Mintball wrote:
But there's also a point that, increasingly, people need these things – computers are another.
With an increasing amount of, say, jobs being only offered via the internet, people have to have access.
And similarly with phones – it's becoming difficult not to have a mobile. It's expected now as the norm.
Oh I agree, a friend of mine is unemployed and he now HAS to use the new government Universal Jobmatch website to search for & apply for jobs or record what other activity he has done in terms of jobsearch. If he doesn't his benefits will be stopped. Not to mention, like BG points out employment agencies almost demand a mobile number. A phone line now is about £13-15 a month just for line rental nevermind actually paying for broadband. There are fairly cheap mobile deals out there though.
But my point was that people are attracted by the best, brightest and newest, all-singing, all-dancing new products like phones, or expensive products like broadband, SKY TV etc and all these things can be taken out in minutes online with no checks to see if the person can afford £50per month for 2 years for a new phone. Compared to even a small credit card which requires credit checks and income assessments. I know of people on JSA who have signed up for Sky TV and the newest mobile phones.
Whilst there is obviously responsibility upon the person to budget properly, that is (in my opinion) more difficult these days when everything is available (sometimes solely) by a monthly charge that seems fairly cheap but builds up over time.
