Petition bring in the benefit smart card

Feckless welfare claimants who spend their benefits on drugs and alcohol will be handed smart cards so they can only spend state handouts on food and essentials. Plans being drawn up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith will see the 120,000 problem families targeted with Oyster-style cards which can only be used in certain shops. That will mean those who waste their welfare money would only get the cash if it is used for certain items in chosen shops. Items that could be bought include food, clothes and household essentials. In Australia, welfare credit cards have already been used with success. The first welfare recipients to get the cards are expected to be drug addicts and alcoholics, or those who are problem gamblers, in order to ensure that taxpayers’ money is not used to fuel addiction and dependency.