A scheme offered as a palliative for economic pain might harm the intended beneficiary, the taxpayer and the mortgage lenders, some of which are publicly owned.

Indeed, there have been several cases where other insurers have paid out to a relative when the intended beneficiary had been convicted of a crime.

We are presumably all against aid when it hurts the intended beneficiaries or ends up in the hands of rich crooks.

He says the most valuable placements for the intended beneficiaries tend to be longer-term ones, where the volunteer brings specific skills, for example, qualifications and experience in medicine.

As a result, the policy may be boosting the cashflow of large contractors but not the intended beneficiaries, the small and middle-sized companies that work with them.