Am I the only one that thinks that the budget is good?!

Yanbu

The Budget is terrible.

Family Farm tax is going to decimate the entire industry. All she had to do was increase the minimum value to a more reasonable number and she still would have been able to tax large “tax dodging” estates while actually letting normal “farmers” continue to farm generationally.

People here the “1 million” number and think all farmers are absolutely rolling in it, but as soon as you break down what a farm is made up of, you realise how ridiculous it is.

As an example in a “poorer” area of the UK (not England):

65 acres of land is currently on the market for £700,000. No planning permission which would have inflated the value. No farmhouse. No machinery or livestock included. And 65 acres is a very small farm in the grand scheme of things (eg Jeremy Clarkson’s farm is 1000 acres). That is what land is valued at- farmers don’t see a penny of this value as they don’t want to sell their farms.

So that’s £300,000 left before tax hits. A used mid sized tractor can be at least £50,000. That’s before you even consider other machinery which is essential to farm even on a small scale. No mention of livestock value, either.

And even if the farm came with a run down, dilapidated farm house with no central heating, it’ll easily make up the rest of that million pound total as it’ll be a detached property in a “desirable” rural location. Again, farmers need to live on their farms as they need to be able to work and it be accessible. You can’t live 30 minutes away in a town, it doesn’t work with the nature of the job.

So there’s your bog standard, small scale farmer who probably farms with one of his children at most, completely screwed. Someone who lives well within their means with no flashy house, cars, etc, working long hours, 365 days a year in all weathers. No PAL or sick pay. If you’re ill, well it’s tough. You either suck it up or you rely on family to help until you are better. You can’t afford to hire someone to help. You can’t stay at home and rest because then who feeds the cattle and sheep?

It’s very sad.

How? I’ve made legitimate comments and you’ve responded with childish remarks? I’d love to hear your genuine argument at to what I’ve said is wrong? Please enlighten me

Right back at you!

Is it the mortgage that stops you or saving for deposit? Sounds like a tough position to be in, not earning enough to buy but earning too much for benefits.

i think the country would be so much better off if we spent more money improving services that improve people’s lives and help them work, and less money paying people benefits because we don’t have the services and homes to support them. Then more ppl would benefit from the services including ppl like you who should be able to do more with what you have

Oh grow up. If you don’t have have an actual argument to come with then don’t reply 🙄

I am also a carpenter cash in hand. I never pay any tax and i live in a shed.

How about the people who work just below the threshold? Who are capable of working more but chose not to because they’re better off by working less hours? They live better on benefits than by working full time. I know many of those!
The people who arrive in the country who speak little to no English but get by. I know more of those!!
Those who are claiming disability due to anxiety. I’ve had that myself and manage to work yet there are hundreds of thousands of people that ‘can’t’.

And on a side note, those who are ‘suffering’ from the child benefit cap…. Well we’ve chosen not to have any more kids, even though we’d liked to… because we can’t afford it!

i actually don’t know how you can say ‘who’ tbh. Unless you’re part of the problem, which I’m starting to think you are

this is supposed to be about the budget. People have been whipped up into extreme rascism as well so i just wondered if that is what you meant? I mean i hope not. I hope you are a nice person. Who is noticing that the world is bigger than just England.

I'm rich but not a billionaire - my individual charitable giving is not going to save the NHS, I'm afraid. Nobody seriously thinks that philanthropy is the answer - how's that working out in the US?

Do you have another argument?

I don't. I agree with their policy on wealth tax, but I am terrified he will split the vote on the left and hand the country to Reform.

@Slipperati Long-term private renters as can't afford to buy. Rent £1,200 pm, Council Tax currently £249. It's very challenging.

Who?

YANBU
Overall I'd didn't think it was a bad budget.

Haha are you kidding?

It was long but you have to actually be bothered to understand the facts. If you can’t be bothered, don’t comment because you obviously don’t understand it

How much of your income do you spend on housing? That sounds pretty tough but you may be in more affordable area?

At the end of your rant. Who are these people who you are paying to live ‘freely’? Just wondering?

Oh hello.

See my comment above - this is precisely the attitude I was talking about.

First generation university student. We hardly went out at all during our 20s, as we saved every penny we could and worked incredibly hard. We have really lost out on things we will never get back as a result - we have fewer hobbies, have missed out on so much fun and just general chilling out and not working - which there's no way we can do now with young kids. We rented a flat so cold you could see your breath in bed, as it was the only way to live in London and save from our initial graduate salaries. We have done all nighters for work. Time and time again. I once cancelled attending a friend's wedding for work. I don't buy designer clothes and we've never owned a car. My husband and I have worked HARD. Our extended family can't quite understand the hours we've worked (and often continue to work - although it's not quite as intense now in our 40s).

I would be willing to bet I've probably worked as hard as you. As a result, I will be hit by mansion tax and am already paying VAT on school fees - I feel it, but I'm glad to. It's the right thing and the fair thing.

Because... the most important bit of your comment is not "I worked damn hard" - it's "lucky". You are comfortable because you worked damn hard within an economy that rewarded that hard work - not in a broken system where you can chase and chase and chase your tail and never get your head above water.

Plenty of people work hard and are not anything like "OK" - and if we let them sink, we will all be worse off. Not just in some vague lefty "equality" way, but in very real self-interested ways - a society this unequal is a society that falls apart in fundamental area. So if you want anyone to be working in the hospitals when you need them, or teaching in schools, or putting out fires - those who are comfortable need to step up. No matter how hard we worked. Be grateful that your hard work paid off - that's not a given or a virtue - it's dumb luck.

People who will be lifted further from the poverty line after the child benefit cap is lifted are not the problem. They are a drop in the ocean, and the "feckless" ones are a drop of that drop. The right wing press just foregrounds them every chance they get, so working people turn against each other - instead of looking up at those hoarding more and more wealth and resources. You are looking the wrong way. You are angry at the wrong people.

I'd recommend a YouTube channel called Gary's Economics - really smart economic analysis from an ex-trader. He explains things really well, and he's on your side.

@rainbowunicorn It's all relative - I think £60k a year families are doing well. My husband and I both work and don't bring in that. No other support except CB.

Hilarious how people are arguing with what is a clear situation. They’re ’working on issues’ by taxing this, that and the other. And ‘saving’ on child caps etc. when really it will only push prices up in supermarkets etc because they need to pay the minimum wage. Never mind small businesses, of which I know many owners, who already struggle to pay their staff due to rising costs of gas, electric, council rates etc. They’re going out of business in the coming times whereas the huge supermarkets will make small increases across the board which we as consumers will see but they won’t cos we have to pay it. And these owners probably life it up in a tax fee country not having to pay anything.
this country is on its arse. We’re all (most of us anyway) paying to allow some people to live freely whilst we work ourselves into to ground for nothing. It’s disgusting

You just can’t take that a very small very infantisimally small amount of your income will go to mothers (mainly) with small children who are potentially (often) in difficult circumstances. Tbh i didn’t think reeves had it in her to do this. It’s quite obviously the stick they will beat her with. I stand by her on that alone.

You are then in a very small minority.

most private sector pensions are now DC. And you need to be very focussed on retirement to build a decent pot.

Definitely can’t be bothered lol….