there are two things i think worth pointing out here.<p>1.) the study focuses on the developing world, which is a very different environment than the developed world. as such i do not believe its conclusions can be considered to say much about that, despite the title of the submission suggesting otherwise. that &#x27;welfare&#x27; a phenomenon of the developed world, does not go to lazy recipients.<p>2.) the nature of the problem of undeserving people receiving state-sponsored benefits. so i am living in the uk and i know people who receive benefits. one person i know who admits to this, imo is deserving, and they represent a small proportion of people i know who admit to receiving state funded benefits.<p>the people i talk about who are happy to admit to receiving help from the state tend to have more resources and support at their disposal than seems fair. they are better off than me - a single man earning ~£60k a year - &#x2F;before&#x2F; they earn benefits, and these people have no problem telling me that i am &#x2F;stupid&#x2F; for working hard to earn my money.<p>literally. i have been called &#x2F;stupid&#x2F; multiple times for earning my own survival and lifestyle.<p>most of these people make money illegally from doing things like drug dealing, loan sharking or illegally renting out the property they own (yes you can receive support if you own £100ks worth of property - disgusting imo when that is enough worth to sell your property and survive for considerably more than a year on the earnings without working.)<p>they are not representative of the general case though - i think most people who receive help and actually need it would be too ashamed to admit it. but people like the ones i know, in my case, enable me to continue to have the opinion that there are people getting help who simply don&#x27;t need it.<p>to sum up, this study does nothing to alter my opinion on the idea that state sponsored benefits are abused. its just another thing telling me that people who need help do not abuse it - but those who do not will.