Sunday, March 05, 2006

Privatisation of welfare - not

Saw the following on the Adam Smith blog.

Was I hallucinating when I heard British Gas are to offer a lump sum rebate for the aged or disadvantaged? I called BG. Sure – At the last monstrous price increase they agreed with government to offer a means tested benefit. They promise to mail details but it may just have been a dream. BG seemed unclear if this benefit is to be subsidized by the Government or by their shareholders. Can you believe that utilities are offering competing means tested benefits? Does this signal progressive privatization of welfare?

This isn't "welfare privatisation". Utility companies are not there to provide welfare. Privatising welfare would be about welfare agencies providing welfare services operating on voluntarily donated money. Like World Vision.
You see, thanks to the state, welfare has wrongly become synonomous with just the provision of money. It is much more.

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