View Poll Results: How should the poor be given benefits?

Voters
12. You may not vote on this poll
  • As wages form a work programme

    5 41.67%
  • In Cash

    2 16.67%
  • In cash and food stamps

    0 0%
  • In food stamps

    0 0%
  • A smart card

    5 41.67%
  • Board and lodging only (room with food)

    2 16.67%
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Indignity of an Spending Management program

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadnought:
    How about restrictions instead? Tell them what they cannot spend it on.
    It probably does work like that. Excluding alcohol, cigarettes etc

    For people who are unable to manage a weekly budget it should be possible to have daily top-ups.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    1,687

    I would assume they limit they scanners for those cards to only be used at regular checkout counters to the major supermarket chains (IGA, Woolworth, Coles) where you cannot buy alcohol or cigarettes as they have their own separate counters.


  3. #13

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Tuen Mun
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    The obvious way this would be abused would be to exchange 'allowed goods' for cash. The scheme being open to abuse shouldn't be reason enough to stop it though?


  4. #14

    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by bryant.english:
    The obvious way this would be abused would be to exchange 'allowed goods' for cash...
    Indeed, and the allowed goods would be traded in for smokes and booze at a major discount, so the recipients will end up being the abused rather than the abusers.

    I can see it already, in a dark alley, where a couple of cigarettes are being swapped for a box of rice crispies.
    bryant.english and justjoe86 like this.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    7,471

    I'm sure you could use them to buy allowed goods, then bring back the receipt and ask for an exchange. Supermarkets would duly oblige.

    Much more fun to think of methods to exploit the system than to give feedback!

    Basically, this scheme would have the unfortunate by product of creating a black market for booze and gambling, and anyone who's watched a Mafia movie or two will know what that means!

    Last edited by justjoe86; 16-10-2012 at 01:01 PM.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Tuen Mun
    Posts
    6,191
    Quote Originally Posted by justjoe86:
    I'm sure you could use them to buy allowed goods, then bring back the receipt and ask for an exchange. Supermarkets would duly oblige.

    Much more fun to think of methods to exploit the system than to give feedback!

    Basically, this scheme would have the unfortunate by product of creating a black market for booze and gambling, and anyone who's watched a Mafia movie or two will know what that means!
    It's nothing new...the Salvos and various other charities have tried it with food vouchers before and the same happened there....