Growing up in and still living in one of the highest unemployed areas of Manchester, I know many, many people who play the system to get more benefits than they would otherwise be entitled to. However, it isn't like the typical Daily Mail benefit cheat story that you see; these people are still **** poor and scraping to get by. There simply isn't enough work to go around and it is instilled in these people that it is now acceptable to do this.
As an example of why some people that I know have done it:
A close friend of mine was claiming JSA for 6 months at age 19 when he was told he had to attend a compulsory work finding course through the jobcentre. Whilst on the course, low and behold they managed to secure him a job as a window cleaner which he was very grateful for, so he signed off to start work.
What the window cleaner who employed him had managed to hide from both my friend and the jobcentre is that he was only willing to pay him £100 a week for working ~35 hours in all conditions. My friend basically had two options: report the guy to the jobcentre, in which case he would just be let go and have no work whatsoever, or continue to work whilst claiming JSA to boost his income by £50 a week and at least be able to buy enough food and pay some rent. It's a no brainer.
So, yes I know people who cheat the system but when we are talking about them still coming out with only £600 per month for working a 35 hour week, I can't really begrudge them that 'privilege'.
