e-petition demands axing of benefits for rioters

[EduTech]

has anyone signed this petition?

 

Convicted London rioters should loose all benefits. - e-petitions

 

BBC News - Top e-petition demands axing of benefits for rioters

 

James.

[jamesfed]

Personally I just wish the e-petitions site would actually work!

Have visited it a number of times over the past week and only once did I get close to signing up for anything

 

Yet another government IT project that doesn’t work…….

[MK-2]

problem with those petitions is they get 100k signatures and get "discussed" by back benchers in their "busy" days.

so they sit down, "shall we axe benefits?" "nah, next" and thats probably the thought process of most of the petitions.

they will listen, read, take note of all the points, doesn't mean they will do anything remotely connected to it.

 

i mean if the "bring back death penalty" got to 100k votes, do you think they would have a serious conversation about it, or just sit for 5 mins sipping tea then move on

[JoeBloggs]

It's been shared around Facebook a lot.

[HarryMonkey]

The credibility of this one may have been enhanced by proof reading it.

[AngryTechnician]

From the BBC article:

 

Asked about the e-petition, a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said that, under current arrangements, "any benefit recipient who is convicted of an offence and is imprisoned, will lose their benefit entitlement".

 

Can't read the e-petition as the site is down, so can anyone tell me what is different about the suggestion from what is apparently already the case as per the above?

[HarryMonkey]

From the BBC article:

 

 

 

Can't read the e-petition as the site is down, so can anyone tell me what is different about the suggestion from what is apparently already the case as per the above?

 

I suspect that what they want is to remove the benefits from any rioter, whether imprisoned or not. Presumably this is to stop them rioting and just concentrate on mugging, house breaking, car theft and any other means that they can use to replace the money they are no longer getting from the state.

[Orangescott]

It's a nice sentiment but it won't happen.

[tommej]

Yes axe the benefits of the poor so they have to commit more crime to survive.

 

I understand some of the people involved are better off but tarring everyone with the same brush is ridiculous.

[jamesfed]

Certainly some kind of reprimand is required but it should be on a case by case basis - jail time, community service and loss of benefits seem to be the key ones people are talking about.

Maybe we should be looking at getting them out in 3rd world countries handing out meals to the starving would help….

 

Just made it on to the site as well - the petition is up to 97,189.

[Orangescott]

It's dangerous territory though isn't it? If they're caught they'll be given fines/jail time/community service. Removing benefits is tantamount to saying steal or die of starvation.

[jamesfed]

die of starvation.

 

That sounds like fun....... oh no wait...they are actually human beings with human rights - darn it!

[MK-2]

the problem is its a vicious circle.

 

i am unemployed, so on benefits. i have just rioted, and now lose benefits, and also face prison. after leaving prison i have a criminal record so most employers wont want to employ me, meaning i have no income, and now with no benefits, my only real other means of income is crime.

 

i'm not advocating doing nothing, far from it, but whatever is done will always have negative consequences for the country too.

sort of damned if you do damned if you dont

[Flakes]

sorry double post reply asked if it was ok to leave page, then took me to advanced reply page :/

[Flakes]

That sounds like fun....... oh no wait...they are actually human beings with human rights - darn it!

 

dont get me started on human rights the next 2 petitions that go through should be, forfeit human rights when found guilty of a crime, and removal of funds from prisons to give ps3s, tvs, xboxs to thugs in jail. if your commiting a crime atm do you think jail is a detterent? i dont, sounds good 3 meals a day, play games all day for good behaviour, little bit of work, and a bit of watch who you talk too, just like normal life really, except you dont have to pay for any of it...

[localzuk]

I haven't signed it, but after discussing it with an old uni friend, I think it would be a bad idea - it would make people worse and not be a suitable punishment.

 

Instead, we need proper sentences when these people go through the courts. Last I read, the longest sentence given so far is 8 months, which means they'll be out in 4, and those 4 months will be spent in a cushy cell, with access to TV, games consoles, etc... They'll also pick up new criminal skills during their stay, from the other inmates.

[Guest Guest]

Agreed it will just cause them to steal as they simply don't want a job to support themselves. You need to cure the cause; people leave school knowing that they are entitled to a flat, they have a kid, realise they will be worse off if they get a job and end up in the trap. Once you have a few generation of this it is very hard to get people out of that mindset.

 

To me there is no easy quick fix. There has to be a point where we bite the bullet and push through the hard times which will follow from any action taken to combat this. One solution I can think of is dole is only handed out for 6 months, after that you either have to get a job or do community work. If you refuse you're put in a jail*. The criminal record you get is not to be used against you, ie you do not have to mention it to employers. Once people realise the choices are; get a job, work for the community, or go to jail...

 

* This "jail" could be educational or manual working possibly.

 

 

Obviously this is a simplistic plan and will cause trouble in the short term, but imo this has been a long time coming and it needs to end at some point, so why not now?

Edited August 11, 2011 by Guest