to think its a disgrace that marks n spencers do not accept healthy start vouchers?

[superv1xen]

i think its disgusting.

as if they are saying, we are marks and spencers and are posh, therefore don't want you single parents shopping here with your "poor people's vouchers", piss off to asda, you are lowering the tone.

the look on the cashier's face when i tried to use my vouchers in there, snobby bitch.

aibu?

Well actually, I live right next to Harvey Nicks. They do some lovely fruit. Can I have vouchers for Harvey Nicks please.

NO.

Not saying that anyone who has ever used these vouchers are scumbags by proxy but in my experience, most were. .......... you missed this line out

good night x

have a fucking banana.

enjoy

Yeah, i think the fact that I said "in my experience" kind of denotes that I don't think everyone who used them were scumbags.

Oh and the fact that I said "not saying that anyone who...." before I said it also denotes this.

But hey. See what you want to see if it'll make you feel more qualified to get up on your high horse.

cupcake some of the things you have said are fair enough. the clothing thing was a bit of subject and I dont think you can really play the system in regards to a £3.10 voucher for fruit. Where people choose to spend it is their own choice.

I think you have come across really agressive in your posts and perhaps thats why people have been so against your views. Who knows. Just thought I would add my thoughts.

cupcakes have they done away with the vouchers really? only my sister was given £200 to spend on interview clothes last week. she already had interview clothes, so she spent the money on some linen trousers and some canvas shoes. these, the shop said, qualified as being 'workwear.' so she is quite happy. she only spent £50 of it.

it was quite a novelty for her as she normally wears second hand clothes and does that skip diving thing for her food. so buying something new was quite a novelty for her. she starts her new job (after being made redundant at christmas) in 6 weeks when her crb is done. she's going to be a care worker with women in refuges.

so i don't really begrudge her 'splashing out' on some now slacks.

FFs what is wrong with u ppl?? begrudging someone spending their £3.10 healthy start voucher in m&s?? get a grip! its bloody £3.10!!!
yes the government provide us single mums with vouchers to buy fruit, veg or formula but when ur living on about twenty quid a week (after bills, rent top up bus fair etc) they make a difference!!
bet u wouldnt notice a £3.10 difference in your bank balances when ur sitting in ur massive houses eating ur posh nosh, would u???
and bet u have never had 2 decide if ur kids eat at nite or have electric instead????
NO BET U HAVENT!!!!!!!
So get down of ur high horses and have some bloody respect for those of us who havent got it easy tryin 2 do the best 4 our kids!!!!!

'bet u wouldnt notice a £3.10 difference in your bank balances when ur sitting in ur massive houses eating ur posh nosh, would u???
and bet u have never had 2 decide if ur kids eat at nite or have electric instead????
NO BET U HAVENT!!!!!!!'

as a working poor family living in a council flat, bet you i have.

all the time.

don't have £20/week after bills most of the time.

do you just assume everyone who isn't a 'single mum' - lone parents can be male, too - is 'posh' and has tons of money?

i don't make assumptions about lone parents and/or people on benefits.

it's appreciated when people don't make similar assumptions about those who are not on them or not lone parents.

thanks.

well 2 b honest i just get sick of all the comments regarding benefits as if ppl who claim them r some sort of rat or somethin!
its just JEALOUSY bet if they could b milking the system they would, for every bloody penny!!
now get bk 2 work u lazy gits sitting on mumsnet when u have taxes u need to be earning 4 me to sit here living the life of luxury ro so u think...........

I find the notion that benefits recipients should only be allowed to use their vouchers in crappy shops (namely Asda) pretty vile.

MiladyDeWinter sums it up really in her Wed 05-May-10 19:33:32 post.

Good grief.

Agree with usual suspect and letthereberock. Totally.

I can't believe that people are saying that people on benefits aren't ever allowed to have anything nice ever. Basically dole scum have to have the cheapest and nastiest of everything and be bloody grateful for it, right? Maybe we could have soup kitchens instead and poor people could line up for a bowl of slop, yes? It's what they deserve, after all...

I wouldn't care if OP had spent her £3.10 in harrods, either.

Bring out the gallows? FFS.

This thread makes me feel a sense of impending doom about the way our society will be headed afetr today.

'This thread makes me feel a sense of impending doom about the way our society will be headed afetr today.'

Same here. Because I come from a place where soup kitchens are common, and plenty, not just those on benefits, use them.

I disagree, talkalot, it's not jealousy. It's anger.

So many are becoming angry at how little work pays and feel they are going to be expected to pay, pay, pay, even more, for what they see as the sins/mistakes/faults of others.

I disagree completely with taking it out on those who claim benefits, but I can see where it comes from, and think it's very short-sighted to put aside and dismiss such anger as just a bunch of jealousy, tripe, mean-spirited cruelty, because angry people vote, too. Angry people get angry enough and things change, not always for the good, either.

As to where the vouchers are used, can't care less. Don't think it's a disgrace that M&S don't take them as it's up the retailer and as pointed out, Lidl and Aldi and plenty of other retailers don't take them, either.

Also fail to see what is 'crappy' about ASDA.

It's good value for money, IMO, and I hope we get an ASDA round here soon.

'its just JEALOUSY bet if they could b milking the system they would, for every bloody penny!!'

That is not true, either. I know plenty of people for whom voting Tory would be of more financial benefit to themselves, but they don't because they feel it won't benefit others as much.

It's unfair to stereotype no matter what your income.

Its a bit too black and white on this thread

have people earm so much benefits that they dont bother to work (and this does happen people, sporry!)

OR

have people suffering in rat infested tenements

I think people are waaaaay too black and white about this. People can raise a concern that some elements of the benefits systems are skewed, and in parallel be pleased that as a society we look after each other.

Some things are great, free school dinners for example. The decent homes initiative, ditto

Some things take the piss,if people get clothing vouchers they SHOULD not be getting bastard boob tubes! Not if its for work clothes (unless they are a lady of the night, then fair play)

Lets be able to see both sides of the debate

and sorry OP but I think you are being a teeny bit U

Agree - people are being too black and white about this

Some stuff I have recently bought in M&S (because I was in there buying knickers) has been cheaper than asda/tesco (my other option) so it depends on what you're buying really

I retract my crappy ASDA statement, expat. I was feeling a bit ranty.

I have been to ASDA (well, the giant WalMart at Cribbs Causeway) a few times and it was fine, although I wouldn't want it to be my only supermarket iyswim. What I should have said was that the idea that benefit recipients should only be allowed to shop in "inferior" shops - "inferior" as defined by whom however I don't know - is vile.

As an aside, it's clearly up to M&S as to whether they want to accept vouchers. It's possible that the admin is a bit of a pain.

It has nothing to do with black and white, that refers to good and bad and this is not a case of good and bad.

This is a case of a shop not taking vouchers for fruit and the shop assistant pulling a rude face. No it isn't a case of not just any shop assistant, she is a person doing a job of serving on the till.

It is not nice to pull rude faces at people.

If some people on this thread spent as much time sorting their own finances and working out what they do and don't need they would be far happier, they though seem to take so much time worrying that they may have been dont out of something or lost out somehwere that they make themslefs unhappy and angry.

Asda is not shit. They stock all of the decent brands at lower prices. Just because it doesn't have Jamie Oliver or Caroline Quentin salivating over it, doesn't mean it's crap.

The reason I got so arsey last night is this: benefits and their associated subsidies are there to help families who are finding it hard, cash-wise. Like I said, I am a massive advocate of the welfare state and NO-ONE, regardless of background/income should be unable to afford fresh fruit and vegetables for their kids. These vouchers are a very sensible idea. What I do have a problem with is people not being sensible about using these vouchers. "How DARE I be told I can only shop in Asda/Morrisons?" Erm, well, yes. You're struggling so it makes sense that you can use your vouchers in cheaper supermarkets. No-one is suggesting that you scrat through bins to get your fruit.

In fact, it sounds like a LOT of people on here are being snobby about where OP can use her vouchers. What's wrong with only being able to use them in Asda? It's good enough for a great deal of us after all...

And the the delightful woman accusing people like me of being jealous: get real.

Being on benefits isn't an aspiration for most of us. Most people I know on benefits are trying their damnedest to get off them. Yeah, I could earn pretty much what I earn working part-time if I traded my p/t job for the dole but I don't want to sign on. I can work so why shouldn't I? I'm certainly not fucking jealous...

Many places have no choice in supermarket. It's all Tesco or all ASDA for a long way round.

They're still alive and kicking!

I wish we had an ASDA. We'll find out in July what we are getting - right now it's a pick between a small Morrison's and an even smaller Co-Op unless you're willing to make a longer, more expensive journey.

We have a chest freezer, so I go to FarmFoods once a month and stock up on foot as it's cheaper than car travel.

YABU to think that M&S give a flying fuck about your marital status.

YABU unless you know exactly why M&S don't accept these vouchers.

I bet it isn't for any of the reasons you seem so keen to think.

I shop in Asda btw, it's not the most glam shop on earth but they do sell all the normal range of fresh, healthy, quality foods alongside the four litre bottles of Pola Cola etc.

It's hardly a penance having to shop there, it's just a shop.

Thanks, Expat. That's what I was trying to say only less succinctly. I could understand if people with the vouchers could only use them to buy their stuff from a specially set-up store for food vouchers (they do this in America ) but they can use them in perfectly adequate supermarkets.

What is the problem?