Corruption of thought

Here James Bartholomew comments on a UK TV programme called "On The Fiddle". He looks at how benefit fraud officers take a very lenient line with sole parents and makes this observation,

In all jobs, there is a tendency to 'go native'. This is true of diplomats, people sent to Brussels to work for the EU, journalists, lawyers and on and on. People in many jobs start thinking in terms themselves and of the people with whom they come into contact. Those who visit prisons often come to be more concerned about the prisoners they come in contact with than the victims of their crimes, whom they never see. I wonder whether benefit officials come to be more sympathetic to benefit frauds than to the taxpayers these fraudsters are stealing from?

I was making a similar point in this letter published in the Hutt News last week. It responds to a woman who advocates for beneficiaries.

I recently read a quote which went something like, just as thought can corrupt language so can language corrupt thought. There is an example of this in last week's Hutt News. Speaking about the looming abolition of the Special Benefit, which is a top-up on a main benefit, Teresa Homan said, "The Government has done away with the safety net."

It was always my understanding that any benefit is a safety net. But Ms Homan's words reveal that people who advocate for beneficiaries see main benefits as entitlements, with any extra assistance forming "safety nets". That is the viewpoint they impress on their clients.

Hence, being on welfare has morphed into a permanent lifestyle for thousands of people. Even the Labour Government has grown concerned about this state of affairs, especially when the newspapers are packed with job opportunities for both skilled and unskilled people.

Perhaps even a few hours work could be considered to replace any lost top-up, although I note the main thrust of the article was to urge beneficiaries to get in now before it is too late - in other words, anticipate your hardship.