Mad, I’m bloody furious……

As you know my 37 year old son was a victim of knife crime in July this year, thankfully he got off lightly, I suppose, with a broken foot and an injured knee. However, it meant that he couldn't work for 10 weeks, was made redundant because he couldn't work and waited 10 weeks to be told he was not entitled to incapacity benefit because he was missing some contributions for the period 2005 - 2007. This would be when he was attempting to start his own business, working all the hours God sent, trying to make a better life for his family, he paid his taxes but unfortunately overlooked paying some of his National Insurance stamps. When my son asked "....if I had just arrived in the country would I be told I wasn't eligible for benefits because I hadn't paid anything in?" the person he was speaking to told him "I'm not having this conversation with you" and promptly hung up! He then received a Giro for £500 to cover the ten weeks he was unable to work - £50 a week to keep himself, his wife and three young children!

OK, you may be thinking well what’s wrong with that? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it, last week it was all over the media that Toorpakai Saiedi, an immigrant woman, and her seven children, none of whom have ever worked a day in time they have spent in Britain, have been housed by the local council in a 7 bedroom mansion,  for which the council is paying £12,000 per month in rent.   They receive in total £167,000 per year in benefits, they have all modern conveniences, a huge plasma TV, sound system, X box and then complained that the house is costing too much to heat out of their benefits.

My son has worked for 20 years paying into the system and has never claimed anything back. The one time he needs help, through no fault of his own, this country has not only turned its back on him, it has added insult to injury! Thankfully he had the good sense to take out a mortgage protection policy, which has paid his mortgage for him, otherwise he might have lost his home. I suspect had this happened our local council would NOT have offered to put him in a mansion and paid the £12,000 a month rent like Ealing Council have done for the Saiedi family.

I have written to my MP and to James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, regarding this matter and asked them to explain to my son why, after paying into the system for 20 years he received a pittance to keep his family, when an immigrant who has never paid in a penny is receiving £167,000 per year.

I’ll keep you posted but I do not hold out much hope for an acceptable explanation on the unfairness of our benefits system. It's no wonder the people of Britain want to put a stop to people entering this country and milking the system for all its worth!