To be agreeing with new conservative benefits proposal re alcohol etc

[Tigerthebreadroll]

They will cut benefits for people that haven't paid into the system and been unemployed for over 6 months (don't quote me on that number ) by 30 % and it will be given on a prepaid type card. Meaning it won't be accepted by betting shops, for alcohol or cigarettes. I feel that's right . Why should tax payers money be spent on funding cigarettes etc but I have no problem with funding the basics like food etc.
Thoughts?
Basically you will claim full benefits if you've worked and paid into the system. Should reduce generational unemployment hopefully

I don't smoke and drink but some parents I know with Sen children absolutely do because they can't just pop to a mates or have a nice meal out and can't get a babysitter due to child's needs so I wouldn't begrudge them a smoke or a drink if it gives them a little joy.

Also for smoking - it's not a treat it's an addiction 🤔

It's just all hear say !
I don't like this post at all !!
It's nasty and judgemental
The system is broken but so is a lot of the system ATM !
Benefits healthcare taxes everything what the government are doing it is not helping !And I mean all government lefties righties reform there all crap !
People are complex some people more complex needs than others there will always be people that milk the system and this is where they need to stamp down giving 19nyeats old pip for anxiety is fucking ridiculous
If they start dictating what money can be spent on we are entering another phrase of the government over reaching into our lives !
Please stop all the judgement on people u don't have a clue about and the poster that works at a school and kids get fed brekkie and they parents smoke at the gate u are one of the worst on this post !!!! I absolutely loathe people like u!!
I work hard and so does all my family but I don'took down on people that can't work or their struggling to gain employment!!

Ironically the second option is what drives economic migration and people fucking hate it when they see others do that.

This is true but a policy doesn't need to be sensible and actually save more than it costs to appeal to voters, as seen by this thread.
'Sixth form debating' is generous, I'm pretty sure a mid level gcse student would spot the holes in this if given a blank page and asked to think about it

But many people won't bother thinking about it, they just see yay feckless benefit scroungers, great policy, move on. What reading age is the average newspaper aimed at, was it 10? Clearly that's the target comprehension range for political initiatives too.

My Grandma was too when my Grandad died suddenly at the age of 41 leaving her with 3 children and a shop to run
This was in the early 50s

Nice to see that classism is still alive and well in this day and age. Fucking shameful and embarrassing, the way the lot of you speak about other human beings.

The fact that everyone here really believes that all unemployed people are just sat around all day, smoking fags and drinking lambrini just goes to show how successful our governments have been in brainwashing us to hate one another, and the fearmongering and stigmatisation of benefits is really working.

Do you want to know how being unemployed really feels? Want to know what I spend my days doing? I can tell you.
I had worked my entire life since I was legally allowed, until I was made redundant in 2023 by a company that was outsourcing/moving my role abroad for cheaper labour. My partner works for a local authority who, again, despite his dedication to his role and the company, will not give him a full time job. He has worked there for 2 years.
Whilst I do currently have a job now, it's only 15 hours a week, and the company also plainly refuses to give me any additional hours either, despite my best efforts to get them. I have been job-searching for the entire time that I have been unemployed and I did not stop.

My partner and I are do not have children, so, before deductions, we would receive £666.97. Yes, you read that right. £666 for an entire month.

Being unemployed and on UC in this day and age is being unable to afford food shopping for the month.

Being unemployed is having to decide between being able to feed myself and my family, or pay our council tax bill for the month.

Being unemployed is job-searching tirelessly, day in and day out, sending thousands of job applications, only not to hear back from a single fucking one.

Being unemployed means constantly having to borrow money from family members.

Being unemployed is staring at the 4 walls of your home, not being able to go anywhere, do anything, because you have no money.

Being unemployed means that my dog hasn't had his mandatory annual vaccinations because I can't afford the added expense.

Being unemployed means rinsing your credit cards until they're maxed out, just to even try to make ends meet.

For me, being unemployed means being suicidal because I don't know any other way out of this.

Being unemployed means not knowing how we're going to afford the gas and electric for our house.

So unless you know how it feels, don't you fucking dare sit there and tell me that I'm living a life of luxury, because what I'm doing right now is not living, it's merely existing and making it through the month, until I have to do it all again.

Are there people that do abuse the system and don't use the money correctly? Yes.
Is it everyone? Absolutely fucking not. Not even close.

^This in spades. It’s a populist proposal that makes a good soundbite but there’s plenty of evidence that it wouldn’t work in practice.

it's great you don't have an addiction then isn't it. unfortunately some people who have suffered abuse or have had a trauma can't cope without a drink or a cigarette and need these to be able to function. I wouldn't call that a privilege.

Indeed. And also the second option was more doable when the economy actually demanded more social mobility. If anything now the economic drivers are a race to the bottom with huge inequality, a very small billionaire class then the rest of us grabbing what scraps we can- more like society in the Middle Ages.

What do you mean Kemi doesn't look English?

So, basically, alcoholics would die? (Withdrawal cold turkey can be fatal).

I'm not fundamentally against giving stuff, not just money, but surely you would have to fix drug and alcohol rehabilitation (including making immediate in patient rehabilitation immediate and accessible) and homelessness (currently a barrier to accessing rehabilitation and being able to cook cheap, basic food).

Without better services in place surely you would just increase crime, especially shoplifting, muggings, burglary, coercive offences and create a black market where people prey on the vulnerable buying their vouchers for a fraction of their value.

And what about disabled people who currently have to jump through hoops and wait up to a year to go to tribunal for the benefits they are entitled to, meanwhile placed in a work group.

You see this is where the NHS should step in with therapy services, although I appreciate it won’t.

I live in a deprived area with poor job opportunities, I know a 19yo lad, council estate born and raised, dad a total nightmare, told my school not to apply to college as he wouldn't pass any of his exams, passed his exams well but then told too late to apply for college as the places were filled. He got a job at kwik fit - which he says is 'shit', used the money from this to get his driving licence and to fund training through a private company in a role he wants to go into, does a second job which dubiously uses false self employment to pay under minimum wage, but will be a gateway to the career he wants and give him the contacts he needs, and has just put an offer in on a wreck of a house.

Jobs exists, maybe not the one you want, and they require effort, drive and perserverance, even the shit ones, to get and hold on to.

I am struggling to read this as anything other than racism. Reported.

You have the choice though.

working in social care I see so many people who have had trauma or been abused and have cigarettes or a drink to cope. This to me is far better than using crack or heroin and although you may not deem those items essential they very well can be to someone.

they may not be able to function to work and earn money to buy these things because of something that happened to them like rape or domestic violence which is completely beyond their control and I think to take away that one thing that helps them to get through the day is actually cruel

coping mechanism

Why should there be an election soon?

As for the conservatives winning, you know that is not going to happen.

What is that supposed to mean? How racist.
Reported.

This is so sad. We have to provide fags and alcohol as people are too tramautised / exhausted / stressed to cope otherwise and if we stopped providing we’d have to deal with crime,

Why can’t we say let’s have proper mental health services and a proper police service to crack down on every single little bit of law breaking?

Oh I think we all know what she means. The likes of reform, restore, Robinson & Tommo have emboldened the racists.

Fully agree with Kemi.

I am on the fence.

Mainly as I know someone who is 2 parents, 1 worker, 4 kids, council house - and kids old enough that the 2 kid cap didn't apply. And they have 3 horses on livery, 2 of the kids compete - nationally.
Us as a family of 2 working parents (both on the same wage as the 1 working parent) couldn't anywhere near afford that.

But I also feel its crap when kids are held back in certain sports because of elitism.

But also, we should then have to make sure that ALL government funds - even those given to businesses are never used for anything of a similar nature.

Then they shouldn’t be having children when they can’t pay their own way, this is literally a consideration you should make before deciding to have a child! Having a baby is a privilege and you should only ever have one or the amount you can afford to support YOURSELF. We literally considered what we would do if our baby was disabled or I became disabled or died having our child before deciding to go ahead and get pregnant it’s the responsible thing to do.

I wondered how long it would be before her skin colour was used as an attack line. Sickening.