to think cutting benefits will increase crime

[everydaywonderful]

because people need money, you know, for food and rent and stuff. I'd be prepared to break the law before seeing my children without food, or homeless, wouldn't you?

I would yes. I can’t see this happening. Where are they going to magic the jobs from? What about the children? Empty rhetoric to appeal to the Tory blue rinse brigade as an election approaches

where exactly are people going to be expected to get rent and food money from in their 13th month of unemployment, if not through crime?

Of course YANBU. A few people I know on existing benefits already have to sell a bit of weed or knock-off goods, not for profit, but just to make sure the kids are fed. 😥That's very low-level stuff imo, so it's definitely going to get worse!

What do you suggest the alternative is? Do you think its better paying unlimited benefits to people who refuse to work?

Yes. Paying benefits for an unlimited period to the tiny minority of people who won't work (and the larger, but still small, minority of people who can't work) is the far better alternative.

I agree.

As you see in countries that are very unequal and experience a lot of poverty.

@Whateveer complicated regarding ‘what is the alternative’. I suspect very few people live a life exclusively on benefits unless they have to - most (all probably) won’t be living the high life!

What does life really look like for your average person living exclusively on benefits? Not great I would imagine.

I’d say you’re right. It is a stupid plan that hasn’t been thought through.

Where are they going to magic all these jobs up from that are suitable for everyone who cannot currently work? They already estimate they need another 25k funded nursery places for all these people to use for their kids when they’re forced into work, when nurseries are closing due to lack of funding already.

They need to sort out the NHS waiting lists to get people off sickness benefits!!

I agree with you. When there is extreme need, bad things happen.

BTW, the vast majority of people receiving benefits are actually employed, just not earning enough.

Of those unemployed, most of them are actively looking for work but then, if you are of a certain age, have a gap on your Cv or can’t afford childcare, you are going to struggle to find someone to provide you with the opportunity to show you can do the job.

Yes it will increase crime. Shoplifting rates fell when there was the £10 a week increase in universal credit for covid.

Anyone in favour of cuts needs to realise that keeping millions of people in poverty makes the country a worse place for us all to live. More crime, more anti social behaviour, more strain on the schools and health services that we all use.

Its already happening. Lots of people resorting to shoplifting essentials due to CoL, never mind reducing income further. Its a false economy. It won't do what it sets out to as many long term claimants are realitically pretty much unemployable. So all it will do is create destitution. People without the means to buy food, heat their homes and look after their children end up being far more costly to the public purse through their increased likelihood to need more costly intervention later down the line; medical and social services, cost of taking them through the criminal justice system etc. Far cheaper to continue to pay them benefits and invest money otherwise wasted in criminalising them in increasing employability where possible, and investing in the next generation.

They are basically going to push people who are long term ill or disabled into work. They and those who are looking for jobs due to unemployment will have their benefits cut after a year.

I didnt mention people who can't work. I mentioned people who won't work. Why should they just be given continuous handouts for purposely fucking up interviews and so on?

Can anyone post a link to this please

They shouldn’t. But if you reduce benefits to starvation level to force them into work, a far larger number of people who can’t work will starve.

Why would if affect people who can't work?

I suspect before seeing their children go without any food, they would get a job.
You are dehumanising people and reducing them to thieves because unemployment benefit would be reassessed at 12 months?

Shoplifting in supermarkets and stores happens because there are a small number of prolific offenders, most with serious drug habits to feed, others as part of a criminal network. It isn’t hoards of mothers lifting petits filous and lunchables for the kids. Don’t believe me? Go along to your local Sheriff or County Court and sit in.

The absolute usual: people writing off those on benefits as potential thieves and a menace to society. Most people on benefits already struggle financially and they don’t resort to stealing.

These people are in the extreme minority though, very few people don’t work because they just don’t want too and live on benefits. Rishi will have you believing it’s a huge amount of people but it’s really not. The problem is the amount of corporations and millionaires not paying their fair share, but the tories want to push this narrative of benefit scum bags and illegal immigrants taking your money. It’s all smoke and mirrors.

I'd not steal. I'd just get a job and pay for things for them. Surely most people would do that. If you sign up to a job agency it's easy they find the work for you.

There's another thread going which is too depressing to link to.

One of the suggestions is that people get PiP for addiction, rather than the many co-morbidities most have. And that stopping this money would stop them doing drugs.

Take an addict's money away and they will turn to crime as most are unemployable. Or sex work. Or just kill themselves. It's such short sighted thinking.

… if you have a highly sought skill set, that is, and you are knocking at the right doors.

Most of those on low incomes or unemployed are not so fortunate.

916,000 job vacancies available as at the end of March 2024.

‘Shoplifting rates fell when there was the £10 a week increase in universal credit for covid. ‘

I believe that shoplifting ‘fell’ when shops were controlling the number of people in any store at a given time, and implementing one way systems , which made it much easier to monitor behaviour.

There were also far more security guards employed, and they had less disinclination to arrest people.

The tories are just scraping their barrel of hate to inflame their nastiest and most ignorant voters to try and hold on to power.
Only the most deluded will still vote for them and that won’t be enough.
Don’t bother listening anymore. They will be decimated very soon and they know it.