Challenging stereotypes of living on the dole

THE other night, Channel 5 showed a documentary called ‘On Benefits and Proud’, the latest in a series of programmes often described as “poverty porn”.

From the trailers and website, it portrays the norm as people not in work but ‘working the system’.

A group of jobseekers, single parents and disabled people (called Dole Animators) have created a film called “All in this together?” which has just launched. It explores the lived reality of claiming social security while Government welfare reform is implemented.

While the Government and most media are quick to characterise benefits as a lifestyle choice, the research into the film shows individuals who need real and meaningful help to find work (currently not provided by the Work Programme).

Ruth Patrick, whose research led to the initiation of the film, said: “So long as the Government focuses so firmly on conditions and sanctions, accompanied with negative and stigmatising language about those forced to rely on benefits, their welfare reforms are likely to fail.”

But perhaps the comment that encapsulates the film best was from the group itself who agreed on a closing comment: “We warn you not to be ill, not to have an accident, not to lose your job, not to have dreams or aspirations. We warn you not to make the choices we didn’t make.”

It is worth checking out www.doleanimators.org for a counterpoint to so much of current stereotyping media coverage.