The state benefits system mega-thread.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Chris

Who's paying poll tax?

Don't you?
I thought everyone had to pay a contribution now?

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Don't you?
I thought everyone had to pay a contribution now?

Not since 1989 iirc.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Don't you?
I thought everyone had to pay a contribution now?

Not since 1989 iirc.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Pierre

Not since 1989 iirc.

These are the changes for one Local Authority. I assume that others will be similar.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme Nearly everyone of working age (people aged between 18 and 62) currently entitled to council tax benefit will be affected. The changes will also affect people who receive state benefits and are not working, e.g. Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance.
Due to the reduced funding the Council now receives, some changes have been required to the existing level of support we are able to provide, in particular:
• The maximum benefit a person can have will be reduced to 91.5%. This means that all working age people who currently claim council tax benefit will be required to pay a minimum contribution of 8.5% towards their council tax.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Osem, you have hit the nail on the head, exactly spot on.

In other countries the wages are so small, that's the reason why they come to this country, the money.

I have said on this forum that a mate of mine can employ - four Polish workers for the price of ONE British worker.

A decent living wage in the UK would be between 16/ 18 thousand per year, what members are looking at is taking a wage of £15.000 and even lower. With the high cost of everything in this country, you cannot live on anything like that.

Yes, the government would help people on low wage - BUT you have to work at least 6/7 weeks on a very low wage to get the pay slips and then wait for the outcome.

I should know as l have done it, and its going back in time - living in total poverty.

There are no longer any decent jobs out there, as they have all gone.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I have said on this forum that a mate of mine can employ - four Polish workers for the price of ONE British worker.

So I assume that you, socialist pillar, beratebthis friend of yours. As he should be protecting British jobs and employing British workers shouldn't he?

A decent living wage in the UK would be between 16/ 18 thousand per year,

I'm glad you recognise that, as some people earn much more on benefits

There are no longer any decent jobs out there, as they have all gone.

I've got one

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I have said on this forum that a mate of mine can employ - four Polish workers for the price of ONE British worker

So either your mate is paying Polish workers well under the minimum wage or the the UK workers can afford to be ridiculously picky with the jobs they take and the wages they get.

[Osem]

You should know that Arthur and contradiction are close bedfellows...

---------- Post added at 22:01 ---------- Previous post was at 21:55 ----------

Originally Posted by Pierre

So I assume that you, socialist pillar, beratebthis friend of yours. As he should be protecting British jobs and employing British workers shouldn't he?

I'm sure Arthur only ever buys British too...

[alferret]

Originally Posted by Gary L

but £500 per week.
that's a lot of money if your'e working.

I haven't been on benefits for over 25 years (i was single and no kids then) in all that time I have never earned that much on a flat week and yet people are up in arms because they are getting total benefits capped @ 500pw ffs some people ain't living on the same planet as the rest of us.

Originally Posted by alferret

I haven't been on benefits for over 25 years (i was single and no kids then) in all that time I have never earned that much on a flat week and yet people are up in arms because they are getting total benefits capped @ 500pw ffs some people ain't living on the same planet as the rest of us.

its only the baby machines and people living in cities with higher rent that get more that £500 a week in the main

[hk1]

There's about £750 Billion of stagnant funds held by UK businesses in their bank accounts.

The companies that own that money made it by being privileged to be based in the UK, i.e. they benefited from the UK people, the UK business environment and its regulatory systems. So, they owe the UK a very big payback at times like this.

It would take approximately 20% to 25% of that £750 Billion to create new jobs for every unemployed person in the UK. That sum would also include the full wage bill for 1 year at UK average salary level.

And NO the rich are not the only people who work hard. Many do work hard but many of them only play at working or don't really work at all. It's a question of proportionality not one extreme or the other. I'd like to see many rich people's attempts at doing a real day's work....especially year in, year out on the marginal wages that some are paid. The gap between rich and poor is on record as being greater than it has ever been...and it is getting bigger faster.

Oh, and while that £750 Billion is sitting in bank accounts, guess who is benefiting most! 10 out of 10 if you answered "bankers" who have been proven to be collectively irresponsible and led by those with the greatest psychotic traits in society.

Time to deal with empirical evidence, not the opinionated and unsubstantiated extremism that's found at either end of the rich/poor, left/right political spectra. Time to kick out the traditional political parties who have demonstrated their incompetence and vested interests too many times to count.

I don't support anyone getting more in benefit then they would in work unless they are medically proven to be unfit for work and even then only if they live in one of the higher cost cities. But to pretend the majority or even sizable minority enjoy a lavish life on benefit is making it too easy to hit the vast vast majority of claimants who are just the same as working people they are good decent honest people trying to do their best and getting royally kicked in the teeth at the minute. This hate culture that is growing around the welfare state is a very bad road to go down and not one that anyone will enjoy if it continues.

As for osbourne and his "all critics are living in another land and have no credible suggestions" yeah if you say so george many groups from the disabled sector tried to work with this government and offered many suggestions and were ignored. The main problem was that on closer inspection many of the assumptions the government made were completely wrong and could not be backed up by hard data, even the office for national statistics doesn't back up much of what the government says.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Gary L

There's an anti Maggie protest building up in Trafalgar Square.

3.000 now. it was only 250 not too long ago.

Supposed to be Millwall fans heading there. as well as the EDL.

Not looking good.

The usual louts l am afraid.

[Taf]

GPs in south east Wales told not to help benefit appeals

"GPs have a contract with the NHS to provide general medical services to their patients and are not in a position to administer or police the benefits system," states the letter.

"GPs are not contracted or resourced to provide this kind of service and making such requests to GPs represents an abuse of NHS resources.

How long before this attitude spreads accross the whole UK? GP's sniffing after even more money I think.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-s...wales-23353623

Breaching the Hippocratic oath the very thing they stand for