Jeremy Clarkson wants ‘full thank you letter’ from people claiming benefits

| Senior TV Reporter Published August 2, 2026 3:58pm Updated August 2, 2026 3:58pm Jeremy Clarkson penned a new column in response to Andy Burnham’s social care speech (Picture: Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP via Getty Images) Jeremy Clarkson has hit out at recipients of personal independence payment (PIP) and suggested they could write thank-you letters for the money they receive. The Clarkson’s Farm star, 66, made the comments after Andy Burnham refused to rule out tax rises as a means of fixing adult social care in England. The Prime Minister promised to end decades of government inaction on the matter, but said there would be ‘difficult decisions’ on funding. This has not gone down well with Clarkson, who penned a column in which he said those on social care benefits should be more grateful to taxpayers. In the latest iteration of his long-running tirades in The Times, Clarkson compared those claiming PIP, as well as other people who claim benefits, to his dogs. Describing his three pups as ‘uber benefits scroungers’, Clarkson recounted the thousands spent in vet bills and the nighttime moments of ill health he has had to attend to. Clarkson compared it to the oodles of gratitude his dogs lavish on him (Picture: PA/Prime Video) The TV presenter posited that Burnham should implement a thank you letter process (Picture: Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) However, Clarkson went on to detail the oodles of gratitude his dogs lavish on him for the services – which he said gave him his ‘big idea’. ‘At present, people who work hard, feed, clothe and entertain those who won’t work at all. And what do we get in return? Nothing,’ Clarkson wrote. He then posited that Burnham should implement a thank you letter process, whereby claimants write to taxpayers to show their gratitude. ‘It’s very simple. Every week, when the benefits are paid, the recipient is given the email address of a randomly selected person who is getting up and going to work every day,’ he wrote. ‘I want fulsomeness. I want to hear what they’ve done with the £194 I gave them that week’ (Picture: John Phillips/Getty Images for the NTA’s) ‘And they are told that unless a proper and genuine email is sent, thanking the working person for their generosity, the benefits will stop. And I’m not talking about a cursory “thanks mate”. I want fulsomeness. I want to hear what they’ve done with the £194 I gave them that week. ‘And I want effusiveness as well. I want to feel their gratitude. “It is SO kind of you to go to work every day so that I don’t have to. Thanks to you I was able to buy an even bigger television this week”.’ Deals of the Day Wuka launches the UK’s first period-proof swimwear for heavy flows Bridgerton fans are rushing to buy these new Netflix-inspired perfumes now £12 off The affordable summer wardrobe update you'll wear from rooftop drinks to beach holidays The £7.99 lip balm beauty fans love for glossy, hydrated lips just dropped four new shades This Keskine hydrogel mask could fix your summer skin The TV presenter signed off the column with the suggestion that the prospect of penning thank you letters might convince PIP claimants that ‘they don’t have a head-based neurodivergence issue after all’. Arrow MORE: Angela Rayner shares decades-old picture of her working as a council carer Arrow MORE: Jeremy Clarkson reveals traumatic advice from mum after he became ‘suicidal wreck’ Arrow MORE: Are Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Packham locked in a feud? Let’s dig into it TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.