Some Benefits should be given in forms of vouchers instead of cash

weegie.geek

lostinrates wrote: »

wipes your oyster out

The phrase "wiping one's oyster out" gives me a terrible mental image.

tomterm8

hubba wrote: »

Maybe you would like to see us all in prison on day release to do the countries dirty work, that way we get to eat prison slop at half the price a good nights sleep and no extra bills to pay

I am suggesting people work for money. There is nothing wrong with honest work. I am not suggesting that people on benefits are criminals. Or that they should go to prison. What's wrong with working for your money? It is what all honest people on the dole want to do.

A_fiend_for_life

weegie.geek wrote: »

A cashless society would be great, but along with spaceman food pills and half the other stuff we saw on Tomorrow's World, I doubt it'll happen any time soon.

Tomorrow World was great but I could never work out how you get around 180g of carbs, 70g of fat and 50 to 70g of protein in pills.

Mr_Falling_Star

As far as I know you cannot pay vouchers instead of cash for JSA and ESA as it goes against the long standing truck laws. As these two benefits are replacement for wages they have to be paid in cash. To do so otherwise could set a precedent where if you are paid in goods rather than in wages for your work, so to give one example if you worked for dunlop you would be paid in tyres which you would need to sell on for cash. I don't know about Income Support though as its purely means tested.

Another problem with stamping "NO alcolhol or tobacco" is that you are transferring the stress and consequences of your decision on the staff in the supermarket. Why should a worker in Tesco's take the heat for not selling drug joe a bottle of blue cider?

michaels

Tricky one.

My liberal (small 'l') part says people should be allowed to chose how they spend their income.

My other liberal part says people should be allowed to chose how they bring up their own children and that there is already too much state indoctrination.

My egalitarian part says isn't that unfair on the kids whose parents don't act in their best interest and shouldn't the state intervene on their behalf...

pipkin71

looby75 wrote: »

there is a poster over on the discussion time boards who has explained perfectly why vouchers for benefits would be a disaster for everyone.

I am on benefits at the moment and my children come first, I don't smoke don't or drink excessively, why should my option to buy from discount supermarkets of fresh produce from the farmer market be curtailed because a minority (and contrary to what some people believe it is the minority) of parents on benefits don't feed their children properly?

Agree looby.

The other thing to think about as well, with regards the money the single parent receives each week, the way it's broken down a portion of that money will also be for them - I think it's about £64 now for an adult over 25, so do we only issue the child element of benefits in vouchers or the whole lot?

If it's just the child part of the money, then to avoid discrimination everyone receiving child tax credits would have to be paid in vouchers. If it's the whole lot, then anyone in receipt of any form of benefits would need to be paid in vouchers and the cost of implementing such a scheme would be enormous.

I suppose it's easy to think vouchers would solve all problems but imo they would just end up creating more.

chopperharris

The future for paying benefits lies in several bank cards , not merely one or vouchers.Vouchers would just be sold at less than the pound to the black economy for that minority and not change a thing to their lifestyle , but instead worsen life for the rest of them.

The minority of claimants give the rest a bad name ,but giving all individual budgetting debit cards helps all.

The idea is unworkable that banning buying drink and fags to claimants at shop end.They would simply buy other items and then sell them at less than worth creating more poverty for them and therefore the tax payer pays more.

There is another option , anylsying yearly bills as part of long term benefit claims , where the claimant has to account for evey penny spent or damn near it.Then on year two bank cards for each benefit works.It isnt hard to keep a year of bills and reciepts , if mps can be highlighted because of it then surely claimants can do it too.

I did the benefit life for 2 years and then piloted the local council wtb scheme in the 80s at times of high unemployement , it was far from easy , and wasnt luxury....but hey I was fit as a butchers.I wasnt out my mind on drink and drugs but those around me that "actually" worked regular jobs including parents and friends were.

I saved to get a driving licence which eventually made me employable , during the two years it took of saving pennies here and there to get lessons I didnt drink or even buy new clothes and smoked 1oz rolling tobacco a week as my only "treat".

The point of benefits is to help the vulnerable part of society and when they need it.For some this may be for life and not by choice , some rightfully needy get bullied and harrased from the dwp at every opportunity , even denied benefits but because they are truly handicapped and dont know how to fight back as easy as the scammers they get less.

ITs carrot and stick people and not just either that works.If there is no jobs as a carrot then it becomes a stick to give back to society at council level for those able bodied long termers.

WTB should apply for those baby breeders for benefit too , which are a minority blamehound for the majority , in that community council creches are easy to work in if your kid/s is/are there too.At least the next generation therefore are seeing more than a home influence and bad example for their future , think shannon mathews mother.I have seen those that plan having kids to a mental diary to get the most benefits and not work , its not a myth nor is it a majority.....and yet even though they are at home 24/7 the house is always a tip , perhaps thats a clue.

A minimum amount of graft a week in return for benefits should not be too much to ask instead of grift.I did it , now the next generation will do it too.

lily76

abaxas wrote: »

Totally pointless as people would trade them for cash.

I'd be happy to buy these vouchers at a 10% discount.

how about if an ID certificate is requested with the spending of the voucher? :rolleyes:

LydiaJ

chopperharris wrote: »

There is another option , anylsying yearly bills as part of long term benefit claims , where the claimant has to account for evey penny spent or damn near it.Then on year two bank cards for each benefit works.It isnt hard to keep a year of bills and reciepts , if mps can be highlighted because of it then surely claimants can do it too.

This would cause untold stress and trouble for those unfortunate enough to be unemployed for more than a year despite their desire and best efforts to get back into work. Even more so for those who find paperwork difficult or who weren't told right at the beginning that saving all receipts was necessary, etc. There would be gaps for money spent on things for which one doesn't get a receipt - a huge variety from ice cream vans to bridge crossing tolls to charity collecting boxes on the street to paying one's neighbour's teenager to babysit.

Meanwhile, the workshy would "forget" to save their receipts, and the state would be left with the same old choice between penalising them (knowing the children will get the worst of it) or giving them the money anyway (knowing they will probably not use it wisely). The state can have that choice so much more cheaply under the current system without introducing such an expensive layer of bureaucratic inefficiency.

In this economic mess we need to cut public spending - not just on welfare but on public sector pen-pushing.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

hubba wrote: »

Maybe you would like to see us all in prison on day release to do the countries dirty work, that way we get to eat prison slop at half the price a good nights sleep and no extra bills to pay

I think the problem is that people who have never had to go onto benefits become very smug and don't realise how awful it would be.
I've seen people who after being on benefits themselves become very pompous toward those who are when they manage to get on in life,forgetting they themselves were once no better.
I also realise that there are some who buck the system but that's not everyone.Most people want to work.
And before anybody says anything,no I'm not on benefits.We've never had anything from the government as luckily my husband has been in the same well paid job for nearly 40 years.
To be honest I don't understand how anyone would live on benefits they're so minimal.