If only 26k was the peak it would be bad enough. My boss says his wife, who works part time at a post office, has to pay several clients over £1000 per week. THATS PER WEEK!!!! They have to come in twice as they are only allowed to collect £600 or so at a time. Cheeky barstewards travel there in a taxi. Many years ago I knew a woman, through the father of her 2 kids, who had a council house. She then decided to go and live with her sister in Poole so gave the house to another sister & husband. 6 weeks later she returned and rented a 3 bedroom house & gave the monthly bill to the council, who of course were obliged to pay it. Absolute madness. The trouble is they learn the rules, and how to use them, from those who are already fleecing the system. I knew a mother who worked for the council who used her knowledge. She rented a room in her 3 bedroom house to her boyfriend (oh sorry, lodger) that the council paid for. One of her daughters had 5 kids and never did a days work in her life and of course milked the system. Lots of us have probably laughed ourselves silly watching Shameless, but at times, it's probably very near to the truth. Oh and yes, a lot of alcholics do get beer money daily, one of the things that I was absolutely gobsmacked at when I heard it.