6 ms·

They should do this in the UK. From observing the locals, the maternity grant (until yanked by the government) was used to buy designer gear for the mother, cig

They should do this in the UK. From observing the locals, the maternity grant (until yanked by the government) was used to buy designer gear for the mother, cigarettes and some expensive fashionable buggy for the baby (usually topped up by the baby's grandparents). Unfortunately essential stuff was forgotten. This solves those problems.

thejosh 13y ago
Same as Australia in most cases unfortunately.. They have now removed the "Baby Bonus".
- dools 13y ago
  Really? In "most cases"? My wife and I, and all our friends who have kids (which is the majority of our friendship circle now) used the baby bonus(es) to buy, you know, stuff for our babies. Like clothes, sleeping gear, safety stuff for round the house, prams (one for the first and a dual P&T when the second came along ... both off gumtree). We used it to pay for the ridiculously high electricity bill caused by having a heater running all the time to keep the temperature optimal so our baby would sleep properly in our shitty rental house in winter. We used it to pay for proper car seats, to have those seats properly installed, to install a metal grate so crap doesn't fly from the back of the car into our children's faces when we stop suddenly. Whilst there were some pretty high profile cases of misuse (especially when it was given as a lump sum payment when it was first introduced as pork barrelling measure to gain ground amongst "Howard's Battlers") I think your claim that it was misused in "most cases" only goes to show that you don't have kids.
oracuk 13y ago
Could you publish a citation referencing these problems?
- pointyhats 13y ago
  Stand outside ASDA in Feltham or Hounslow and observe.
  - peteretep 13y ago
    So, no?
    - pointyhats 13y ago
      Not everything needs citation in the form of a survey or scientific paper. I doubt the results of it would be honest as the people who they would be surveying have an interest in lying about the things they have purchased with it. Some things are blatantly obvious if you peel your eyes occasionally and observe humanity.
      - brazzy 13y ago
        Please read up on the difference between anecdotes and data, and selective perception.
        pointyhats 13y ago
        I know the differences, probably more than you realise. I presented a hypothesis, which you can turn into a theory by sitting outside ASDA for a bit with a clipboard and a copy of SPSS. My suggestion was that you should try it.
        gmac 13y ago
        Because ASDA in Feltham or Hounslow is a probability sample of humanity? I don't think so.
        brazzy 13y ago
        Then you should know that your hypothesis remains unsupported by any data until that is done, and that it's not the job of people who doubt your hypothesis to do so. Apart from that, the location itself would introduce a bias, and I'm curious how exactly you would recognize women in the process of spending the maternity grant.
        13y ago
HaloZero 13y ago
They also had a maternity grant though the box was just opted in 95% of the time though
- pointyhats 13y ago
  That is because the 140 EUR grant is of significantly less value, which is absolutely wonderful motivation to do things properly. I applaud what they do in Finland.
BSousa 13y ago
In Portugal, it's the same for most 'grants'. The day after they are payed, there are more drunks in the streets (Wife works in an ambulance, calls for drunk people laying in the floor are 3-4 times more in the days following pay than in the rest of the month)
josephlord 13y ago
Having done a little research the grant is £500 available to parents receiving an income related benefit (including some in work benefits) [1]. It was changed a couple of years ago to apply only to first children rather than each child which I presume is the yanking referred to. Essential stuff being forgotten. That happens there is a lot to learn quickly being a parent. Can you show that reckless spending caused necessary items not to be affordable when the error was realised? "Expensive fashionable buggies" can easily cost more than £500, pushchairs are unsuitable for very young infants, those on low incomes are unlikely to have cars and may need a better buggy than those only nipping out of car although I'm sure there are solutions well under £500 especially if you look at 2nd hand. I do agree that a universal box would be a good idea even though I'm not comfortable with your lazy tabloid stereotyping of "the locals". It may be that the box should be supplemented by a cash grant (of a reduced amount) for those currently entitled to the grant. [1] https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/overview https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/overview

thejosh 13y ago

Same as Australia in most cases unfortunately.. They have now removed the "Baby Bonus".

dools 13y ago
Really? In "most cases"? My wife and I, and all our friends who have kids (which is the majority of our friendship circle now) used the baby bonus(es) to buy, you know, stuff for our babies. Like clothes, sleeping gear, safety stuff for round the house, prams (one for the first and a dual P&T when the second came along ... both off gumtree). We used it to pay for the ridiculously high electricity bill caused by having a heater running all the time to keep the temperature optimal so our baby would sleep properly in our shitty rental house in winter. We used it to pay for proper car seats, to have those seats properly installed, to install a metal grate so crap doesn't fly from the back of the car into our children's faces when we stop suddenly. Whilst there were some pretty high profile cases of misuse (especially when it was given as a lump sum payment when it was first introduced as pork barrelling measure to gain ground amongst "Howard's Battlers") I think your claim that it was misused in "most cases" only goes to show that you don't have kids.

oracuk 13y ago

Could you publish a citation referencing these problems?

pointyhats 13y ago
Stand outside ASDA in Feltham or Hounslow and observe.
- peteretep 13y ago
  So, no?
  - pointyhats 13y ago
    Not everything needs citation in the form of a survey or scientific paper. I doubt the results of it would be honest as the people who they would be surveying have an interest in lying about the things they have purchased with it. Some things are blatantly obvious if you peel your eyes occasionally and observe humanity.
    - brazzy 13y ago
      Please read up on the difference between anecdotes and data, and selective perception.
      - pointyhats 13y ago
        I know the differences, probably more than you realise. I presented a hypothesis, which you can turn into a theory by sitting outside ASDA for a bit with a clipboard and a copy of SPSS. My suggestion was that you should try it.
        gmac 13y ago
        Because ASDA in Feltham or Hounslow is a probability sample of humanity? I don't think so.
        brazzy 13y ago
        Then you should know that your hypothesis remains unsupported by any data until that is done, and that it's not the job of people who doubt your hypothesis to do so. Apart from that, the location itself would introduce a bias, and I'm curious how exactly you would recognize women in the process of spending the maternity grant.
        13y ago

HaloZero 13y ago

They also had a maternity grant though the box was just opted in 95% of the time though

pointyhats 13y ago
That is because the 140 EUR grant is of significantly less value, which is absolutely wonderful motivation to do things properly. I applaud what they do in Finland.

BSousa 13y ago

In Portugal, it's the same for most 'grants'. The day after they are payed, there are more drunks in the streets (Wife works in an ambulance, calls for drunk people laying in the floor are 3-4 times more in the days following pay than in the rest of the month)

josephlord 13y ago

Having done a little research the grant is £500 available to parents receiving an income related benefit (including some in work benefits) [1]. It was changed a couple of years ago to apply only to first children rather than each child which I presume is the yanking referred to. Essential stuff being forgotten. That happens there is a lot to learn quickly being a parent. Can you show that reckless spending caused necessary items not to be affordable when the error was realised? "Expensive fashionable buggies" can easily cost more than £500, pushchairs are unsuitable for very young infants, those on low incomes are unlikely to have cars and may need a better buggy than those only nipping out of car although I'm sure there are solutions well under £500 especially if you look at 2nd hand. I do agree that a universal box would be a good idea even though I'm not comfortable with your lazy tabloid stereotyping of "the locals". It may be that the box should be supplemented by a cash grant (of a reduced amount) for those currently entitled to the grant. [1] https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/overview https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/overview