In the global contest to waste taxpayer money, the U.K. has a very strong entry. According to the Times, people who already receive handouts are now getting taxpayer-financed shopping sprees, beauty treatments, and other goodies to supposedly build their confidence. Not surprisingly, European Union funds also are subsidizing this boondoggle, so at least British taxpayers can take comfort from the fact that some of the cost is shifted to people in other parts of Europe:

The government is paying for unemployed single parents to have massages, beauty treatments and shopping sprees to “boost their confidence” and encourage them to attend job centre appointments. The treats, part of a programme named Big Brother…, include £30 to spend on a day out, as well as lunch and childcare. …A brochure describes it as a “free two-week scheme that will boost your self-esteem and supercharge your confidence”. Organisers said it would be “nice” if participants found work, but this was not vital. …A man from Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, whose teenage daughter works at a salon involved in the scheme, said: “She was baffled when she was told these women were getting treatment for nothing. They had their make-up done, they had facials, they had their nails filed and some even had their ears pierced. “My daughter doesn’t get a penny from the government and will earn less than these single mothers get in benefits. What message does this send out?” …Martin Callanan, a Conservative MEP for the North East, said: “There are lots of other parents, not to mention pensioners, who would like the state to pay for their pampering. It is suspicious that they are unable to tell us how much this is costing taxpayers.”