General Discussion
Watching on TV and Ed Labour's response, I found all the nodding MP's behind him repeating all he said really annoying. Dont think he really knew how to respond ..must have been annoying to find petrol not going up and beer down not the kind of thing he wants to hear!
Yep I thought the same. Also I think he said pretty much exactly the same last time. He didn't offer a single fact, just his usual childish chanting.
I just don't understand Labour's continuous support for the people that can't be bothered to work.
So glad the Tories are making it pay to work.
Paul Ive worked hard all my life and I could never get a mortgage, WHY because Im not what they call in secure employment and only get minimum wage like thousands of others , take your head out of your arse and get in the real world. These politicians are all the same and will never change cos they dont live in the real world neither. You and your kind make me very angry and I dont know why I even bother commenting to you because all you can think of is get a job , work hard, nothing bloody constructive to say. I just hope nothing drastic happens to you and that you will need to rely on handouts, but knowing how pompous you come over I bet you have 2homes one here and one abroad, and most propbably are a buy to let landlord , just like some of the lying rich politicians are !!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and the 1p per pint reduction will mean nothing too me as I couldnt afford to drink even if I wanted to
I'm not rich at all, I work and I'm not pompous, I just want the system to be fairer. Why is so much tax be taken out of my pay packet and then given to people that have chosen not to work. The Tories have been improving the situation and the budget shows they are going to continue.
If you want your tax to go to people that have chosen not to work then that is up to you, I'd rather have my tax going to improving schools, hospitals, mod, infrastructure, reducing the national debt.
However for the people that do work this is a day to celebrate.
National Insurance is what pays the Welfare State!!!!! Everybody pays taxes even the Disabled, Sick Unemployed, we pay tax on everything we buy, food,clothes,petrol, etc its called VAT and now evenmore people who are on low pay are going to be taken out of the Income Tax bracket from next year, so are you going to villify them as well, oh dear Paul stop reading red tops and broaden your horizons, if you think this budget is going to make 1iota of a difference you are wrong, most of it wont take effect for 2years and I think there will be a General Election then !!!!!!! .
Ive just read the last line of your post, let me tell you that the majority of people that are going to be hit hard by the welfare reforms do work or are disabled or sick and they will have even less money to put into the economy and some will starve and possibly die. but dont worry the top earners are getting a nice tax cut in April because they need it so much. PISSTAKE
I really struggle to understand your thinking as you are a hard worker yourself and you must know of people that choose not to work.
Anyway, what do you think the Government should about the huge welfare bill?
Just for clarity Paul, when you say" the huge welfare bill" are you including in that things like state pensions and other age related benefits?
because those people are few and far between, the majority are honest and through no fault of their own are in that position, I believe in compassion and really do care about people, and think that could be me. Think about it Paul would you actually choose to live on £71 per week or less if people you think are on benefits and doing so well, would you not think are they doing something illegal to live that lifestyle? believe me I know people who have to rely on benefits and it is a constant struggle and they say I would be better off dead, with this bedroom tax its going to get worse, some will have so little to live on they wont survive and food banks will run out
How do I suggest we cope with the welfare state pull out of Europe, stop sending aid overseas and punish the ellitists in this Country the bankers and their like
Yep the whole welfare bill is to big and can be reduced by removing the waste to the people who choose not to work.
We should definitely leave The European Union, perhaps reduce overseas aid, but not stop it as I'm all for helping people that need help.
but we cant find the money to help our own people so why send it overseas when we are in such dire straits and half the time it doesnt help the people like it should
"I'm stood in Africa nothing to eat but I have the internet and can see fat people in other countries with houses, cars, mobile phones, nice clothes, etc, surely someone will send me over a sandwich before I die?"
Yeah OK quit dreaming and just die.
I don't see any difference between helping people in our country or other countries, especially as most other countries are much poorer.
well......howsabout some of the benefit bill being reduced by......
People earning a living wage (which is not the same as the minimum wage, it is more than the minimum wage.)
This could have the effect of reducing the housing benefit bill because people might then be able to pay their rent in full, or, if still having to claim HB not as much HB as they are having to claim now. Even better, they might be able to raise funds for a mortgage and take themselves out of renting all together!
Also, a living wage as opposed to a minimum wage might also mean that people do not have to claim as much tax credit as they presently do - thus another saving to the public purse!.
Paul,
As you keep going on about people who choose not to work and how much they cost the taxpayer in benefits please can you let us know:
1 How many people you understand fall in the 'too lazy to work' category.
2. What criteria was used to define them as such.
3. How much, as a % of the annual total welfare bill, is spent on their benefits
4. The source(s) of your answers to those 3 questions.
Thanks.
Watching the news on various channels and comments ..people seem to think its an ok Budget. Lack of posts on here must prove that.
I can remember plenty of Budgets when it was all about... whisky up, cigs up...booze up, the sort of stuff newspapers love to put on the front page. The petrol is not going up as planned.. Ed didnt have any real comment on what he would do.., apart from being 'personal' which puts him in a poor light..
I did laugh at the People's Republic of South Devon - "Insanity, they say, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results - a bit like George Osborne's latest budget"
"Budget 2013: Chancellor halves growth forecasts, pushes back debt reduction targets, and avoids having to announce an increased deficit only by rushing through last-minute cuts"
From 'The Independent'
I find the comments on this subject very partisan and is that not a big part of the UK's problem? There will always be those who agree and those who dont, the important thing is that a middle ground is reached to push this country forward. Watching the budget live yesterday I was astonished to see the behavior of our mp's from all parties and felt somewhat alarmed that these are the people we choose to run our country. Maybe its time to ask does our party political system work in 21st century Britain. We lurch from one party to another who each in turn blame the one before and this is a cycle that just goes on and on.
We need MP's who represent us not their parties or wealthy donors. We have a situation where higher rate taxpayers get a tax cut, large companies dodge paying tax, bankers still receiving massive bonuses yet the poorest in our society get poorer, our business is stifled as the banks wont lend and the average man in the street is finding life harder by the day.
There is an imbalance here, an injustice even, it would be so good if our politicians worked together to to push this country forward and strived to find a middle ground instead of the tit for tat, getting Britain nowhere approach we have seen for far to long now.
To coin a political spin doctors saying.........time for change!!
1. "some people refuse to play by the rules and last year alone jobcentre advisors were forced to sanction 495,000 claimants, including 72,000 who refused an offer of employment." DWP
2. My criteria is - able to work, has job opportunities and chooses not to work. There is no need for a reference here as this is a standard that everyone agrees to.
3. 2.5M on unemployment benefit BBC
0.5M choose not to work. (see 1.)
So 20% of people on the dole are lazy.
Total welfare spending £63.1B UK Public Spending
of that unemployment is £8.9B, so 20% is £1.78B spent on the idle which is 2.8% of the welfare budget.
So £1.78 of our money wasted on people that want to be on the dole.
I've answered your questions, now answer mine. Why are you so incessant about supporting the bone idle?
It's not that I am so incessant about supporting the bone idle rather more that I challenge your, as I see them, sweeping statements concerning those who need welfare support one way or the other.
And looking at the data you have provided above it is 72,000 who refused an offer of employment not, 0.5m.
So, that's 2.8% not 20%.
So it's 2.8% of £8.9billion. (perhaps someone who can cope with all the noughts involved in billions can give us the amount that 2.8% is of 8.9b)
So, whilst I agree that money does get spent on those who could work but who, for whatever reasons do not, I disagree with the numbers you have given and thus the amount spent from the Welfare Budget.
So yes, sanction those who are offered jobs and who for no good reason refuse to take them, but do not look to stopping the money paid out to them as being the panacea to curing this country's economic problems. In the scale of things the money paid out to them is really quite small.
The thought that when I reach my 300th pint number 301 is free.
They know how to keep the Flebs happy.
No one's interested in anything Labour have to say particularly on the economy. This whole mess happened during Labour's watch.
I posted that link yes it is a Labour person saying it, but Ive listened to quite a few comments from people who are not politicians in phone in debates today, financiers etc and they have all higlighted this amnomally, watch for the u turn or modifications on it Paul, just trying to open your eyes to how they help their own
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Osborne
Do you think he is well qualified to be Chancellor of the Exchequer?
By the way Paul all politicians in the top jobs are the same, tell us where to spend our money but dont let us tell them. The top ones all have 2nd homes and property they let, which we the TAX PAYER pay for , and after watching them in Parliament not sure if they earn my money or respect, Id rather support the % of feckless layabouts they dont cost as much
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/blogs/osbornes-choice/6526240.blog
Read and digest Paul right through to the bottom!!!!
Trouble is Labour people are unable to grasp that if you tax the people that work so much their business will simply move abroad ..then who pays for all the benefits you want?
There seems to be a simple answer to most of the issues raised on this thread it may or may not solve the problems but it will certainly instigate some changes at least.
VOTE - UKIP or BNP and see what happens
I think its time for a non political Gov, elect people to do the job irrespective of their political leanings, ukip would form an allegiance with the tories, and the bnp are perceived as rascist. The treasury should be run by a top financier, as that is the core job to our country.
Wow I actually agree with Brazilnut!
It would be great to use the top professors, industry experts and real people to govern the country rather than these no life experience, little rich boys, that just see ruling the country as a bit of entertainment.
Next few days will be interesting, as see Labour on the news are having to say exactly what they will do if in power. It was only a matter of time when all their personal attacks would backfire,
Lets hope they do say 'exactly' what their policies are....so people can decide.
Yep payday loans don't help anyone.
A typical loan scenario. Borrow £400 for 3 months. At the end of months 1 and 2 you pay a loan charge of £120, at the end of month 3 (end of loan) you pay the loan charge of £120 plus the loan is paid back, £400.
On £400 you pay back £760, but the worst part is that you pay £520 for the last payment.
Not many people would find this helpful, most won't make the final payment and have no choice other than to extend the loan. Trapped!
This should definitely be outlawed.