The definition of scrounging is seeking to obtain something, generally food or money, at the expense or generosity of others.
Scroungers is a term generally labelled to those claiming benefits, such as job seekers allowance, tax credits or disability benefits.
My question today is, are these people really scroungers? If not, who are the true scroungers?
Firstly, do you honestly think these people sought to be on these benefits? A small minority of the JSA claimants, possibly. However, I’m almost 100% certain nobody claiming disability allowances asked to be so disabled they can’t work. Did Harry down the road ask to be born with no legs? Did Bill ask to be in that car accident that left him crippled? I’m pretty sure the answer is no. Did that single mum ask for her relationship not to work out leaving her unable to work? Did Dan ask for his job not to be enough to cover all his living expenses? Did anybody ask for the cost of rent to rise beyond belief? Again, I don’t think they did.
So, by definition, those who claim benefits are not, generally speaking, scroungers. They are people that have been given no other option than to need help due to impossible situations just to live. And I’ll happily pay my taxes to help them with this, because each and every one of us is no more than a breath away from being in that situation.
Now for my second question. Who are the real scroungers?
We’ve already established that scrounging is obtaining something at the expense of others. So who does this? While some of our taxes do go to benefits, I don’t think we can say it’s so much that it’s at our expense.
What has happened at our expense is our services being privatised, such as the NHS, postal services and so on. Affordable housing has been taken from us. Education funding has been reduced. Disability benefits have been reduced. MPs have had a tax reduction and avoid taxes on incomes they should be paying for, along with many other wealthy people. One word. Panama. They claim expenses for things like taxis and breakfast like they can’t afford it. At our expense. If they paid their fair share of taxes and claim expenses with more care, the world would be a much better place for everyone. That to me is scrounging. That to me is freeloading.
From Rebecca Wallace
‪#UnityMarchUK‬
