Peter MacDonald was staggered to receive a letter awarding him the additional payments because he had not even made an application for extra help.

Yet the 51-year-old was told by benefits chiefs at Labour-run Doncaster Council that he would be paid an additional £9.06 on top of his £120-a-week allowance to help finance his heavy drinking.

He said: �I know it�s a nanny state but I�d no idea they looked after you this well.�

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/536194/jobless...a-benefits-buy-drink

... all he needs now is a food bank and he is in heaven !

Would be interesting to see a list of cuts made by this totally loony Council to fund such payment.

In The Know (as always) wrote:
Peter MacDonald was staggered to receive a letter awarding him the additional payments because he had not even made an application for extra help.

Yet the 51-year-old was told by benefits chiefs at Labour-run Doncaster Council that he would be paid an additional �£9.06 on top of his �£120-a-week allowance to help finance his heavy drinking.

He said: “I know it’s a nanny state but I’d no idea they looked after you this well.”

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/536194/jobless...a-benefits-buy-drink

... all he needs now is a food bank and he is in heaven !

Would be interesting to see a list of cuts made by this totally loony Council to fund such payment.

£9!!!!

That's more than ye pay ye olde slaves on The Bakewell Plantation!...Quick go give yer money away to a foreign beggar just in case

I see the article is from the Express. And thus another story. But between the lines most interesting. As with all stories and reports in general for that matter the information is minimal to make any reasonable informed assessment of a council's performance.
But this is what I can make out with some conjecture, plus a very small amount of indirect knowledge.
1. Those in the UK who are still assessed as on some sort of ill health benefits do in many cases get a reasonable income. With an allowance to give them a chance for some quality of life. As in the story.
2. ITK is correct like many things the parameters, available benefits and so forth are "all over the show" with some receiving correct and fair amounts of support. Then there are many who are demonised and that would include those in the same area as the person in the paper. These people may have many among them who are doing all they can to budget and find work and it is "all their fault not succeeding." Which is rubbish.
3. So what is wrong with "a nanny state" has to be the real question? Needing support is universal. Children get it from their parents. Rich people give even jobs to their offspring and allowances to the lazy offspring.
The government are leaders of the nation wide state, which can be likened to a large family. The government is elected to ensure it's citizens have work opportunities and quality of life. Full support to overcome ill health and laziness and all other challenges. It is the duty of their position. So people of good health and working age can get work. Work that is real or pretend as long as it is fully paid and consistent work where the citizen can feel a sense of well being. That includes an environment of self improvement advancement and so forth. The school that sent staff to collect and wake the pupils who were not coming to school showed signs of acheiving results for all. Actually challenging the lazy. Better than putting the parents in prison, as an example of an alternative approach. So the various governments have never planned for ensuring the genuine jobless can get work and a strategy for the lazy who will not response to any incentive. In other words at what level of subsistence is acceptable. The rich set their own rules and often in most cases ensure the uglies are sufficiently catered for to bring no shame on the family or accusations of neglect. This does not make the lazy person excusable but it is pragmatic.
4. "Pragmatic" is the reason for the extra payment which appears to be addtional rent allowance to help the council cover rent arrears that they are aware they may never recover.
5. Lastly the guy may well of been paid for this story. So I do hope if that is the case in this particular instance he is held to account for this extra income and it can be used to cover the arrears. It is not an honest story and totally unhelpful especially to those who are genuinely struggling with the cuts and so forth.

£9.06 ?

JC..you can't even get a good bottle of French Champagne for that!

no wonder the peasants are revolting.

In The Know (as always) wrote:

Would be interesting to see a list of cuts made by this totally loony Council to fund such payments.

The answer ?

1200 jobs cut !

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26280975

Thats what you get with a LOONY Council / government ..... absolutely the wrong priorities.

IDS has got a lot to answer for.

In The Know (as always) wrote:
In The Know (as always) wrote:

Would be interesting to see a list of cuts made by this totally loony Council to fund such payments.

The answer ?

1200 jobs cut !

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26280975

Thats what you get with a LOONY Council / government ..... absolutely the wrong priorities.

That £9.06 certainly had an effect then..

You forgot to mention over half of it went back in alcohol tax and VAT...

Pattaya wrote:

You forgot to mention over half of it went back in alcohol tax and VAT...

......... which DOESN'T go to the local council !!!!!!

I am surprised he can afford five pints a night, even if he is spending his rent money.

ITK wrote
......... which DOESN'T go to the local council !!!!!!
Not sure but I think housing benefit is funded from central government and from the report this £9.06 related to the rent and benefit which would most likely be housing in which case the council was been clever.

In The Know (as always) wrote:
Pattaya wrote:

You forgot to mention over half of it went back in alcohol tax and VAT...

......... which DOESN'T go to the local council !!!!!!

No it goes to ye olde mate Nick Clegg,who gives it away as foreign aid....to Ethiopian pop stars,amongst others

John Marsh wrote:
ITK wrote
......... which DOESN'T go to the local council !!!!!!
Not sure but I think housing benefit is funded from central government and from the report this �£9.06 related to the rent and benefit which would most likely be housing in which case the council was been clever.

... so "clever" that the discretionary housing award (paid for by government specifically to assist anyone who is suffering from benefit changes) - goes to a doler - and an alcy doler at that !!!!

Next time someone tells my some sob story about those suffering from the "bedroom tax" will now know where the money has gone, won't they?

NOT on the 1200 council jobs that have had to be scrapped - BUT on alcoholic dolers !

............ but these things happen in loony Labour La-La Land !

In The Know (as always) wrote:

Would be interesting to see a list of cuts made by this totally loony Council to fund such payments.

The answer ?

1200 jobs cut !

BUT thats not all !

When you have a totally loony incompetent Council (that wastes money on any loony thing it can) you ALSO get -

- Four day care centres will be closed (at Conisbrough Social Education Centre, Cedar Social Education Centre, Thorne Social Education centre and Askarne Day Centre - all planned for closure in 2014/15)

- Council tax will rise by just under two per cent per year

- A further eight libraries will become community-managed (libraries in Askern, Armthorpe, Bentley, Cantley, Conisbrough, Hatfield, Tickhill and Woodlands are all seen as having the potential to be community-run)

- The council will scrap all of its £2.1m funding for the borough�s leisure facilities.

- 70 per cent of the council�s 461 buildings, which cost £12m a year to run will be reduced

- Council-run care homes will undergo a phased closure

- Rent for Council tenants will increase by 3.7per cent

- The council is looking to close eight children�s centres and nine youth service buildings, but have not yet decided which buildings will close.

The initial proposals were outlined in October, and following an extensive consultation period, the council has announced today that it plans to close four day care centres

The council has also detailed how it plans to scrap all of its annual £2.1million of funding for the borough�s leisure facilities - with a remaining subsidy of just £500,000 from public health.

Council tax will rise by just under two per cent and all council-run care homes will undergo a phased closure.

A further eight libraries will become community managed, eight children�s centres and nine youth buildings are set for closure, rent for council tenants will increase by 3.7 percent from April 7 and 70 per cent of the council�s 461 buildings, which cost £12million a year to run, will be reduced.

www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/1-200-donca...-109m-cuts-1-6375529

anyone STILL want a (loony) Labour government / Council ?????

In The Know (as always) wrote:
[quote]John Marsh wrote:
ITK wrote

............ but these things happen in loony Labour La-La Land !

What about the one and an 'arf Billion the Looney Libs have just agreed to give to the Looney EU...oh and all that foreign aid nobody wants to give places like India with their more advanced space programme than ours?

In The Know (as always) wrote:
anyone STILL want a (loony) Labour government / Council ?????

Forgot to mention ..... Doncaster North is the seat of one Mr Silliband !

If he can't - or won't - get sanity from his own local Council what hope has anyone elsewhere ??

Pattaya wrote:
[quote]In The Know (as always) wrote:
John Marsh wrote:
ITK wrote

............ but these things happen in loony Labour La-La Land !

What about the one and an 'arf Billion the Looney Libs have just agreed to give to the Looney EU...oh and all that foreign aid nobody wants to give places like India with their more advanced space programme than ours?

I wouldn't expect a answer back from ITK he never answers questions.

I show you lol when will Tories give us a referendum as promised ?

andrew wrote:
[quote]Pattaya wrote:
In The Know (as always) wrote:
John Marsh wrote:
ITK wrote

............ but these things happen in loony Labour La-La Land !

What about the one and an 'arf Billion the Looney Libs have just agreed to give to the Looney EU...oh and all that foreign aid nobody wants to give places like India with their more advanced space programme than ours?

I wouldn't expect a answer back from ITK he never answers questions.

I show you lol when will Tories give us a referendum as promised ?

We love ITK Andrew....lol