Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Vetting needed for hand-outs
THE RECENT payout to those people on certain benefits – which will total £650, paid over two payments of £324 and £326 – appears to have been a major mistake by the government, in my opinion.
During the last fortnight, we have seen a huge increase in drug abusers roaming the city, spaced out due to the extra funding from the government.
Elderly people carrying out their day-to-day shopping are threatened and fearful of the goings-on around them, and there is more pressure put on chemists and the people who deal with the drug abusers missing appointments due to them being out of their heads.
It’s a real eye-opener to the many people visiting The City of Discovery. I agree times are hard for most people and a helping hand to those most needy is undoubtedly needed. So surely the government and local services should be vetting the people receiving those extra benefits instead of certain people just buying extra drugs, which is obviously benefiting the drug dealers.
Dundee unfortunately is getting worse, and it’s the people who are willing to work for a living who are suffering more and having to put up with the abuse.
I witnessed taxi drivers the other day refusing to take certain people due to them being in such a state, but then had to encounter major abuse from those who were refused.
The people who appear to be most affected by the increase in drug abuse include doctors and nurses (and this is the last thing they need after the last 2.5 years), the general public, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and police and ambulance crews, to name just a few.
People who have benefited include people who genuinely need the extra funding (which is good), but mainly the drug dealers, who must be having a ball. Surely the government needs to look into who is entitled to those hand-outs.