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What do you think about benefits?

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Benefits are often hotly debated, wherever you live, with opinions swinging from those who believe anyone should be able to claim to those who think no-one should. So I wanted to collect informal opinions. What do you think about benefits?
Where do your loyalties lie in politics?
Far left
Left
Centre
Right
Far right
Undecided
Unsure what these classifications mean
Which statement represents your thoughts about benefits?
A complete waste of tax-payer money; I would rather have a better NHS and better roads than pay a lazy person not to work!
We need to give benefits out, but it needs to be based on more stringent testing, so the fraudsters don't get our money.
Benefits would be good, as long as they never earn more than a working person, so that the loafers are encouraged to get jobs.
They sound like a good idea, but most benefits are paid fraudulently to "job seekers" and people who have fake "disabilities".
Benefits are necessary.
Some form of government assistance is necessary, for disabled people or poor people, but I'm not sure benefits are the answer.
Unsure
What do you think of TV shows such as BBC's "Saints and Scroungers", which tells stories of fraudulent benefit claims and the people who were helped to claim benefits they rightly deserve? (Please indicate whether or not you have watched this show)
It shows the awful truth; benefits are mostly claimed by money-grabbing frauds.
They are enlightening, but maybe somewhat sensationalist.
They show a balanced, unbiased view of the benefits system.
Too much time is dedicated to frauds; they represent a tiny portion of claims.
I wish they showed more of the "Saints"; the public already think all benefit claimants are rotten scroungers, they don't need more ammunition!
I've watched this show
I've never watched this show
What percentage of benefit claimants do you believe shouldn't receive any benefits whatsoever?
0%
0.1% to 10%
10.1% to 20%
20.1% to 30%
30.1% to 40%
40.1% to 50%
50.1% to 60%
60.1% to 70%
70.1% to 80%
80.1% to 90%
90.1% to 99.9%
100%
Unsure
Out of every £100 claimed in benefits, what amount do you believe is claimed fraudulently, to the nearest £1? (If you live outside of the UK, please convert to your currency, ie USA, where it says £, think $)
£1 or less
£2 to £10
£11 to £20
£21 to £30
£31 to £40
£41 to £50
£51 to £60
£61 to £70
£71 to £80
£81 to £90
£91 to £99
£100
Do you live, or have you ever lived, in the UK?
Yes
No (please put your country of residence)
Do you claim benefits of any sort?
Yes- benefits are my primary income
Yes- benefits supplement my income greatly
Yes- benefits supplement my income somewhat
Yes- to a very low degree; it has little impact on my income
No
Which of these definitions most closely matches your definition of benefits?
Any government funding which results in lower spending/ increased income for an individual
Money paid directly into a claimant's account because they are incapable of working in the eyes of the government.
Money paid to a claimant by the government.
A waste of tax-payer's money
Other- please give a brief definition
The government pays benefits to people who are , with money from . I personally think the government should spend on benefits, and that Cameron's pledge to "make work pay" is . The idea that benefits should always be less than the amount earned through work is . Overall, my opinion on benefits is that .
Either: Write a short story (a paragraph) based on "a day in the life of a benefit claimant". Include usual daily activities and the sort of lifestyle they have. OR In one paragraph, describe the difference between a benefit claimant and a tax-paying worker.
Which one word describes what you think of the government in relation to their handling of benefits claims?
What do you think the majority of the public thinks about benefits and their claimants?
Very negative opinion
Negative opinion
Unbiased opinion
Positive opinion
Very positive opinion
Skeptical
I don't think there is a majority opinion
Unsure
How do you think the media portrays benefits and their claimants?
Very negatively
Negatively
Unbiasedly
Positively
Very positively
Unsure
Fill in the gaps to do describe yourself: I am , and years old. I live in . I live with and my position in the house is . I the primary bill-payer and am responsible for children.
Finally, do you think benefits are the moral obligation of a compassionate country?
Yes
No
This poll was created on 2013-07-09 16:26:48 by dellk