Family cant afford Christmas

annandale

Just to add that I've had neighbours who fit the description of the opening post. I still wouldn't have been able to tell you how much they drank or smoked. I think it's odd that the Op says he can't abide them but knows all about their benefits and their drinking and smoking habits.

Unless you tail someone to the shops every time they go shopping you won't know exactly how much they drink or smoke and as they aren't exactly friends its not from being in their home.

It's odd how you can't stand people but seem to know so much about them. I know barely anything about my neighbours lives.

PasturesNew

£50 max I'd say.

They should be rolling in it, they've failed to budget.

£500 is a rich man's Xmas... it's not needed. Not your problem.

If they were genuinely "starving" and completely without a thing, I'd take them out with a £20 budget to collect a £6 turkey crown, £2 of veggies, £5 of "other Xmas sides/treats" and then let them choose how to spend the final £7 .... but that'd be it. And I'd tell them it's a gift and to not darken my doorstep again.

DCFC79

I wouldn't lend £500, if I were to lend anything I'd say ok I'll lend so much but I go with you to buy the food up to x amount.

annandale

Some people do object to anyone on benefits having the odd drink. Was stated above that's not what it's for

I'd never make light of addiction but if someone is in the grip of an addiction that affects their family significantly it wouldn't matter if they were earning peanuts or not, theyd still drink what they had.

What I mean is, there will be plenty of people who don't fit the clampit stereotypes who still have addiction problems, including those who work.

Not just your get your benefits and blow them all as described in the OP

Rosemary7391

Is it just Christmas day they're struggling with, or actually the whole month?

thorsoak

annandale wrote: »

Just to add that I've had neighbours who fit the description of the opening post. I still wouldn't have been able to tell you how much they drank or smoked. I think it's odd that the Op says he can't abide them but knows all about their benefits and their drinking and smoking habits.

Unless you tail someone to the shops every time they go shopping you won't know exactly how much they drink or smoke and as they aren't exactly friends its not from being in their home.

It's odd how you can't stand people but seem to know so much about them. I know barely anything about my neighbours lives.

I work in the shop, I'm the one that cooks the sausage rolls that these children seem to live on. Too often have I watched the scene I reported above - not from one, but from the three families :-( I live in a small place where everyone knows everyone and who the "old families" are - and where others do look after them. It was last year that I made the Asda order and had it delivered to one family, someone else organised presents, etc etc. And its because we care about the children that it happens like this.

DavidF

So curty makes his op and frames a "dilemma" in such a way as if it were an episode of Xmas on benefits street (By the way the original is doing a festive "feast" of benefit pron over the coming weeks). He painted a picture and as pointed out the only stereotype missing is the size of their flat screen.
OP just loaded the gun and all of the "angry about something" brigade jump in and hey presto 78 post's later nothing from the op.....Good skills, You should just monetize this on youtube or something get a few pics of some cannabis farms in the bedrooms fed from streetlights and you will make another million....Remember where to send the cut of the royalties for refining your "idea".

annandale

But the OP doesn't care. Can't abide them. Can't stand them. Said in the opening post. But seems to know all about their smoking and drinking habits?

What I was trying to say above is that if you can't stand someone (and clearly aren't close to them) how would you know specific details of all the benefits they are on and how much they smoke and drink?

That's what makes me think this is a scenario that's been plucked from thin air.

If I have neighbours I can't stand I stay away from them. I certainly wouldn't claim to know about specific aspects of their lives, from how many benefits they claim to how much they smoke and drink.

AylesburyDuck

annandale wrote: »

Just to add that I've had neighbours who fit the description of the opening post. I still wouldn't have been able to tell you how much they drank or smoked. I think it's odd that the Op says he can't abide them but knows all about their benefits and their drinking and smoking habits.

Unless you tail someone to the shops every time they go shopping you won't know exactly how much they drink or smoke and as they aren't exactly friends its not from being in their home.

It's odd how you can't stand people but seem to know so much about them. I know barely anything about my neighbours lives.

Why on earth is it odd, he cant stand them BECAUSE he knows about them, and he knows all about them presumably from his wife who's happy to lend them 500 quid.
If neither of them knew them well he wouldnt have this problem!:rotfl:

annandale

Yeah. The made up pile of tosh/scenario he's posted about once and never come back to.