Spanish Corruption

BBC News reported

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has fiercely denied corruption allegations, pledging that Spain will see off its worst financial crisis in recent years.
He said his Popular Party (PP) was committed to reforms that would steer Spain away from the financial crisis.
Mr Rajoy rejected opposition calls for his resignation after a newspaper published images of documents allegedly showing secret payments to PP members.
He said the claims were "totally false" and denied receiving illegal money.
Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Mr Rajoy said his government remained strong and would overcome the accusations, which have sparked protests and an online petition for his resignation signed by 850,000 people.
"The government is stable. The PP has a majority," Mr Rajoy said. "It's carrying out its agenda based on reforms."

Whilst Mr Rahoy may believe there is no corruption at the top of the Spanish tree, I have a question for him.

Where has all the money gone?

We have an apartment on La Torre Golf Resort. There were approx. 1,000 units sold on site. Lets say at an average of £100,000, which was probably the very least that they would have originally sold at.

Just in the area around La Torre is,

Mar Menor

Hacienda Riquelme

Terrazas 

El Valle

Condado, all in the Polaris Group, then

3 Molinos
Mosa
Peraleja
Serena
Roda
United Golf resort
To name just a few

Most of the money would be coming into Spain from other EU countries.

Add on to this all the expenditure in furnishing the apartments, Villas & Townhouses.

The costs of Car Hire and living expenses

There are a number of fraudulently built resorts, where investors were ripped off, more money into the Spanish economy.

So who has all the money?

Warner and Blazer accused of fraud by CONCACAF

Fraud and corruption?

Maybe UPS will give them a job.

It's a perfect match

Dear Albert, again

No sign of the Police yet.

Why are Unite still treating me a member?
I unsubscribed from your mailing list's, yet have been added back on.

You are receiving this email as a member of Unite. If you would prefer not to receive

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Having unsubscribed, I was sent a card.
You can't even spell my name right. Maybe that's how my membership was "lost!!!!!!"

Now that's harassment.

Having logged my claim, (See previous posts) I have been unable to follow it up at the local Police station. I know that I said I was going to call in, but due to the fact that my Mum has had a stroke I have had more important things to do. Just in case you think that I was making an idle threat.

Not a gig guide

In a strange turn of events on Sunday, I was banished to the footie.
Very strange in the fact that other than being invited to a couple of games last season by a Leeds season ticket holder, I haven't been under my own steam for quite a while.
Mandy, of course had an under-lying reason, other than feeling guilty, she wanted me out of the way while she started the packing, and it transpired a bit of moving around.

Having been regularly to Spain for the last 6 or so years, I had occasionally mentioned going to see Real Murcia. They had popped up in conversation on holiday when I realised that they were playing Villarreal.

Was up nice and early to watch the Chinese GP and left a few laps from the end to ensure that I was OK for the noon kick-off. Having travelled into Murcia on a Sunday morning a couple of years ago I knew that the traffic could be quite (very) heavy. What I failed to take into account that when I left our apartment, Fernando Alonso was leading by quite a margin. This made the roads rather quite, the back road from the resort is a nice twisty country road, and of course, not having Mandy and the kids in the car, let me loose without the cries of I'm feeling sick. The C3, fresh out of the box, with only delivery mileage on it when we collected it from the hire company,  handled well on the back roads, but was out of its depth on the Motorway. However there is a long stretch of the A30 which has only an 80 km limit on it as it drops through the Carascoy national park. The quiet motorway gave me chance to catch the impressive view over Murcia,
which, normally being surrounded by Spanish maniacs, I don't always get the chance to fully appreciate. Absolutely stunning panoramic views.

The lack of traffic meant I had bags of time as I pulled up by the "Estadio Nueva Condomina", why don't all new stadia look as good as this? Capacity is around 31,000, ample for most clubs.

Did you know that Real Murcia hold the record (8) for the number of 2nd division title wins? No? Neither did I.

There is ample parking around the stadium, though I was a little worried by a few dodgy characters that were loitering around. Also impressive were the numbers of coaches that had come down the coast from Villarreal. I was reminded of a Weds v. Toon game a few years back when there were coaches all the way up Penistone Road from Hillsborough. I lost/stopped counting at 38 on Sunday.

How the mighty have fallen, possibly another Toon reference. Yellow submarine fans were sporting shirts with Capdevila, Cazorla & Coloccini, to name a few I can remember (and had heard of)

Having parked up I meandered over to the stadium, eventually completing a full lap in a quest to find the ticket office. Turned out it was right in front of me as I entered the stadium grounds, but was right by the section of the ground where the Villarreal fans were queuing to get in.

UPS security Guards were liberally dotted around the stadium

Note to self, brush up on pidgin Spanish next time you want to buy a ticket. Having said that, couldn't have got myself a better seat.

Though I was surrounded by Jocks & Scousers

Temperature outside the stadium was a decent 27 degrees, add to the mix Murcia were in the relegation dog-fight and that Villarreal would go into 2nd place with a victory, the stadium should have been a boiling, or at least a simmering powder-keg awaiting to erupt.

How wrong can you be?

Was disappointed that my new favourite player wasn't in fact called Mustacchio as I thought that I'd heard, but Musacchio.

A totally inept first half had me thinking if there had been a chance on target, when out of no-where Murcia took the lead. Villarreal's goalie clawing the ball back from over the line before the goal was given. The only light in a dull first half. Good decision by the ref who gave the goal straight away without consulting the linesman. The goalie clearly well behind the line even from my view at the opposite end.

Kike, scorer of the goal reminded me of the typical old fashioned lazy English centre forward, hardly broke into a sweat the whole game.

Villarreal being a goal down and desperate for the points, you would've thought they'd have come out fighting with all guns blazing......wrong again. Even with Murcia down to 9 men at one point they seemed lacklustre

Murcia spent much of the 2nd half wasting time, which in the end would be their own downfall. It's something that I've never understood in football. Being a goal up you'd want the game over as soon as possible, more on that later.

Several comedy dives and prat-falls into the second half, a Villarreal player went down like the proverbial sack of tatties, looked like it may have been an off the ball punch. Guilty party Matilla stayed on the pitch for an age, having been shown the straight red card, before leaving to take his place on the bench. Ignored by the linesman & 4th official, Mateo Vaquero (Matthew Cowboy, please insert your own joke) the ref had to trek across the pitch to send him down the tunnel. The game resumed with Matilla standing in the tunnel. Again ignored by the 4th official & linesman the game was stopped by the ref and Matilla, still arguing, shown the way to the dressing room. Do these officials have any authority?

Down to 10 men Murcia had little to do in holding back Villarreal, another comedy highlight was the shooting of a Murcia player, I couldn't see where the grassy knoll was, again another sack of tatties rolled all over the pitch, before the stretcher was called for and the now lifeless body was taken away for the inevitable post mortem. Hilariously, as soon as the stretcher bearer crossed the white line, the player miraculously cured by the hand of Maradonna, leapt Lazarus style to his feet and ran round the back of the goal, along the deadball line and up the touchline, to rant at the 4th official who wouldn't let him straight back on to the playing area. Despite a couple of breaks in play, Murcia had to continue with 9 men, but this didn't change the Villarreal tactics. They were pathetic. Murcia continued to waste time with a couple of late substitutions, both of whom were booked, the combined total of time wasting creating 6 minutes of injury/time added on. Thinking again on the number of chances in the whole of the game, scant, Villarreal sent an innocuous cross into the box, for Manu to bury the ball into the corner of the net with a pretty decent header, 35 seconds from the end of the game. Travesty.

Spain and the game could be summed up by saying Murcia had their pockets picked by Villarreal.

No time wasting, no added time, no added time, no goal. more importantly three points.

Award for best advert since.....Durex, the small family car, 

Farmer Giles

Marks out of 10 for the quality of the game - 1

Marks out of 10 for the experience - 8

Would I go again? yes.

For those doubting Frost*ies, to quote Max Boyce, I was there.

UPS Fraud reported

Fraud Report Form
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NFRC130400204046 
Thank you, we have now recorded the incident on behalf of the police. Please 
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in.



For further information on how to avoid it please return to our website:



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Information Charter - opens new window

Time Check

By the power of Windows it is 19.00 in Spain.
The tock has ticked


This may take a few minutes.........................

Unite-The Union come out fighting

You are receiving this email as a member of Unite. If you would prefer not to receive
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Dear Mr Whitehead A home insurance offer with your name on it

Dear Dear Mr Whitehead, We recently wrote to you about how you could save money on our great value home insurance with 25% off*.  If you have not taken advantage on this offer, here's another chance. As we said in our letter, see what you could save by answering a few questions. You will benefit from:you 25% off home insurance* Up to £75,000 contents cover and up to £1m buildings cover 5% off combined buildings and contents insurance Interest free monthly Direct Debit Remember that this policy gives you the cover you need with up to £75,000 to insure your contents and up to £1m to cover the cost of rebuilding your home.  Options such as accidental damage could also be included. or call us on 0800 345 7799† quoting Horseshoe

† Lines are open 8.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat. For quality and protection purposes, your call will be recorded. Unite Insurance exchange information with other insurance companies and the police to prevent fraud.

* The 25% discount offer is subject to our usual acceptance criteria and is only available when the reference HORSESHOE is quoted. Certain postcode restrictions apply. To be eligible for the offer, a quote must be requested before 24.06.13. Offer only available to new customers. Offer is based on average policy premium of £269.

Unite Insurance is a trading name of  UIA (Insurance) Ltd who is a member of the Association of British Insurers and is registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act - No. 2898R. Principal Office in England at Kings Court, London Road, Stevenage, Herts SG1 2TP. Unite Insurance is an Introducer Appointed Representative of UIA (Insurance) Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

They 're still harassing me by e-mail, must be confident of something in their armory.
I did say end of business hours today, or words to that effect.

I'll allow 1-0 to Unite for this e/mail.

Stand by though, I reckon there's only 40 minutes for them to play any other cards they might have.

Missing Merkins

Country   Regions Possible Regions Missing
United States 51 9

  Missing State
          1.1. Alaska
          1.2. Arkansas
          1.3. Maine
          1.4. Montana
          1.5. South Carolina
          1.6. South Dakota
          1.7. Utah
          1.8. Vermont
          1.9. West Virginia

I do have 18 anonymous merkins though.

Welcome to the 42 others

25,000 page views

Thank you for reading.

Patience snapped

That's it.
I've had enough with Unite.

All

I wish to raise a complaint of harassment against Unite-the Union.

You have, to date, failed to follow-up my previous complaint about your official, Albert Graham

You have, to date, failed to answer any of my other questions.

It has been claimed that Unite did not assist me in a claim against UPS because I was not a member of Unite-The Union. This has still not been fully explained.

If I am not a member of Unite-The Union, please explain why I keep receiving e-mails addressed to me as a member of Unite-The Union.

In relation to the harassment that you are subjecting me to, I would like the following by close of business tomorrow.

1 The name of a contact who has the authority to deal with this case of harassment

2 A reference number that I can quote for easy reference.

Further to this, I would like someone to update me on my previous complaint regarding Albert Graham. As with the harassment I would like,

1 The name of someone with the authority to deal with Albert Graham

2 A reference number that I can quote for easy reference. 

I currently wish to resolve these issues amicably.

Should you fail to deal with either of these issues with the courtesy and respect that I think these issues deserve, (and have previously failed to receive) you will leave me no option but to add your harassment to the case of fraud within UPS that I am referring to the Police.

Yours very sincerely

Mike Whitehead  

Albert Graham

Albert

I am still waiting for your crime reference number.
I wish to help the Police with their enquiries but they state (FACT) that they have no record of any complaint against me.

In order to try and help you collate your evidence, I have created your own label that will help you find all the relevant information there is about you on the blog. This is currently a work in progress so please do not complain if every single reference to yourself or the Union hasn't been labelled.

You will find your label in the list on the right hand side of the blog. This is below Al Qaeda and above AOB.

UPS and their safety tweet

	UPS UK (@UPS_UK)
08/04/2013 14:40 Training is the cornerstone of safety in UPS’s global operations. Read how we train UPSers in safety: bit.ly/XPUXBG

Discuss

	Mike Whitehead (@MikeWhiteheadSB)
08/04/2013 15:44 @UPS_UK @UPS by allowing untrained employees to drive forklifts, I think not

	Mike Whitehead (@MikeWhiteheadSB)
08/04/2013 15:45 @UPS_UK @UPS by cancelling annual training. I think not

	Mike Whitehead (@MikeWhiteheadSB)
08/04/2013 15:46 @UPS_UK @UPS by failing to follow up on tachograph infringements, I think not

	Mike Whitehead (@MikeWhiteheadSB)
08/04/2013 15:46 @UPS_UK @UPS by failing to address working time issues, I think not

Now I'm sure that UPS will try and claim that this is harassment, but it was UPS that tweeted about safety.

EVERY single one of my points is 100% accurate.

EVERY single one of my posts has been 100% honest, except the statement by Albert Graham.

I am still asking....

Why are the HSE not interested? especially when you consider that this contains nothing about bullying.

Why are VOSA and the DfT not responding to me?

Why is Unite supporting UPS, you would have thought that I would be giving them some ammunition to improve working conditions for their members. It  would seem that the union are only interested in lining their own pockets........by whatever means.  (cue more bollocks from Albert)

Albert Graham was not my only contact with Unite. Richard Bedford would also seem to be happy for UPS to harass, intimidate and bully his members.

FACE

EGG

Coming soon

UPS Ping Pong

Walter Mitty criticized the figures that I used, yet he still reports the following;

My (Walter Mitty) findings were as follows:-

These 6 drivers had a total of 24 Infringements (2 had zero infringements)

10 were failure to take a break before 6 hours (work period exceeded)

6 insufficient break (ranging from 22 minutes short to 9 minutes short)

7 NO break taken (2 of these driver worked just over 6 hours and 4 were actually on drivers at the bottom of your list, i.e. a low planned (and actual) day)

I am intrigued as to why you choose to use an internal planned day versus the actual drivers day, as any infringements would be based on the actual drivers working day,

Why were there any, you have to ask yourself. Why? In Mitty´s words, would drivers choose to break the law? These figures were 2 years after I had provided evidence at a Centre planning meeting that drivers were;

Failing to take a break before 6 hours

Taking an insufficient break

Not taking any break

Absolutely no surprise that these are the issues Walter Mitty listed.

These issues had been continuing throughout this 2 year period.

The internal planned day showed that we were planning to over dispatch drivers. If we were planning to over despatch drivers then we are expecting them to cut corners. To cut corners, one of the things that they might need to do is work through their legal breaks. This is not CHOOSING (Walter Mitty´s word) to be non-compliant.

How can you discipline a driver for being non-compliant, when you are giving him an impossible task?

I was showing the root cause, as we had to do on all out pointless action plans, of the problem, which was where we needed to start in resolving the non-compliance issues.

You are part of the solution as a member of the management team and as part of your responsibilities you need to tackle these issues at the root cause.

This is why the issues of over dispatching were raised with my Centre Manager. Preload (Loaders) blamed the Manager, the Manager blamed Preload. Walter Mitty´s e-mail was dated 17^th July 2011, the earliest proof that I raised issues was July 2009. Why did I have to do over my Manager´s head in relation to solving integrity issues? Nothing had changed in 2 years.

Where was my Centre Manager getting his directions? From his Division Manager. This wass Walter Mitty and his predecessor bullying Bob Burrows. Why did nothing change after conversations with Walter and Bob?

How could I change a culture driven by my Manager and his 2 Managers? When I took this higher up to Colaizzo & Miller there was still the same attitude. Where did their instructions come from? I never had this question answered but I can only assume that it came from the States.

When this is part of your OCS role?

It is quite true that it was part of my role as an on car supervisor to train drivers. It was not part of my role as an OCS to be on road delivering 5 days a week doing a full route. When I say full, I define this as 100% (or more) of the regular drivers dispatch. It is impossible to do any more than a bare minimum of OCS work when expected to do this level of on-road delivery. UPS expected 100% OCS work in addition to any delivery work being done. Why was I victimised and sent out on road so often, when OCS´s in other Centre´s weren´t even on road doing OCS work? How can an OCS do his work without doing any training rides?

It is Steves job to manage you and in turn it is your job to manage drivers.

See above.

I have spoken to Steve O’Donnell who advises he is also working through the list and advising the drivers of their requirement to take a break and equally that this break must be taken before they have completed 4.5 hours driving or 6 hours duty

Steve obviously didn´t understand the instructions.

No surprise, bearing in mind he destroyed the evidence that would have proved me right. I can still, however, provide the reports as generated by Tachomaster (already posted on here) that shows the level of fines that could have been levied on the drivers had they been pulled at any time by the Police or VOSA.

I will close reiterating my comments in my email of 17^th July; you are part of the solution as a member of the management team and as part of your responsibilities you need to tackle these issues at the root cause.

Ah, VOSA, that reminds me.

While I'm talklng updates

Bugger all from any other institution that I have questioned.
Is it costing UPS a fortune to silence the lambs?

Unite-the union

Continue to ignore any requests for information or a follow-up to Albert Graham's claim that he had been to the Police.
It's another week, another week of silence.
Why wouldn't Unite want information about UPS that would strengthen their hand.
How can it mean anything but Unite being complicit in the activities of UPS?

Peter James

After what seems an age, have finished XO by Jeffrey Deaver. It's taken so long to read that I sort of lost the plot with it. On to my 3rd PJ book now and it's rattling along well.

A few choices excerpts, read into them what you want


“And recently it hadn’t been a question of Branson’s oneupmanship getting the better of his competitive nature. Grace was on a mission to learn, to educate himself, to fill that vast cultural black hole inside his head. He had slowly come to the realization, during the past month, that his brain was a repository for pages and pages of police training manuals, rugby, football, motor-racing and cricketing facts, and not much else. And that needed to change. Quickly.”


“That movie,’ he rambled. ‘The Third Man. Carol Reed directed. The music. The zither. Gets me every time. Orson Welles peaked early, couldn’t ever repeat his early success, that was his tragedy. Poor bastard. Made some of the greatest movies of all times. But what do most people remember him for? The fat man who did the sherry commercials.”


“One quotation from a philosopher he had come across recently had given him some solace, and had taken up permanent residence in his mind. It was from Sr Kierkegaard, who wrote, ‘Life must be lived forward, but it can only be understood backwards.”


“She’s been doing all these self-improvement courses. I told you she keeps buying me these books, Men Are from Mars,Women Are from Venus, yeah? Why Women Can’t Read Maps and Men Can’t Find Stuff in Fridges, or some crap like that. Right? Well, she’s been getting angrier and angrier that I keep coming home late and she misses her courses cos she’s stuck with the kids. Right?”


“She was a very attractive, very strong-willed lady in her late twenties who had always made it abundantly clear who was boss in the Branson household. Glenn might have worn the trousers, but his face poked out through the fly buttons.”


“He stopped a courteous distance behind the first of the four balls on the fairway, noticing with some smugness just how far in front of the others his own ball was. Now that he was closer he could see just how good his drive had been. It was lagged up less than ten feet from the green.”


“The club secretary’s office at the North Brighton Golf Club had a military feel which reflected the secretary’s own background, as a retired army major who had managed to survive active service in the Falklands and Bosnia with his important bits – and most important of all, his golf handicap – intact.”


“The blowflies hadn’t arrived yet either, but they wouldn’t be long. Blowflies – or bluebottles, as they were more attractively named – could smell death from five miles away. About the same distance as newspaper reporters, of which species there was already one outside the gates, questioning the constable guarding the entrance and, from the reporter’s body language, not getting much from him.”


“Grace fell silent, thinking. He always found it easier to park his God questions safely away and to think about them only when it suited him. He wasn’t an atheist, not even really an agnostic. He did believe in something – or at least he wanted to believe in something – but he could never define exactly what. He always fell short of being able to openly accept the concept of God. And then immediately after that he would feel guilty. But ever since Sandy had disappeared, and all his prayers had gone unanswered, much of his faith had eroded.”


“Stress could cause people mental problems, make the brain function in weird ways, and he’d been under plenty of stress lately”


“The whole damn beach was a sewer of bare flesh. Bodies in skimpy clothing. White, red, brown, black. Flaunting themselves. Some of the women topless, bitch whores. He watched one waddling around, straggly ginger hair down to her shoulders, tits down to her stomach, stomach down to her pelvis, swigging a bottle of beer or lager – too far away to tell which – fat arse sticking out of a skein of electric blue nylon, thighs dimpled with cellulite. Wondered what she’d look like in his gas mask with her straggly ginger pubes jammed against his face. Wondered what it would smell like down there. Oysters?”











Excerpts From: Peter, James. “Not Dead Enough.”

Cracking series of books so far if you like your crime books

Now why would Albert block my e-mail?

*** ATTENTION ***

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Please direct further questions regarding this message to your e-mail administrator.

--AOL Postmaster

----- The delivery status notification errors -----


<Albert's email address removed from here>: host core-mhe003b.r1000.mail.aol.com[172.29.239.152]
    said: 554 5.7.1 Your email could not be delivered because the recipient is
    only accepting email from specific email addresses. If you feel you
    received this in error, please contact the recipient directly and ask them
    to check their email settings. (in reply to end of DATA command)

Merkins again

It's hello to the States again

Google tells me you're there.

Strange how you pop up when I post.



Edit:
Hells teeth, you were straight in on that last post.
Have you got a UPS alertomometer?

Treadmill of truth

It's been a long hard month.
That's not even counting for Mum being in hospital.
Leapt out of bed this morning at 7.30 (that's very late for me) realised it was light and thought I was late for work. Grabbed my phone, was surprised that there were no missed calls or messages on it then realised that it was Easter Monday.
Went back to bed and surfaced at 10.45, before realising that the clock that I could see was one that I hadn't changed, so 11.45.
Bearing in mind that I went to bed at around 9pm, and was promptly asleep, that's Rip Van Winkle for me.
Still feel totally zonked.

Have to work tomorrow before going to Spain first thing Wednesday. I need the break, but can I switch off?

My solicitor keeps requesting different information which then needs cross referencing back to my original files, you've seen how much info I've got, there's been some long hours put in.

Guitar God Johnny Boyes prompted a reminder of how hard everyone works compared with footballers. Can't play 2 games a week. What a load of bollocks. Take Mark Cavendish for example, & I know people will say cycling = drugs, but what does Mark do before the sprint finish? and it's not just 2 races a week.

(We interrupt this post to say, Hall of the Mountain King now playing)

I want to say UPS I'm coming to get you, but that would sound like a threat.
So when is a threat a promise and vice versa?

The UPS crooks will soon be found out

Hopefully this will now be the final submission to my solicitor and the ball will start rolling properly.

Taxation

Can anyone explain why the rich don't have to contribute by paying higher taxes?
Bearing in mind that the rich will include those tossers (other descriptions are available) that caused the problems in the first place.

IDS v the poor

So why does IDS need his vast salary.......not forgetting he could probably get by just on his expenses alone.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said he could get by on £7.57 per day if he "had to", as he defended a raft of cuts to welfare payments coming into force today.

Mr Duncan Smith's current salary gives him £1,581.02 a week or £225 a day after tax.

Labour has branded today the start of 'Black April' as a number of cuts and freezes in benefits are taking effect today.

However, Mr Duncan Smith criticised the language of his opponents who claim ministers are hurting the poor.

Speaking on BBC Radio Four's Today programme, he said the Coalition is not "attacking or slashing" benefits claimants, but trying to reform the system to make it "fair".

He also admitted the overall welfare bill will carry on rising. Benefit payments to people of working age will only fall to levels last seen in 2009 under the Labour Government by the end of this parliament.

The total bill for all benefits and tax credits is forecast to carry on rising by billions a year well into the second half of the decade.

Mr Duncan Smith said the decision to raise benefits by just one per cent per year - lower than the rate of inflation - is a much better deal than people are getting in other countries.

"What we’re doing, the one per cent restriction we’ve made to the rise in benefits is still a one per cent rise," he said.

"If you were sitting in Ireland or Portugal or many of those other countries, they are actually seeing real cash cuts. So what we’re trying to do is to get control of the welfare bill but to make sure it lowers and it lowers in a way that we can be as fair as possible to people. Without actually slashing or attacking people, we are trying to reform it and change it.”

Mr Duncan Smith, who married into a family of multi-millionaires, insisted he could live on £53 a week after a housing benefit claimant said this is how much money he has a week.

David Bennett, who is in his 50s, is given housing benefit to help him with accommodation costs but said he only has £53 to live on after that.

The market trader earned around £2,700 last year working between 50 and 70 hours a week. Mr Bennett said he has had to borrow money after his housing benefit was cut from £75 a week to £57 per week. His income works out at around £53 per week.

However, most people earning this little would be eligible for about another £36 per week in tax credits if they worked more than 30 hours per week.

The current rate of jobseekers' allowance is up to £56.25 a week for people between the ages of 16 and 24, and up to £71 for an adult over that age.

Mr Duncan said he could cope with a low income if he had to do so.

"If I had to, I would," he said. "The reality is what we are trying to make certain is that the amount of money that taxpayers pay sees some value at the end of it in terms of people being supported.

"There’s been a huge amount of money which, in the course of the welfare system now, has absolutely been wasted.”

After his interview, more than 3,000 people signed an internet petition challenging the Work and Pensions Secretary to live on this amount.

Writing in today's Daily Telegraph, Mr Duncan Smith and George Osborne, the Chancellor, said the Coalition is “restoring the original values of the welfare state”.