Throw money at me, why not?

[Workingman]

I got a letter from the Council for a free £100, all I have to do is take the letter to the P.O. and the money will be handed over. Why?

I don't need it, but I get it. Others, who really do need it (not the chancers) get sod all. It's a mess.

[saundra]

It's from a government fund
If you don't want it W m just cash it and give it to charity or to somebody who does

[Workingman]

But to whom, Saundra?

I regularly donate to the food bank trolleys in Asda, but who am I giving to? Chancers or those really in need? It's a minefield.

I want to help those who are more in need than I am, but the government just spraying out funds to all and sundry is not my idea of how to go about it.

[Osc]

To be honest, we are quite happy to take any government money that comes our way, we paid enough tax over our working life. We will get a Christmas bonus of one week’s pension unlike the UK’s miserly £10. We are also going to get three credits of €150 to our electricity bill, most welcome in the wintertime.

[cromwell]

i do sometimes think "Why are we getting this", then I get the energy bill and think "Here's why". Or the water bill, which went up by £10 a month last year. Or the council tax.

[saundra]

I feel the same crommers exactly it certainly doesn't get any better

[jenniren]

I agree with you both Osc and Crommers, with all the rises in our everyday bills, any money they they throw at us is very welcome.

We haven't heard anything about the £100, but we have had letters saying we each qualify for £250 winter fuel allowance this year. It's usually £300 split between us so this will be a lovely increase and all I can say is thank you very much.

[Kaz]

I'm with Osc. Frank, you've paid enough into the system over the years, so why not take whatever little comes back Saundra made a very good suggestion if you don't want it - donate it to a charity, or buy a weekly shop and leave it in the food bank bins in the supermarket

[Workingman]

I actually agree with you all, it's just that I find the scatter-gun approach rather inefficient.

Kaz, I already do the food bank things as I tend to do about four small shops every week because I like "fresh" and to cook my own. As well as tins of soups, curries, C-con-C, spagbols I donate I also put things like wash-up liquid, detergents, fabric conditioners, shampoos and soaps in the collection trolleys as well. We all feel a bit better after a scrub down and dressed in nice clean clothes.

I also help out C three doors down. Her husband died about 18 months ago and she does not drive and is a bit unsteady. I pop her wheelie shopping basket in the boot and off we go to one of the supermarkets maybe once every couple of weeks so she can stock up on things like packets of cooked rice and pasta, small tins of ham, chicken and luncheon meat etc. for sandwiches, soups - the heavier things. A few bits and bobs always find their way into my shopping trolley and I sneak them in to her wheelie shopping basket as it get loaded from the checkout.

All her other stuff such as perishables, butter, milk, ready meals for one, and so on are delivered weekly by Ocado and the young lad unloads her items to the kitchen worktop for her to put away at her own pace.

[Kaz]