Cut benefits before increasing council tax

I apologise if I come across as lacking empathy. I had read a post on Reddit where a posted had claimed his relatives were all claiming these benefits even though they didn’t need to.

Have you never read the benefits threads?! Utter pile ons towards anyone who claims any kind of benefit. Without exception. Why shouldn’t people on any kind of benefit push back?

Even if house prices fall in the short term they will inevitably rise because of the population growth and the rise of one person households on one hand and the restricted supply on the other.

Except the anti- benefit people insist on utter shite like people on benefits driving round in Mercedes cars…..or being told that they should just get a job, or a better job, or it’s so easy to get disability benefits that everyone is doing it….it’s really not ok to have an opinion based on incorrect information.

Everyone and anyone can push back. Including those not on benefits
There’s no moral high ground here and everyone is entitled to their opinions

Have you never read the benefits threads?! Utter pile ons towards anyone who claims any kind of benefit. Without exception. Why shouldn’t people on any kind of benefit push back?

That's an unpleasant and not very sensible argument.
She could just as easily to around to someone disabled and tell them that they are not entitled to benefits and list various reasons. Why do you think that you can pass judgement on who is allowed to struggle and who is not? Again, this isn't a race to the bottom?

This thread has got completely derailed - the OP was about the benefits system in general, which is known to be out of control and unsustainable and yet any suggestion of even slightly reining it in has seemingly been abandoned. A fair suggestion of a small increase in income tax (largely off set by NI adjustments) has now also been abandoned in favour of RRs latest 'initiative' which appears to be the proposed targeting of around 10% of families using massively outdated data which varies considerably from region to region. Its all very well telling the OP to just move but will there even be a buyer for a house subject to supplementary council tax and how do you argue its worth if there is nobody prepared to buy. If they devalue her house to the point it should not longer be in that band, how swiftly will they recalculate her council tax ? - if my experience of local council admin is anything to go by, it will be months to even get a reply to an email.

That’s the point. It may possibly be rampant. It might not. How can we determine that unless we identify unidentified fraud? But I’m pretty certain that the 1% figure bandied about doesn’t account for all fraudulent activity. It would be naive to think it does.

That’s the point. It may possibly be rampant. It might not. How can we determine that unless we identify unidentified fraud? But I’m pretty certain that the 1% figure bandied about doesn’t account for all fraudulent activity. It would be naive to think it does.

No system is 100% fraud proof. I can't think of another word to describe what I mean. Some posters like to make out it is rampant though, even when they are told time, and again, how difficult the system is.

She's got less money because she's bought a house she can't afford in an area she can't afford. If somebody on minimum wage did that and moaned about it, I'm pretty sure you'd be saying move!

The South East is expensive, but there are cheaper 2 bed properties than that in commutable distance. I understand she doesn't want to live elsewhere, but the difference between living in actual heating versus eating poverty and simply having bitten off more than you can chew mortgage wise is it's not a question of what you want.

If she's struggling that much, move. She isn't entitled to a house in a more expensive area because she works. She's only entitled to what she can afford, like the rest of us. We all make hard choices, but I struggle to sympathise with someone who could save £150,000 by moving house but won't do it.

If someone on minimum wage in a £150,000 mid terrace in Manchester was complaining about their situation, you'd all be asking why they weren't working harder, getting a better job, etc. Moving to a different area if the work isn't there.

Middle class woman complains and suddenly it's poor you, how terrible, nothing she can do to help herself.

Well that's because the Brits are obsessed with house ownership and social media fills people's heads with nonsense about dream houses. Also, people don't understand basic maths and economics.
They were a great asset for older people who managed to buy decades ago. Now, they have become a liability for some people. We are going to get a big financial shock at some point and a lot of people will lose their jobs. House prices are falling, not rocketing up like in the 1990s.

Well that's because the Brits are obsessed with house ownership and social media fills people's heads with nonsense about dream houses. Also, people don't understand basic maths and economics.
They were a great asset for older people who managed to buy decades ago. Now, they have become a liability for some people. We are going to get a big financial shock at some point and a lot of people will lose their jobs. House prices are falling, not rocketing up like in the 1990s.

Fair enough. I also hate those sort of 'it's all poor people's fault' type posts.
She does have more choices than some, including most very ill and very disabled people (obviously wealthy ill and disabled people have far more choices than poor ones), just not good ones, hence my sympathy for her too.

Fair enough. I also hate those sort of 'it's all poor people's fault' type posts.
She does have more choices than some, including most very ill and very disabled people (obviously wealthy ill and disabled people have far more choices than poor ones), just not good ones, hence my sympathy for her too.

Well that's because the Brits are obsessed with house ownership and social media fills people's heads with nonsense about dream houses. Also, people don't understand basic maths and economics.
They were a great asset for older people who managed to buy decades ago. Now, they have become a liability for some people. We are going to get a big financial shock at some point and a lot of people will lose their jobs. House prices are falling, not rocketing up like in the 1990s.

Where have I said she isn't struggling? She is struggling, but it's not a struggle she can't do anything about.

It's only 'not a race to the bottom' when it suits, isn't it? I've seen a few posts on here where people tell those on low wages that it's their own fault, they aren't working hard enough, etc.

Seems fine and dandy to point out the errors in judgement of those on low wages, but heaven forfend we dare to suggest someone on an income that enables them to obtain a £500,000 mortgage might improve her circumstances by simply moving.

Disabled people can't simply sell their illness and move to better health. That's the difference.

OK then. Absolutely no-one committing fraud not accounted for in the 1%....

Of course it's a privileged situation. Buying a house is an asset and there's a reason why the vast majority of people who can afford to buy a house, do so.

When people say they've bought a house, it is usually said with smiles on their faces not expecting sympathy from others because they've now got a mortgage.

That's an unpleasant and not very sensible argument.
She could just as easily to around to someone disabled and tell them that they are not entitled to benefits and list various reasons. Why do you think that you can pass judgement on who is allowed to struggle and who is not? Again, this isn't a race to the bottom?

Fair enough. It would be interesting to know if the OP thinks differently now, if she is still reading the thread.

Do we all know that? Sounds like an assumption to me. And you know what that will make out of you...

Unless you are somehow clairvoyant? Or are you some kind of private investigator? Oh no wait, you must be a secret agent placed especially with the benefit fraud office that gets specialised information that they see but choose not to follow up...that must be it.

In this situation you are, in fact, Jon Snow. It's honestly laughable.

It also doesn't negate any of the points I made about a vast majority of people on benefits being in full time employment - so why don't you break the trend and comment on the factual and far more relevant points?

I'll bet you think yourself rather intelligent - whilst falling for the rich party line hook, line and sinker. It's ridiculous.