If you could vote on the future of benefits, how would you vote?

[ricgem2002]

Why would strangers be involved? I'm not suggesting doing TP's, just sit across the road from a suspect retailer and when they flash up a transaction on a DWP card if the person walking out the door clearly has a bag full of booze then there's the evidence. I'm not suggesting a card system would be perfect but given I can track my own transaction in real time via my phone it's technologically a piece of cake to put in place cost effective enforcement measures that would make small retailers not want to take the risk of breaking the rules.

ah your changing the goalposts now youve gone from giving out vouchers to now giving them a card:hihi:

[Mister M]

How would you define support as including enough free cash to drink, smoke and go to the cinema then? It must be a very broad definition of support.

 

As official figures reveal, a good deal of taxpayers money goes towards top ups, rebates, credits etc for those in work but on very low wages; those saving the tax payer a fortune by shouldering the burden for caring for sick relatives and friends; those raising the next generation; and those who have worked all their lives and now in reciept of pensions.

Do you begrudge all those people a smoke, a drink and a trip to the cinema?

[tinfoilhat]

In line with inflation? beg to differ.

 

Not sure what the interest rate is but in 2008/09 jsa for a single person was £60.50 and now it's £67.50. Don't Know what inflation is but it's a rise.

[chem1st]

We should abolish council tax and bring back rates in the form of a Land value tax. The proceeds of such a tax should be seen as a 'rent' one pays to the people of nation for depriving them of the land.

 

Everybody should get paid 'benefits' for being a citizen (a part of the nation), there should be no means test.

[chem1st]

Tough vote really. If you punish the professional dole-ites you'll really only punish their kids. But we need to take a stand don't we or we'll just have another generation of workshy ? I mean, bishops are bleating that the equivalent of a 35k a year job (500 quid a week) cap is too low. Can't be right can it ? However I'd be interested to know how much the overall bill is for benefits is and how much this cap will save. Would it all be a diversion to save a realitivly small amount of money.

 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39553294/Public-Spending-2009-10-by-UK-government-department

 

Paybill for admin. £6.57Bn

JSA £3.6Bn

State pensions £66.9Bn

Housing benefit £19.98Bn

 

If we should force anybody to work menial jobs, perhaps we should force the pensioners and landlords?

[Lady Star]

Vouchers have to be the way to go - especially with child benefit, as this can be wasted and not be child centred at all when left to parents to spend... This should be vouchers for practical items like food and nappies, as well as tickets for swimming etc for older kids...

[tinfoilhat]

Are vouchers going to lower benefits though ? Will it be say £60 in vouchers rather than £67.50 ? Are we saying we just don't like what the unemployed spend money on rather than how much they get ? If the figure is to remain the same vouchers seem a little pointless.

[fruitisbad]

Recon vouchers would just lead to more peope doing cash in hand work on top of receiving benefits.

 

Still I find the idea of a state sponsored list of what someone can and can't buy abhorent.

[Lady Star]

Are vouchers going to lower benefits though ? Will it be say £60 in vouchers rather than £67.50 ? Are we saying we just don't like what the unemployed spend money on rather than how much they get ? If the figure is to remain the same vouchers seem a little pointless.

 

It could remain at a similar level, and not require a increase... You have to be so careful not to overspend on something useless when you are on a low fixed income, and this would just ensure treats are out of the picture... Even those of us in work have to limit our treats to infrequent, right down to non existant at times... When they started work, they'd have to keep a tight reign on their cash too...

[Lady Star]

Recon vouchers would just lead to more peope doing cash in hand work on top of receiving benefits.

 

Still I find the idea of a state sponsored list of what someone can and can't buy abhorent.

 

Can you not recall milk and veg vouchers? I remember taking loads of them when I worked in a supermarket as a kid - they were for people who were obviously scary poor, but it meant that they had milk and fruit/veg and not 20 bensons... It's so easy to want fags and drink when you are potless, but such things aren't required to survive, and benefits are a stop gap before you return to work...