A Gen Z graduate has complained that claiming benefits is harder than a “full time job,” saying “working people would have a breakdown”.
Joshua Bishop – not his real name – 27, studied philosophy at university with a masters in business but has been struggling to find work since finishing his course in October.
Bishop has been claiming Universal Credit, while complaining about Britain’s benefits system on his TikTok account.
In one video he said people who work for a living would not be able to cope if forced to live on Universal Credit for a week. He also said he was a “god-d*** graduate, not some random refugee or something trying to milk the system”.
Bishop has been claiming Universal Credit, while complaining about Britain’s benefits system on his TikTok account
Getty
The Edinburgh native explained that he receives £400 per month benefit payment and a council flat as long as he attends weekly meetings and shows evidence he is seeking a job.
He slammed the system, calling the process of undergoing meetings at the job centre a “humiliation ritual.”
He claimed staff try to “shame” and “psychologically manipulate” him into getting jobs unrelated to his education.
“They’re giving me constant homework and it’s misguided help because they’re adding more layers of bureaucracy,” he said.
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“They obviously have this method of trying to get people off [Universal Credit] with guilt or shame but for some people it just makes them more pig-headed.”
He added: “[Staff are] heavy-handed and say things like ‘make sure you do it or you won’t get your payment’. It’s psychological manipulation.”
Bishop has said he wants to get a job in his field, and wants to focus on applying for jobs on Indeed instead of constantly tracking information and doing work for Universal Credit.
He claimed he is getting “burned out,” and said he will have to start earning his money from TikTok.
However, at the same time, the recent grad has also shared the “positive” side of being on benefits
TikTok
“Maybe this TikTok thing will work out and I won’t need a real job anyway. I can just make videos and make money. That would be cool,” he said.
However, at the same time, the recent grad has also shared the “positive” side of being on benefits, claiming he now had more freedom to do what he enjoys such as gaming and watching documentaries.
Angry users have hit out at Bishop, branding him as “lazy.”
One TikTok user commented: “Comparing a full time job to attending one singular meeting a week is insane.”
Another said: “What a useless member of society. Just can’t be bothered to work or to go to a single meeting a week so then cries “mental health’. Give it a break.”
A third called the 27-year-old a “lazy scrounger”.
However, others agreed with his point of view, with someone saying: “Hope you get better soon. To all the haters- jot down how you would live on £400 per month.”