Is your household contributing net tax ?

Most admin staff in banking are probably being paid the same as you. The bankers you are thinking about are the top of their profession.

Just like anybody at the top few if the company says make us 500 million over last year and your bonus will be 2 million then you can see how they earn so much.

A huge amount of tax is funnelled into housing benefit which is regressive. There should be much more social housing. Similar story with benefits to top up low wages.

making bankers pay more tax isn’t going to solve anything, to fix public services most of the population are going to have to pay more.

See I don’t believe this. Some of the most stressful jobs I’ve had were the lowest paid - boredom, and lack of agency drove me spare. As I my salary has increased my jobs have become physically easier and while sometimes stressful they have been better because it is the stress of action - of doing. Plus the whole point of UBI is you’d still get it - so your good wages would be even better. What UBI might do is reshape employer/employee relationships

The big issue is the ageing population & the fact economic policy has centred on house price growth as opposed to wage growth. Which creates more inter generational inequality.

Tax is far too weighted on PAYE vs other income.

It's a bit of a silly comment because the Q is could you do their job with a week of training - no. Could they do your job with a week of training - yes.

Pay is also based on income you generate and skills required to do the job. That's why supermarket market workers and fruit pickers aren't paid the big bucks, despite being essential to infrastructure as a whole...

Cool, pay them double then. Not 500 times more.

And how are you going to pay more ? Tax you harder? Reduce spending on your child's education? Most people simply cannot pay anymore. We're squeezing people enough as it is.

Companies rely on the state to subsidies their workers.

They receive subsided childcare, universal credit, help with rent, help with medical care and dental fees. Those with disabilities are subsidize more.

Now imagine being paid a living wage, and paying for your own hosing and childcare. How much better off would you be when the children’s tarted school? How much could you put in your own pension? Pay off your own mortgage?

You think childcare subsidy is a bonus? It’s not it’s a long term tax that you are grateful for.

I don't see how this can be true. I work part time (due to having a disabled child. I even claim benefit for them so shoot me) and earn around £1k a month, I didn't pay any tax last year (in Scotland if that makes a difference). Granted I do spend all I earn so do you mean tax via VAT etc?

And the amount of money the finance sector brings into the country so a lot of us can pay less taxes.

I think the treasury would be better paying some of the best minds in the city to work for them.

That is a good point, it does create a them vs us mentality.

As has often been pointed out everything is a phase. We are net contributors now but when DCs were small we were probably much closer to being in balance. When we retire we will be net beneficiaries.

So many posts on this thread have been about playing extremes off against each other. Most people in reality are in the middle ground.

Absolutely this.

We used to live in a country where if someone did the 'right' things (leaving aside that only certain people were ever actually able to access these things!) they felt they could get the 'right' life.

Now, you go to uni, are law abiding, work hard and have to think carefully about whether you can afford a child at all.

Humans want the basics - shelter, family. Housing and kids are both luxuries now!

@Neveralonewithaclone I've worked for a trading bank (a long time ago). The stress on bankers was immense. Most people managed 5 years or less. Suicides were not uncommon. Alcoholism was rife. Divorce was the norm.

Do you imagine jobs with a £200k salary aren't fought over. There was always someone trying to oust the incumbent. No matter how well they did, their target would rise by 50% the following year.

Calling them 'administrators' is a misnomer. It's a job I wouldn't want at any price.

It also doesn’t take into account VAT which most people forget about. Everybody is actually a tax payer when you take that into account.

I think this probably misunderstands what the bankers job involves.

Why do you hate the idea of UBI if you would be a recipient of it?

Is it because you fear everyone will stop working?

Why do people think that paying less tax on income would encourage people to work more, but receiving a small amount of funds from the state would make people work less?

Interesting.

IMO it isn’t about the amount of benefits being paid out (a convenient scapegoat maybe!) but that people don’t feel their quality of life is very good.

If you are both working full time and feel that you thought you’d have a nicer house, better car, afford more holidays, have more savings, be able to retire etc etc.

The middle classes in the UK have taken a hammering - I think a lot of people’s expectations are not being met re: living standards.

In Australia you don’t get state pension if you have over a certain amount.
A homeowning couple can have half a million dollars a non homeowner $700,000

i got those figures from google so happy to be corrected.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assets-test-for-age-pension?context=22526#a1

I'm going to say £3m all included.

If this is true then why are the government grappling with the amount of 50plus people dropping out of the workforce? The people I am close to that can afford to finish say we only have one life why should I spend it working.

We have just sold our businesses and are looking around for a nice early retirement place, Portugal looks good at the mo.

I am an admin worker. My point is that we're putting in the same amount of 'effort' as bankers
Maybe, but the level of pressure, stress and mental demand will be nowhere near.

I had my child at 38, i paid tax hefty from 22 to 38 without taking barely of the any things you listed OP, as did my husband (from 18), and we continue to pay hefty tax now alongside having one child, and would be happy to pay more tax if the government increased tax rates, so no I'm not going to have any sleepless nights that I'm not contributing enough whilst putting our child through state funded schooling. We are doing all we can to pay into society and as I say we are socialist minded in that we'd willingly pay more tax if required. If I'd not had my child and the majority of my tax was going on less fortunate people health or wealth wise or less able bodied people that would make me happy, surely that is the point. What a muddled and clearly divisive post OP. Not sure what your point is. Jog on!

Yes, I would take state pensions away from rich people who are retired
Leading to fewer and fewer 'rich' to pay in...

I am not wealthy but I don’t like the idea of UBI, if this was the case I want to quit my job have my student loan wiped and work in a supermarket. No way would I do my job with the extra hours and stress for the same money I could earn doing a less skilled job.