It's along vaguely similar lines to the social welfare thread (which became a drugs company thread), but here it is anyway.

It's Christmas, we have a credit crunch among us and we're being told the best way forward is to go and spend money. Regardless of whether this is actually the best course, it seems that there will always be a supply of people who spend more than they have, rack up debt on credit and store cards etc.

What should be done about these people? Leave them to it (and deal with the associated costs of crime / poverty etc that come along with it) or could it actually be cheaper and more beneficial to society to do something about it? If so, what? And who needs to take the responsibility?