Australia's welfare "credit card"

Hi All,

After creating this thread: Basic Income - The first step to end poverty? last week, I came across the following news about Australia doing something like this:

The Australian government is rolling out a radical new way of paying welfare benefits that may be instructive for other countries around the world. Instead of being given cash or cheques, thousands of people are now issued with electronic "credit" cards. The Basics cards, as they are called, can only be used to purchase "priority" items such as food, housing, clothing, education and health care.

SOURCE

Way to go Australia! Hope that other countries will follow!

In Britain they still get paid by girocheque or bank transfer, bottom line is it's cash. That gives people the freedom to shop around, it affords them a bit of dignity too when times are hard.

But how badly it sticks in the throat when you see a small minority abuse their payments by purchasing alcohol.

I don't know, it's a difficult one. It'll be interesting to observe how this works out in Australia.

Sound handy?
IT IS!
Handy for the goverment to track every purchase, check every item.....know virtually everything financially about their client.
What other things can result from this intimate oversight?
I see all kinds of control opportunities comming up......

Absolutely nothing wrong with that idea at all. Theres still a bit of cash to pay for their drugs etc. but they may have to cut back. Bring it in in the UK I say, only because I enjoy the human rights groups speaking b...sorry rubbish. If they want total control of their cash then earn some and stop spending mine. By the way this is aimed at all the benefit cheats and claimants who know how to play the system.

reply to post by stirling


Yeah it is a kind of control.

Controlling the selfish welfare numptys who go and buy booze and drugs whilst their kids starve.

Damn good idea.

As someone who has worked in the welfare system I say ABOUT BLOODY TIME.

Note the details! This is to cover around half of the benefit received, the other half is still in cash.

The number of times I have seen children go without basic necessities (like food!) because the parent (s) are spending everything on booze, drugs or gambling would break your heart. It happens, it happens more often than the average person would be at all comfortable with. Now, if the children are in an at risk family, steps can be taken to at least ensure they are fed well.

This is a step in the right direction!

P

the u.s. uses a similar system in many places, its called EBT card, in some states its
for food only, in others it can be used for more such as gas and alcohol or tobacco products,
i personally know a woman who has 3, one from each state surrounding her, this system
is as easy to abuse as most others, so dont get your hopes up it will fix that problem.

This was discussed weeks ago.



Sorry to bust it, but it was.

Originally posted by bloodreviara
the u.s. uses a similar system in many places, its called EBT card, in some states its
for food only, in others it can be used for more such as gas and alcohol or tobacco products,
i personally know a woman who has 3, one from each state surrounding her, this system
is as easy to abuse as most others, so dont get your hopes up it will fix that problem.

Well, considering our (Australia's) states are few and far between, and this is still only in it's test phases, it'll be a while before people will be able to use the system in this way.


For instance, in Bankstown, one of the cities where they'll be trialling this, you can be 1000% guaranteed that these cards won't be able to be sold for cash, because the city is over-run with drug-dealing lebanese gangs.





That's why they're bringing the card system there, for instance.

Originally posted by TheDemonUK
...By the way this is aimed at all the benefit cheats and claimants who know how to play the system.

And there ain't none better who know how "to play the system" than the lying, stealing, cheating pollies themselves--the real "dole bludgers"--who make up the rules to benefit themselves and their own above the people they're supposed to represent.

Yeah, good idea if every one who claims benefits is a useless scrounger only out to sit on their lazy behind laughing at all of you working. Yeah, then it would be a good idea.

Here comes the truth. There are a majority of people out there that often have worked longer than some of you are alive but then got made redundant or like me suddenly fell ill through no fault of their own.
These people have families and are decent members of society that often feel ashamed having to collect hand outs. A lot commit suicide and get all your sympathy but those that wish to iive, apparently are only allowed to do so under the worst conditions possible.
Giving out cards that can track what these people buy and then stop their only means if the government sees anything else apart from bread and water is not only degrading but an insult to those that have worked their balls off for many years and have paid enough into the system to finance their own benefits.

Yes I am one of those. I worked as a professional more hours that you can imagine, all this for more most 30 years. Never unemployed, always paid taxes. The reason I paid taxes is to help those less fortunate and if anything should happen [as it did] to my health or being made redundant, I paid so that I would receive a safety net.

I wholeheartedly agree that people who have never done a days work should be treated differently but then again there are places where there just isn't any work. But people need to live. In the end those that say that people on benefits are living the highlife, please get real.
Yes they can stay in bed as long as they like and smoke drugs and watch tv whilst smoking cigarettes and eating burgers.

That is not a life anyone should aspire to. So from my [hard earned benefits] I sometimes like to treat myself to more than bread and water or else I might as well hang myself. Those cards are against any human rights I can think of and for what?

To make some people who are wrongly jealous feel a little better. No way; because I know that if you loose your job [which can happen to absolutely anyone] you would soon change your tune!

reply to post by bloodreviara


It shouldn't be used for gas or tabacco at all.

Unless they are getting cash assistance, which should be used to pay bills.

The places that take these cards should be limiting what people can buy with them.

We have had the system in place for a few years. The advantages and disadvanteges, here are about the same.

They can still sell the card and just give the new owner the pin number.

Though that means they are getting rid of a year's food stamps.

The system is too overwhelmed to flag someone losin 3 cards.

The cash they can withdraw at an ATM, so they can just pull the cash off of it.

At the same time, what is nice is for people who are really strapped with no food, we can instantly put money on a card and hook them up.

As for watching spending, it really only gets looked at if they are accused of fraud.

I think the palm scanners mentioned in the other thread would be the way to go.

Originally posted by cameraobscura

Originally posted by TheDemonUK
...By the way this is aimed at all the benefit cheats and claimants who know how to play the system.

And there ain't none better who know how "to play the system" than the lying, stealing, cheating pollies themselves--the real "dole bludgers"--who make up the rules to benefit themselves and their own above the people they're supposed to represent.

I like your open mindedness.

Funny how most of the so called open minded people want to focus on the people on benefits and bash a Dolleyo. Yet the real thieves loot Town Hall and the public purse, while legislating for greater unemployment, so as to increase their share portfolios. Through cheap foreign imports and low quality rubbish in the name of boosting their respective profits, all the while singing the environment friendly song!

Bemused, I can only hope that you all experience the wealth fare system at some point in the coming years. You know, when you have to sell your house to pay your medical bills and are unable to work for what ever reason or your fantastic job vaporises in front of your eyes or some slimy fund manager loots you. Walk In Their Shoes Before You Judge, is all I can say.

No wonder we still have draconian laws, less rights and shrinking freedoms in this country. Considering that after all, the people who apparently think they are open minded, still cannot see the woods from the trees.

reply to post by Hecate666


Australia seems to be the testing ground for a lot of things these days.

We have one of the best benefits systems in the world in the UK. Our ancestors fought for what we had, and we should be fighting to keep it how it is, rather than giving in to the upper class thieves who rob the poor so they can get a little bit more obscenely richer. Once again, its the most vulnerable of society who are screwed. And the amount of idiots who blindly agree with them because they read an article in the Daily Mail just makes this country the hell it is. As you say, they'll soon change their tune when the safety net they sought to get rid of is no longer there to catch them when they need it.

Depending on your circumstances, living off benefits is not luxurious. If you are capable of working then you get about £65 a week, and after all the bills and food is bought, you are skint. If you are not capable of working, then clearly your life is not going to be of a high standard, and the extra money can make things a bit more comfortable. Why people want to rob the unemployed, sick and disabled of what little dignity they may have left is beyond me. Britain is a nation of bullies.

reply to post by marsend


It is criminalizing the poor.

Our former mayor was busted buying furs with governemnt funds and taking bribes. Happens on all levels.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by marsend

 

It is criminalizing the poor.

Our former mayor was busted buying furs with governemnt funds and taking bribes. Happens on all levels.

To True, I hear you, but a voice in a million is never heard and money talks.

Originally posted by Firefly_
reply to post by Hecate666

 

Australia seems to be the testing ground for a lot of things these days.

We have one of the best benefits systems in the world in the UK. Our ancestors fought for what we had, and we should be fighting to keep it how it is, rather than giving in to the upper class thieves who rob the poor so they can get a little bit more obscenely richer. Once again, its the most vulnerable of society who are screwed. And the amount of idiots who blindly agree with them because they read an article in the Daily Mail just makes this country the hell it is. As you say, they'll soon change their tune when the safety net they sought to get rid of is no longer there to catch them when they need it.

Depending on your circumstances, living off benefits is not luxurious. If you are capable of working then you get about £65 a week, and after all the bills and food is bought, you are skint. If you are not capable of working, then clearly your life is not going to be of a high standard, and the extra money can make things a bit more comfortable. Why people want to rob the unemployed, sick and disabled of what little dignity they may have left is beyond me. Britain is a nation of bullies.

Australia, does appear very confused these days, we make very little, we import most of our products, including the workers, we rape the land, and greed is rampant. We have not had a good politician since, well in a long time. Our politicians have forgotten that they were in charge to run our nation as care takers for our future, not to porn it off, to share holders and other countries.

Australia used to have state homes, now it has tent cities. Australia used to have employment now it has mining, Australia used to have clean water now it has fracking. Australia used to know what it was, now its just one big fruit salad, driven by money.

Its about time the public's attention was on the welfare people, after all everything else is a bit off these days. We didn't do to great at the Games, the carbon tax is here, poverty is on the rise, so now lets point the finger.

reply to post by Hecate666


The answer is simple.

You aren't the demographic, at least you don't sound like it, for one of these cards.

Three main types of people use the cards: some young people, people referred by child protection authorities and people regarded by social workers as vulnerable to financial problems.

I in oz and been on and off well fare a couple of times, can be very help full between employment and such, this might be a good Idea but it is not going to fix any of the problems you guys are addressing,
junky's are junky's, they don't often have cash for drugs but they still manage make it some how and still by drugs,
Underprivileged people tend to have even more underprivileged children that mostly don't get a very good education and learn mostly from there underprivileged neighborhood,
People who deal with welfare workers are often treated as # building resentment towards the society that's rejected them.
True there are many that abuse the system, but if the system worked there wouldn't be so many.
There are so many other problems with the well fare system, maybe addressing those might fix things a little bit,
good luck to this new scheme, It's definitely a people tracker but I do agree welfare payments should be monitored, I just hate it when successful people bag what they don't understand, It may be your taxes, but they my taxes to.