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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:
BopToTheTop · 05/12/2013 21:17

I'm up for them only being able to buy essential food, but gift cards should be for shops within walking distance of the persons home

WooWooOwl · 05/12/2013 21:23

Hardship payments are supposed to be for the bare essentials. It would make much more sense for the cards to be suitable for use anywhere, but businesses have to choose to opt into it and the government can't force them to.

It would also make more sense for a small amount of cash to be made available so that people can get busses, but I don't disagree with the principle that the majority of an emergency hardship payment is made on a card.

Original poster
RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 21:28

Laurie I had forgotten that it will be paid back.

That is a good point, it is not free money or a gift, it will be reclaimed from his benefit when that is sorted out.

I can't imagine anyone would be given enough on a hardship payment to buy an ipad????

OP posts:
volestair · 05/12/2013 21:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

katherinelilyflower · 05/12/2013 21:37

I must be the only one who thinks it is perfectly fair, sorry.

I do agree there should be an option for gas/electricity, though.

Original poster
RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 21:37

WooWooOwl I didn't even know they there were doing this until today and from the small bit of googling I've done I can't find any information other than Asda and the Govt struck a deal?

I'm not sure if any other companies where asked to be part of it?

OP posts:
UrbaneLandlord · 05/12/2013 21:43

Payment cards restricted to certain groceries sounds like a good idea to me.

How about a bit of gratitude to the state's generosity?

What we hardly ever get to hear about is a detailed account of how the recipient got into their current situation. All we usually hear are the "Headlines", like "I'd just had to buy the children new school shoes, then the cooker broke-down…"

What I'm curious to know is: What had the recipient been doing for the last 5 to 10 years to get into their current situation? Why are they incapable of saving a few pounds per week for most months in anticipation of these events?

WooWooOwl · 05/12/2013 21:43

I haven't heard anything of it until reading your post either tbh.

katherinelilyflower · 05/12/2013 21:47

Urbane, we have been "on our uppers" this year as my Dad would say and I do understand why even saving just a couple of pounds would be difficult, impossible even, for some.

However, being "on our uppers" has made me acutely aware of necessities and they are, put simply, food and shelter. I don't see that as a bad thing. £20, for groceries, for one person, is adequate. If someone was able to buy cigarettes (and the percentage of people who smoke who exclusively claim benefits is high) then frankly, they would barely last 3 days. I completely understand restrictions.

Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 21:49

How about a bit of common sense being applied so such wanton benefit claimants can actually top up their energy prepayment meters/pay the water bill so those poor hard up energy giant bosses with only one swimming pool can stay in the lifestyle they are accustomed to? Hmm

Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 21:51

(And the percentage of people who smoke who exclusively claim benefits is high) . Quite an assumption to make there I would say.

katherinelilyflower · 05/12/2013 21:54

It isn't an assumption Miss. I did have the statistic once but unfortunately don't have it to hand, but it is significantly more than the percentage of smokers in the population as a whole.

sutekidane · 05/12/2013 22:03

Ah, the old saving a few pounds a week rubbish. I'm on benefits. Everything is budgeted and calculated to the penny. There is no saving a few pounds a week. I wouldn't have a problem with a card instead of money. I would have a problem with it being for a shop a bus ride away. I'd also have a problem with it being just for food. I forget these days that us benefit scum aren't allowed to be clean or wipe our bums or have periods.

LauraTrashley · 05/12/2013 22:04

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Original poster
RoseRedder · 05/12/2013 22:05

UrbaneLandLord my friend has MS and was in receipt of ESA which has been stopped because he failed a medical with ATOS

His savings were used up about a year ago, following him being unable to work (he did not put in a claim for benefits until every last penny he had saved were used)

There are many many people who don't have savings in this country, not because they are irresponsible, but because sometimes outgoings and more than incomings and which ever way you juggle it, the books simply won't balance

OP posts:
Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 22:06

It is an assumption at worst and a sweeping statement at best. There are many people around the area I live in that work yet smoke cannabis. Should I then make an assumption that all hard workers are cannabis smokers?

Vatta · 05/12/2013 22:07

I remember reading a study once about why there are so many smokers among benefit-claimants (it is higher than the average for the population).

They concluded that it was because living on benefits was stressful, depressing, so people felt they needed to smoke in order to cope, that people on claimants couldn't afford to make the investment in nicotine patches etc to stop smoking, and that smoking a cigarette was actually a relatively cheap form of pleasure/relaxation for people who had access to very few real leisure activities.

I'm just saying - it can be true that a disproportionate number of benefit claimants smoke, this doesn't mean that claimants are bad people! The smoking is largely a result of their situations not the cause.

Vatta · 05/12/2013 22:10

Should say I don't automatically disapprove of some part of benefits being paid in vouchers that can be used in restricted ways - it may actually help reduce the amount of "benefits-bashing" that goes on if people know their taxes are being used to pay for essentials.

But it makes no sense at all to leave people without electricity, toilet paper, etc etc or to make them spend thevouchers in shops they can't get to.

Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 22:11

sutekidane not forgetting the fact that most peoples Jobcentres are situated outside of their home (so a bus ride away). No money. No bus fare to go and sign on. Sanctioned for not turning up. If they are going to do it like this they should employ someone with more than a few brain cells so they could at least think up, we will give him a £5 voucher to be able to get public transport etc to his signing on/job interviews. X amount to top up prepayment meters etc.

Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 22:12

OP had your friend appealed the ATOS decision?

Misspixietrix · 05/12/2013 22:13

Has

sutekidane · 05/12/2013 22:13

I forgot about that miss. I'm lucky now that I'm a five minute walk away from mine. It used to cost me £4 to get to there and back when I had to use the bus. There'll be militant people who demand we walk though regardless of how far away they are.

thenamestheyareachanging · 05/12/2013 22:15

Why are they incapable of saving a few pounds per week for most months in anticipation of these events?

Perhaps, Urbane, because they have never earned enough to make ends meet, and have even a few pounds left over at the end of the month? Perhaps they didn't have family to support them through further education? perhaps they were care leavers? Perhaps Asylum Seekers who fled war and torture? Perhaps chronically ill?

Also, it only takes a run of bad luck for the average earner to become literally penniless. Those savings won't last long when you have nothing.

ShylaMcClaus · 05/12/2013 22:17

Good point made by the poster who mentioned S.P. Tesco value pads are 15p a pack and really can't be done without. Ditto lavatory paper, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, most of which are also pennies.

This has made me very angry.

UrbaneLandlord · 05/12/2013 22:20

UrbaneLandLord my friend has MS and was in receipt of ESA which has been stopped because he failed a medical with ATOS.

When you say "failed a medical with ATOS" do you actually mean "passed a medical with ATOS"?

Isn't it a joyful thing for the state to declare you not needy of ESA?

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