Look JP_,
I see myself as sympathetic toward people in poverty, my wife in a previous role managed a Surestart Children's Centre, 3 in fact. A small part of her role involved food vouchers, I won't divulge too much but she was shocked and saddened by some of the abuses of the system.
All I will say is that if somebody is receiving unemployment benefit which entails, free rent, free council tax, an income that covers food and clothing for their children. If they can't afford to heat free food, something is seriously wrong, not with the Govt payments, but with what the recipients are spending their money on.
My wife saw many people turning up to claim food vouchers wearing designer clothes and £100+ trainers, she saw one or two and thought 'I know you, your dad owns 'whatever' business, he's quite wealthy'. It's free money and frees up your 'income' to spend more on the finer things in life.
She also saw the genuinely needy and on a few occasions was reduced to tears by the humility of people who were overwhelmed at receiving 'charity', I've told the story of that on this forum before so I won't repeat it.
There are far too many homeless people on the streets in this country, ex service men with mental health issues, addicts, former addicts, these people need help, real help. But people who are living rent free, council tax free, free food, but want extra money to warm the food up? **** off. It would be a kindness to let the feckless bastards perish, it might harm the 'industry' that's growing up around these people though.
Did I just describe a charity as an industry? oops.
I see myself as sympathetic toward people in poverty, my wife in a previous role managed a Surestart Children's Centre, 3 in fact. A small part of her role involved food vouchers, I won't divulge too much but she was shocked and saddened by some of the abuses of the system.
All I will say is that if somebody is receiving unemployment benefit which entails, free rent, free council tax, an income that covers food and clothing for their children. If they can't afford to heat free food, something is seriously wrong, not with the Govt payments, but with what the recipients are spending their money on.
My wife saw many people turning up to claim food vouchers wearing designer clothes and £100+ trainers, she saw one or two and thought 'I know you, your dad owns 'whatever' business, he's quite wealthy'. It's free money and frees up your 'income' to spend more on the finer things in life.
She also saw the genuinely needy and on a few occasions was reduced to tears by the humility of people who were overwhelmed at receiving 'charity', I've told the story of that on this forum before so I won't repeat it.
There are far too many homeless people on the streets in this country, ex service men with mental health issues, addicts, former addicts, these people need help, real help. But people who are living rent free, council tax free, free food, but want extra money to warm the food up? **** off. It would be a kindness to let the feckless bastards perish, it might harm the 'industry' that's growing up around these people though.
Did I just describe a charity as an industry? oops.