Should animal owners receive pet BENEFITS? Good Morning Britain viewers slam concept of ‘government allowance’ to help owners with costs amid cost of living crisis
- Good Morning Britain viewers have slammed the concept of ‘pet benefits’
- Founder of Cat Rescue UK appeared today to argue for government allowance
- Flavia Corfini explained she felt strongly the benefit could save an animals life
- Meanwhile owner of Reptile Centre said he ‘wasn’t opposed’ but had concerns
- Charlie Thompson said he worried ‘over how benefits would be administered’
- Debate came as payments due for low-income families amid cost of living crisis
Good Morning Britain viewers slammed an animal campaigner who appeared on the programme to argue pet-owners should receive benefits for their animals amid the cost of living crisis.
Flavia Corfini, who is the founder of Cat Rescue UK, appeared on the programme today to suggest a government allowance could help to save a pet’s life amid the cost of living crisis.
Meanwhile Charlie Thompson, who is the owner of Reptile Centre, said he wasn’t opposed to the idea – but had concerns over ‘how it would be administered’.
However many of those watching were left stunned by the debate, with one saying: ‘Don’t have a pet unless you can afford it!’
The debate came as eight million households started to receive the first of two cost of living payments totalling £650 from today.
Good Morning Britain viewers slammed Flavia Corfini, who is the founder of Cat Rescue UK, who appeared on the programme today to argue pet-owners should receive benefits for their animals
Another penned: ‘Pet allowance? Load of nonsense. Far more important issues. Pets are a luxury to most people.
‘Can’t afford it? Don’t get it. Simple.’
‘Of course there shouldn’t be a pet allowance!’ Another wrote. ‘If you can’t afford one, don’t get one!’
One commented: ‘I love animals and couldn’t live without them, I think they improve the mental health of lots of people.
Many of those watching the programme slammed the concept of a pet allowance, calling it ‘a load of nonsense’
More than eight million low income households will start receiving their £650 cost-of-living payments from today
The first tranche of payments of £326 will be automatically deposited into the bank accounts of low-income households on benefits from Thursday, July 14.
A second payment of £324 is due to follow that later in the year, the Department for Work and Pensions previously confirmed.
Households that qualify for the cost-of-living payment need not apply, as the DWP and HMRC have jointly identified those eligible.
The measure, first announced as part of a £15bn package by former Chancellor Rishi Sunak in May, will ‘protect those who are paying the highest price for rising inflation’.
Pensioner households will also receive an extra £300 to help cover the rising cost of energy this winter, while people on disability benefits will receive an extra £150 payment in September.
From October, households will also have £400 taken off their energy bills, with Government support for struggling households set to hit £1,200 in total this year.
But the economic pain for families is expected to further worsen with predictions that rocketing inflation could reach as high as 11 per cent in the autumn.
‘But I don’t think the public as a whole should have to pay a ‘pet tax’. It will just get abused by people.’
Another added: ‘A pet allowance? Come on.’
Appearing on the programme today, Charlie said: ‘How would we decide where the money went? How would it be ring-fenced to be administered for the pets?
‘These are questions that would need answers. It’s not an easy problem to solve.’
Meanwhile he added: ‘Everybody is feeling the squeeze, even non pet owners.’
Charlie went on to say that he had seen an increase in ‘dumping’ of animals amid the cost of living crisis, explaining: ‘We had a bearded dragon who was thrown over a garden fence in a bag for life, and another on a dual carriageway that someone had to pick up.
‘This dumping is a real issue.’
However he also argued that considering the cost of a pet should be part of the due diligence that came with deciding to get one in the first place.
He said: ‘All animals come with costs. Reptiles are energy extensive.
‘The cost – if we’re talking about expensive pets, we’ve had them two or three years and the expected costs are already factored in.
‘It’s part of the diligence of owning a pet, doing the maths.’
He suggested people should ask themselves if they could ‘afford it’, including ‘insurance, inoculation, splaying etc.’
Meanwhile Flavia was in favour of the concept, and aid she feels the benefit could save an animals life.
She said: ‘Based on what we’re seeing, which is we’re being inundated with requests on a daily basis for people to either surrender or rehome their cats…it’s unprecedented.
‘Several people are saying it’s down to the financial situation. As a pet owner, yes of course you’re responsible – you should be in a position financially to look after that pet and all it’s needs.
‘However we are in exceptional circumstances as you mentioned earlier, with rise in cost of living which is driving a lot of this.
Meanwhile Charlie Thompson said he had concerns about how the allowance would be disrupted to pet owners
‘The risk is people could get so desperate that they may abandon their pets.’
She then argued if cats were left and they were unneutered there could be ‘colonies of stray cats running around.’
Charlie said having a pet was a ‘privilege’, adding: ‘That comes with responsibilities sometimes. Part of owning a pet is taking those responsibilities on.
‘Things are getting harder, I agree. The unprecedented pressure on rescues is unreal.
‘It’s really hard to see a way through it.’
However Flavia insisted having a pet is ‘not a privilege’ and said animals can be ‘a member of the family’
However he added offering benefits to pet-owners could leave those who don’t have an animal less-well off.
He said: ‘But throwing money at pet owners, do you then…people who have consciously not kept pets, are they then at a hardship?’
However Flavia disagreed, saying: ‘I don’t consider having a pet is a luxury or privilege. It is a choice but for some people, a pet is like a member of the family and it’s very good for our wellbeing and mental health.
‘It’s worth some people facing really tough choices now, including giving up their animals, it’s heart wrenching.’
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