A study by the UK Public Policy Research Institute, which followed the economic fortunes of 58 low-income families, came to the conclusion that making easy credit available to the poor actually harms them.
I suppose the rational is that by not acting as a lender of last resort, the families having exhausted all other means of obtaining cash to pay their rent, buy food and keep the lights burning, these families would have accessed the public dole much sooner.
But wait! The study goes on to describe how the U.K. government is stretched beyond capacity to contend with the growing numbers of families having no where to turn for emergency financial help. Another recent report revealed the government of the U.K experienced a 28% increase in demand by the financially challenged for “crisis loans.”
These people are nuts! Their report actually states, “Cheap credit has pulled the UK’s poorest families into a spiral of debt.” What are they thinking? Would not these families have run out of options even sooner had the “door stop lenders”, payday loan operators, car title and other “no credit checks and no questions asked” lenders failed to provide emergency cash?
Because we make money available to families who have no where else to go WE ARE TO BLAME for their misfortune! Man, I don’t get it.
