Yesterday Iain Duncan Smith announced a pilot programme in which benefits will be paid to some claimants with a pre-paid card.
For some people on benefits, budgeting and addiction problems can make it harder to ensure they have enough for the essentials – as well as making it more difficult to support themselves while they are looking for work.
That’s why, alongside support to help them budget better, we are looking at new ways of paying people benefits so they can take more control over their finances, and so spending can to be monitored to encourage better choices and discourage spending on things like alcohol and gambling.
By helping those people on benefits who struggle to manage their finances we can ensure the welfare system provides a genuine safety net for those in need, and bring them closer to the security of employment and the sense of self-worth that comes with it.
