Stop paying the poor

John Bird
  John Bird
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Big Issue


Always with us? THE POOR MAY HAVE ALWAYS been with us. But they are no longer an adjunct to an otherwise healthy society. They take a vast slice of our taxes and our time. And they fill our social security offices, our courts, our prisons and our hospitals in disproportionate numbers.

The homeless are the tip of the poverty iceberg. They are what we see. But they come from the same failing social backgrounds, the same poor housing, the same violent areas as poor people.
“The state is paying people to fail”
Our responses to the homeless are mostly emergency ones: hostels, hospitals, prisons and social security payments. The state is paying people to fail. So the problem isn’t going away. What we need is prevention.

We have to look at the big oxygenators of social failure: bad housing, bad parenting, bad education and social security. We should be supporting organisations that have a long-term approach to each - and which subscribe to the following truths.
  1. We need to give the right kind of support to the right people. The homeless, those living on the streets or in hostels, those living in abject poverty have different problems and need different sorts of help.
  2. Rough sleepers need decent, safe accommodation without the violence and theft many fear in today’s hostels. They need stability and training on which to build a slow return to working life.
  3. The mentally ill who cannot take care of themselves need stable long-term care and the right kind of safe shelter.
  4. The children sentenced to grow up in care - instead of spending upwards of £1 million paying them to fail, we must recreate stable family life with two committed parents from the earliest age, and provide good education.

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Reader's comments

Curious ...
Submitted by LMC on Fri, 23/05/2008 - 8:52am.

"Cor! Utter genius, from the man who makes his living by fostering dependence amongst homeless people."

In what way?

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... nearly Vlad the Impaler


All mouth and no trousers
Submitted by Brenwin (not verified) on Thu, 22/05/2008 - 4:41pm.

Few would disagree with Mr. Bird's list of problems, but I can't remember seeing a more sorry list of solutions, headed up by
"we must recreate stable family life with two committed parents from the earliest age, and provide good education."

Do you think so? Cor! Utter genius, from the man who makes his living by fostering dependence amongst homeless people.

I have a better one - everyone should be nice to each other. Problem solved.


How to influence Government
Submitted by malcolmcro (not verified) on Mon, 22/10/2007 - 6:31pm.

I was impressed by John Bird on Hardtalk.
He wants government to rethink the welfare system to avoid paying for disaster.
I have been working as a volunteer in Age Concern Slough helping to get over 50's referred by the Job Centre back to work. The work has its successes for which I am grateful, however some clients are exactly as described by John, permanent receivers who have never known the satisfaction of working.

I would like to see John get together a think tank (or several) made up of those who have known the frustration of long term unemployment and those who have worked closely with them. They would be invited to write the future free from the textbooks.

I have met people who would not be employed however hard they tried or whatever training they were given. We must find a way to take from the bottom of the pile and provide the satisfaction of work using the talents they have rather than rejecting them for the talents they do not have.

Perhaps a prize for the best team solution would be useful.

The figure of 20% economically inactive must be a shame to any civilisation and a spur for any government


Many charities named
Submitted by Editor Dave on Tue, 20/02/2007 - 12:46pm.

I know that John has a long list of charities that he likes on his Best Practices For Change site.


Name some charities!
Submitted by Peter Heywood on Mon, 12/02/2007 - 10:36am.

A note to John Bird:

The purpose of this website is to help people pick charities. Please could you name a few that in your view are doing a good job of addressing the issues you've identified?

Peter Heywood, Benefactor, Intelligent Giving


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