MORE than 1,000 ‘troubled’ families in Kirklees could get cash boost:

Magdale: “Spending yet more money on ‘troubled’ families is wrong. Get them doing a hard day’s work and they won’t have the time or energy to trouble the rest of us. It’s the welfare state that has got us into this problem. If they commit crimes, they need proper punishment and they will soon learn. Bleeding hearts.”

seanjohnstone: “I believe in helping those who try to help themselves. That would include those families working hard, playing by the rules and trying to keep their heads above water – not those families who choose to have criminal lifestyles, feral children and who annoy their neighbours, etc.

“But either way, throwing benefits at people does not strike me as the right thing to do – you might as well give an alcoholic another bottle of cider.

“Giving people practical support such as free education, counselling, life management advice, food parcels and so forth seems fairer ... but we know that most of these types throw such kindness straight back at you. I consider it wasted money. No amount of money will change the tendencies/attitudes of some people – it will simply amplify their recklessness and stupidity.”

GVDE2009: “Presumably there are children in all of these 1,115 families, yet last year in the Examiner, Kirklees Council claimed just 240 children were at risk. Either a lot more children are at risk in Kirklees this year than were at risk last year, Kirklees Council got its figures wrong either this year or last year or Kirklees Council doesn’t consider the majority of children in what the government calls troubled families at risk.”

anneb: “How much of the money allocated is actually going to be used to help these families? Is most of it going to be consumed on setting up this new programme? If so, it is going to fail due to insufficient funding. The easy answer is to stop paying them cash. Deduct gas, water, bus passes etc from entitlement and give vouchers for clothing, food (not to be used for tobacco or alcohol) at designated stores. Perhaps embarrassment may be the cure for their ‘troubles’.