QOD - 23/05/13 Food ration books/Stamps for people on benefits?

candyflosspot

candyflosspot

bossy boots
Sep 7, 2010
5,253
171
63
Sheffield
Resurrecting QOD - So i have been watching The Bletchley Circle on netflix (watched Jonathan Creek yesterday - does this mean i am getting old? :unsure:) at lunch time and its set just after WW2.

Do you think this is a good idea for people on benefits to be given a food ration book/food stamp? Should people be given the freedom to spend their benefit money on fags, booze & drugs if they choose? even if they have kids?

over to you lovely lot :wink:
 
Personally it does not sit well with me to dictate what anyone spends their money on,if you go along those lines then are we saying anyone who receives tax credits or child benefit should not have a horse or any other hobby etc as if they can afford that maybe they shouldn't get the 'benefit'??

What about pensioners?? Should anyone claiming pension benefits also have food stamps and have the liberty to spend their money as they please taken away?? Even though they *may* have put into the system all their life in order to be eligible to receive benefits when older.

The problem is everyone sees the very small minority of Jeremy Kyle people on the tv wittering rubbish about living a life of luxury on benefits and assumes everyone is like this and living this lifestyle.

Absolute tosh.Most people on benefits struggle just to get by,and many will have been paying into the system for years and then found themselves in dire straits and had to claim.I see no reason why all these people should be penalised and stigmatised because of a small minority of lazy so and so's who abuse the system.

Food rations after the war was necessary and everyone was in it together,giving them to people on benefits now IMO would just be humiliating and degrading and that's not something I could feel good about TBH.

Apologies for ranting,politics and social issues bring out the soapbox in me:redface:
 
I think in reality its only a small number of people that abuse the system. I think genuine needy people still struggle. One of my oldest and dearest friends has to get by on benefits - and it is a struggle. She can never work again due to long term illness. I think there will always be the ones that know how to work the system - I know a couple of people who do, and in my personal opinion should be questioned. But then again, if this sort of questioning and control went on - genuine folk would also suffer.
 
I think it's a bit degrading really. Plus people have debts etc that they have to service, and if they're just paid in food vouchers, how can they do that? Most people will do their best by their kids whatever their situation, a few scumbags won't, but giving them food vouchers in the hope they feed their kids instead of buying fags and booze won't stop them being scumbags - they'd probably just swap the vouchers or food for fags and booze anyway.
 
devonlass said:
Apologies for ranting,politics and social issues bring out the soapbox in me:redface:
Click to expand...

thats ok :smile:. I asked the question and wanted peoples opinions. I suppose this question has also been in the back of my mind because of the channel 4 show "skint" . Not sure if anyone has watched this or not :unsure:
 
I may be wrong about this - but dont asylum seekers get food vouchers, rather than the money?
As for WW2 and post war rationing, apart from some things which were free for children, e.g.orange juice - one still had to pay. The coupons were to limit the quantity one person bought.
 
candyflosspot said:
thats ok :smile:. I asked the question and wanted peoples opinions. I suppose this question has also been in the back of my mind because of the channel 4 show "skint" . Not sure if anyone has watched this or not :unsure:
Click to expand...

Yes I did see that and must admit if you are on benefit and get pregnant while on it, why should the state pay? One person had 5 kids and was on benefit throughout. I can't afford kids-not that I want any! I wouldn't still go ahead and think well stuff it I will just claim

If you change money to food vouchers you would find yourself hungry! Its possible people smoke or drink to suppress food pangs. How much is unemployment benefit, how much would you say out of it should be spent on food? For argument sake £20, can you eat for a week on that?
 
people with children under 2 get healthy start vouchers for fruit and veg. I think its about £3.50 a week, and vouchers for baby milk.
 
candyflosspot said:
Resurrecting QOD - So i have been watching The Bletchley Circle on netflix (watched Jonathan Creek yesterday - does this mean i am getting old? :unsure:) at lunch time and its set just after WW2.

Do you think this is a good idea for people on benefits to be given a food ration book/food stamp? Should people be given the freedom to spend their benefit money on fags, booze & drugs if they choose? even if they have kids?

over to you lovely lot :wink:
Click to expand...

If they do spend it all on fags, booze and drugs with kids, then I dont think they will have the kids for very long!
 
I think if you get "job seekers" allowance you should have; part food vouchers/part cash. That way there's less money for them to spend on fags and junk.

Parents that have children and claim endless amounts of benefits, I think should have vouchers for food. My aunty for example (who claims benefits); has luxury holidays, laptops, birthday parties, cars and tells me that she has "so much money" and that I can borrow some if I want!

Another girl I know quit her job, as claiming benefits left her with a LOT more disposable income at the end of the month.

People claiming for things willy nilly, are quite open to admit they have a lot of money so I think it should stop.

Vouchers are the way forward along with a small amount of cash for personal things but that is all and i'm sorry but no one will change my thoughts on this matter. :eek:
 
newforest said:
Yes I did see that and must admit if you are on benefit and get pregnant while on it, why should the state pay? One person had 5 kids and was on benefit throughout. I can't afford kids-not that I want any! I wouldn't still go ahead and think well stuff it I will just claim

If you change money to food vouchers you would find yourself hungry! Its possible people smoke or drink to suppress food pangs. How much is unemployment benefit, how much would you say out of it should be spent on food? For argument sake £20, can you eat for a week on that?
Click to expand...

It was 7 kids NF & she even took a test for her 8th during the programme.
 
newforest said:
What can you get for that when you think about it?
Click to expand...

Not alot but it is a help.

I would also like to add that being on benefits as a single mother is NOT a life of luxury. I really dont know how people can legally afford new laptops and luxury holidays. It is not like that atall Melrose I can assure you of that.

It is very worrying being on benefits ( I would like to add through no circumstances of my own doing - I left a job in management through shitty circumstances) My money is juggled from week to week from ensuring I have food in for my little child to have balanced meals, to making sure she is warm and clothed and has nappies. I do NOT EVER go out to socialise, NEVER have holidays I have to scrimp to make sure Ive petrol to get my child to baby group. I have actually had a TUTTING comment when Ive paid with a voucher towards my vegatables. It made me feel like dirt on the bottom of someones shoe.. but sadly thats the attitude of many people. The vouchers wont work for a number of reasons peoples locations, nearest shops that take them, ( my nearest Supermarket/chain store is 37miles away) and some weeks you need more money for other things then food. I go without decent food for myself if I need to top up the electric etc...

I really deteste these views about people on benefits. I didnt have them about people when I was employed, and Im glad as I would of been eating my hat, you really do not know when something could happen to you.

I was actually really gutted a couple of week ago, a fantastic job came up for me.. sadly there were no registered childminders within a 20mile vacinty with space, neither was there to cover saturdays. Its not that easy to get back into work :frown:
 
candyflosspot said:
A punnet of strawberries & raspberries on 2 for £3.. And maybe a couple of onions. Not enough to do anything with..
Click to expand...

You can get cassarole mix bags for £1 which are pretty handy! and some satumas for £1.75 which one a day last for a week. The scav racks are handy to !! ( the reduced counter!)
 
Gimp said:
Not alot but it is a help.

I would also like to add that being on benefits as a single mother is NOT a life of luxury. I really dont know how people can legally afford new laptops and luxury holidays. It is not like that atall Melrose I can assure you of that.

It is very worrying being on benefits ( I would like to add through no circumstances of my own doing - I left a job in management through shitty circumstances) My money is juggled from week to week from ensuring I have food in for my little child to have balanced meals, to making sure she is warm and clothed and has nappies. I do NOT EVER go out to socialise, NEVER have holidays I have to scrimp to make sure Ive petrol to get my child to baby group. I have actually had a TUTTING comment when Ive paid with a voucher towards my vegatables. It made me feel like dirt on the bottom of someones shoe.. but sadly thats the attitude of many people. The vouchers wont work for a number of reasons peoples locations, nearest shops that take them, ( my nearest Supermarket/chain store is 37miles away) and some weeks you need more money for other things then food. I go without decent food for myself if I need to top up the electric etc...

I really deteste these views about people on benefits. I didnt have them about people when I was employed, and Im glad as I would of been eating my hat, you really do not know when something could happen to you.

I was actually really gutted a couple of week ago, a fantastic job came up for me.. sadly there were no registered childminders within a 20mile vacinty with space, neither was there to cover saturdays. Its not that easy to get back into work :frown:
Click to expand...

It's really tough. I've got single mum friends who've claimed benefits (mainly top up benefits while working) and none of them has ever had luxury cars or holidays, or has even not worried about money every single day. There are (according to the Daily Mail and some reality TV shows) a few people who manage to buck the system and get a decent amount of money through benefits, but I don't know any of them!
 
squidsin said:
It's really tough. I've got single mum friends who've claimed benefits (mainly top up benefits while working) and none of them has ever had luxury cars or holidays, or has even not worried about money every single day. There are (according to the Daily Mail and some reality TV shows) a few people who manage to buck the system and get a decent amount of money through benefits, but I don't know any of them!
Click to expand...

I know, you get a set amount a week. I dont understand how its achieved. Im on borrowed time with my heating oil, I reackon it could go this week or next. Then I need to magically have £touching £400 to refill it for the minimum order.

Please inform me how luxury holidays are gained! It really angers me that people think thats how life is like.
 
It's hard. My mum is struggling as she goes from temporary job to temporary job, has done for years since she was made redundant and has little hope of finding a good permanent given her age and history.

It's her by herself and she doesn't have enough to live on.

Then I know people who are on the same money she is but live with parents, don't have any household bills to pay or food to buy. Really unfair.

Then there are those who have no intentions of ever working, who live off benefits and can afford concerts, holidays, lots of pets, a newer car than most people have.

The benefits system needs an overhaul to ensure it worth people going out to work.

In fact, I think there should be a social jobs pool that those on benefits should have to work, combined with hours spent looking for work, to earn their benefits. Same with those on incapacity benefits. So many on incapacity benefits want to work but no employers are flexible enough to take into account good and bad days or have work that can physically or mentally be accomplished. The benefits system currently pushes towards 'I can't rather than encouraging people to instead aim towards what they can!
 
candyflosspot said:
It was 7 kids NF & she even took a test for her 8th during the programme.
Click to expand...

I probably turned over after 5. That's taking the pee out of the system.
I am not saying its not a struggle for those on it, but it can't be that much of a struggle if you carry on breeding and bringing a baby into poverty.
 
Last edited:
Joyscarer said:
I

The benefits system needs an overhaul to ensure it worth people going out to work.

In fact, I think there should be a social jobs pool that those on benefits should have to work, combined with hours spent looking for work, to earn their benefits. Same with those on incapacity benefits. So many on incapacity benefits want to work but no employers are flexible enough to take into account good and bad days or have work that can physically or mentally be accomplished. The benefits system currently pushes towards 'I can't rather than encouraging people to instead aim towards what they can!
Click to expand...

So this jobs pool where you are forced to go to, how would that work for people in my position who live rural and approx 40miles each way to the nearest town..few and far local business's that employ and more importantly no local registered childminders available. ? I couldnt afford the petrol for starters, and secondly Im not hauling a young baby under 2, 80 mile round trips to the town where there is a childminder that would cost me £20 a day in fuel ! I also didnt ask to be in this position, and Im not going to put my child in a childminders full time either to make society happy, I dont wish someone else to see my child grow up for the majority of her younger years! I am sitting in hope a local part time job comes up! In the mean time I am trying to re-start a buisness up I ran many years ago succesfully... I am busy having to make enquires etc at the moment as I have a few limitiations from where I used to live.. I am hoping I can pull it off and all my problems will be solve as working from home would be the perfect solution! !:angel:
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back