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It's a tough life on benefits ......
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TOPIC: It's a tough life on benefits ......
#114424
In The Know

It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
A woman who received nearly £50,000 in benefits by claiming she had agoraphobia was secretly travelling the world writing books.

Tracy Johnson claimed to be so unwell that she could not leave her own house but spent time travelling in India and America, a court was told.

The 52-year-old mother-of-one enjoyed a "champagne lifestyle" while writing travel guides, cookbooks and steamy novels.

As well as a four-month stint in India, Johnson enjoyed shopping sprees in New York and Madrid.

news.sky.com/story/1247943/agoraphobic-t...he-world-on-benefits
 
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#114453
andrew

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
The benefits spies are useless then.
 
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#114456
hedda

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
yes a rorter and non too bright one it seems.

by 2019 UK housing benefit will reach £29B a year.

To cut it would result in a massive property price collapse -probably good thing which is why it won't be.

another superb policy
 
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#114472
Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
I suppose agoraphobia must be the easiest thing to fiddle as long as you can sneak out to the airport?
 
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#114476
Anon

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
I suppose agoraphobia must be the easiest thing to fiddle as long as you can sneak out to the airport?

I don't think people on the sick for 'agrophobia' are begrudged the occasional trip abroad, I think they are probably encouraged to do things to try and over come their fear or condition. Just cos they've made it to the air port doesn't necessarily mean they are cured of their agrophobia - they may still be suffering from it during their time abroad and when they get back, but i'd imagine if they were seeing a councillor or something for it they'd be encouraging them to try and do things and take steps to over come it. Asking them to set goals to try and do things etc...

This goes way above and beyond that as she was travelling very regularly, obviously doesn't have a lot of trouble getting out and about, seemed to be living life to the full and had other incomes from books she'd written and the travel company etc that were not declared when they should have been...
 
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#114477
Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
Anon wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
I suppose agoraphobia must be the easiest thing to fiddle as long as you can sneak out to the airport?

I don't think people on the sick for 'agrophobia' are begrudged the occasional trip abroad, I think they are probably encouraged to do things to try and over come their fear or condition. Just cos they've made it to the air port doesn't necessarily mean they are cured of their agrophobia - they may still be suffering from it during their time abroad and when they get back, but i'd imagine if they were seeing a councillor or something for it they'd be encouraging them to try and do things and take steps to over come it. Asking them to set goals to try and do things etc...

This goes way above and beyond that as she was travelling very regularly, obviously doesn't have a lot of trouble getting out and about, seemed to be living life to the full and had other incomes from books she'd written and the travel company etc that were not declared when they should have been...



Sometimes people are better off in a strange place where nobody knows them, and it is not always about the location anyway.
When I saw the headlines I thought she had managed to go on holiday as part of her recovery and thought "Good for you" but her lies clearly indicate that it was a deliberate crime.
It is a shame because agoraphobia is very often misunderstood and things like this dont help one bit.

I am really chuffed for my friend at the moment. He has really bad agoraphobia, and hasn't been more than ten minutes from home in twenty years, but he has managed to be driven to a secluded camp spot for a fortnight
I would hate to think he could have his benefit stopped.
 
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#114480
Anon

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
[quote]Anon wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
I suppose agoraphobia must be the easiest thing to fiddle as long as you can sneak out to the airport?

I am really chuffed for my friend at the moment. He has really bad agoraphobia, and hasn't been more than ten minutes from home in twenty years, but he has managed to be driven to a secluded camp spot for a fortnight
I would hate to think he could have his benefit stopped.


I think they'd understand one small trip in 20 years,they probably want to see people making steps towards getting better i'd imagine...
 
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#114487
In The Know (as always)

Mother of 9 - on £38,000 benefits - about to drop two more !!! 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
 
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#114491
comrade hedda

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
The problem with the screaming headlines is that it feeds into the fantasies of many - and I would not names on here - who think a rort like this is indicative of the millions of others who receive benefits.

fortunately the crew on King of Hits are far to sensible and reasonable to buy into this. Aren't they ?

Or when a middle class citizen defrauds a bank should be declare a shocking example of middle class behaviour ?

Or when a Hooray Henry is busted with drugs should we fence of Mayfair & Belgravia as unsafe ghettos ?

What about a coffee shop chain that uses Britain's decades of infrastructure building achieved through taxing all, to open shops and then channel profits back to some tax haven ?. An indication that all companies are bent ?

## further lectures on civics will be conducted in the local pub. Do come a'pubing with me. Mine's a large one.
 
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#114497
Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
comrade hedda wrote:
The problem with the screaming headlines is that it feeds into the fantasies of many - and I would not names on here - who think a rort like this is indicative of the millions of others who receive benefits.

fortunately the crew on King of Hits are far to sensible and reasonable to buy into this. Aren't they ?

Or when a middle class citizen defrauds a bank should be declare a shocking example of middle class behaviour ?

Or when a Hooray Henry is busted with drugs should we fence of Mayfair & Belgravia as unsafe ghettos ?

What about a coffee shop chain that uses Britain's decades of infrastructure building achieved through taxing all, to open shops and then channel profits back to some tax haven ?. An indication that all companies are bent ?

## further lectures on civics will be conducted in the local pub. Do come a'pubing with me. Mine's a large one.


It doesn't indicate that all people on benefits are the same, but there is a type of person across all the classes who appear to have no forethought or self awareness.

My favourite bit is ... " "I see other people in the paper and it makes me sick. They shouldn't just get a new home handed to them on a plate"

Larger than Max Clifford's?
 
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#114499
In The Know

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
comrade hedda wrote:
Mine's a large one.

More hedda fantasies !
 
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#114501
In The Know

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
It doesn't indicate that all people on benefits are the same, but there is a type of person across all the classes who appear to have no forethought or self awareness.

My favourite bit is ... " "I see other people in the paper and it makes me sick. They shouldn't just get a new home handed to them on a plate"


But it does encourage others to follow suit.

The ones being forced to do some work now, are thinking, "our problem is that we didn't knock out enough kids" !

They also breed this mentality into their own offspring ... a woman with 11 kids (who will each knock out another 11)?

I've long said these people see children as "income" - they never want to know them and couldn't care less where they are - UNTIL its time to fill in the claims forms !
 
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#114502
Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
In The Know wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
It doesn't indicate that all people on benefits are the same, but there is a type of person across all the classes who appear to have no forethought or self awareness.

My favourite bit is ... " "I see other people in the paper and it makes me sick. They shouldn't just get a new home handed to them on a plate"


But it does encourage others to follow suit.

The ones being forced to do some work now, are thinking, "our problem is that we didn't knock out enough kids" !

They also breed this mentality into their own offspring ... a woman with 11 kids (who will each knock out another 11)?

I've long said these people see children as "income" - they never want to know them and couldn't care less where they are - UNTIL its time to fill in the claims forms !



We do seem to encourage reckless behaviour. I cant imagine that anybody who actually "plans" to have a child at seventeen while they are living in a homeless hostel has had a great life, and it would be nice if she had help to sort out whatever problems are at the root of it rather than an endless supply of benefits.
I expect they will qualify for the new house in the area she wanted now.

I understand the problems,but I still cant help finding the whole idea of having children that you cant afford to keep or accommodate yourself quite baffling. (and fascinating)
 
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#114509
In The Know

Re:It's a tough life on benefits ...... 11 Years, 2 Months ago  
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
We do seem to encourage reckless behaviour.

Yes - by taking away their responsibilities.

I cant imagine that anybody who actually "plans" to have a child at seventeen while they are living in a homeless hostel has had a great life, and it would be nice if she had help to sort out whatever problems are at the root of it rather than an endless supply of benefits.

MOST girls are NOT in a hostel when they get tubbed - they are at home with their parents.
I feel that we should not get involved with the "I've had a lousy childhood" brigade - leave that to the Churches etc.
We'll end up like probation - where we spend zillions and never see any results.

I expect they will qualify for the new house in the area she wanted now.

Yes - I wonder how those struggling to pay a £200K mortgage on their homes feel when she gets one FREE (just for opening her legs - enough)?

PLUS she gets £38,000 TAX FREE spending money !
 
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