Drug addicts 'could lose benefits'

[burner1]

Drug addicts who refuse treatment could have their welfare benefits withdrawn, it has been reported.

The Home Office is considering some form of "financial benefit sanction" for claimants who fail to address their drug or alcohol dependency, the BBC said.It would mark the revival of a scheme planned by the previous Labour government aimed at helping get drug users back into work.


Social security advisers have warned such a move could drive addicts back into a life of crime.
The idea is said to be in a consultation paper on the Government's drug strategy for England, Wales and Scotland. A spokesman for the Home Office was unable to comment on the proposal.


The Labour government planned a series of pilot schemes this year to help drug users kick their habits and return to work. They included applying sanctions to addicts who failed to attend treatment awareness programmes, and increased powers for the criminal justice system to help identify problem drug users not in treatment.


But the Social Security Advisory Committee - a statutory body - warned the pilot could cause "significant harm" including the "disengagement of problem drug users from the welfare to work system with...negative economic and social impacts".


And Martin Barnes, chief executive of charity DrugScope, said: "The benefit system can and indeed does have a very important role in terms of advice and support to encourage people both to access treatment and employment.
"But we seriously question both the fairness and the effectiveness of actually using the stick of compulsion - benefit sanctions - to link a requirement to undergo medical treatment with a condition of receipt of benefit."


"I just don't see that's compatible with using the benefits system to require people to undergo a complex form of drug treatment intervention," he said.


>>Source<<

[4me2]

Bollocks once again from the Tories !

It would never happen as it would be illegal.

The crime rate would go off the scale as addicts on benefits are already turning to crime to finance their addictions.The shallow Tory way of thing ie take away the benefits and the problem will disappear is pure bollox.

If you are going to go down that road then you need to lock up addicts up untill they are clean for a long period of time. Even then there is no guarantee that they won't use again.

Pure headlining making bollox from the govt designed to hoodwink the ignorant public into thinking they are doing something constructive about the problem.

Human rights bills and European law would never allow them to pursue this avenue.

Dream on Tories and Sun readers.

[mitchb]

Pure headlining making bollox from the govt designed to hoodwink the ignorant public into thinking they are doing something constructive about the problem.

Spot on, this comment sums it up for me.

[Zippeyrude]

id say that the scroungers and lazy fookers that enjoy benefits as an 'life entitlement' who can but have no intention of working because of a cushy life are a bigger scourge on society.

if benefits allows people to own dogs, drink booze, smoke and have sky tv and playstations then benefits are way too generous.

benefits was first conceived as a safety net not as a permanent way of life

food tokens for milk, eggs and flour i say.

deal with these fraudsters first.

[super mike]

Legalise them.

[blacksheep]

Unfortunately the story above has missed the part that also said addicts who are attending treatment wouldn't be required to attend interviews etc. It's carrot and stick.

The trouble comes when you try 100% identify who is 'an addict'.

[Robbo]

Dream on Tories and Sun readers.

I concur

[Mystical_2K]

yeah usual bullshit, sounds a good idea but no way would it work in reality (which i think most politicians stepped out of a while ago)

[Over Carl]

if benefits allows people to own dogs, drink booze, smoke and have sky tv and playstations then benefits are way too generous.

benefits was first conceived as a safety net not as a permanent way of life

food tokens for milk, eggs and flour i say.

When I used to work for social services, we sometimes had to issue some to needy families with children that for whatever reason couldn't claim benefits. As the payments were only intended for the welfare of the child, they used to give vouchers for a local massive shop, iirc tescos, but they were marked not for alcohol / tobacco, food only or something.

I rememeber wondering why regular benefits payments aren't issued in a similar fashion - at least for the majority of the payment.

[Little John]

I rememeber wondering why regular benefits payments aren't issued in a similar fashion - at least for the majority of the payment.

I think there is some legislation probably that deemed it discrimination as it highlights the fact to the supermarket that they are receiveing benefits. I remember at school when those on free school meals had to go daily to reception at lunch time to collect a "dinner ticket" which they handed over at the till when they bought their dinner. This was stopped after I left as you could see who was getting free dinners.

[Zippeyrude]

again society has an unbalanced view and unjustifiably protects the minority imo

why is it always the case that the victims (in this case those paying the tax) enjoy less rights than the 'perpetrators' (those enjoying peoples tax money). i pay tax ll my life then get made redundant, lose everything and become homeless.

some grunt whose family have been on benefits all their life acquire permanent rights to a council flat. some 16 year old slag gets shoved up the duff for a flat & benefits and she gets it. where is the justice in that ?!

kick the scavengers out after a few months unless they work for the (subsidised) rent

put the teenage pregnancy scroungers in a hostel with other screaming kids, no fucking luxury flat for life.

i am sick and tired of this bullshit. if you are a scrounger then i see no frikking issue in everyone knowing what you are and what a burden you are. why the hell should you go unnoticed!

this is an example of society accepting all that is bad, and making that the norm.

because lazy shits enjoy this anonymity and luxury of spunking other peoples money (their 'entitlement') there is no incentive to change.