Tories Propose Gambling Ban For Benefits Claimants
The UK Conservative Party has confirmed plans to bar some long-term unemployed benefits claimants from using state support to buy alcohol, tobacco or gambling products, as part of a wider welfare reform package.
How The Restriction Would Work
Under the proposals, reported by Focus Gaming News, claimants who have been out of work for more than six months and are deemed fit for work would face a 30% cut to their Universal Credit if they lack a sufficient employment contribution record.
Their reduced entitlement, a "Subsistence Allowance" worth 70% of the standard payment, would be issued through a restricted "Back to Work" card that blocks cash withdrawals and spending on specified items, including gambling, alcohol and tobacco.
Savings Claim Disputed
The party says the policy could save around £538 million a year and encourage claimants back into work.
Labour has dismissed the proposal as unworkable, and anti-poverty campaigners have warned it could deepen hardship for vulnerable households already struggling with the cost of living.
The proposal follows a period of heightened political scrutiny of the UK gambling sector, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch separately warning this month that further gambling duty rises would push legitimate betting operators out of business and drive punters toward the unregulated market.
