Benefits Street

[ik9000]

ephemeral interest.

And word of the day goes to Santa!

[Jay]

I was shocked at the iphones and large screen TVs, I have a well paying job and a nice house that I pay for, I can't afford an Iphone contract and their TVs are better than mine. If you can't pay the rent then sell the massive TV!

The smoking and drinking was another eye opener.

These people know no different though and they complain about less benefits because in their eyes they have a right to the money. They also don't want to work probably because they are afraid they will fail although some are just lazy sods I would think

The Big issue scam made me laugh though, I suppose its odd to see a none Romanian selling a big issue these days.

[santa claus]

And word of the day goes to Santa!

A vocabulary learned by candle light, during cash-strapped power cuts. This is why I am so soft-hearted.

[ik9000]

A vocabulary learned by candle light, during cash-strapped power cuts. This is why I am so soft-hearted.

soft hearted? Try telling that to your elfs!

[santa claus]

soft hearted? Try telling that to your elfs!

And so the great circle of life completes. A fitting end I think.

[g8ina]

http://sorrelish.blogspot.co.uk/2013...-bitching.html

Im not making any particular comment by posting this, just posting for interest.

[TheAnimus]

1) No it wouldn't. I don't kid myself, as a single male, I know what support I would get. First I would have to burn through every penny of my savings, which are considerably less than my tax liabilities for the years they have been accrued. I would be at the mercy of friends. The waiting list for housing gives preference to those who are reckless or more in need ie, have lots of children.

However, good news, there are over 500 jobs listed within a 2 hour walk of my current address, there are hostels which charge very little. I would never get help from the government in time. The level of safety is too little for those who work.

2) Work activities based around community projects. The problem is what do you do with those who are un-employable. Do you simply punish them or try and rehabilitate them. But you can't deny when there are plenty of jobs going, and still people on the benefits system something is heavily wrong.

3) No it's not, that is horrific statistics. For a start of choosing someone in a lowest band is disengenious, but more over presenting the statistics like that is worse, are people bitching about benefits of JSA. http://wheredoesmymoneygo.org/dailybread.html Gives a fair and balanced view of this.

4) So we have no rights to say how people spend their money. Bull Crap. It is social money. If people are saying we should look at reducing it, and people are saying its hard to survive on it's incredibly relevant.

5) Absolutely, the cost of living is higher than it was. So reducing tax liabilities is a part of that, as well as controlling inflation. However, you can not contest that it is fair someone has a better flat in London who isn't working, than someone who is working. Without increasing supply (which for many environmental types is a no no) or restrictions on free movement of people, what can you do? Have you seen how high some of the housing benefit payments for London were?

6) This is just silly, no one is saying that claiming a benefit makes you a criminal. However it is clear that many criminals have their lifestyle supported by the state, that there are minimal punishments for those who work against society (also minimal rehabilitation).

7) No one is denying that, instead the debate is on how much support is needed and sustainable. For instance if we just printed money to give every pensioner £50k a year it would be disastrous for the economy at large and very unfair. The argument is where the sweet spot is.

Far too many people like to make out the case that anyone complaining about our welfare bill is some genocidal sociopath.

[wasabi]

http://sorrelish.blogspot.co.uk/2013...-bitching.html

Im not making any particular comment by posting this, just posting for interest.

OK. Given one of the headline arguments is that 'the amount of tax you pay into the welfare state is a pittance' is an insulting lie....

i counter with a tool to calculate how much you pay towards benefit bill. I cannot personally vouch for the accuracy of the tool, but given it has specific figures, it is externally verifiable.

Middle income Brit earns circa £30k these days. That same person pays £2461.13 on benefits - over 10% of their take-home pay of £23220.04.

Pittance?

[TheAnimus]

So long as you remember that includes pensions and such too it's fair.

However, I find it repulsive that I am paying the pension for someone who retired younger than I will be allowed too, who had housing costs that were a fraction of my mine etc. But yeah. Apparently we aren't allowed to complain about that.

[santa claus]

However, I find it repulsive that I am paying the pension for someone who retired younger than I will be allowed too, who had housing costs that were a fraction of my mine etc.

Don't worry, you're not paying their pension; they paid for it themselves. I hope you're paying for yours.

[TeePee]

Don't worry, you're not paying their pension; they paid for it themselves. I hope you're paying for yours.

This is not how state pensions work..

[santa claus]

This is not how state pensions work..

Blood, sweat and tears seems like an adequate method of payment to me.

[TheAnimus]

Don't worry, you're not paying their pension; they paid for it themselves. I hope you're paying for yours.

No I am directly paying THEIRS.

For one more year I will not be making any real pension contributions (~5% is not enough), but hell, my income tax bill has to pay for all those people who retired at 60!

Blood, sweat and tears seems like an adequate method of payment to me.

Right. Can I pay my tax bill with that? No.

[santa claus]

Right. Can I pay my tax bill with that? No.

My heart bleeds. Cut down on the Champers eh what old chap?

[peterb]

No I am directly paying THEIRS.

For one more year I will not be making any real pension contributions (~5% is not enough), but hell, my income tax bill has to pay for all those people who retired at 60!
Right. Can I pay my tax bill with that? No.

And by the same token then, future generations will be paying your state pension.

And you do pay your tax bill with blood sweat and tears - it is the proportion of work you do for the state. Tax comes out of income, income comes from paid work. Economics 101.

My heart bleeds. Cut down on the Champers eh what old chap?

And if you earn enough to buy champers after paying your progressive tax bill (where for talented high achievers, for every hour you work, 30 minutes of it is for the state) - crack on - you have earned it, and the market has determined that what you do is worth it - so enjoy with a clear conscience.

[TheAnimus]

And by the same token then, future generations will be paying your state pension.

No they won't. This is the most insulting bit of it all.

And you do pay your tax bill with blood sweat and tears - it is the proportion of work you do for the state. Tax comes out of income, income comes from paid work. Economics 101.

The problem comes with fairness.

Someone born 35 years ago will have spent a fraction of their income on housing compared to someone now.

They will have a better quality of life funded by the debt binging they've indulged on.

They will retire earlier yet have similar life expectancy.

You object about that, and you are told to cut down on champers. Don't think I've had any for about 2 years. Right now I have fixed costs that are too high to make a pension contribution that will give me a reasonable quality of life, whilst living one.