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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think this hardship payment is slightly unfair?

176 replies

RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 20:06

An old friend of mine contacted me to ask if I would buy his asda vouchers from him so he could shop at farmfoods and put some money on his electricity meter.

It transpires that his ESA benefit has been stopped (no appeal) and he applied for a crisis loan however this no longer exist so was given a hardhip payment which was 2 cards for Asda each with £10 on that can be used for food (so no tobacco etc)

I had heard that this was being considered but I didn't realise it had happened?

Is this not the equivalent of saying benefit claimants can't be trusted, or I'm I reading to much in to it?

The other problem is he has no Asda within walking distance and no money to get the bus there and back to one (£3) but does have an Aldi, Lidl, farmfoods and Iceland close by.

Would it not make more sense to be able to use shops that offer more value for money?

OP posts:
gordyslovesheep · 05/12/2013 20:10

they are supposed to be changing them so they can be used at other shops - but it totally smacks of control of the 'undeserving' poor who may spend their money on -oh - whatever THEY want

It's awful that he can't have light out of that payment

LambinsideaDuckinsideaTrout · 05/12/2013 20:12

Unfair? It's ruddy stupid if is no Asda to bloody shop at!

LambinsideaDuckinsideaTrout · 05/12/2013 20:12

*if there is no Asda

AgentProvocateur · 05/12/2013 20:16

Some asylum seekers get the same. Someone I knew got an Asda card, but the nearest Asda was a bus journey away avd didn't sell halal meat. She had no money for the fare - she got absolutely nothing other than the card. Some unscrupulous shopkeepers would let them get goods to the value of, say £30, in exchange for a £38 Asda card, and many people were desperate and had no choice but to do this.

It's disgraceful and dehumanising.

Oh, and this was all in the time of the previous labour government, which somehow makes it worse.

Original poster
RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 20:17

Thanks Gordy

He has also been told to keep his mobile phone topped up to ensure he can receive voicemail messages from any potential employers/training courses etc Confused

I'm not sure how they expect him to do this with an asda voucher?

OP posts:
Vatta · 05/12/2013 20:18

Had no idea about this, it's pretty shocking. Like food stamps in the US I suppose. Would never have thought we'd be copying American welfare policies :(

Vatta · 05/12/2013 20:20

So he can't pay for electricity, bus fares, mobile top ups, medicine....or in fact anything that doesn't come from asda? Even if they extend it so the cards cover more shops, that will still be very limited.

hermioneweasley · 05/12/2013 20:20

A dear friend of mine was raised by an alcoholic father. I have no problem with crisis payments which can only be spent on food. If her dad had got an ASDA voucher with no restrictions no food would have been bought.

SweetSeraphim · 05/12/2013 20:21

This sort of thing really boils my piss Angry

How dare people tell him what to spend money on? I appreciate it's benefit, but that doesn't mean he's not entitled to choice! Fucking disgraceful.

IamInvisible · 05/12/2013 20:24

Shock Good grief! I had absolutely no idea that this happened in this country. What an absolute joke. I am lost for words.

YANBU. Although plenty will think it is totally fair. I bet Asda are bloody loving it!

Fucking hell, what have we become? How long till the workhouses are back?

KittyVonCatsington · 05/12/2013 20:24

In that case there should also be an electricity/gas voucher, water voucher etc. Essentials to live off are not exclusive to food.

KittyVonCatsington · 05/12/2013 20:25

Sorry, posted to late, that was in response to hermione Xmas Smile

Fontofnowt · 05/12/2013 20:33

I have overheard a lady claiming a hardship payment, the questions she answered really made my blood boil.
I absolutely wanted to snatch the phone away from her, tell the scrote who was filling the form and reeling the script to fuck off and give her the measley cash myself.
She had to justify every spend of her previous payment to explain why she was struggling after a weeks delay in her next payment.
On the phone in a benefit office infront of 4 other people and myself who were queued.
To a stranger.
In front of strangers.
And then be berated for the build a bear she had bought for her kiddies birthday.

hermioneweasley · 05/12/2013 20:36

Agree Kitty (and obviously a problem is no ASDA nearby) ,it was just about ASDA spend being restricted to food

Original poster
RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 20:43

Fonto I can't imagine how that lady must have felt Sad

My friend has been asked to take a receipt back to them once it is spent

(is this to prove he didn't sell them?)

OP posts:
volestair · 05/12/2013 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 20:50

hermioneweasley I do understand what your are saying however not everyone on benefits would do this, however it IS treating everyone on benefits as if they will iyswim?

He was told it's food and food only so doesn't even know if toilet paper would be ok, which made my wonder about saintary protection and if that would included.

I'm just gobsmacked as well as I did not realise that this was now in place

OP posts:
IamInvisible · 05/12/2013 20:52

Vole I found this article for the Birmingham area.

BearPear · 05/12/2013 20:53

And the flip side is people using the "crisis" payments for iPads, mobile phones and cash in the bookies (literally minutes after kicking off in the office & us having to give him the payment in cash after we closed). Not hearsay - witnessed by staff. Obviously not in every case but it happens. Just saying.

What can you do? Escort everyone to the shop & police their purchases?

Tryharder · 05/12/2013 20:54

Massively unfair to call someone who works in a job centre and who is doing a difficult and not very well paid job "a scrote"

Job centre staff don't dictate policy or decide what or what not to ask benefit claimants. They read from a script.

If you were that bothered, why did you not give the lady on the phone some money yourself?

Fontofnowt · 05/12/2013 21:02

I can't imagine how someone convinced the claim handler to pay enough for a bloody ipad the lady I overheard had to list her emergency debit on the electric meter so her payment wouldn't be swallowed up.
In the end it matters why we give.
I don't care if the odd person spends it in the bookies they will be hungry because of their choice.
I can't stomach the idea that genuinely needy people can't access help just in case someone somewhere spends it unwisely.

LaurieFairyCake · 05/12/2013 21:03

Is it just me or does no one else give a tiny
Turd fuck about the 'flip side ' - the crisis payments/hardship payments are paid back - who cares if a teeny minority play the system for an iPad they have to pay back .

Fontofnowt · 05/12/2013 21:04

As it happens tryharder I didn't have any myself but I did give her a lift and gave her my brothers number.
Who gave her OH some seasonal work.

Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 21:05

Whether people think it fair or not how the hell is he meant to put gas and electric on?! Confused.

Fontofnowt · 05/12/2013 21:05

Anyone who continues in the script while a lady cries is a scrote imo.
The other people there were also sympathetic.