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

A lot of Betty’s were housewives and SAHM, so no they didn’t pay in. Shall we let them all go without? Obviously not.

An estimated 40% to 45% of this subgroup smoke. While 15% to 20% regularly consume alcohol at hazardous, harmful, or dependent levels, and around 30% being moderate drinkers. This is less than 100,000 people.

It is hardly the silver bullet you are assuming it is, in terms of public health, employment rates or budget savings.

All that will happen is what has happened before, the person with a pre paid card will buy £20 of something their friend who is not on benefits wants and the friend will either buy for them or give them cash.

It won't be £20 cash it will probably be £10.

So someone can get no capacity to work if they are physically addicted to alcohol and then be exempt going into job centre plus?

I thought this was well known to be an issue.

AI is not a bogeyman at all.

The fact is that a lot of people supporting Badenoch's idea here will themselves be unemployed very soon.

All those office workers will be replaced with AI with maybe one human manager going through all the work.

Basically any job that is computer-based can be done by AI.

All those nice, lower middle class/middle class jobs gone.

The top professions will remain as will the dirty jobs at the bottom. Most in the middle, though? Gone.

Let's see all the supporters of Badenoch's batshit idea complain when they're denied their treat of a Costa Coffee.

Luckily for me, I'm in a profession that can't really be performed by AI.

@Allisnotlost1
Nice to see that us Keynesians are still around! He famously said its better to pay unemployed men to dig holes and fill them in than allow them to remain unemployed. He said the important thing was to pay them for the digging.
He did say men as well but it was the 1930s.
He also said for morale it was better that they were doing something they valued like building housing or roads or whatnot. I do think we are due for a return to Keynes. I understand there are many criticisms of his ideas but let's be honest what we have now isnt great either.

@Allisnotlost1 interesting you should mention that... In the UK, an estimated 85% to 90% of current women pensioners were SAHMs or took a dedicated, multi-year career break to raise a family at some point in their lives.

Keep your mitts of the sherry Betty - you don't deserve nice things either!

(sarcasm for the contextually illiterate again)

Are you familiar with that thing where two things can be true at the same time?

Or are you someone who believes we can just transition everyone on JSA into any job currently done by a foreign national? Doctors, dentists, care workers, medical scientists - no worries, we’ll just force people to do those jobs, who cares about qualifications or motivation?

As a non means tested benefit claimer, on private pensions, contributory pension, and savings, I’d like to say I smoke, enjoy my wine and nuts to the pearl clutchers.🖕

I haven’t got a problem. 🙄. I’ve never had a problem with life, other than normal stuff. Life is full of stress - you get over it.

I’m not traumatised, I’ve not used smoking or anything else to calm me down, I’ve never been obese, so I obviously don’t need NHS/taxpayer funded jabs.

So, best we all jog on, without too much judging of others. 👍

You people are mad to the point of sickness. The welfare state exists in part to prevent crime. If people can’t buy what they want they will steal it. Or, we get what happens in the US with food stamps, a black market will form and people will sell the money on their cards for cash.

This idea that these awful poor people don’t deserve vices and stopping the booze and fags will fix them right up could only be supported by those with nothing but contempt and division in their heart and could only be proposed by a desperate Tory party. Thank god they’ll never get in.

Somebody who is physically deoendent on alcohol are probably steadily drinking throughout the day as sudden withdrawel can make.somone ill induce fits and in extreme cases even death
They would be incapable of working mostly.

The govt revenue from alcohol alone is £12bn pa. Alcohol duties

If everyone stopped drinking and smoking overnight, other taxes would have to go.

I’m constantly surprised at how rubbish the social security system is - just not in the way Kemi is. Most people I know who are or have been on benefits of any kind want to do something with their time, but lack skills, confidence, opportunity or resources, in some configuration. Of course some won’t but silly bullshit like ‘don’t let them smoke!’ Isn’t going to make it better. Why are we wasting so much human potential? It’s immoral.

Well, I worked, since 1971, through the child rearing years, since I was 16. I paid in until pension age. But, no, we can’t let people starve - young or old. 🤷‍♀️

They can be dried out, though. Most of them will have been dried out and then started drinking again.

Really? Do you know what rehab costs?

@x2boys it is largely irrelevant though as far as the impact this would have on the budget as only around 5% of UC claimants that are longterm jobless are alcoholics/addicts

They should also be contributing/working to support their local communities; litter picking, graffiti removal, maintenance etc

If they want to be paid by the state then they should contribute towards it in a meaningful way not sit on their arses all day long whilst the rest of us go out to work and get taxed into oblivion to pay for them.

of course, this will never happen.

Have you heard of Google??

Yes but many struggle to stay alcohol free

It's about optics though, not about actual budget savings.

The whole point of this is for the Tories to capture some of the ground they lost to reform.

They can be dried out? Like cow hide? These are people who are incredibly vulnerable, largely because we have a state that comfortably profits from a dangerous substance.

@x2boys but it is a vanishingly small percentage of people you are discussing. The pocket of individuals within the long-term unemployed cohort who struggle with severe alcohol or substance addiction represents just 0.05% of the total UK welfare bill

Good for you - one swallow doesn’t make a summer though does it?