work in her life, so will not have contributed anything in the way of tax and insurance, but because she's a drunk the state is paying her more than a pensioner and she will not have to pay tax on her benefits.


I intend writing to all the party leaders asking what their policy is regarding this unfairness, before I decide for whom to vote. I expect a reply from you before the 6th May convincing me you will rectify this matter if you want me to vote Labour.


Yours sincerely,


This country is a bloody joke!

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

You go girl!!!! It doesn't make one ounce of sense to me at all. The same crap happens over here. I'm glad you took a stance on this. It's too bad soo many people stick their head in the sand and just ignore stuff like this and don't even vote.

Brava my dear sweet friend :)

MarmiteToasty said...

Good for you......... that clip of that girl and the sister is disgusting....... to think they only offered me 63.50 a week when I had me second op and Ive worked all me life, and then lost the best part of my job cos of them breaking me leg during the op and still I was only intitled to the 63.50..

articles like yours so gets me goat..... HOPE you get a reply but it will probably be full of bullshit :)

OXO

Bernadine said...

You go girl. I think you as a pensioner needs more money than some 20 year old that drinks herself to death and hasn't worked a day in her life. I hope you get a reply. And if it's not satisfying enough than you should write him back and ask more questions.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

too true but it's the same (or worse) here honey...

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxooxoxxo

Akelamalu said...

It makes me so damn mad Thom! I'm not expecting a reply but it makes me feel better when I write to complain.

Exactly Marmie! That's what's wrong with the effing country - the people who have worked and paid in get sod all whilst the lazy bastards get it all! Pardon me french.

If any of them deem to reply I will be writing again Bernadien, because whatever they say will be a load of bullshit.

We could do a better job of running the country with our eyes shut and both hands tied behind our backs couldn't we Bee?

Ron said...

OMG, your letter was absolutely BRILLIANT!!!!!

"I intend writing to all the party leaders asking what their policy is regarding this unfairness, before I decide for whom to vote."

BRAVA, m'dear!

Please keep us posting if you should get a reply!

X

Valerie said...

Well done, you. I only realised by watching a programme on TV last night how bad alcoholism is amongst KIDS. The situation you outlined is dire, having read it I feel as cross as you. I'm so pleased you've written to GB, I just hope he doesn't choose to ignore it like he does so many things. Good luck. I await the next post with great anticipation.

Dumdad said...

How have we let all this come to pass in what was one of the finest countries in the world? It's a terribly sad state of affairs and I don't see the Tories doing much better than the Labour party. No one dares stand up for commonsense and decency.

secret agent woman said...

People used to be able to get disability benefits here for being an alcoholic or addict, but fortunately, they have ended that. I think the problem is with defining addiction as purely a disease rather than acknowledging the choice involved.

buffalodick said...

The same boning we get..life long tax payers paying for illegal aliens health care and assistance- and getting less than they do! I had to buy my own health insurance- $812 A month...Being a good citizen means "chump"....

Fletch said...

I'm not SO sure that this will be a 'wasted' tilt at the proverbial windmills.

OUR silver-surfer vote has grown exponentially over the years, and our THREAT to cast our vote for the 'other guy' now has a bit of weight behind it.

I will be absolutely thrilled if you actually get a response, hopefully before one of the "Leaders' Debates" that are scheduled to take place soon, so that I can forward a question to the three of them based on this story.

DO KEEP US POSTED ...

Charlene Amsden said...

Akelamalu -- your letter was well-reasoned and succinct. I hope, if there is an answer, you plan on posting it here as well. Reasonable people speaking up and voting wisely is the only thing that can make a difference.

Linda said...

I look forward to hearing what sort of an answer you get and you'd darn well better get one as that was brilliantly written!

We've got a similar problem here in the States in that the local drunks are all on State welfare which includes free medical care. It galls me to no end when these "dead beats" call 911 for an ambulance so they can go to the Emergency Room for a hot meal.

Seriously? When did being a drunk become the government's problem??? When did it become OUR problem?? As a taxpayer, I am not at all happy!

A Lady's Life said...

I also write letters and every time I say I won't anymore because people who get the benefits get mad. They always ask do you think you are better than we are? blah blah blah.
My Mom paid her dues and when she needed help they used her age against her and instead operated on a young man with throat cancer who went out two days later and smoked a cigarette outside the hospital doors, through a hole in his throat.
So sometimes I think if you really want to kill yourself, society should let you.The same with people who want prostitution legalised and then put babies under your nose because they can't feed them.You're the bad guy now.
If they had their way, they'd sit in your house and put you in the street and this is where its headed.We need better laws and leaders in government who don;t sell their votes.

Kate said...

I want to say thank you for taking the time to write to your government. Too many people I know just sit around and b*tch without taking any kind of action. If more people took the time to write thoughtful, intelligent, polite-yet-firm letters like this, we might create a government that listens.

Flowerpot said...

do let us know the results Ak. Makes you sick doesnt it?

Maggie May said...

This is DISGUSTING.
Good for you taking this to the top and I jolly well hope that something IS done about life long scroungers who have never paid a penny into the pot.
I am not talking about the genuine cases who really cannot live any other way.
Seems if you have your own home (that you have worked hard for) saved hard for the future, then there is no help available.
What is this saying to the general population? Live off the state & let them pay.Don't save, don't strive. Its not worth it.

Nuts in May

Akelamalu said...

Cheers Ron. You can be sure I will let you know IF I get a reply - I'm not holding my breath!

Alcoholism is rife isn't it Val? But it is self inflicted, that's what annoys me about them receiving benefits. I am diabetic which is through no fault of my own but I can't get any benefits at all.

You are so right Dumdad, you're well out of it living in France I can tell you. :(

Well at least your Government has seen sense SAW. Alcoholism is self inflicted it is not a disease.

It's as bad there as it is here then Buff?

I am not holding my breath for a reply Fletch. Like everything else they don't have an answer to they will just ignore it! I will definitely let you know if I get one.

My sentiments entirely Quilly. I will definitely post any replies I get.

It must so wind you up Linda, working for the emergency services as you do. Alcoholism is not a disease it is a self-inflicted condition and should not be rewarded with money.

OH you're so right Lady's Life. I'm so glad you write letters too, I just more people would instead of just sitting at home moaning about it.

Exactly Kate!

I will post the results of my letters FP if there are any. :(

Yes that's it in a nutshell Maggie!

Unknown said...

I am here to tell you that the joke is world wide. Dear Mr Obama ordered that no taxes be taken out of pension pay and for those earning less than XXX # dollars from April thru December of last year. That was quite nice of him, but he forgot one thing. They did not change the tax tables. So while they are not taking taxes out of our pay the joke was on all of us when tax time rolled around this year. We got to pay in a lump sum, all of those taxes that wasn't taken out all year long last year. I am thinking this is how the government planned on putting back into the treasury all of that stimulus money Obama passed out to all of the car manufactures, banks and wall street like someone's crazy rich uncle come to visit. I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone. We have our share of idiots too.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

I agree with Kate - I've always admired your willingness to pester the officials who may or may not be able to do anything about it. But certainly no action is assured if no one writes/marches/attends meetings, etc.

ann said...

bravo - i hope you get the courtesy of a meaningful reply and not just an acknowledgement that they received your letter

i watched some of the debate last night (yawn) and unsurprisingly came away unimpressed with the lot of them - doesn't sound quite the same when you say, surprisingly came away impressed with none of them - trouble is for all the vagaries of the system here and global problems, this country is still a better place to live than most

Finding Pam said...

Well done! I hope you make a difference.

Finding Pam said...

Well done! I hope you make a difference.

Akelamalu said...

Ah your Government gives with one hand and takes with the other too eh Jo? :(

I've always done 'something' rather than do 'nothing' Julia. If one does nothing one can't really complain.

I'm not banking on a reply but it made me feel better Ann. I would have enjoyed the debate more had it been more like Question Time - that would have shot them all down in flames!

I hope so too Pam but I doubt it. :(

CG said...

I felt similarily riled by the story about the family living in Anglesey on State benefits of £42,000 a year who drive a Mercedes. They get more from benefits than they would if he was working. The world has gone mad.

Bob Mac said...

I agree with you and all the above commentators. There is no easy answer to the problem. It is impossible to design a system that would not hurt some of the truly needy in an attempt to stop the 'wasters'. However we all know someone, relative, friend or aquaintance who is fiddling the system. We collectively need to develop a sense of social responsibility and report them. The dreaded word is 'grassing', it should be remembered that this is criminal argot. Criminals largely have no dificulty in grassing for a lighter sentence. These people who fiddle are as guilty of theiving as any other criminal.

Akelamalu said...

I think that's part of the problem CG the benefits system makes it more profitable to live on benefits than earn a living. :(

I so agree with you Bob (nod, nod)

Cloudia said...

This is what American republicans fear (I think).

One one hand I believe in Harm Reduction, on the other: Come-ON!

Consequence-free living is not my idea of life, But will cutting these kind of folks off do anything but condemn them to early, involved, EXPENSIVE deaths?

Am I my brothers keeper? I do know that some people will never "straighten out" yet some WILL with the right kind of stim or guidance....miracles DO happen - perhaps one will to this girl if she stays alive long enough.

It is easy to resent those who free ride, but is her life one I'd envy? Of course not. Providing and contributing is a source of pride and inner solidity that one hopes she will discover. Where there is life, there is hope. In America there is a clear punitive attitude towards the marginal... blaming is easy and leaves us a nice feeling of superiority, but really, where does all that take us?

Thanks for CARING about society, Ake.



Aloha from Waikiki


Comfort Spiral

Akelamalu said...

I do not resent the state 'helping' people Cloudia, but giving a alcoholic extra money, which will undoubtedly be spent on more alcohol, is futile. If the state really wants to help this woman they should be putting her into rehab not enabling her to buy more alcohol. :(

Simon said...

Hi there. I'm just landed here at random while looking for interesting things to read.

Permit me to be a little controversial. You see, I believe that in order to stop the truly needy falling through the welfare net, we sometime need to accept that seemingly unworthy case will sometimes be able to work the system.


Not that I am entirely convinced that I would trust the newspapers - especially this close to an election!

Justice is all about protecting the innocent - even if this means that on occasion the guilty goes free.

I'll go now. Simon.

Akelamalu said...

You're entitled to your opinion Simon and I value it. Unfortunately I believe there are too many 'guilty ones' slipping through the net, I've seen them with my own eyes. :(