AIBU to question no hosepipe ban exemption for people on benefits?

Ok. They’re still useful for a long garden with many plants.

So you're going to make a potentially stupid and selfish decision based on an issue you don't understand because of click-baity headlines in newspapers who are purposefully trying to wind you up because dramatic headlines generate advertising revenue for them?

People are making money from your unwillingness or inability to actually understand an issue, and bad actors are exploiting how easy you are to manipulate.

Hosepipe bans are relatively small beer in the grand scheme of things, but this is a great example of why the world is going to hell in a handbasket - because nobody is willing to think for themselves, to research and understand an issue before taking a position on it, to treat obvious wind-ups in the media with scepticism. It's why Russian agents are able to influence public perception in this country to such a startling degree, why Elon Musk is able to stir up violence and civil unrest. Because a huge proportion of the population is willing to be led by the nose instead of engaging their brains for even a moment.

@TopPocketFind ha ha! Hosepipe bans do seem to be some sort of middle class rage bait bat signal. I've never really understood it, I am not sure why domestic household would have such a pressing a need to move that much water from one place to another that it becomes such an anxiety inducing issue for some

It’s got absolutely sod all to do with the government, as has been pointed out throughout this thread. You sound quite hysterical in your anti-government hatred. And I say that as someone who didn’t even vote Labour.

Read the thread. It's nothing to do with the government. Nor is the policy for all those on benefits. The exemption is for those on benefits who qualify for Water Sure because they have particular medical needs, or have three children or more.

Someone has kindly linked to the Water Sure page, so you really have no excuse for remaining ignorant.

I love this comment about the greedy shareholders of the incompetent and failing water companies.

My husband works for a living however I’m exempt because I’m disabled and have a blue badge. The hosepipe won’t be coming out, if we do get a ban, just like it didn’t last year, because DH can carry a watering can.

DS2 & DDIL work for a living too. They do have a hosepipe ban. Should DGS want the paddling pool out then DS2 can fill it with buckets.

They are not, it just another benefit bashing thread,

Telegraph click bait headlines.

Fine? Im not on a water meter, and no houses or public access can see into my gardens?
Theyll be no fine. Just me and freshly watered garden, refilled pool, clean cars....

Also what the hell is everyone suddenly so anxious to use a hosepipes for - I don't think i have ever even owned a hosepipe in 28 years of being an adult.

I mean you can actually be on a half decent wage and get UC with three children if you rent and pay childcare. So you’d get yourself on the water sure tariff in our local area.

They also don’t check up on you once you are on the list you are on the list apply inbetween jobs even if you can get a 80k job and that’s it you are on it.

If it was water rationing then this would make sense. But as it is it’s merely a hosepipe ban. Whatever the reasoning of water companies, it’s ludicrous on face value and so, whereas previously people would have adhered to the ban in a public-spirited manner, now they’ll be thinking there’s no way I’m not watering my tomato plants if the people next door can fill a paddling pool for their grandchildren and wash their car.

@Crosorbled firstly, which water company are you talking about? There are 25 providers in the UK and all of them have slightly different criteria. Quite a few water companies don't even have hosepipe bans yet.

Do it, just pay the fine when you get it and you can use a hosepipe as much as you like.

It's nothing to do with the government or "everyone on benefits". Water companies have watersure schemes for vulnerable people on low incomes and with high water needs - eg people with disabilities, elderly people etc.. they are entitled to a number of additional services including, in some areas, exemptions from water restrictions.

It's not for everyone on benefits.

To be fair I think you’d be mental to be jealous of someone with 3 kids on benefits because they get to use their hosepipe too.

however the watersure scheme offers a capped tariff for low income people with a high unavoidable water use. It’s not designed to be hosepipe related 🤣 it’s just easy for the water companies to use as a blanket easy to identify exemption.

Lots of people will anyway. They will just use this as an excuse for poor behaviour.

Absolutely ridiculous. Either a total ban or not at all. People will now totally ignore it, including me.
My grandkids are not missing out simply because we all work for a living.

Oh dear. I am rather embarrassed for you.

A lot of people will ignore the ban because of this

FFS.

Have you even once in your life attempted to understand something before forming an opinion on it...?

What has it got to do with Labour?

It’s not just disabled children it’s families with 3 school age children on benefits.

The issue here is that you don't understand what's going on. The Government has nothing to do with it; they don't impose hosepipe bans or grant exemptions. And the water companies aren't claiming people on benefits have more right to a paddling pool than anyone else, they're just taking a blanket approach of exempting everyone on certain tariffs (which includes some people on benefits, alongside large families and people with disabilities) from the ban, rather than creating confusion and uncertainty which could harm vulnerable people by trying to differentiate between different groups of people on the relevant tariffs.