To think pre-paid benefits cards are a stigmatizing, punitive scheme?

[ArsenicFaceCream]

Just announced at the Conservative Party conference.

They will initially be 'voluntary' for claimants with addiction issues, apparently.

But of course the intention is to roll it out.

Universal Credit is going national in February so this could get interesting, given that UC will be paid to working claimants as well as those not working.

I'm a carer for disabled DS, will this mean I won't be allowed a drink once in a blue moon when he actually sleeps for once?

How will I get the shopping home? I'm assuming you won't be able to use this for online shopping and delivery, I can't get food for 3 people for however long it's supposed to last, from the supermarket on a bus on my own...how will I pay for the bus?

What about my gas and electric bills? What about my mortgage/rent?...if my payments are going to made on a card - how the hell am I supposed to use that to pay my mortgage or rent? Keeping in mind, that rent payments will be going diretly to the claimer and not the landlord...What about clothes, uniforms, days out, therapies, taxi's/travel/car/petrol etc?

Who the hell are they, in fact, who the hell is anyone to tell me what I can spend money on?

How am I supposed to teach DS to budget or pay for things without actual money for him to work with, work out the change, count the change? What about christmas and birthday presents?

Yes smiles.

We probably won't be able to buy books to read, chocolate for treats, nothing.

My life will be even more harder because I am just a lowly scummy carer with her lowly disable husband. I don't deserve fuck all obviously according to this government.

Will I be able to buy makeup? can I treat my children to a take away every now and then? Ohh yes, we all need our spending policed because we dared to fall on hard times, lost our jobs etc

Oh GOD don't let this happen to people.

Part of the reason for the DLA is to replace everything that DS destroys - what the hell am I supposed to then? Pay for the replacements? The redecortaing? the plastering and repair work?

What about those that own their house or have a mortgage? What about repairs, leaks, broken toilets/baths/showers? What about electrical faults? white appliances?

TV licence? Council Tax? These two things will see us arrested if they are not paid - how are you supposed to pay those? Even if you don't have a tv so don't need the licence - you've still got Council tax to pay - even the shortfall now they've reduced the payments.

Internet/phone - who are you supposed to get a job or keep up with the job market if you can't pay for those or the travel to get to somewhere public that has these?

I fostered for almost 7 years and receiving a child that was half starved and semiotic dressed due to parental neglect

I feel if you need a pre paid card your children should be living with someone who can put feeding that child first

It terms of things breaking down for those of you who don't know the DSS runs a loan and a grant system for cookers, clothing ECt so if cooker breaks you go to dss they get the Argos book out look for the cheapest cooker and you get that money via a giro

This is all without getting on the school side of things...most homework is done online or at least need to tinternet to research/print. Are the kids supposed to miss out on lunches and breaks so they can do this at school instead?

What about trips? Will they have to miss out on those too?

What is you have to pay for your medication? Not all of it is free, how are you supposed to pay for that? for the carer? the extra help?

#It terms of things breaking down for those of you who don't know the DSS runs a loan and a grant system for cookers, clothing ECt so if cooker breaks you go to dss they get the Argos book out look for the cheapest cooker and you get that money via a giro*

Not any more - they did away with that years ago.

They don't think or care about any of that Smiles, just about winding up the 'proper upstanding taxpayer' in order to get more votes and headlines..
Plus it's got more people talking about this than the MP defecting to UKIP so it's job done with the added bonus of more benefit bashing.
Must be a good day to be a Tory.

Shit idea. Doesn't work - already done in the Us and it results on people selling their cards for less than face value so they can buy other things they need eg children's shoes.

When my alcoholic Mum was spending everything on making sure she had fags and plenty to drink, a way of ensuring we had food money, say an account with a local shop, would have been life changing for my sisters and I. She was an addict and yet her lovely middle class accent and polite manner allowed her to get away with not really bothering. I am sure you are all right, and it wouldn't work, but bloody hell, it was hard seeing a packet of fags when we needed some pasta or a loaf of bread.

I am a lone parent working 20 hours a week with a young, disabled child. If this scheme rolls out then I am not sure how we will survive. Sure, we may have plenty to eat on this scheme, but I will not have enough left over to pay the mortgage, heat my home or replace my ancient washing machine when it finally packs up.

If I am no longer paying the mortgage, my house will be reposessed making both me and my son homeless. We would be forced to apply for emergency accommodation and then claim housing benefit. The cost to the taxpayer would be far more than the status quo for me where very thrifty shopping for food (bargain bins at the end of the day), boot sales or charity shops for clothes and toys.

The ironic thing is that it would cost the poor far more for food and clothes than they pay now meaning they get far more for every pound received in benefits due to no doubt a few selected superstores being chosen that claimants can only spend in and supermarkets being able to round money up and in fact enjoying a captive market.

While of course there is a financial penalty for the poor in this scheme, it doesn't include the human costs involved - for example in my case losing my home would have as devastating impact on my mental health, perhaps physical health possibly leading to reduced performance at work leading to sickness absence, disciplinary and dismissal. For my son who has autism, this would inevitably affect him deeply leading to emotional and behavioral difficulties and impaired performance at school.

less for the pound in their pocket

Ids says this is for the worst families however I think we need to just be brave and acknowledge that some people will never be able to put their children's needs first instead of inventing was to keep the children in "managed neglect" the children in my view need to be removed

If things have gotten so bad your children are Hungry because your priorities lay elese were then I think it's time to hand things over to a foster carer or an adopter

The type of families ids hopes to target will have had years of intervention

As somone who fostered I have seen mother set up to fail left looking after children everyone knows they can't cope with only for that child to to be damaged only to repeat and have serval children removed from them

It's very tragic but just like any other task in life some people just can't

Nb to clarify the amount I receive in benefits is a couple of hundred pounds a month and nowhere near the mortgage amount (for benefit bashers who may be reading this with the impression that benefits scroungers can run a mortgage on payments!). It is however for those on the margins of life, the difference between surviving and succumbing

poster poppetsaplenty

Unless you are a negleful parent or a drug addict then I would not worry did you actually listen to what ids said or are you just getting sound bites from people on here

He wanted to target this AT thd sorts of parents who have children removed or on the at risk register eg drug addicts or drinkers ecf

IDS used the word 'initially' fishwife

Add message | Report | Message poster ArsenicFaceCream Mon 29-Sep-14 21:27:00
IDS used the word 'initially' fishwife

We shall see if it rolls out no doubt grandstanding for election time

Not a gamble I want to take.

To borrow a mn phrase 'when someone tells you who they are, listen' re that weasel word initially

It would be a slipper slope, start with addicts then roll out to others...

Steeleyespanx - "Even those who have worked for a number of years, then found themselves genuinely unable to work due to ill health/redundancy had the opportunity to protect themselves with Accident/Sickness/Unemployment insurance while they had an income. They chose not to do so and instead decided that the taxpayer should fund their lifestyle should they become unable to work."

They DID have this insurance. It's called NATIONAL INSURANCE

Giros for cookers and junk? Gawd it's been a while if you still think that shit happens

thank you Uptheairymountain for pointing out that people using benefits have already paid for them through national insurance. this happens every time there is a benefits thread, people come on and show their ignorance.

Rose. I think addicts with children should have much closer supervision or have them taken away. I'm not sure this scheme would help, they are inventive, would sell their vouchers for drugs or find a dodgy shop who would give them fags.

Children need far more protection and respect in these homes, to expect an addict to be capable of looking after children is wrong. The selfless protective instinct we have as parent is destroyed by addiction.

They are dealing with the symptom and not the cause. It's unbelievably shortsighted and a waste of resources to tackle addiction in this way.

There are better ways to deal with benefit fraud and there are better ways to deal with addiction. Rather constrict the poor than impose any kind of restriction on the liberty of the wealthy.