AIBU to question no hosepipe ban exemption for people on benefits?

[Crosorbled]

No hosepipe ban for people on benefits .

It’s got absolutely sod all to do with the government, as has been pointed out throughout this thread. You sound quite hysterical in your anti-government hatred. And I say that as someone who didn’t even vote Labour.

@TopPocketFind ha ha! Hosepipe bans do seem to be some sort of middle class rage bait bat signal. I've never really understood it, I am not sure why domestic household would have such a pressing a need to move that much water from one place to another that it becomes such an anxiety inducing issue for some

So you're going to make a potentially stupid and selfish decision based on an issue you don't understand because of click-baity headlines in newspapers who are purposefully trying to wind you up because dramatic headlines generate advertising revenue for them?

People are making money from your unwillingness or inability to actually understand an issue, and bad actors are exploiting how easy you are to manipulate.

Hosepipe bans are relatively small beer in the grand scheme of things, but this is a great example of why the world is going to hell in a handbasket - because nobody is willing to think for themselves, to research and understand an issue before taking a position on it, to treat obvious wind-ups in the media with scepticism. It's why Russian agents are able to influence public perception in this country to such a startling degree, why Elon Musk is able to stir up violence and civil unrest. Because a huge proportion of the population is willing to be led by the nose instead of engaging their brains for even a moment.

Ok. They’re still useful for a long garden with many plants.

Nothing to do with the government. Water companies are private.

Buckets and watering cans exist

You could have taken a moment to get your facts straight before posting but hey, any chance to get your froth on, right?

Substantively though, is this not another example of using benefit receipt as a blanket "gateway" to other advantages? Which has the effect of compounding the reasons to stay on benefits as long as possible, because they open the door to so much. Similar to the example from a few months ago about £4 zoo tickets.

I don't know anyone in real life who cares about hosepipe bans (certainly my neighbours haven't got the news) so I don't really care about this specific example but I dislike the trend of anything that entrenches the "benefits class" as a group that blanket receives advantages.

They are also extremely wasteful, regardless of a ban. Everyone should avoid using them if at all possible.

Fine use those. A hose is easier.

Ok go for it.

@EasternStandard Well of course it is, it also uses (and wastes) a lot of water. You may have noticed it has been extremely dry and hot lately, we are being asked to take some very low impact actions to preserve water so we have enough for more essential usage - you know like food crops rather than your begonias.

Honestly people behave like spoilt 5 year olds if asked to do anything the least bit uncomfortable.

FFS, Mnet benefit bashers will believe any old shit.🙄

It is not a blanket gateway.

Read the Citizens Advice link provided on page 1

If there is evidence that a hosepipe ban exemption is encouraging people to stay on benefits when they have the option to earn sufficiently well to no longer need them, I'll happily consider whether the approach to exemptions remains justified. But if it's merely a theoretical possibility with no underlying data to support it, it's not something I'm concerned about.

Takes 3 hours to fill my pool. I couldn't do it without a hosepipe.

Do what you want, use the watering can. You’ve never owned a hosepipe good on you.

That is a rather hostile response to a perfectly reasonable comment, if I may say so.

It is also easier to not bother sorting one's recycling, to drop litter rather than taking it home with one or to not bother scooping the hound's poop off the pavement. Small efforts to avoid the easier and often selfish option add up to big benefits for us all.

That’s great. Enjoy not using a hose even when there’s no ban.

Given how much rubbish and dog shit I see littering the roads as it is, it doesn't surprise me how many people are arseholes about hosepipes too. Some people can't be made to care about anything but their own convenience, they're lost causes.

Is this the nonsense Telegraph disinformation? It isn't for people on any old benefits. Lets face it, child benefit and pensions are benefits but people may (and probably are with child benefit) be working.

To be fair, it’s not about little things having impacts. Hosepipes don’t generally have an impact on water usage- they are simply an easy thing to turn off- unnecessary and high volume usage- and the only lever the water company has to reduce domestic water use.

Using a hosepipe doesn’t make you a high volume water user- you might only use it 6 times a year and have low usage inside the house for example. It’s just the only thing available to the water company

Do you use a watering can too then even if no ban?

What’s with the scolding anyway?

Sad, but true. There are too many selfish arseholes in the world as we can see on this thread.

On what grounds ? Those who are on disability benefits or have a blue badge can usually get an exemption anyway - usually because they would have difficulty using a watering can instead of a hosepipe for essential things. So that leaves those who either don’t work, or are topped up by UC. Why would you think they would benefit from a hosepipe ban, given that they have no difficulty using a watering can instead ?