But is it right to pay other peoples bills

AppleJacks
AppleJacks Online Community Member Posts: 81 Empowering
edited 4:22PM in Current affairs

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gpzynky88o

Comments

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,736 Championing

    Only for the ones who never paid in the first place to do it again passing more costs to the ones who do already seems very fair not

  • alexroda
    alexroda Online Community Member Posts: 277 Pioneering

    1 million families not paying their gas and electricity seems to indicate that there is a mayor issue going on here.

    There has been an increased on people using food banks too:


    https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9209/#:~:text=The%20DWP%20published%20statistics%20on,be%20increasing%20household%20food%20insecurity.

    In the UK, 

    2.8 million people were in households that used a food bank in 2023/24, representing 4% of the population, with rates of 8% for children and 4% for working-age adults

    .

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 5,179 Championing

    This is a complex issue.

    If people are genuinely struggling for food and energy despite working or getting the benefits they're entitled to, then I'm perfectly content with paying a bit extra on my bills to cover theirs.

    But if people are choosing not to pay because of the weak excuse that 'others don't have to' then obviously I'm not happy paying for them.

    As with most things in life, some people are in genuine difficulty, others are taking advantage for their own gain.

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,736 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1079423#Comment_1079423

    I have to wonder how many of these people could save money on there tv packages mobile phone subscriptions for there kids the list of savings that people take for granted is endless food banks should be for the needy not the greedy

  • Chris75_
    Chris75_ Online Community Member Posts: 3,618 Championing
    edited 3:41PM

    I want all in need to receive support, but there does seem to be a sense of entitlement nowadays.

    My bills get paid, then I see about living on the remainder.

  • alexroda
    alexroda Online Community Member Posts: 277 Pioneering
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1079429#Comment_1079429

    I guess more people in the last few years are currently choosing to keep their mobile contracts and tv plans at all costs.


    • Rough sleeping in England rose by 20% in a year to 4,667 people in Autumn 2024. This figure is up 164% since 2010. 
    • Temporary accommodation is at a record high:The number of households in temporary accommodation in England reached a record 131,140 in March 2025, up 12% from a year ago. 
    • Child homelessness is rising:The number of children living in temporary accommodation has reached a record 169,050, and 11,540 households with children faced homelessness between January and March 2025 alone. 
    • Youth homelessness is a growing concern:An estimated 118,134 young people were homeless or at risk of homelessness in the UK in 2023-2024. 
    • "Hidden homelessness" is significant:A substantial number of people are "hidden homeless," living in squats, or "sofa surfing," and do not appear in official statistics. One London report estimated the hidden homeless population could be up to 13 times higher than official figures

    Maybe and just maybe we have a poverty issue that no one wants to tackle and that’s inequality.

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,736 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1079463#Comment_1079463

    Seems a bit extreme getting into debt just to keep up appearances to appreciate what you have you must first learn to live without sadly lacking nowadays

  • MW123
    MW123 Scope Member Posts: 1,616 Championing
    edited 5:25PM

    Just to clarify, this new energy debt scheme isn’t a free for all, and it’s not ongoing bill support. It’s a one off plan to help certain households on means tested benefits who built up energy debt during the crisis (April 2022 to March 2024).

    You won’t need to apply. Suppliers will contact eligible customers directly. But it’s not automatic. You’ll need to be making some effort to pay, or be willing to work with a debt advice charity. It’s aimed at those who’ve tried to engage and pay, not those who’ve ignored bills completely.

    And yes, it’s funded by all customers, added to bills the same way the Warm Home Discount is. So if you’ve benefited from Warm Front or similar schemes, you’ve already seen how shared funding works. This is no different. It’s about stabilising the system and protecting the most vulnerable.

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,736 Championing

    So when these debts have been paid with help from all the payers not in debt will our energy bills go down I think the answer would be a big no

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