To ask you to object to this? Pre-paid benefits cards

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

a step too far

We're talking about human beings.

Thanks Arsenic and those that have already signed.

bluejeans did you see up thread where I posted the different figures the same shop costs me at tesco and then via local markets and produce swaps? I have food allergies and so need to cook from scratch, i therefore need to buy large amounts of fresh produce. It simply isn't doable from tescos, I ended up buying bags of frozen veg which allergens in (Oral Allergy Syndrome so that's a lot of green things) in an attempt to save money.

I "save" in that a put several pounds a week in a jar so that come winter I can afford to top up my gas meter and heat my home, without which my asthma worsens and my quality of life is affected.

I live very rurally. I can't get a bus to a tesco and delivery charges are high due to the rural location. I would be pouring money down the drain, we wouldn't be eating anywhere near as healthily or as much and my allergies would be affected severely.

Signed. I think its awful. I buy meat from the local butchers and veg from the market. I couldn't do that with a prepaid card. It is taking away a lot of people basic rights to shop where they want. And what happens when you need oil or gas?you wouldn't be able to pay for it as my oil supplier takes cash on delivery.

The point is that regardless of whether you like shopping at tesco and can feed ten million children, 6 cats, a horse and a swarm of locusts on half a chicken a week, I should have the CHOICE about where I shop. I shouldn't have that choice taken away from me just because I was unfortunate enough to have to flee my psychopath of an ex. It restrictive and feels like a punishment for daring to have fallen on harder times.

I receive lone parent benefits. I pay £120 top up on my rent over my HB. I have money guzzling pre payment meters, live in the middle of nowhere so pay a high amount in public transport costs each week and have an ex who frequently "forgets" to pay me maintenance. However I'm frugal and I make use of the money I get in clever ways. I keep chickens. The eggs from said chickens are used at the village produce swaps in return for meat and dairy which I'd struggle to afford very often otherwise. I have dug most of my pretty garden into an huge ugly veg plot and grow as much as I can. Unfortunately soil is rather poor and I mostly get potatoes, beans and salad leaves. I have an honesty box stall out front for windfall apples from my tree an use that money towards the heating fund.

IDS and his ilk don't even conceive of the idea that some of us "scroungers" live like that. They assume we are all lazy idiots who buy takeaways, ready meals and brighthouse tvs. My way of life existed before I claimed benefits and will continue when I stop claiming benefits, yet this scheme would see me forced to do away with all the above, (I certainly couldn't buy chicken feed with cash at the local livestock market anymore, I wouldn't be able to afford to keep them, which would be a loss of vital currency round here), and I would be constrained to big chain shopping. It's a safety net designed to support us when we need us, until we get back on our feet. I should have to change my whole way of life because for a few years I need to rely on some state help.

Bloody autocorrect! Please make logical changes when reading my last post. So many words have been changed to others that it'd take ages to go through and edit. I'm sure you get the gist!

I live in a large city (in the Midlands) our market produce isn't that great a quality and often on the turn. The market is also in the city centre, a train ride away rather than two Tescos in walking distance, it costs me £4.75 to get to the market (on the train, more on the bus as it is two buses there two buses back or £4 to park plus petrol) I suppose it depends on your local area to what is better value for you.
I cook everything from scratch too, and buy loads and loads of veg and tend to batch cook. I can do a veg week shop ( we have some weeks where we don't have meat but lots of soup or lentil based dishes) for £20 I suppose it depends what you are allergic to. I use a lot of carrot, onion, courgette, tomatoes, potatoes, parsnips and swede as bases for the majority of our meals but I do understand that some of those are allergens. I never buy the pre-packed bags of veg, the same weight of carrots costs more bagged by Tesco than it does bagged by me.

That's just it though blue. You're not signing the petition because in your exact circumstances it's cheaper for you to shop at tesco. Well not everyone has the same circumstances as you! So how is that a valid argument for not signing? Or is it more, "I'm alright Jack, sod the rest".

I currently have three SACKS of potatoes, 8 cauliflowers, a sack of carrots (5kgs) and a sack of onions (5kgs) in my pantry. Purchased for a sack of cooking apples from my tree, 3 dozen eggs and 3 punnets of berries I foraged last month. The only cost to me for those is the cost of the chicken feed, which in itself is low cost as I get it direct from supplier.

Signed

Very strange proposal from the Tories. Not very in line with individual choice and responsibility, or free market economic, is it? One might almost be led to believe that they think these things are less important than villifying the poor.

I am probably going to upset every one now but I don't think we do have a right to choice when we are relying on the government to feed and clothe ourselves and our children.
I am grateful for the help I get it allows me to choose not to work. If the government said I could only spend that money in Aldi or Lidl (where I would never choose to shop) then I would still have a choice.
The choice would be to shop where I was told or get a job. And for all you say its not that easy set your sights lower. A minium wage job for 15hrs a week equals what I get in tax credits. I could get that sweepimg the floor in the hairdressers or working in the chip shop.

There you go, carers and disabled people: just get a job! Or take your card and shut up.

Would I take my children with me while I work in this chip shop or do I leave them at home with the chickens as childcare blue.

I wouldn't be able to pay for heating or water, or keep me, my husband, my baby and the house clean. I fucking hate both tesco and asda too. I shop at aldi, farmfoods, home bargains and lidl. If they were usable everywhere for most things I wouldn't mind.

But blue how would it work practically?

If the Government says you can only shop at Aldi or Lidl how do you buy a stairgate, or clothes from a charity shop, or your child's shoes or their school photo? What if you need your cooker repaired, your shoes resoled or a different brand of washing powder cause the Aldi one makes you break out in eczema? What if Aldi/Lidl (or whoever has the contract) put up their prices cause now they have a captive audience? What if there isn't one in your area, or it closes?

In order to allow claimants to conserve money and buy the things they need locally the amount of administration this scheme would need would be massive. Listing all the possible sources of everything a person could reasonably need in every area of the country. Or would shops and businesses have to pay to sign up to it - how many would bother and what would happen if they didn't?

Even if you believe people on benefits should just take what they're given it is unworkable.

Oh blue, I do have a job. But its part time, as I care for my husband and daughter, and I still want to say I want to shop here and Not there.

My benefits pay for rent and food, and cleaning. My wage is bills.

Don't say "just get a job" that's rather insensitive as most of us do have one just paid poorly.

I couldn't work the stupid hours they require in the chippy. And they're not hiring either......

Please note the part in which Employment and Support Alowance, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance are mentioned.
It affects the disabled.

So, you don't get a choice in being disabled and that removes your right to choice in everything else bluejeans?

Signed. thanks OP for the link

where are you lot getting the information from about only being able to use it in certain supermarkets?

That's not what I've read.

Where has the assumption that only Asda and Tesco will accept the proposed smart cards? Just out of interest?

Pah sorry still getting used to the iphone updated keyboard. What I'm asking is where the info/assumption has come from?

Actually finding hard news rather than opinion pieces on this has been very difficult.

I don't object to some of the money being tied into a smart card. As for stigma, I know a lot of schools already give all children smart cards to pay for meals, stuff from school shop etc, and there is nothing on those cards to say whether the money on them came from parents, school fund or free school meals.

Don't know about an assumption that definitely only Asda and Tesco will accept cards.

But it's certainly the case that:

a) many smaller sellers don't accept even ordinary bank cards (car boots, eBay, my local veg box) because of the associated charges

b) specialist schemes like asylum seeker vouchers are only accepted by a smaller number of sellers, presumably because of the additional admin

c) many sellers REALLY don't want to get involved in policing their customers' purchases. It doesn't go down well at the till.

They haven't finalised the proposal yet though have they? So It may well be that they put provisions in allowing a certain amount of cash each time the money is topped up. But we won't know that until the full proposal comes back.

this seems to have more info.

www.ukauthority.com/news/4960/duncan-smith-borrows-north-tynesides-payment-card

In fact if you look at what Australia have done they have done just that. A certain percentage is on the card and then the rest is cash payments.

m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18951205

Siarie, can you please tell me how I'll do the shopping with this card, given I'm housebound?