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The Best Episodes of Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

Every episode of Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole!

Binge this in 13h 30m•Peaking at 6.4/10

Documentary looking at people and families whose sole source of income is benefits and state welfare

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Seasons2

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 2 - Episode 2
    6.4/10(6 votes)

    #1 - Episode 2

    S2:E2

    In Blackpool, a mother-of-six is banned from the job centre.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 1 Episode 1 - Benefits Brits by the Sea
    6.0/10(10 votes)

    #2 - Benefits Brits by the Sea

    S1:E1

    Documentary examining the lives of people dependent on state welfare in the Norfolk seaside town of Great Yarmouth, where the majority of work is seasonal. Leona and Lee worry about their three-month-old daughter's future when their payments are cut because they failed to fill in the correct forms, while Jordan McDonald has his benefits halved after the job centre discovers he has not attended a government work programme.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 1 Episode 3 - Benefits, Babies and Jail
    5.2/10(7 votes)

    #3 - Benefits, Babies and Jail

    S1:E3

    The documentary examining the lives of unemployed people visits South Yorkshire, which has some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK and where benefits caps, sanctions and the bedroom tax are hitting those at the poorer end of society. Larry is a 60-year-old ex-steelworker and desperate for work, but says no one wants to hire him as he is considered too old, while father-of-three Kevin is long-term unemployed and back living with his parents in the bedroom he occupied as a teenager.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 1 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    5.2/10(6 votes)

    #4 - Episode 6

    S1:E6

    The final episode of the series meets 38-year-old Heather, who has 11 children and whose family live in a knocked-through council house on the outskirts of Gloucester. Heather makes nearly £60,000 a year in benefits and many of her children also survive on welfare payments. Elsewhere, in Liverpool, Julie has six children, none of whom have jobs. She and her husband Vinnie earn roughly the minimum wage from benefits. Finally, in London, single mums Emma and Sophie support themselves in London's Zone 1 by claiming money from the state.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 1 Episode 2 - Benefits House - Me and My 22 Kids
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #5 - Benefits House - Me and My 22 Kids

    S1:E2

    This edition of the programme focuses on large families who depend on the benefits system, including 64-year-old Peter Rolfe, whose children - by 15 different women - range in ages from three to 43, of which he is the sole carer for six. He has been fighting his council in the Isle of Wight for a much bigger house and is also at loggerheads with the benefits office for capping his weekly payment. West Midlands mother-of-eight Marie Buchanan has recently split from her partner and is looking for a larger home, while Ipswich couple the Fisks have been in dispute with their neighbours, who objected to two houses being knocked into one to accommodate them and their 13 children.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 1 Episode 4 - Episode 4
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #6 - Episode 4

    S1:E4

    The documentary examining the lives of unemployed people visits Hull, which has one of the highest unemployment rates and lowest average weekly wages in the UK. Rebecca is 16 and expecting her first baby with 17-year-old boyfriend Sonny, who is adamant he will be in work by the time the child arrives, while her foster mother Anita is concerned she will be unable to afford her house when her children move out. Gordon has not worked in decades and has very strong political views as to why employment has eluded him and many others in the north of England.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

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  7. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 1 Episode 5 - Episode 5
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #7 - Episode 5

    S1:E5

    The documentary examining the lives of individuals on the dole in the UK follows the stories of Roma people who moved to the UK and are now surviving on payments from the welfare state. Ion is from Romania and wants to make £40,000 from benefits to help him build a new house for his family back in his home village, while Katarina arrived from Slovakia seven years ago and has 11 children and 11 grandchildren living in and around an estate in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Nottingham resident Viorel is 25 and lost both legs in an accident in his native Romania when he was seven, and now wants to pursue a career in the movies.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #8 - Episode 1

    S2:E1

    Episode 1

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 3 - Episode 3
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #9 - Episode 3

    S2:E3

    We meet the immigrants who are claiming UK welfare to send back home.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 4 - Episode 4 Cashing in for Christmas
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #10 - Episode 4 Cashing in for Christmas

    S2:E4

    Single mum Marie Buchan has been battling the system for years to get a bigger home as she currently has to share a three-bedroomed house with eight kids, all aged under 13. The family has now expanded further with the acquisition of a new dog called Patches. It looks as if Marie and the kids might have one of the best Christmases ever, as they have just received some good news – the family will finally move to a bigger housing association home in Birmingham. Until the move, however, life on benefits goes on. Marie is annoyed that her benefits are capped at £26,000 a year, but she says that nothing is going to spoil Christmas for the Buchans. “No matter what, claiming benefits or working, everybody deserves a Christmas Day."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 5 - Episode 5
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #11 - Episode 5

    S2:E5

    Tony ʻScrapʼ Taylor is a well-known figure in the community doing odd jobs and collecting scrap. He claims just £51.40 a week but does odd jobs for food, enabling his benefits money to go a bit further. If you need something in Jaywick then Tony is the man who can sort it out!

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #12 - Episode 6

    S2:E6

    Dean, an 18-year-old from Harlow in Essex, made sure that he signed on as soon as he was old enough, regarding benefits as “free money”. He still lives at home with his mum, has zero ambition, spends his days in bed until 2pm and plays on his phone the rest of the time. His mum does everything for him and his benefits are spent on booze and fags. A brief stint in a reality show gave him a taste of fame and left him with no intention of getting a normal job – until he is sanctioned.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 7 - Episode 7
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #13 - Episode 7

    S2:E7

    Life on the dole north of the border with a pair of wannabe pop stars, a globetrotter who has invented her own new age Chakra swing, and a woman who is convinced that her weight is stopping her from getting a job.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 8 - Episode 8
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #14 - Episode 8

    S2:E8

    This time we're at the seaside. Debbie suffers from numerous disabilities, while single mum Stacie is living in a small flat with a three-month-old baby. We also meet Dave, a firearms fanatic who hasn't worked for two years and lives in a two-bedroom home with his mother.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 9 - Episode 9
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #15 - Episode 9

    S2:E9

    A man whose partner earned too much on a zero hour contract.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 10 - Episode 10 Big Families Special
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #16 - Episode 10 Big Families Special

    S2:E10

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 11 - Episode 11 Me & My 14 Kids
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #17 - Episode 11 Me & My 14 Kids

    S2:E11

    Tom and Stacey have 14 children and claim £70,000 a year.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole Season 2 Episode 12 - Episode 12 Jailbird Boys Going Straight
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #18 - Episode 12 Jailbird Boys Going Straight

    S2:E12

    Ex-prisoners trying to go straight on the welfare state.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Episode 2" is the best rated episode of "Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole". It scored 6.4/10 based on 6 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/3/2014. This episode scored 0.4 points higher than the second highest rated, "Benefits Brits by the Sea".