What Is Happening To Our Country?

[rallyboy]

Something needs to be done, I fully expect Birmingham's pensioners to develop nuclear weapons within a year.

[Osvaldorama]

16 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

You are aware that the raw benefits data includes the state pension, which accounts for 44% of the total.

That’s OK then!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, Osvaldorama said:

 

Birmingham's benefits bill: £4.1bn.

Annual cost of operating the UK's nuclear deterrent: ~£3.7bn.

Putin's last sight is the Moscow sky darkening as the wave of benefit seeker missiles descends.

[whelk]

On 29/09/2026 at 09:10, Osvaldorama said:

Commy nonsense. No surprise from the current Spanish regime tbf 

She’s died now. Go investment fund, make that money!

[Farmer Saint]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c689zxd8w87lo

Horrible.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Apparently there was a patriots march this afternoon in Soton. Surprised as I'd have thought most locals would be too busy watching the game.

[Gloucester Saint]

6 minutes ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

Apparently there was a patriots march this afternoon in Soton. Surprised as I'd have thought most locals would be too busy watching the game.

Shows you how dense the flag shaggers are if they picked today. Clearly not from Southampton or surrounding area then. 

Surprised the skates not in the bubble didn’t join in, more their sort of thing than ours.

Sure Thommo would’ve if he wasn’t banged up. And his beloved Pompey lost the derby to us today for the first time to us in the league for 22 years. Hey ho 😂😂😂😂

 

Edited Sunday at 15:03 by Gloucester Saint

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

All over the country in different towns.

Agree with you, no way it'll have been locals due to the derby game. Its intimidating. There's got to be better ways of protesting.

 

[badgerx16]

1 hour ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

All over the country in different towns.

Agree with you, no way it'll have been locals due to the derby game. Its intimidating. There's got to be better ways of protesting.

 

If you disagree with them can you still claim to be 'patriotic' ?

[LuckyNumber7]

4 hours ago, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

Apparently there was a patriots march this afternoon in Soton. Surprised as I'd have thought most locals would be too busy watching the game.

There was one last weekend, are you sure you're not getting confused with that? I live in town and not aware of one today. Doubt the police would have allowed it.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Ah you're probably right. I was told it was today.

I did think it was odd with the timing.

[Osvaldorama]

Excellent article in the Wall Street Journal on Britain's unsustainable welfare spending:

— 7 million people (over 10% of the UK population) now claim at least one or more sickness or disability benefit. This is up 60% in the past 6 years.

— The UK will spend over £100 billion pound this year on sickness and disability benefits. This is projected to increase to £130 billion a year by 2030.

— No other Western country has seen such a rise in disability claims. In the US, 10.6 million people claim some form of federal disability payment, despite the population being 5x larger.

— 1 in 7 new cars sold in the UK are under the Motability scheme; however, only 10% of cars are modified for a disability. In one dealership, 25 out of 26 cars they sold in August were all under the Motability scheme.

— Charities, consultants, YouTubers and TikTokers have all sprung up, telling people how to maximise benefit access. Some of these videos receive hundreds of thousands of views. Over 1,000 people a day are signing on for PIP.

— According to a Government survey from 2024, 25% of the UK's working age population could theoretically be classed as disabled under the current criteria and access these benefits.

— A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month.

https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/united-kingdom-welfare-disability-payouts-737d77a0

[egg]

36 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Excellent article in the Wall Street Journal on Britain's unsustainable welfare spending:

— 7 million people (over 10% of the UK population) now claim at least one or more sickness or disability benefit. This is up 60% in the past 6 years.

— The UK will spend over £100 billion pound this year on sickness and disability benefits. This is projected to increase to £130 billion a year by 2030.

— No other Western country has seen such a rise in disability claims. In the US, 10.6 million people claim some form of federal disability payment, despite the population being 5x larger.

— 1 in 7 new cars sold in the UK are under the Motability scheme; however, only 10% of cars are modified for a disability. In one dealership, 25 out of 26 cars they sold in August were all under the Motability scheme.

— Charities, consultants, YouTubers and TikTokers have all sprung up, telling people how to maximise benefit access. Some of these videos receive hundreds of thousands of views. Over 1,000 people a day are signing on for PIP.

— According to a Government survey from 2024, 25% of the UK's working age population could theoretically be classed as disabled under the current criteria and access these benefits.

— A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month.

https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/united-kingdom-welfare-disability-payouts-737d77a0

I get the point, and agree that it's an abused benefit which needs revision, but your figures are well off.

Standard PiP is £76.70 a week. Enhanced £114.60. Mobility element , if entitled, adds either £30.30 or £80.00 a week. 

A max of £194.60 a week isn't £2k a month. 

[pingpong]

1 hour ago, Osvaldorama said:

Excellent article in the Wall Street Journal on Britain's unsustainable welfare spending:

— 7 million people (over 10% of the UK population) now claim at least one or more sickness or disability benefit. This is up 60% in the past 6 years.

— The UK will spend over £100 billion pound this year on sickness and disability benefits. This is projected to increase to £130 billion a year by 2030.

— No other Western country has seen such a rise in disability claims. In the US, 10.6 million people claim some form of federal disability payment, despite the population being 5x larger.

— 1 in 7 new cars sold in the UK are under the Motability scheme; however, only 10% of cars are modified for a disability. In one dealership, 25 out of 26 cars they sold in August were all under the Motability scheme.

— Charities, consultants, YouTubers and TikTokers have all sprung up, telling people how to maximise benefit access. Some of these videos receive hundreds of thousands of views. Over 1,000 people a day are signing on for PIP.

— According to a Government survey from 2024, 25% of the UK's working age population could theoretically be classed as disabled under the current criteria and access these benefits.

— A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month.

https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/united-kingdom-welfare-disability-payouts-737d77a0

Can you clarify how to get to the 2k figure? Struggling to get the basic, despite chronic disabilities so don't know how people get to that level.

[egg]

1 minute ago, pingpong said:

Can you clarify how to get to the 2k figure? Struggling to get the basic, despite chronic disabilities so don't know how people get to that level.

They don't. Someone's made it up to try to demonstrate that PiP pays more than full time minimum wage. 

I'm also doubtful of the car related figures. Most PiP claimants aren't eligible for mobility cars. 

[Osvaldorama]

If only you knew how bad things really are:

[whelk]

3 hours ago, pingpong said:

Can you clarify how to get to the 2k figure? Struggling to get the basic, despite chronic disabilities so don't know how people get to that level.

Simpletons need things to be simple. Your life would be great if:

A) there were no immigrants

B) welfare scrounger weren’t claiming PIP

A small element of truth, and there are problems in both areas but these guys need pretty binary options as not bright enough to understand nuance and complexity. Their social media feeds just make them more scared and angry on a daily basis highlighting outliers as the norm. I expect their lives haven’t changed  dramatically and nostalgia can cloud peoples views.

Edited 6 hours ago by whelk

[badgerx16]

Especially the point at bottom right.

[Osvaldorama]

9 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Especially the point at bottom right.

You are aware the source is the Wall Street Journal, right?

[badgerx16]

9 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

You are aware the source is the Wall Street Journal, right?

Doesn't stop that article being factually incorrect, as Egg pointed out.

Edited 8 hours ago by badgerx16

[skintsaint]

2 hours ago, pingpong said:

Can you clarify how to get to the 2k figure? Struggling to get the basic, despite chronic disabilities so don't know how people get to that level.

Think you have to have a kid and such. Its broken down here a bit although from 2025 :

https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/newsroom/cost-of-welfare-2025

[Osvaldorama]

2 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Doesn't stop that article being factually incorrect, as Egg pointed out.

Its correct, sorry to burst your weird bubble 

[Farmer Saint]

4 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Its correct, sorry to burst your weird bubble 

It's wrong. Max is £843 a month for a single person. Find us another source that says it's £2k per month.

Edited 8 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[egg]

25 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

You are aware the source is the Wall Street Journal, right?

A newspaper isn't a source. It's a publisher. The source of its info is what matters, you know, actual facts. 

[egg]

13 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Its correct, sorry to burst your weird bubble 

I've given you the actual figures mate. They're correct. I appreciate they don't match your narrative, but that still makes them correct. 

[Osvaldorama]

1 minute ago, egg said:

I've given you the actual figures mate. They're correct. I appreciate they don't match your narrative, but that still makes them correct. 

I personally know someone that makes more than that, so unluckily for you, it’s correct. 

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, egg said:

A newspaper isn't a source. It's a publisher. The source of its info is what matters, you know, actual facts. 

The article is behind a paywall - I was hoping they'd reference their sources for the statistics as they usually would, but unfortunately can't get to it. Maybe Osvaldo can post the full article so we can see it.

[Farmer Saint]

Just now, Osvaldorama said:

I personally know someone that makes more than that, so unluckily for you, it’s correct. 

Alright Soggy, making people up to fit your argument 😂

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

The article is behind a paywall - I was hoping they'd reference their sources for the statistics as they usually would, but unfortunately can't get to it. Maybe Osvaldo can post the full article so we can see it.

https://archive.is/20261012201449/https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/united-kingdom-welfare-disability-payouts-737d77a0

[Farmer Saint]

7 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

https://archive.is/20261012201449/https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/united-kingdom-welfare-disability-payouts-737d77a0

Ok, so that number is made up of:

- Unemployment Benefits

- Too sick to Work Benefits

- Housing Benefits

- PIP

So Osvaldo was wrong then. Perhaps a bit more detail needed from him in future.

The problem is benefits used to be assessed a lot more closely - but those checks were removed during austerity unfortunately. Perhaps we need to reintroduce them, and increase the size of the civil service to do that.

Edited 7 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[egg]

2 hours ago, Osvaldorama said:

I personally know someone that makes more than that, so unluckily for you, it’s correct. 

Not from PiP. A basket of benefits, sure, but nobody gets more than the maximum PiP, because the max is the max. 

Sometimes, it's ok to admit you're wrong.

[Sheaf Saint]

16 minutes ago, egg said:

Not from PiP. A basket of benefits, sure, but nobody gets more than the maximum PiP, because the max is the max. 

Sometimes, it's ok to admit you're wrong.

In all fairness, the text he copied from the article doesn't actually say that someone could claim over £2k in PiP alone. 

[egg]

6 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

In all fairness, the text he copied from the article doesn't actually say that someone could claim over £2k in PiP alone. 

The insinuation was clear"

"A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month".

If he was referring to a basket of benefits l, rather than PiP alone, he should have been clear. 

[Farmer Saint]

22 minutes ago, egg said:

The insinuation was clear"

"A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month".

If he was referring to a basket of benefits l, rather than PiP alone, he should have been clear. 

As ever with the usual suspects, they struggle with detail, context, accuracy and nuance.

Edited 4 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

Glad nothing happened to the tiger because the lunatic’s actions https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ewegny45jvo

Mental health probably but has to be at the extreme end of the spectrum. Sad he’s deceased but what else did he expect? The zoo staff are trained for many years to work safely with dangerous animals. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Glad nothing happened to the tiger because the lunatic’s actions https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ewegny45jvo

Mental health probably but has to be at the extreme end of the spectrum. Sad he’s deceased but what else did he expect? The zoo staff are trained for many years to work safely with dangerous animals. 

Couldn't agree more. A sad incident, and upsetting for the man's family. But pleased that the tiger, unsurprisingly acting like a tiger, is not being put down because of the man going in there.

[whelk]

15 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Couldn't agree more. A sad incident, and upsetting for the man's family. But pleased that the tiger, unsurprisingly acting like a tiger, is not being put down because of the man going in there.

I heard,  but not substantiated, that the man was with a carer and the carer had been distracted, and in that time a severely autistic man had thought he was petting a big cat. That was quite distressing and horrendous to think of but seems that was not the case.

[whelk]

My daughter also said there were videos online but I couldn’t think of possibly wanting to watch. 

[egg]

21 minutes ago, whelk said:

I heard,  but not substantiated, that the man was with a carer and the carer had been distracted, and in that time a severely autistic man had thought he was petting a big cat. That was quite distressing and horrendous to think of but seems that was not the case.

Blimey, that's very sad if correct. Regardless, what a horrible way to go, and to have witnessed. 

[Turkish]

29 minutes ago, whelk said:

My daughter also said there were videos online but I couldn’t think of possibly wanting to watch. 

there were and i saw one of them. They did look like that and the tiger looked like he was playing with him, but obviously playing with a 200kg Tiger is not the same as playing with a 5kg domestic cat. 

[Sheaf Saint]

2 hours ago, egg said:

The insinuation was clear"

"A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month".

If he was referring to a basket of benefits l, rather than PiP alone, he should have been clear. 

It was clear enough to me that's what it means. 

Lord knows I disagree with Osvaldorama on most things political, and he has clearly been guilty of re-posting stuff without fact-checking it many times. But play the ball, not the man. There's nothing factually incorrect about what he's copied and pasted here, and you've picked out one snippet that could be misconstrued and used it to have a pop at him. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

47 minutes ago, whelk said:

I heard,  but not substantiated, that the man was with a carer and the carer had been distracted, and in that time a severely autistic man had thought he was petting a big cat. That was quite distressing and horrendous to think of but seems that was not the case.

 

45 minutes ago, whelk said:

My daughter also said there were videos online but I couldn’t think of possibly wanting to watch. 

The beeb report was keen to point out that he was alone, despite online reports, and that police had asked for the videos not to be shared.

[Gloucester Saint]

How difficult is it for Stagecoach and South Hams District Council to phone each other and see whose land the tree is on?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw62m2pm3v3eo

[egg]

25 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

It was clear enough to me that's what it means. 

Lord knows I disagree with Osvaldorama on most things political, and he has clearly been guilty of re-posting stuff without fact-checking it many times. But play the ball, not the man. There's nothing factually incorrect about what he's copied and pasted here, and you've picked out one snippet that could be misconstrued and used it to have a pop at him. 

We'll agree to differ. His point was very clear to me - PiP can pay you more than minimum wage, not PiP coupled with other benefits. I haven't seen the beyond the paywall article to see whether his quote was accurate, but if it was, the punctuation was unfortunate if it was to be interpreted as you have.