Tories propose welfare card to block long-term jobless from buying alcohol, cigarettes
The Conservative Party plans to cut Universal Credit by 30% for unemployed claimants who haven't contributed enough, loading reduced payments onto a restricted card.
What to know
- The Conservative Party proposes a 30% cut to Universal Credit for long-term jobless claimants who haven't made sufficient contributions, paid via a restricted pre-paid card blocking alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, and cash withdrawals.
- The scheme would affect an estimated 350,000 claimants and generate £538m in annual savings, according to Conservative estimates.
- Labour and anti-poverty charities argue the plan is unworkable and will deepen hardship, with Universal Credit already falling short of covering essentials like food and heating.
Benefit claimants should not afford discretionary spending like alcohol and cigarettes if payments are meant for essentials.
-
“The whole fucking point is that people on benefits pay none so they should be grateful for what they receive from the state and spend it on what they need. If they can afford alcohol and cigarettes then they're taking too much.”
XenorVernix · reddit ↗
“The Conservatives had 14 years to fix our welfare system but they completely failed to make meaningful reforms. Now they are proposing an unworkable new card scheme, which does nothing to tackle the numbers of people their system left signed off and written off.”
Labour Party spokesperson, Opposition party · BBC News ↗
Kemi Badenoch Conservative Party leader
Helen Whately Shadow Work and Pensions SecretaryHelen Barnard Director of policy and research, Trussell TrustLabour Party Opposition party
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlespostscomments
-
1
Labour and anti-poverty groups condemn proposal as unworkable and harmful
Labour branded the scheme "unworkable," saying the Conservatives failed to fix the welfare system in 14 years. Helen Barnard, director at the anti-poverty charity Trussell, said the proposals were "deeply misguided" and that Universal Credit already falls short of covering essentials, forcing people to food banks. Reform UK's Robert Jenrick said the Tories' proposals "won't even put a dent" in the welfare bill.
“Universal Credit already falls well short of what people need to afford the essentials like food and heating, forcing people across the UK to the doors of food banks.”
— Helen Barnard -
That's an incredibly wild take, but this is Reddit I guess! Who is paying their taxes so that you can have a job? Why are you even bringing tax into this? The whole fucking point is that people on benefits pay none so they should be grateful for what they receive from the state and spend it on what they need. If they can afford alcohol and…
2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch
-
L
Instead of taxing Private Jets, this is what the Tories propose... https:// news.sky.com/story/long-term-b enefits-claimants-could-be-banned-from-buying-alcohol-and-cigarettes-under-tory-plans-13591237 # UKpol # UKpolitics # PrivateJetTax # Classism # Tories # Poverty
-
I mean it was obviously far worse, Prohibition gave birth to crime syndicates that spread their tentacles into huge areas of American life, and are still going today.
-
-
background
Conservative Party announces welfare card scheme to restrict long-term jobless spending — The Conservatives unveiled plans to cut Universal Credit by 30% for claimants unemployed for more than six months who haven't paid enough into the system. The reduced rate would be paid onto a "Back to Work" card blocking spending on alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, and cash withdrawals. The party estimates the changes would affect 350,000 claimants and save £538m annually.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
-
first by Evening Standard, 7h ago · also The Independent, Sky News Business, BBC
3 more headlines
- Tories would ban long-term benefit claimants from gambling, buying alcohol and cigarettes The Independent · 7h ago
- Long-term benefits claimants could be banned from buying alcohol and cigarettes under Tory plans Sky News Business · 3h ago
- Tories would prevent long-term jobless spending benefits on alcohol and cigarettes Mastodon · 4m ago