How do the unemployed continue to smoke and wear designer clothes?

Question

Every time I travel through a council estate, see one on the news or pass one in the street they all smoke and wear designer sports gear that even I cant afford!!! Whos paying for this? I fear I am in taxes.....

Answer 1

try living on benefits you ******* moron

Answer 2

What should they be doing, sitting in rags and begging for food at the road side?Would that make you feel better as you complete your omnibus journey through other peoples lives

Ive got an idea, why dont you get off the bus and ask them about it? i,m sure people would have an answer for you.

Bloody social voyeurs like you make me sick, try a bit of how the other half live before you make your mouth go. Perhaps if all you had to do was smoke and the only way you could show that you were as good as everyone else was dress your kids in decent gear you might have a bit of perspective.

And another thing your bit tax doesnt feed the world you know, we all pay tax, including many of those people on the quiant council estates you are so observant of.

Answer 3

I live on a council estate in a council house. I work. My partner works. So do the people who live next door, across the street, up the street and down the street. The only ones who don't are pensioners. Plus please tell me how you identify "The unemployed"? Do they all have a special mark or something? People on the streets have a right to be there you know...what are you doing there at that time? some people of course do shift work and work nights or mornings or afters so stop being so judgemental about people who just look, to your wildly prejudiced mind, as if they are "unemployed".
Should the time come when you are made redundant or sacked and have to sign on I hope you recall your attitude. And don't say it would never happen to you. No-one can predict the future. It's very difficult living on benefits and many people have had no options when their workplaces closed and they got thrown out of work. Too many jobs require 'previous experience' and may be very unlike the work that redundant workers used to do.

Answer 4

I am a retired person - most unemployed people are normal people with problems of one sort or another. They are still people - would you expect them to go round in rags and eat dirt? Luckily, in this day and age in this country we pay our
taxes and help others less fortunate than ourselves. You do not know under what circumstances people live - if smoking helps them to alleviate the tediousness of their everyday lives, is that bad. Maybe they have a family where they get second hand clothes from and who buys them cigarettes. They will have the same tastes and needs as all of us. I learned a long time that you cannot change others, you can only change yourself. Therefore, I suggest you learn to be more generous and not pass judgement on other people. Who knows, you may be in those circumstances some day yourself - hopefully people will be non-judgemental to you

Answer 5

As most council estates are under private ownership these days, I can't understand what you are judging and how you know the people are unemployed. Is it that you feel that a person should not smoke and wear designer clothes because he lives in a particular style of pre-war house ? Go down the job centre............not too much designer gear there I assure you.

Answer 6

The Unemployed are at home and in bed with the heating off wondering what they can sell next when the food runs out again. They don't even answer the door for fear it's the man to cut off the electricity or repossess the furniture.

I don't know who those people are that you call "The Unemployed" but they're not the unemployed. They're possibly the extended family of plumbers or a taxi drivers and their ex-wives.

If it's so cushy to be unemployed, how come you're so scared of it?

Answer 7

I do think that some people are just ponces and don't want to work, and they're the ones that create this stereotypical image of the 18-year-old Burberry-wearing, chain-smoking mother-of-eight. I hate that my hard-earned taxes keep that sort supplied with cigarettes, when I sometimes have to empty the penny-jar just to make up the money to buy mine. But there are so many people trying to escape their circumstances, to no avail. It's a shame. I do believe that if the government didn't give the unemployed such an easy ride, it would make people get up and get a job, but I don't think we should tarnish them all with the same brush. Perhaps their clothes are second-hand, gifts or market clobber. Who knows? These people you see might not even be unemployed - how would you know by looking at them? As a matter of fact, the next time you see one of these people passing you, ask him/her their circumstances. They might suprise you.

Answer 8

I have often asked that very question! And also wondered how they afford the full cable TV package (movies too) as well as plenty of money for smoking, socialising, clothes, decorating and booze.
But hey lets get real...not all people do this. It is a minority of people and i am basing my answer on. people i know that could work but choose not to and seem to escape the system. In other words they are claiming they are unable to work get disablement benefit but really could work!
I want to point out that I do not think this of all folk at all as I know there is a flipside that some do want to work but cannot get jobs.
Most of them that I have come across are claiming benefits AND working for cash in hand on the side!

Answer 9

I saw you going down our street, and do you know I was really uplifted to see such an hardworking chap like you slumming on our estate. Sad that you were wearing outdated and scruffy gear. Why don't you get in with the crowd at the social they will tell you all the dodges. Hope we see you again soon, bloody hell love I,m out of cigars again.

Answer 10

Get a grip. The unemployed and not getting rich off the state. In fact no one can honestly live on state handouts and believe me a lot have tried.

What you do not take into account is that some of these people have richer aunties and uncles who give them "unrecorded handouts". Now, to the best of my knowledge, people are not required to report every gift. (Unlike MP's)

Just because some may be poor does not mean their family members are the same.

For instance, a friend of mine has a brother who works in the city - a millionaire. And gives him his old car every three years when he gets a new one.

so to reduce human nature and vast complexities to a quick look at a council estate is a non starter. Also the fact that it looks like a council estate is also deceptive. And It is also arguable if you are correct to say they were unemployed just because they live on a council estate. They may just have bought flats there.

Answer 11

you are probably partially right - however these days you can by designer stuff cheaply from places like tk max - i am writing this a little tongue in cheek as i do get your point having been a tax payer for the last 35 years. it seems as though we foot the bill for everyone else who has never and doesn't want to work.

i personally have never been unemployed although i have no qualifications having left school at 15 but I've known families who are 4th generation claimers - no friends of mine i hasten to add