MGD
A tad behind the times!
Girobank (from where the derogatory term "cashing a giro" came) was sold by HMG to Alliance & Leicester in 1990. A&L like Abbey National is now owned by Santander UK which is the British arm of a Spanish Bank.
If you are out of work in the UK you receive Job Seekers Allowance (by BACS to a Post Office Account or normal Current Account) for a maximum of 26 weeks at £70.30 per week. If you have a wife/husband in work that's your wack as even if you have paid full NI for years, you will not be eligible for a means tested benefit after that. Hardly a life of luxury but yes the system is still there to be abused by a small minority the cost of which is a pinprick in comparison to tax planning/dodging by the UK Companies and the rich.
This country needs jobs but there is little sign that we have the means to create anything like the number needed. Our education system is failing our children in raising false expectations. The harsh reality is that many will be competing for work with Indian and Chinese workers as our Financial Services Companies continue to offshore work in the same way as our manufacturing industry has had to do in recent years.
Those of you in the Home Counties who think you are immune to this really need to waken up. We have all been asleep in the UK since 1990 when the Wall came down and Germany pushed east to claim by business what it had often sought through war. In the meantime we played at monopoly and with monopoly money!