'Troubled' Families Could Be Legally Banned From Spending Benefits On Alcohol And Tobacco

Seems to me like the demonisation of the most needy and most vulnerable in our society is almost complete.

Sure, there are some that abuse the benefits they receive - and I absolutely believe they should be targetted - but the vast majority do not and they receive their benefits for valid and just reasons.

Pleased to see our colonial cousins are even less compassionate and caring.

Benefit fraud costs the UK an estimated £1.2billion per year - tax evasion and avoidance costs the UK an estimated £120billion per year - but it looks like targetting the weak and needy is more of a priority than targetting the wealthy and influential.

reply to post by hollwd


"OH COME ON.. you have got to be kidding.. YOU DO NOT think that will work do you . ALL they DO NOW is go buy something they can for who ever wants to trade it for what ever they NEED.. no one can MAKE anyone do what they do not want to .. or force them to do what they DO WANT THEM TO"

If people still used a simple barter system we would not be in the financial meltdown we are now. We all know money is the root off all evil yet we still play there game! Essentially playing the hand we're dealt. The answer is simply steal "There" deck off cards! Play there game, but have some sidelines, a finger in every pie so to speak!

I need to feed my family, pay rent, power, gas. I simply cant do it all and play there game straight. Why, because its rigged to begin with, its like 1 step forward and 2 back. Me? I go sideways!

reply to post by jhn7537


"Then if thats the case, they don't deserve to collect any money.. If you don't follow the rules, you are immediately removed from the program... And if you're caught once, it all ends... No More HANDOUTS"

Do you want said people to screw your house, essentially steal the milk out your tea? Coz thats what would happen crime rates would rise by 100s of percent! Things like larceny, murder, rape, kidnaping will all become 100s of times more prevalent. Have you seem whats happening in Mexico???

Not a pritty picture eh?

It’s about bloody time! I think this is a great idea! I’m fed up them spending my taxes on beer and cigarettes and there 4 kids when the farther should be providing! I can just about to afford to drink, while paying a mortgage and child support (which isn’t cheap) and running a car... my bills exceeded over 1000 a month alone not including food! Just isn’t right! I don’t get help from the government!

reply to post by ototheb85


"It’s about bloody time! I think this is a great idea!"

If you had consided the implications you may find you think otherwise! You are not the fag'n'booze police! Or are you?

"I’m fed up them spending my taxes on beer and cigarettes and there 4 kids when the farther should be providing!"

If fed up paying taxes all together, but i hate the game not the players.

"I can just about to afford to drink, while paying a mortgage and child support (which isn’t cheap) and running a car... my bills exceeded over 1000 a month alone not including food! Just isn’t right! I don’t get help from the government!"

1000 what a month, beans, posadas, pounds sterling? Dont fail at a relationship and then complain about the child support. Whats wrong were you not perfect enough to make it work? Just like all the rest of us imperfect Humans!

reply to post by ototheb85


Oh but, think of the loss of revenue to the Treasury! 44p per pint (beer or ale), cider less than half @ 21ppp, £1.90 on a bottle of wine, VAT @20% on top of that! Yes, VAT is payable on taxes paid.

Fresh fruit and veg and all non 'luxury' foodstuffs 0% excise duty, 0% VAT!!!

What will the illiterate Chancellor do!

Originally posted by Wonderer2012

At the same time, this would be one step for the government in taking away people's right to decide how they spend their money.

Incorrect. Under this proposal people are free to spend their money any way they choose. They can go get jobs and buy anything they want. I think it is perfectly reasonable however for the Government to have a say in how people spend the Governement's money.

reply to post by TheFlash


"Incorrect"

How so? Essentially if this ever came to pass then the Goverment is controlling what you can and cannot do at both micro and maco levels.

You think that is a good idea? LoL

What states do these people live in?

I live in kentucky and people get a EBT card they can't buy anything but food.
Now if they get child support the money goes on the card...That is there money to spend how they want.

But as far as strait out buying stuff other than food it wont let ya.

reply to post by Wonderer2012


I see the logic behind it but I don't think it would work.

As others have stated, people will still get their fags and drink via other means and these could be by violent means too.... who's to say Muggings & Robberies won't go up just because some guy or girl want some fags/drink/drugs???

I believe the system is flawed and would be a failure.

Besides, I don't think its right that anyone can tell anyone else what to spend their cash on.... what they can do though is monitor those who are problem families and once they step over the line, then put a stop to their benefits!

I can also Sympathise with those who may say 'it could be too late, a child could die during the step over line' .... yes well I think the line should have been drawn before the birth of the child!!

Would this actually stop any abuse? It could but it could also cause more abuse!!

This is not new. Many moons ago I worked for the Dept of Health and Social Security as then was. We issued grocery vouchers and they were all marked no tobacco or alcohol.

I suppose some might have found someone to pay cash for their voucher but then that purchaser would have been identified as a welfare recipient as they went through the checkout which I suspect most people would be anxious to avoid.

How many millions is this going to cost to regulate and enforce? I would like to know the cost. Nvm. Seems this is the UK.

Like it or not there has been a welfare state in the UK since the 1940s - we pay into this by means of National Insurance. This is to ensure that if we are sick we are treated, when we are old we are cared for and if we should hit hard times, we are looked after until better fortune comes our way.

Our welfare state was the envy of the world and a mark of our civilisation - hard times, sickness and age can and do hit everyone at some stage of our life. benefit payments are not a 'handout' - they are an ENTITLEMENT as part of the welfare state we in the UK enjoy.

When will some of you realise that the poor and needy are not the enemy here?
Our Government and press has obviously done a wonderful job of demonising those people in society who need help most, enabling the very rich to squirrel funds away whilst our eyes are off the ball.

Tell you what - while we're feeling sanctimonious, why don't some of you lobby your respective MPs and see about abolishing the welfare state if you don't like it - but you better hope and prey that you never need a doctor or hospital services or become unemployed or old in your lifetime.

Hell lets go the whole hog and quote Dickens "Are there no prisons? Are there no work houses?"

I never relalised that it was a crime to be poor - how foolish am I?

Rant over.

There is always someone less fortunate than you and richer than you... would you want the rich to enforce laws on you?

Alcohol and Tobacco is a way for the government to get back the money from the poor.



New Law: Mercedes, BMW's and Porches are only for those that make 200k+ a year!
Expensive restaurants are only for the rich, even if you could afford it!

Less we get involved in others lives the better.

And so on...

reply to post by ironorchid




You mentioned the "poor and needy"


Well there are many 'poor' people working a full week and paying taxes who don't receive as

much as some people who are on 'benefits', Also when a person is on benefits it opens the

door for them recieving additional housing and council tax payments and free dental treatment,

whereas the 'poor' worker on a low paid job who takes home less money has to find the

money for that AS WELL!

IDS is a Man of pure Evil....and i have proof!!

Our government wont be happy until they kill of the..(non contributor's) of this country. They started years ago on our pensioners who couldn't afford to heat their homes in the winter, especially up here in the colder for longer climates...Bunch of Nazi's the lot of them....


Watch this Government like a hawk. They are Monsters in suits and they must be stopped.

reply to post by ironorchid


These benifits were won with the blood of our ancestors. Lions led by donkeys and we are still being led by animals. Not donkeys, today we being led by PIGS. Pigs like cameron and his bankster cronies in govt. The poor caused the financial crash? The poor who bailed out the banksters? The poor who will no doubt be led to the slaughter, in another war created and funded by the banksters? Yes lets attack the poor after all its their fault. They should get a job. What jobs? The rich banksters and pigs in govt, sent all our jobs abroad.
£120 billion pounds a year in tax avoidance. What about them?

Remember remember the fifth of november

users1.jabry.com...

Originally posted by illuminnaughty
reply to post by ironorchid

 

These benifits were won with the blood of our ancestors. Lions led by donkeys and we are still being led by animals. Not donkeys, today we being led by PIGS. Pigs like cameron and his bankster cronies in govt. The poor caused the financial crash? The poor who bailed out the banksters? The poor who will no doubt be led to the slaughter, in another war created and funded by the banksters? Yes lets attack the poor after all its their fault. They should get a job. What jobs? The rich banksters and pigs in govt, sent all our jobs abroad.
£120 billion pounds a year in tax avoidance. What about them?

Remember remember the fifth of november

users1.jabry.com...

But the ancestors of these layaboutscum probably avoided fighting or came this country later on.

reply to post by Wonderer2012


As much as we all know those things are not healthy for anyone to use, people do it. Heck, we even argue what is healthy and what is not.

Remember, the poor are often the guinea pigs for pilot programs for the rest of us. If they are able to get support to place these restrictions on "certain" people, It will eventually be expanded. You would think by now people would see the flaw in creating a welfare system in the first place by now.

As soon as the government subsidizes anything, it become the master and makes the rules. I hope all you fat people who are for giving government power to restrict the poor, understand that your food will soon be restricted as well if you are participating in the healthcare system. Perhaps all you meat eaters are ok with your meat being restricted...because this is the road we go down on when we take the socialist/communist path.

reply to post by eletheia


I absolutely agree with you - it is a disgrace that a working living wage is no longer that. It is a disgrace that anyone should put in a full weeks work and still not be able to live a half decent life on the proceeds.

However, two wrongs do not make a right. Instead of looking to those on benefits and saying ' They should not have those things - I don't ', perhaps we should look to the employer and ask why are wages not enough to sustain our daily lives ?

Employment laws are another thing in the UK that have been whittled down to next to nothing - how many employers even recognise a union now? the standard platitude seems to be ' You should be lucky to have a job '.

We have sleep walked into this situation since the 1980s and with the ongoing demonisation of the poor, this and the previous Labour government have been able to take it to levels that Margaret Thatcher only dreamed of.