Some families to get a total of £1,200 cash, to support with cost of living crisis.

[flashbac]

Highlights:
All families can now keep the 200 quid energy payment, no longer repayment based. This will be topped up to £400.
Low income families to get £650 straight into bank account.
(Non means tested) disabled benefit recipients to get £150.
All in all some will receive total of £1,200.
Funded by windfall tax.

Good for you. Obviously you can afford to volunteer and see the 1% that want to work as stated about 4 times now READ MY FULL POST TO SEE HOW INSAID LOTS OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION AND I DONT GRUDGE PEOPLE THIS HELP.

maybe instead of volunteering you should learn to read properly to read my post correctly

Yes exactly. I really hope that they are looking into the extra money for this group of people being paid directly for energy or maybe even in vouchers ( sorry if that sounds patronizing). In my job we regularly have clients that spent all their benefits on alcohol then come looking for food parcels, which we do give of course. I ahve also applied for charitable grants for people in the past and have suspected it's all gone on addictions. Sorry but this is the reality for a small minority, it is an addiction.

Its not and there will be no support to assist these people to use it in a helpful way ie top up a large credit on power meters or get a large bulk shop etc.

If spent right will help a lot but in wrong hands it will be squandered and therefore useless.

Helping vulnerable people stay warm and fed shouldn't be a matter of opinion, it should just be a fact.

The terms you use to describe your service users suggest to me that you're in the wrong line of work. I've worked in benefits and credits and have never thought that way about service users, people are vulnerable are vulnerable for a reason and they need judgement-free support.

You don't get PIP solely because you're addicted to alcohol or drugs, PIP is assessed on what disabling effects a condition has on your day to day ability to live. If someone is getting PIP due to addiction issues then that addiction is at a level where it is a disability and where it severely impedes their ability to function. Again, they need support not judgement. Addiction is a disease and by the time its at the disabling level it is not an issue of choice.

Thank you thisbis what I was trying to say in my original post. Large majority of people will play system and also those with additions mostly never put essential needs first. Everyone has skipped past my part where I stated some people on basic benefits do struggle and is a shame for them and this with disabilities.

In your role you must see the same frustrating behaviour I have to deal with.

I agree energy vouchers and vouchers to be used in all major shops ie love to shop vouchers would be good for those people. Better yet adequate support workers yo help them manage money but that's another post of under funded local services.

I can read properly thank you, no need to be unpleasant just because I'm disagreeing with you.
You're saying of ALL the people you see, only 1% want to work and all the rest are going to 'squander' the £650 or £800 they're getting?

Yes of course people want to work but often there is so much stacked against them. The charity I work helps older people and I'm currently seeing a lot of people mid fifties who have had to stop work due to failing health, often they have done a manual job and can no longer do it. It is so hard for them to find anything office based as they have no IT skills and need to re-train. And ageism is still very much an obstacle to finding new work. These people have often worked hard all their lives then suddenly can't . They stop work, they get depressed made worse by a significant drop in living standards, then looking for work becomes even harder. I see loads of people in their late fifties and early sixties, really struggling, couples where one is working very part time, often just above the threshold for any type of benefits help and they are just trying to get to retirement age. It's hard.

I never said PIP was silly for drug users read the post correctly.

Good for you I deal with the percentage of people who don't want work, play system and squander their income.

My post covered the fact that people on here are all arguing over this and we should all accept we are all getting something for nothing here.

But off you pop and focus on one part of my post.

Yes exactly what I am saying

They can't possibly do something like that, the admin costs would be huge and you can't decide who is "deserving" of cash or vouchers based on addictions.

Yes and those people are I the other percent that do want to work and that is what I was saying that I SEE THE MAJORITY THAT DONT WANT TO WORK At no point did I say EVERYONE ON BENEFIT DONT WANT TO WORK.

I did read it, thanks, and I stand by my comments. The way you refer to your service users is disgusting and attitudes like that have no place in job roles supporting vulnerable people.

Ad for getting something for nothing? No... the bills will come due at some point and the money will be clawed back one way or another.

My opinion no changing it 😁

Oh dear you really are very condescending and on your high horse aren't you

And my opinion is people who are so judgemental about the people they are supposed to be helping are in the wrong job. My opinion no changing it.

They can't possibly do something like that, the admin costs would be huge and you can't decide who is "deserving" of cash or vouchers based on addictions.

Used C&P instead of quote as the quote chain was getting quite long.

The other issue of vouchers is that it impedes on the rights and the dignity of those issued with them. It starts with vouchers for those with addictions, stigmatising them when they go to buy anything as everyone will know that Jenny over there with those vouchers is an addict. Then the practicalities, what if her local shop doesn't accept them? Not everyone has a major supermarket in easy reach. And if she does have a supermarket, what if they're not one that accepts the vouchers? And what if shops then put restricted on when or where they can be used, such as only between certain hours or only at certain check outs, because they don't want addicts in their stores who might shoplift or drag down the tone for the "better" people. You'd also create a roaring black market in voucher sales (and the connected crimes that go alongside) where they're sold on for less then their face value so that the person selling them can get some cash, at that point they're getting less than they're entitled to. Then some bright spark in government will suggest restricting what people like Jenny can use their vouchers for. People need help budgeting - vouchers can't be used for "luxury," items, only basic ones. People need to be healthier - vouchers can only be used for approved "healthy" items. People squander their money - vouchers can only be used for "essential" items. And oh hey, let's roll the vouchers out to all benefit claimants.

Vouchers stigmatise people. Look at America and the stigma attached to food stamps (as well as the restrictions placed on their use), people would literally starve rather than use vouchers.

Your opinion thanks for sharing 😁

Not at all. I just find your attitude bewildering, judgemental and frankly nasty.

There will always be people with addictions, money should be spent on support services not on punishing them for being addicts.

I will be getting the £650. One of the first things I want to do with some of it is pay off some debt - better for me in the long term as it will reduce the amount I’m paying on interest etc. A voucher system would stop people being able to do things like that.

just because some people may “waste” it doesn’t mean that the system needs to limit what people can use it for. Hey if the extra money means someone can afford to buy themselves a bottle of wine at the end of the week good on them I hope they enjoy it!

But we are not talking about the average person enjoying a bottle of wine at the end of the week. We are talking about a small group of highly vulnerable people being given potentially an extra £800 and the risk this could pose to them if not supported. Lets hope they have support workers.

Well that's your opinion isn't it.

Using to pay off debt is a sensible decision and I'm sure many people will use for things such as this or topping up energy, big food shops etc. However many won't and giving an addict £800 cash is just stupid.

In an ideal world these people would have a support worker to help manage money and assist to purchase 3hats needed but it's not an ideal world.

Vouchers that can be redeemed against energy or ones such as love to shop cards which can be used in all major supermarkets and budget ones would also be good.

Someone mentioned food stamps and how people would rather starve than use them. Pretty sure that's not the case who would rather starve than use a pre paid card which is how food stamps are paid in America as a debit type card preloaded.

As someone without addictions I would not be averse to getting assistance in this way myself. Some vouchers for Iceland, Aldi etc yes please.

BudgetPlanMum not just my opinion it appears.