New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

[LooLoo]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

OI, calm down girl.....

O MATE that is it I have asked nicely! ;Spank ;Spank ;Spank ;Spank ;Spank ;Spank ;Spank

[5corpio]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Peers around the door, and looks in.....

'Didn't the French ([size=5]Don't know if they still do?) Benefit system' ([size=5]i isTalking about our Income support, JSA beneift - which shoud've be one system).....

The French system was based on your Total Yearly Earnings (this was subtracted my x% amount of your salary), which they paid to you as a lump sum.....([size=5]i think that was Subject to what you earned NOT £50,000 a year people)

i.e. if your salary was £25,000 minus your Tax&NI, = arugment sake say £19,000. The state gave you 35% (rough %) of your £19,000 Equating to = £6,650 that is basicly what you got to live on, but after its all spent, its spent you don't get any other benefit. which encouraged them to get another job, as that money was to pay your Rent, & taxes as well

Or is that in Sweden?

Which resulted in, that you had to sought for a job...

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Hiya

Course I can appreciate your mum getting a widows pension - i've spelled it out in my last post that a widow(er) should NOT be penalised... nor the ederly or disabled. Its those than "can" but "don't" that aggreive me......

Don't take it personal, I KNOW you've paid into the system and what, you get peanuts back when you need it. Under current legislation, it would be BETTER for your hubby to get sacked - seriously. As he does work and doesn't want to get sacked, you've proved a classic case of NOT abusing the system so you think i'm being personal to you now?

Sit back and don't think it's aimed at you, and think about the MAJORITY - then you'll see where i'm coming from. Yea, course those that genuinely need things should (in this day and age) receive *some* sort of assistance but to fund drunks and druggies etc is where I see abuse......

I'm not having a go at anyone on here, i'm generalising which I know is wrong, but I mean the MAJORITY.... ;Spank

Bad Niddy ;P-;

nid honestly mate I despair. You're saying there's no middle ground, it's rotten to the core etc, but the system was there when I was a little girl. We needed the system back then. Can you not appreciate that my mam's widow's benefit stopped my life spirralling into chaos at a time when we were only just coping as it was?

Ok, you've seen the abusers (I'm picturing you a 'Roy Cropper' ala Boys from the Blackstuff lol) but not everybody who gets benefits keep them for life or decides to 'sit on their backsides now thank you very much'

That's not what the benefit system is supposed to be about. Ok, they're there the abusers and I do agree that we really do need welfare reform but the system is needed sometimes for geniune reasons. Don't tar us all as 'dirty rotten scoundrels' (my words not nid's)

I don't take your comments personally but I just can't fathom how on one hand you can say there's no mddle ground and then say those who've paid into the system should be able to claim.

So many sweeping statements that I do take personally though.. tens of thousands DH and I have paid into the system, we now receive £10.31 per fortnight for housing and council tax benefit - I'm getting 'free money'. I'm struggling with the 'pride' thing but I still feel good about myself (sometimes) but certainly don't lose sleep over it at night.

See, general statements that are your opinion, granted, you're entitled to it. It just saddens me that you think that way about 'me' and my circumstances. I am taking it personally I guess but I can't help taking it so personally as you've been so damning.

I think i'll leave this thread now nid, don't want a slanging match between the two of us. Like Jen I think i'll have to agree to disagree.

[Angelic]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

I actually think this thread has turned out really well - lots of different opinions but we've still managed not to get shouty! ;LOL

Well Done!!

[oscar]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Just read the rest of this thread after I posted. Agree and disagree with some points, wont go into them, they have already been argued.

Think the ENTIRE system needs overhauling as the majority of it is unfair. One example that sprung to mind (while reading) is pensioners. Take Pensioner 1 who has the state pension, and a small private one, giving £150 a week say .... they have to pay everything - council tax, housing costs, the lot.

Then take pensioner 2, who, for what ever reasons, has just under the state pension, they then (possibly, not always) qualify for pension credit, which (i believe this is true) then qualifies them for housing benefit, incorporating council tax and ends up for far more spare change in their pockets.

[diddlydee]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

I think pensioners get a slightly fairer deal than that oscar.

As I understand it, the benefits are on a sliding scale; so you declare your income, housing costs, council tax (and whatever other bills they may consider), and after paying them, you are expected to have at least "x" amount to live on - if you don't, then you get a contribution towards your rent and council tax to ensure you have that minimum amount.

I believe income is made up of what actual income you get, plus they take into account savings over a certain amount.

[5corpio]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Tax credit claimants will receive letters this week reminding them to contact HM Revenue & Customs if a partner moves in or out of their homes viewtopic.php?p=21057#p21057

[Spent2much]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Wow Nid, I don't even know where to start....

firstly childcare is on avg 100-180 per week for full time nursery. WE NEED CHILDREN to keep people in jobs to populate the country and to take care of us when we are pensioners..


So Nid do you think we should remove cold weather payments and free TV licences for the elderly???

Yeah mainly by the staff working there...



Thats a pretty broad statement Nid, and kinda crappy think about it... People who have kids from a marriage and the marriage breaks down... what about them? What about men who tell women yayaya and the baby comes and they F*** off? Or what if the father dies? There are a lot of single mums out there who aren't there by choice. and there are some that are abusing sure... there will be abuse with every system you have in place (Point- The fricken expenses with the MPs)


And what job do you want them to get that will earn them over 180.00 per week to pay child care ?? and afford rent etc?

also why should parents have to look after their kids kids?


Point is you can't get away with getting rid of all benefits... it just wont and can't happen.

My brother died when he was 31, he had a wife and three little girls so his widow became a single parent in a second and needed to claim help from the state, not only did she need the help she was in a real emotional state, my brother had a brilliant job he worked in an oil refinery and he just collapsed and died on the night shift, a virus attacked his heart and he died in an instant. So i think not all single parents are scroungers.

[IF]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Just to remind folk this thread is 2 years old???

[PlanB]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Just to remind folk this thread is 2 years old???

But it's still current if these cuts to Child Benefit are due to be implemented next year

My daughter says "you're not a single parent, you're a double parent" because I did the jobs of both parents on less than half the income of a married couple. I'm not convinced that the damn hard work of bringing up a child single-handed is a lifestyle choice.

Perhaps the attitude of 'never stay together for the sake of the children' needs a rethink too while we at it, because that can cause a financial imbalance with usually the mother baring the brunt of it all

[SXGuy]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

i think any type of benifit is set up wrong, you see some single parents strugle massively, while others "seem" to get a lot of benifit and they live a great life not working. Every case is different, and i guess has its own merits.

Then you have pensioners, if you receive a state pension, and work, and the total income is above the income tax threshold, then the whole lot is taxed, that cant be fair. Why should i pay national insurance all my working life, then because i cant afford to quit work at retirement, get taxed again on that money?

If you have earnt it, you should receive it, if you cant earn it, you should be helped, but the current way, doesnt work, plainly.

And now with this universal credit, it makes it even more of a joke quite frankly.

Self employed will be hit the hardest, the current plans are, that anyone claiming benifit while self employed, will have to declare their income every month by completing an online form, prob housed at HMRC, they have a 7 day window every month to do it, or their credit is suspended.

Now, we have an issue with some old timers not being able to use a computer, and as some of you may be aware, as self employed, you may not get a regular sallary, some months might be hardly anything, others might be a lot.

Me personally, most of my income in earned in the summer months, which helps to carry me through the winter months.

This can only lead to peoples benifits being yo-yo'd from suspended to, re-instated, each month they delcare their income.

Infact this already happens with those of you who work around 16 hours a week currently, if you work 14 hours 1 week, you receive benifit, if the following week its 18, you dont, however over 2 weeks, you would qualify.

You can see the situation.

[PriorityOne]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

I'm not convinced that the damn hard work of bringing up a child single-handed is a lifestyle choice.

It's been a lifestyle choice for some for the past 20-odd years... but that doesn't mean those kids get brought up in the way that we understand the term.... it's just a passport to Benefits and some kind of housing for those who're not particularly interested in working.

There are also women who pop them out and spread them around different family members so they can all get their housing paid for...

[pompeyfaith]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

Just to remind folk this thread is 2 years old???

Two years old indeed, however the title is still very much relevant.

[Spent2much]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

It is still relevant , the other benefits that have taken place puts many families in poverty, I know this is delicate subject but housing benefit and support for mortgage interest ,both these benefits have been cut and families have to choose whether to eat keep warm or pay for the mortgage or rent, i thought the government made rules that families need so much to live on , but then they take an important benefit off them which they must pay out of their benefits to keep the roof over their heads.
The strangest thing is that a lot of people will lose their hones due rent arrears or mortgage arrears because they cannot afford the make the mortgage interest shortfall and when they are made homeless they will be put in a B&B which will cost hundreds of pounds more, it doens't make sense, why not help people stay in their homes when they need the help, even if it means mortgage holders pay a pacentage back to the govenment when they sell their homes , at least they can have peace of mind knowing they are not going to have their homes repossessed.

[kilasuit]

Re: New Benefit cuts -- tell us what you think?

One wonders whether Britain's debts are enforceable, I think not, what can they really do? Sell bits of Britain to China?

There should be a debt amnesty in the entire world: no-one owes anything to anyone and we start anew with a clean slate.

Just LOL!