Pushy middle-class types are said to have a knack for getting the most out of the state. With their sharp elbows, the argument goes, the wealthy jostle others out of the way in the queue for doctors' appointments, school places and other scarce public services. The conventional wisdom is half-right. In absolute terms, Britain's poor consume more public services than the rich-but, after adjusting for need, studies suggest that the rich tend to get more than their due.
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