Any benefit experts?

There were some terrible reactions to the Jewish children evacuated from Germany to the UK in 1939....

 

Researching editions of old local papers is fascinating. The letter pages are the equivalent of twitter. Shows what people thought at the time which is often at odds with the myths that everyone believes in today.

 

Welcome to Tory Britain. They want you to die.

I sincerely hope your friend receives a decent response to his plight. I wish him well.

 

Good news is DWP have been in touch, bad news is they have reduced his money to £6.32 a week based on his tax return for last year.
On the unemployable bit, my wording was perhaps out, I meant he is saying he can’t work as he has only worked as a joiner for the last 40 years and with one leg he can’t do his job.
They asked whilst on call what is he entitled to and they have confirmed he has applied for everything and has to wait for process.
CA booked for Monday so hopefully they can speed up for him.

 

We are way off topic on this thread especially with the latest developments but..

I agree with your last sentence about many people crossing have family / speak English and also the difficulty applying for asylum without. I also agree a system enabling applying for UK admission from outside UK thus depriving people smugglers of exploiting desperate people . There will always be some that will try to circumvent any system but it would make the numbers more manageable.

However, 'illegals' is the correct term albeit the system makes it so. Many have already endured hazardous crossing from Turkey, Libya to reach Greece or Italy. Once on mainland Europe and within the EU they are in a safe haven. Making there way across Europe through France and then risking their lives a second time to cross the channel suggest many of these (most are young single men) are no longer endangered refugees but economic migrants. Again, I don't see the problem of people wanting a better lfe but the system is swamped with huge numbers in Italy Spain and UK. This clogs up the system making processing of genuine refugees fleeing persecution rape torture and death slow and mean they are unable to get timely help they so desperately need.

 

It's a fact that they get less here than in other countries, and the motivation for coming is, as I stated, predominantly due to family ties or language.

As for the "young men" point, why would you pay for and risk the entire family unit on a single dinghy when the man can come and, if his application is approved, arrange for safer passage?

 

Unfortunately. He will think he can't work, but the DWP will have the opinion that he is fit for work of some kind. The fact that he probably won't ever get back to work won't come into their thinking. They're pretty much set up to deny the needy.
DIAL will help with the form filling. There are key words and phrases in the statements he uses on the form, that will make or break his claim.