Drug testing benefits claimants?

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

I've just been reading the opinions on another forum about testing benefits claimants for illegal substances. The suggestion is that ALL taxpayer funded benefits, including DLA, PIP, Tax credits and so on, should be subject to urine sample testing.

I can't believe the amount of support for it.

AIBU to find the prospect chilling?

What would the government do with this information?

Bad idea.

You don't have to routinely exchange your wee sample for your pay though Squiff. Some companies do random drug testing but that is more related to safety. Companies don't try to dictate what you spend your money on either.

What would the government do with this information?

Sanction I imagine.

Having worked in health care, I think if they tested Staff, especially night staff, we'd be put in a crisis because of staff shortages and that includes Doctors.

Ta quite shocking how many people working in MH services, who see the effects of street drugs, still take them.

We have a responsibility in work, benefit claimants don't, that's the difference. Where I am there isn't work, so they don't have to be put looking that often.

Being on drugs isn't a reason for the removal of children, or even a CP plan, in some cases, it depends on how you are keeping things together.

Its quite astounding the percentage of people that just want punitive measures in place for claimants, regardless of how much it costs to implement.

Its quite astounding the percentage of people that just want punitive measures in place for claimants, regardless of how much it costs to implement.

Well said Birds

You'd be surprised how people can afford drugs when on benefits.

Can't see this ever happening tbh. It's too George Orwellian.

I really wish people would start looking st the top of the food chain for all that is wrong with this bloody country instead of being herded in to benefit haters by the media

The amount of people who presumed this was an initiative to push the Tory line is a stark representation of how similar the parties are, under all the fluff.

So you can't have a glass of wine or a spliff now if you receive cb, or tax credits. Ha Ha Ha Ha repeat.

Sorry, pressed wrong button.
Should have added:

That with bells on...

Who cares whether they take drugs or not? What would you even do if they tested positive?

It's a means of sanctioning Buckin

It sounds a dreadful idea. I can't see it happening. Surely and I could be wrong about this, it would breach the Human Rights Act. Whatever people spend their benefit money on is surely no-one's business but their own.

buckinbronco I assume the people who think it's a good idea would want their money sanctioned. That'll learn them. No money to buy drugs. Equally no money to buy food or provide for their children but that's a minor implication.

How bizarre. It won't get them back into work or anything though. I can't see it working in any way. Enormous numbers of people take drugs.

Like all things done to demonize the poor, this would only be acceptable if it applied to others who take their wages directly from public coffers. eg politicians.
They are so fucking hypocritical, I know it was the sun, but wasn't there an expose years ago where they swabbed loads of toilets in the house of commons and found most of them had traces of cocaine?
Remember those pictures of George Osborne with prostitutes and cocaine??
Think of all the members of the house of lords (who get £300 a fucking day just for turning up, remember?!) who would be put on their ear if this was applied to them.

The Orwellian aspect of it, although, like so many other things atm, very disturbing, is no where near as sick making to me as the sheer hypocrisy of these people.
Look at the Bullingdon club and their trashing of restaurants, if it was the proles doing that it'd be a "riot". But no, they have moeny to buy their way out of it, so it's "youthful high jinks" ffs.

Chocolate and Snow

It already HAS happened, just not here. Yet.

squiff most of us don't have a drug problem which is why we can work in tesco/hsbc etc and survive. Drug addicts can't always function hence benefits. Or should they starve?

"They are so fucking hypocritical"

Which members of the Labour party - the shade of Government that actually proposed this - do you mean?

Cor I could make a fortune selling black market clean wee. I can always be relied upon to squeeze out a test sized sample.

Seriously, though it's a bloody ridiculous idea. Have these bandwagon supporters thought of the cost implications for mandatory testing?

It's easy to pick on the poor and turn the working against them, it creates a distraction for the rich the keep robbing.

A lot of hard core pain killers show up positive on drugs tests. This suggestion is just another way of destroying disabled people, along with encouraging the Daily Mail image of benefit claiments.

BadDoGooder, but shagging dead pigs is "just high jinks".

I don't know what would be worse - being drugged up whilst doing that. Or not.

The current government should know.

I'd say yes to drugs testing the underclasses - so long as we can drugs test all the tory MPs (and their families because I'd need to be on more than valium if I was married to one of those shiny faced pig shaggers).

Joffrey