A Step In The Right Direction.....?

[ToraToraTora]

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

[FrogNog]

Interesting.
I'd love to see the mugging, petty theft, burglary and shoplifting statistics in areas where this was enforced.

[agchristie]

The cards will only be used for 'some things' in 'some stores'....

Sounds a little vague to me...

[Baldric]

How long before some of the 'Corner shops' start cashing them for at a guess 10% commission?

[ToraToraTora]

I think they mean things like food rather than baccy and booze agchristie.

[agchristie]

TTT - I presume so, but which stores exactly?

[Hopkirk]

I like the idea, but fear the administration costs will be very high.

No doubt some fraudsters will find a way to abuse the system too.

[FrogNog]

Good point agchristie. Will they be valid in Aldi, or only Tesco? It'll be interesting to see where the limits are.
And what about those on top up benefits? Are they to be issued vouchers even when they are working full time?

[ToraToraTora]

it'll probably be most shops that sell groceries I'd imagine.

[jim360]

Sounds on the face of it like a return to ration books, of a sort?

[ladybirder]

Worth a try, so Yes.

[kvalidir]

The problem is if this is rolled out universally the 24 out of 25 working age people who do not have a drink or drug habit will be forced to buy their 'essential' groceries from shops when they might be able to get their produce cheaper at markets or wholesalers, so in actual fact the poor will be made poorer by this, stigmatised and I would imagine thoroughly humiliated. couple that with the fact that a junkie with no way of buying a fix will find a way to get the money form somewhere and you will add a huge increase in robberies, burglaries and muggings. All in all exactly the sort of idea that a smug out of touch imbecile like Ian Duncan Smith was guaranteed to come up with. He really is brainless loon :(

[agchristie]

There are store cards, membership, loyalty cards galore these days. Another one to mislay.

[FrogNog]

Okay Toratoratora, what if the shop chooses to ring things in incorrectly to "help" their regular customers, or more likely to stop profit dramatically decreasing?
You can almost guarantee that these vouchers will be redeembale only at a major tory supporting supermarket at least a paid for bus ride away for a lot of people.
I am frankly quite tired of picking on the poor and I say that as someone who claims no benefits whatsoever.
I'm happy for you if you live comfortably but is there no compassion left?

[ladybirder]

But it isn't being rolled out to everybody on benefits is it?

[FrogNog]

Not yet ladybirder, not yet.

[ToraToraTora]

none of us know all the tiny details and yes no doubt there wil be opportunities for fiddling. I'd imagine a scheme like this would involve all the major grocers and to avoid any adverse labelling the governmemnt would force them to toe the line. I was really just asking about the principle rather than trying to speculate about all the details.

[Obiter]

Right wing though I am, I do not think that this is a good idea. I rememember years ago the scam worked with Provident checks. People would take out a 'Provvy', say for £10 ( I am going back to the 60s) then sell it to a lady in our street who would give them £5 for it. The seller had £5 in cash, whilst the shark had £10 credit. Not only had they lost half their money they still had to repay the loan with interest, whilst she furnished her home in absolute luxury.

[ladybirder]

If it means the money goes on the children and not fags for the grown ups then yes and yes I know everybody isn't like that but some are. It's easy to knock it but I haven't seen anybody come up with a better idea.

[kvalidir]

the better idea is to leave things as they are with 24 out of 25 people dealing with their money as you or I would and 1 with a problem which we need to help in other ways.

[douglas9401]

Small groups of card holders hanging around outside shops offering to get goods for somebody with their card and then taking the cash from the shopper and buying their proscribed requirements. That was difficult.
IDS thought it up, it was never going to work.