I asked the Office for National Statistics

There is evidence that a small minority of people may choose long-term benefit dependency when they could work, but there is no strong evidence that this applies to “many” Britons. Most benefit claimants receive support because of age, disability, illness, low pay, caring responsibilities, or temporary unemployment rather than because they have chosen benefits as a preferred lifestyle

Posted By: jamesward on June 3rd 2026 at 16:46:17

Message Thread

Good representation of where public spending goes on this website (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 12:13:32
- Not nearly enough on public sector pensions. (General Chat) - Snakepit Divorceee, Jun 3, 17:30:25
  - Haha rage baiting gold 🏆 (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 18:49:10
- That is genuinely interesting and shows the real challenges, and why (General Chat) - megson, Jun 3, 14:07:14
- reading below , and a lot of posts are about pensioners (General Chat) - ghostof barry butler, Jun 3, 13:41:28
  - I don't think it will be ours though will it. It's just not sustainable (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 13:58:08
- I blame the pensioners (n/m) (General Chat) - Klobo04, Jun 3, 12:33:52
  - Was just about to say they’re a massive issue (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 12:40:20
    - Prison abolition? (General Chat) - Ottosson Foxtrot, Jun 3, 13:11:00
      - Hehe (n/m) (General Chat) - Augustus Pablo, Jun 3, 20:43:33
- Public spending is going on this website? (General Chat) - Ottosson Foxtrot, Jun 3, 12:29:57
  - under Welfare (n/m) (General Chat) - Jumbo1, Jun 3, 12:31:38
- Yes it makes you think (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 12:27:11
  - Ban it all and scrap the free NHS etc 🇺🇸 (n/m) (General Chat) - footymadman, Jun 3, 18:16:51
  - yup, and yet those pensioners make up the core Reform voter base (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 12:44:51
    - Triple lock needs to go (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 13:05:50
      - i would do this (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:27:37
        
        Re: solar and renewables (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 15:52:06
        
        its huge. I'm CFO of a company in the renewable energy sector (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 17:01:41
        
        For some reason I read that with the headvoice of Billy Bleach from The Fast Show (General Chat) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, Jun 3, 14:29:49
        
        Motability is such a red herring (General Chat) - CWC, Jun 3, 14:18:49
        
        Of course he didn't report her. She's not Johnny Foreigner. (n/m) (General Chat) - Henclrikus, Jun 3, 14:27:56
        
        urm i actually did (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 14:58:14
        
        What did she say was wrong with her? (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 15:45:31
        
        New drilling in the North Sea won't make a difference: (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 13:38:59
        
        everybody says it will be traded globally ... why (General Chat) - ghostof barry butler, Jun 3, 15:06:29
        
        Because (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 16:30:14
        
        Well I guess the options are (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 16:07:48
        
        Probably not in a hurry (n/m) (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 15:53:33
        
        interesting, will have a look. If traded globally surely that's more income for the gov (n/m) (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:41:50
        
        Well maxing out existing fields could increase govt tax revenues (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 16:03:24
        
        So you'd deprive any johnny-foreigner of benefits (General Chat) - Henclrikus, Jun 3, 13:38:36
        
        Yes I would absolutely deprive Johnny Foreigner from benefits (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 13:55:44
        
        The majority of immigrants have no recourse to public funds. (General Chat) - The Gaffer, Jun 3, 18:15:45
        
        “The idea of importing people from overseas” (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 15:58:37
        
        It’s a factual statement of affairs (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 16:15:38
        
        “Hurty words”. FFS. That’s not what I said at all. (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 21:15:22
        
        Glad you are no longer a teacher (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 21:41:24
        
        Because I believe in the truth? Wow. (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 21:46:59
        
        Your idea of the truth (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 22:04:21
        
        Good grief (n/m) (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 22:30:52
        
        British people don’t want to wipe arses or pick fruit and veg (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 15:48:41
        
        This is true and it’s part of a much bigger conversation (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 16:18:53
        
        "The benefits system is now a lifestyle choice for many Brits" (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 16:31:57
        
        Are you really asking this question? (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 16:38:50
        
        Yes. What's the answer? (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 16:51:54
        
        Consider me unsurprised that you aren't basing it on any evidence (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:41:36
        
        I will provide personal experience (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 18:38:07
        
        so would you say that for your sister in law it's a lifestyle choice? (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 20:36:23
        
        It’s a lifestyle choice and a financial choice (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 20:55:16
        
        Keir Starmer seems to think so, but what does he know? (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 17:17:35
        
        What did he actually say? (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:30:14
        
        You tend to think he's wrong on most other things tbf (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 17:20:51
        
        Well, it would be a curious thing for the PM to get so very wrong, no? (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 17:30:10
        
        To be fair he does say "some" (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 17:32:27
        
        No, that's not a quote from the article (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:33:47
        
        It's behind a Times paywall, but this from ChatGPT (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 17:42:37
        
        right. So no evidence so far that he said benefits are a lifestyle choice for many Brits (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:47:37
        
        I don't have access to the article, which was in the Times (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 18:48:43
        
        So no evidence (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 20:39:49
        
        🤦‍♂️ (n/m) (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 21:00:38
        
        Anecdotal “evidence” isn’t enough to form a base for government policy (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 21:44:34
        
        For gods sake, this is a message board, not a parliamentary committee (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 22:21:37
        
        I do agree with you (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 22:35:27
        
        .... (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 22:28:41
        
        Yeah, whatever (General Chat) - APB, Jun 3, 22:34:10
        
        I do think many are rather naive about things (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 22:42:59
        
        Why is the welfare bill increasing so rapidly? (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 18:43:29
        
        I'd need to spend time looking at the data. but I would guess it's (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 20:38:01
        
        Agree an ageing population is a (n/m) (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 20:56:19
        
        a major contributor (General Chat) - JoeyDeacon, Jun 3, 20:57:42
        
        What did he say? (n/m) (General Chat) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 3, 17:30:30
        
        I asked the Office for National Statistics (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 16:46:17
        
        not my relative. and if you see I was criticising her and the scheme. (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:40:45
        
        😂 🎩👆🏼 (n/m) (General Chat) - JD3, Jun 3, 13:47:57
  - Too many old people (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 12:37:17
    - C.f. Logan's Run (n/m) (General Chat) - Under soil heating, Jun 3, 13:24:58
    - bring in compulsory executions at 70 years old. You get 2 years of fun then off you go (n/m) (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 12:54:10
      - what about old people who worked, saved and can pay their way? (General Chat) - paulg, Jun 3, 13:30:21
        
        tough (General Chat) - CWC, Jun 3, 15:12:49
        
        they'll cost the NHS though. Maybe I would consider it if they pay for private healthcare (n/m) (General Chat) - Tony Martin, Jun 3, 13:32:02
    - Indeed - "benefits" paid to working age people are basically just subsidies to businesses (General Chat) - mr carra, Jun 3, 12:48:33
      - Agreed, a ridiculous situation (n/m) (General Chat) - phrankin, Jun 3, 20:22:47
    - Maybe this is explains the plan. Destroy the NHS, people stop living as long, (General Chat) - Legacy Fan, Jun 3, 12:45:17
    - says grandad (n/m) (General Chat) - camcan, Jun 3, 12:40:20
      - Haha, and I took my NHS pension early (n/m) (General Chat) - jamesward, Jun 3, 12:59:20
    - This is a key problem (General Chat) - Knitted Jesus, Jun 3, 12:40:02
      - Stop the pensioners (n/m) (General Chat) - SCC 28, Jun 3, 12:48:30

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