MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should Ken ‘save’ Deidre’s kids from being taken into care?

MUM_LOOKING_4_SAVINGS

I WOULD SAY NO FOR SEVERAL REASONS:
FIRSTLY SOCIAL SERVICES DONT JUST TAKE YOUR KIDS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO ELECTRIC. THERE AIM IS TO KEEPS KIDS IN THE FAMILY AS LONG AS THEY ARE SAFE. AN EVEN THEN IF THERES A RISK THERE IS ALL SORTS OF CHILD PROTECTION MEETINGS AND PRECAUTIONS INVOLVED.LET SAY SHE'S GENUINE (NOT) IF YOU HELP HER YOUR HELPING FOOL THE GOVERNMENT. SOCIAL SERVICES CANT HELP IF THEY DONT KNOW THE PROBLEM. THEY CAN TEACH YOU BUDGETING SKILLS AND LIFE SKILLS AND CAN BE VERY SUPPORTIVE.
LETS SAY SHES LIYING THROUGH HER TEETH. THIS IS HIGHLY POSSIBLE. YOU HAVE TO SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT YOUR SAFETY. THE POLICE AND BANK ARE GIVING OUT MORE AND MORE WARNINGS ABOUT CASH POINTS. THERE ARE A FEW SCENARIOS EMERGING HERE. THERE COULD BE A BIG BULKY BLOKE HIDING READY TO DO SOME HARM ON A NIEVE INDIVIDUAL. SHE COULD BE BLAGGING YOU CHARM YOU INTO TAKING HER FOR DRINK OR HOME THEN WRIP YOU OF ONCE SHES GOT YOUR TRUST. ANOTHER IS THERE COULD BE A DEVICE IN THE MACHINE AND SHES TRYING TO DISTRACT YOU SO YOU DONT NOTICE OR TO TRY AND SEE YOUR PIN NUMBER.
LASTLY IF SHE WAS GENUINE THERE IS ALWAYS SOCIAL LOANS AND EMERGENCY LOANS FROM SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE AND THE REST OF US HAVE TO COPE WHY NOT HER. AND LASTLY WHOS GOT THE KIDS WHILE SHES OUT!!

LuciferTDark

I'd say no as well for every reason ML4S put above me.

makeusmile

I don't offer money but offer to buy some food etc.
You'd be supprised how many so 'hard up' people suddenly refuse.
Makes me wonder then why the are so keen on cash alternative ?
If they accept food offer I will often give them some cash as i feel they are more genuine.

paneintheglass

If she showed me that she had her leccy key/card on her, then I would give her the money.

webwiz

She probably needs a fix. If her story was true the Social Services would pay for her electricity if she was otherwise a good mother.

Martini

redcoat94 wrote: »

Some of you are really a bunch of cynical,nasty,tight gits!

Maybe the poor girl cant get herself into 1000s of pounds of debt to help her kids........


Food for thought?

Yes we are, aren't we!

Never give money to people (beggars) in the street!
You are not helping them but merely compounding the problem.
They probably earn more than you or I do and tax free.
If you really want to help them than donate to a charity which helps the homeless.
Some beggars drive home in Mercs at the end of the day!

The Government also ought to cut most benefits.
We have over 2 million on incapacity benefit alone! That's 1 in 30 people in this country. The other 29 aren't working. Some are children and some retired. Others are mothers or fathers looking after children and students at college or university.
Others are unemployed! I would guess probably 15 at the most are paying for the ones on benefits. Now before I wind some people up - Some on benefits don't have any choice and that's what the system is for. It looks after people that have fallen upon hard times, for one reason or another. It's a safety net. It's not designed to catch you for the rest of your life! If the millions who are "conning us" got off their backsides and got on with some proper work, the people who are working could pay a lot less tax and we could do more good things with all the spare cash!

rebecca_smith_2

Deidre takes your £10 and promptly uses it (along with all the other £10 notes she's collected) to buy drugs.

If you are happy that this is where your money is going, then go ahead and give it.

It is rare for genuine people to beg, there are lots of places people can go to get help - from organised charities to local religious groups, although some vulnerable people may not be aware of the resources available to them.

Very true too that social services won't remove a child because of financial poverty, they're more likely to offer support in this situation - including debt assistance, free childcare to allow Deidre to work - etc.

cassecmd

Can't help wondering where the kids are now, probably at home alone. Yes living in the Brighton area, at least once a week the scamsters try for a touch to get home, call mum or a meal. I'd probably got to the pay point and put a tenner on the meter key for her, that way I'd know its not going elsewhere.

janbanan

It's not about being tight or cynical. There seems to be a lack of responsibility on her part if she has a buffer of less than £10.
What if the situation was about food and not electricity? I.e., she doesn't have food in the house and can't afford to buy it? Would you just give her the money just so social services thinks everything is fine?

Kazanne

Well as I don't live in a city with lots of scammers and I've never been approached for anything like this I've got to admit I'd give her it. Whether she's being truthful is something she has to deal with. As with many others who've posted though I'd go to the pay point to have the card topped up.