One third of all government spending is paid out in pensions, benefits, credits etc and when the budget deficit is stubbornly above £100 billion cuts will have to fall in this area. Personally I think all types of benefits (including housing) should be treated as income and be taxed in the respective tax bands. This would have been a fairer way of dealing with child benefit for higher tax payers and would bring in the same regime for everyone irrespective whether they work or not.
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Cameron still a Wanker
- Thread starter John Marwood
- Start date
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Taxing benefits would of course only affect workers, as anyone just on benefits is receiving what it is judged they need to live. By someone.
It would however make a lot of sense, in an odd way, as those who have more automatically have their benefits reduced accordingly. Just the idea of taxing someone on benefits I can't quite get my head round. I should probably drink less!
It would however make a lot of sense, in an odd way, as those who have more automatically have their benefits reduced accordingly. Just the idea of taxing someone on benefits I can't quite get my head round. I should probably drink less!
Yes it seems an odd idea to tax benefits but it would bring in perspective to how much households earn or receive. It is proposed to cap benefits at a maximum of £26,000, but most people in work would have to earn well over £30,000 to pick up that figure. The threshold for when you start paying tax is going up which is a good thing but doesn't go far enough as it will still be below the minimum wage level (based on full time hours) and low paid workers are paying income tax which can't be right
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
A Modest Proposal?
A solution that is sure to go down well chez Hetairoi.
But good points, well mades.
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
In many ways this particular discussion is perhaps more relevant to the Universal benefits thread.
So...
Thanks for the link, many considered posts but what strikes me that was 2010 and now 3 years down the line we still worry about the future spending of this country.
For many years I bought into the idea of universal benefits with the logic that you contributed into society and received what you needed. This principle formed the concenous post war politics that built the welfare state. The cracks started to appear in the 70s and the 80s when means testing was introduced, and whilst there is sense in targeting resources for the poorest, it has produced an us and them society with many people cottoning on to the fact that if they have no savings/assests etc they will get state help where others won't. You only have to look at the funding of care homes to see this happening.
I would like to think that this year the country will start slowly digging itself out of it's big hole but the worry is we can only keep borrowing vast amounts of money for so long and we could end facing the scale of cuts like in Greece and Spain. Then we would have something to moan about.
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
And we might wish we had some kids to help us in our dotage.
But of course that's micro-economics, not macro, so has no bearing whatsoever...
John Marwood
I ♥ cryptic crosswords
For reform see shaft
John Marwood
I ♥ cryptic crosswords
Tinkerbell
Well-Known Forumite
Not impressed - the little fecker was on tv too many times tonight. They should obscure his face cause I just want to punch the tv when the smarmy little t@£ser comes on
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
Like when Gerry Adams wasn't allowed to be heard - his words had to be spoken by an actor - but taken one stage further..?
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
Same applies for Wallace and Prick Glegg IMO.
I'd deport the whole lot of them to a passing asteroid if it was possible.
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
Glam
Mad Cat Woman
Sounds like you need take more roughage in your diet, or have you thought about drinking prune juice?
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
I remain perplexed as to why it is possible to buy prune juice, but not plum juice, when a prune is a dried plum. What is going on?
John Marwood
I ♥ cryptic crosswords
David Cameron has been taught the difference between "debt" and "deficit" by
Britain's top statistics official, after he was accused of confusing the two
economic terms.
The Prime Minister was issued with the explanation by the UK Statistics
Authority, after he claimed in a Conservative Party political broadcast that "we
are paying down Britain’s debts.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...t-and-deficit-by-top-statistics-official.html
Britain's top statistics official, after he was accused of confusing the two
economic terms.
The Prime Minister was issued with the explanation by the UK Statistics
Authority, after he claimed in a Conservative Party political broadcast that "we
are paying down Britain’s debts.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...t-and-deficit-by-top-statistics-official.html
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Politician in "arse from elbow confusion shocker" shocker.
Still don't get the whole bailout BS, if we'd given the £ to the people instead they could have paid their debts off and we'd all be closer to being debt free. Could have been the government equivalent of ocean finance, charging a minimal rate. I would make it a stipulation of using the service that you are blacklisted from all credit for 2 years after finishing your repayments though.
Still don't get the whole bailout BS, if we'd given the £ to the people instead they could have paid their debts off and we'd all be closer to being debt free. Could have been the government equivalent of ocean finance, charging a minimal rate. I would make it a stipulation of using the service that you are blacklisted from all credit for 2 years after finishing your repayments though.
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
Personal debt is a modern form of serfdom.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Have to agree, but talk to ocean finance and you can be less worse off just for longer!