Now Mr Gumooschmitd and his dynamo son, serve as a genuine, living analogy for the British benefits charity system. When his son, aged 42, became unemployed 80 year old Mr Gumooshmitd came in to help his son make a benefit claim. On the return visit the son did not even come along, just his dad. Now apparently, his son had been made unemployed because his employer was wanting someone with a more ‘go-getting’ attitude. On the second visit I asked Mr Gumooshmitd whether he thought sorting the benefit application for his adult son was going to help him develop a ‘go-getting’ spirit that would impress future employers, I told him directly that he would be helping his son more by leaving him to make his own benefit enquiries. That recommendation was met by a blank look. The next day Mr Gumooschmitd returned, again without his son.

I am somewhat reminded of baby-bouncers, a child in elastic reigns suspended in the middle of a door way, so that they can bounce up and down without getting into any harm, while mother is doing a little housework. In short, the benefit system encourages reliance; I believe in a welfare state, but a welfare state that helps people to help themselves, unfortunately the benefit system excuses self-irresponsibility rather than re-educating self-irresponsibility.