Benefits debit card - best idea EVER!

[northernladuk]

This isn't going to work. Everyone on benefits lives off stolen cash and goods anyway so won't make a difference what they do with their bank accounts.....

[rob s]

If you define 'scroungers' as people who don't need benefits, then how would this stop them?

If someone already has money, and you need money to buy groceries, how would giving them money just for groceries be any loss to them? I could just wander into a shop and use it to buy my lobster, venison, organic whatever and save my own money for discretionary spending. If that's the reason, it's a flawed premise imo

It would probably be no loss to genuine benefit recipients, it may be a very small advantage if eg. supermarkets compete with discounts to get that business, but other than superficial benefits, I don't really see the advantage other than some kind of nebulous 'putting them in their place / making sure they know they're on benefits' and that raises obvious ethical considerations about treating people as adults and teaching them to take responsibility for themselves.

Isn't one aim of benefits to help with re-integration?

[psychocandy]

Why would coming from a working class background make you more tolerant of "lazy scroungers" in the first place?

Badly worded maybe. Maybe less tolerant of the benefits/social system.

[The Spartan]

Unfortunately some people need to be put in their place I'm not talking about those who have fallen on hard times, cannot work through disability or are caring for loved ones. I'm talking about the ones that make it their career to live off the state like my mum for instance, I'm one of 3 boys all different Dads she had a house paid for by the state as well as numerous benefits all because she knew how to work the system I would call 24 years of living off the state SCROUNGING

[d000hg]

I'm one of 3 boys all different Dads she had a house paid for by the state as well as numerous benefits all because she knew how to work the system I would call 24 years of living off the state SCROUNGING

And yet you rose above your roots to become a only-slightly-below-average internet forum troll.

[vetran]

Yes, Yes, Yes

Your hubby is an alcoholic spends it all on booze, the wife has a gambling habit empties the rent account. Not working!

this way they at least have to pop out to tesco's and buy some fruit to barter for fags & booze or to spend on 'swine bingo'.
Some stuff won't be suitable for Barter - Rent or Childcare can only be paid to registered suppliers for a specific building or individual.

great idea I was pushing it 3 years ago.

The ones bartering will be easy to spot they will have unusual purchases as they command greater value.(anyone buying 50KG of sugar will almost certainly be bartering for home brew or exciting fertiliser cocktails).

Combine with supermarkets offering Dole specials (cheaper fruit & veg) then its a winner.

Unfortunately I find those on the dole tend to buy much of their food at a premium in local shops out of hours.

Obviously the card shouldn't shout 'Dole scrounger'.

You could have some discretionary spending as a component. 5% for booze, fags etc

You could bonus that if they take certain classes / actions. e.g. a CV writing course gets you + £5 discretionary

Card could be sent out within 2 days, most banks do that.

Also because the card can only be used for purchase. Identity dole fraud would be easy to prove and less attractive.

Patterns of card usage could also identify people working illegally, if most of the purchases happen at 5:15 pm its likely they are popping into the supermarket on the way home.

[psychocandy]

Could be an idea in combination with some amount of pocket money; I don't object to people on benefits having a bit of pleasure from fags and a pint now and then and I expect most people who temporarily claim unemployment benefit between jobs are actually bona-fide, looking for work and will start a new job as soon as they get the chance, but such a scheme might be helpful for the less motivated types.

Nah. Don't agree. Why do you need pocket money? Get a job to get that. Benefits are to keep you alive and thats it.

[psychocandy]

Most twatish idea I've heard in a long time and I'm quite old.

The long term 'professional' scrounger would just barter goods to get what they want.

The short term claimant who has being put out of work, but usually finds something else in a few months is punished through no fault of his/her own.

Also some people claim benefits so they can nurse their partners etc 24 hours a day and thereby saving the state a fortune, are these to be denied some simple pleasures?

Oh what about ex-soldiers with barely a body left to exist in?

Cnuts

Yeh. Bartering would be a problem.

But its the same now for short-term claimants. £71 a week and no help with mortgage if you find yourself jobless. If it was me, it wouldn't bother me if £71 went towards food solely.

And not applied to disability /carer allowances.

[psychocandy]

If anything it makes you more intolerant of them especially when you've been mired in it for so long

Yep. You, I guess like me, has first hand experience of it and how loads of people prefer it this way because its actually quite a nice lifestyle.

[AtW]

Not for use on booze, fags, sky tv.

And how exactly would that be stopped?