The Student Room Group

Duncan Smith outlines plans for pre-paid benefit cards - No gambling/smoking/drinks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29414565

The government is to introduce pre-paid benefit cards to stop claimants spending their money on alcohol, drugs or gambling habits.


(I proposed this back in 2012 in TSR :tongue:)

so what do you think? right thing to do?

Personally YES its similar to the US system where benefits carries a social stigma, which it should. You should not be proud of accepting benefits unless you need them (disabled, sick).

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Reply 1
More money wasted on yet another harebrained scheme from IDS that wont help anyone but himself, his mates and potential future employers, this time at Visa and MasterCard
(edited 9 years ago)
This idea occasionally pops up, and is always awful.
I don't think I've ever hated someone more - he is an absolute cretin. It's a terrible idea.
Reply 4
Original post by Bill_Gates
You should not be proud of accepting benefits unless you need them (disabled, sick).


By definition anyone claiming benefits either needs them or is committing benefit fraud. Only about 0.1% of all benefit claims are fraudulent so exactly why should benefits carry any stigma?

This is a stupid idea, designed solely to win votes from people who should know better, not to mention wasting yet more money on the benefits system (Pensions crisis? What pensions crisis?). Pre-paid cards are all well and good when all you're spending it on is food and bills, but what happens when your boiler needs servicing?
It the government was serious about trying to tackle alcohol and drug problems, then they would invest money in chronically underfunded mental health services and drug/alcohol rehabilitation schemes.

But I think this more a policy aimed at the Tory party faithful (or at least those potentially losing their faith). IDS and friends will make a big song and dance about it, the pilot scheme will be expensive/have technical problems/etc., organisations working with those with such problems or those living in poverty will kick up a fuss and the idea will be quietly shelved.
Great idea! I have wanted this to happen for ages. Will encourage people to work and mean we don't have to fund people's bad habits so much.
Original post by trasitszy
Great idea! I have wanted this to happen for ages. Will encourage people to work and mean we don't have to fund people's bad habits so much.


How exactly will being unable to get cigarettes 'encourage people to work', as a matter of interest?

Pretty sure anyone with even a pinch of resourcefulness would be able to get around this system, with the help of friends or family and, as another user pointed out, the money being ploughed into this could be better spent by investing in mental health services to tackle the problems of addiction.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by trasitszy
Great idea! I have wanted this to happen for ages. Will encourage people to work and mean we don't have to fund people's bad habits so much.


Where are these people going to work? I mean, given that there are more unemployed/underemployed people than there are vacancies so someone is going to end up out of work even if every job were filled tomorrow. If you want to encourage people back into work focus the money on job creation schemes, rather than on punishing the vulnerable with some Victorian workhouse morality driven card scheme.
Original post by ManifoldManifest
Where are these people going to work? I mean, given that there are more unemployed/underemployed people than there are vacancies so someone is going to end up out of work even if every job were filled tomorrow. If you want to encourage people back into work focus the money on job creation schemes, rather than on punishing the vulnerable with some Victorian workhouse morality driven card scheme.


Fair point. I agree creating jobs is neccessary for this to work as well. And lol I don't want a Victorian workhouse scheme! :tongue: But even without getting people to find jobs I think it will help to cut down on bad habits and mean that benefits actually help to buy food and other necessities rather than cigarettes and alcohol.
What a great way to massively increase the crime rate across the country. There's clearly not enough robberies going on in the UK at the moment so lets prevent people being able to spend the money they're given on things they actually want so that they go out and pinch the money off working people to feed their addictions instead. Oy vey.
Original post by trasitszy
Fair point. I agree creating jobs is neccessary for this to work as well. And lol I don't want a Victorian workhouse scheme! :tongue: But even without getting people to find jobs I think it will help to cut down on bad habits and mean that benefits actually help to buy food and other necessities rather than cigarettes and alcohol.


Hmm, it's not clear that this idea would cut down on smoking and drinking. Anyone receiving benefits who really wanted to spend their money on cigarettes and alcohol would presumably just call a relative and say "Hey, I'll buy you £50 worth of groceries if you buy me £50 of beer and cigarettes?"

In a worst case scenario you'd end up forming a secondary market, with vulnerable people being conned out of their benefit money in return for lesser values of actual cash. (Addicts, after all, aren't known for making the wisest decisions).

I agree that we should intervene to improve public health by reducing the negative impact of alcohol and tobacco on society, but I think we'd get much better results by putting funding into support services, addiction treatment, education, etc rather than by imposing a benefit card scheme (which would negatively effect the many benefit recipients who aren't mismanaging their funds.)
Reply 13
Original post by Dez
By definition anyone claiming benefits either needs them or is committing benefit fraud. Only about 0.1% of all benefit claims are fraudulent so exactly why should benefits carry any stigma?

This is a stupid idea, designed solely to win votes from people who should know better, not to mention wasting yet more money on the benefits system (Pensions crisis? What pensions crisis?). Pre-paid cards are all well and good when all you're spending it on is food and bills, but what happens when your boiler needs servicing?


Benefits are for those who are usually renting. That's what you have landlords for.
If you own a house a measly £20 a week in child benefit isn't going to make much difference.

But I do agree it shouldn't carry a stigma. The only issue I have is that it should be short-term support and also a taxpayer should always be in a better situation than them which isn't always the case.

Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 9 years ago)
Terrible idea unless you're willing to roll out acceptance of these cards to multiple industries such as:

Public and private transport
Energy
Communications
Housing / Home servicing
Health
Law

Probably a whole bunch of other stuff too. Seems like a whole waste of money for a partially thought out voluntary scheme.
Original post by Quantex
It the government was serious about trying to tackle alcohol and drug problems, then they would invest money in chronically underfunded mental health services and drug/alcohol rehabilitation schemes.

But I think this more a policy aimed at the Tory party faithful (or at least those potentially losing their faith). IDS and friends will make a big song and dance about it, the pilot scheme will be expensive/have technical problems/etc., organisations working with those with such problems or those living in poverty will kick up a fuss and the idea will be quietly shelved.




Yes!! So much yes for this.


Original post by Dez
By definition anyone claiming benefits either needs them or is committing benefit fraud. Only about 0.1% of all benefit claims are fraudulent so exactly why should benefits carry any stigma?

This is a stupid idea, designed solely to win votes from people who should know better, not to mention wasting yet more money on the benefits system (Pensions crisis? What pensions crisis?). Pre-paid cards are all well and good when all you're spending it on is food and bills, but what happens when your boiler needs servicing?



Yeeeessss. Thank you.
Original post by mikeyd85
Terrible idea unless you're willing to roll out acceptance of these cards to multiple industries such as:

Public and private transport
Energy
Communications
Housing / Home servicing
Health
Law

Probably a whole bunch of other stuff too. Seems like a whole waste of money for a partially thought out voluntary scheme.


The net gain from it will be low if anything. I think it should be put out across various industries even a wider selection of stores.

However its more about sending a message *joka face*

but seriously, i think a lot of people underestimate the average cretin on benefits, i live in a heavily state dependent area and believe me the level of abuse of the system is too much.

Alcohol, cigs, gambling is what these people yearn for and not giving them access to it is......................BEAUTIFUL!

Money gives you opportunity and choice and if you are dependent on others for your daily bread you should not be given those privileges.

I think i will vote tory.............
I love how this completely disregards and adds stigma to mental illness.

Addiction is a mental illness, and by treating individuals with this much disrespect as if they are naughty little children, it will only cause more problems.

The government needs to suck it up, and dedicate more time and attention towards mental illness.
Original post by Bill_Gates

Alcohol, cigs, gambling is what these people yearn for and not giving them access to it is......................complete and utter social suicide and will have massive negative repercussions when addicts suddenly find they are unable to feed their addiction and lack the necessary support to over come this.
.


FTFY.
I'll buy a £50 card for £40 cash if anyone's interested?

Yeah, no problems here.

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