Instead it will hand out vouchers for food and household equipment.

BBC: Benefits changes: Warnings as crisis loans scrapped

The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force.

FORBES: Germany

Its first activities included collecting and repairing second-hand household and farming equipment.

UNESCO: Background

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, spending by households on many of modern life's "basics" food at home, automobiles, clothing and footwear, household furnishings and equipment, and housing and utilities fell from 53% of disposable income in 1950 to 44% in 1970 to 32% today.

WSJ: Donald Boudreaux and Mark Perry: The Myth of a Stagnant Middle Class

For instance, Siemens, a German industrial giant, last year started assigning a different hurdle rate to each of its 16 businesses, ranging from household appliances to medical equipment and semiconductors.

ECONOMIST: Corporate finance

Heymann began his career in his native city of Frankfurt, as an export advertising and promotion manager for Max Braun AG, a manufacturer of audio equipment, household appliances and electric shavers.

CNN: Klaus Heymann profile

The metal workshops include repair units for sewing machines and bicycles, household appli-ances and electronic equipment.

UNESCO: Background

Highland Council is urging residents of Lochaber to put together a household resilience plan, which includes a check list of food and equipment.

BBC: Lochaber residents urged to have resilience plans