Do the poor deserve financial help?

Listening to an irritating debate on Radio2 atm about the government potentially helping out those working class families with money subsidies. People are coming on the radio and saying poor people do not deserve to be spoonfed as they are lazy and don't know what hard work is. What a crap stereotype. Maybe in some cases people can't be bothered to work but to say that being poor is a direct result of laziness is just wrong. I know hard-working parents who need to feed mouths and pay mortgages, of course they're not going to have much money but that's not to say they're not trying their damn hardest to get the pennies rolling in! Grrr some people make my blood boil

End of mini rant

What are people's thoughts about this? Do you think giving working class families financial help is uncalled for? That they don't deserve it because they're clearly not managing to provide a "decent" quality of life for their children?

Before the government start giving out money handout I do think those families should "tick boxes" to make sure laziness isn't a factor but surely a but of financial help is a good thing?

[fizzwheel]

Depends on the reasoning behind why they have ended up in their situation and what you describe as poor.

[ophic]

We already have a system whereby (in theory) no-one should go hungry and everyone should have a roof over their heads. So what are the handouts for? If someone doesn't have their basic needs met, there is clearly mismanagement somewhere in the family structure. Throwing money at this won't fix it.

I'm afraid luxuries are just that - for people who can afford them.

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Depends on the reasoning behind why they have ended up in their situation and what you describe as poor.

Struggling to make ends meet. Although I should imagine that many people fall into that category in the current economic situation.

if they are "working" and on a low wage, yes, i think they should be helped in some way

BUT

if they are not working, NO they should'nt (and i mean not even trying to work)

[timwilky]

far easier to enable people to help themselves. set a minimum wage that people can actually live on. and scrap taxing people on income below minimum wage. No huge bureaucracy needed to do that.

Make income tax allowances transferable between partners so that stay at home carers allowances can go to the working partner.

silly things like enable child care at nights/evenings to permit parents to work outside of the 9-5 window.

Don't hand cash to people, but enable people to help themselves

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

Struggling to make ends meet. Although I should imagine that many people fall into that category in the current economic situation.

If people cant afford their mortgage or rent or to put food on their table or clothe their kids, then yes I think they need help.

But if struggling to make ends meet means they can afford the repayments on their 40" LCD TV then no they dont...

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

If people cant afford their mortgage or rent or to put food on their table or clothe their kids, then yes I think they need help.

But if struggling to make ends meet means they can afford the repayments on their 40" LCD TV then no they dont...

It needs to be case by case.

Why should we pay out for someones mortgage when they made a poor choice to buy in a market that was about to top out, and got a mortgage so big that it takes a large percentage of their income to service it because they lied on a self-certification form about how much they earned ?

You can try and say that they were forced into it due to the high price of property, or that they were mis-sold it, or got bad advice, but in the end its their signatures on the forms.

I am coming more and more to the conclusion that EVERYONE should get a sum of money that is enough to put a roof over their head, keep them clean and feed them, regardless of whether they are working or not, to remove any Stigma from being "on the social", but if you want luxuries and extras, well you better go get a job.

On mortgages I really dont see what trying to get property values back to where they were a year ago would achieve when the average house price would end up more than 3 or 4 times the average wage.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

I am coming more and more to the conclusion that EVERYONE should get a sum of money that is enough to put a roof over their head, keep them clean and feed them, regardless of whether they are working or not, to remove any Stigma from being "on the social", but if you want luxuries and extras, well you better go get a job.

+1. Sensible and simple to manage.

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

I am coming more and more to the conclusion that EVERYONE should get a sum of money that is enough to put a roof over their head, keep them clean and feed them, regardless of whether they are working or not, to remove any Stigma from being "on the social", but if you want luxuries and extras, well you better go get a job.

.

But it is so difficult to track what the money given is being spent on. Of course its their problem as to how they choose to spend it and they should have the common sense to use it wisely....as you've said, each cae would have to be assessed, no point giving them money if it's going to get frittered away.