If you could decide how much people get in benefits

[OneLemonOrca]

There are benefit bashing threads being posted often, with complaints that certain people on benefits can afford a better lifestyle than them when they work, and that it is being made into a life style choice?
So if you could decide, I am just wondering how much you think benefit claimants should receive in certain circumstances or what their money should or shouldn’t be able to pay for, to get a general idea of what mumsnet thinks is “right”.

Also on board with this.

It was trialled in a few places and had a hugely positive impact on the economy!

i admit to not having had time to read the full thread, I’ll go and catch up in a minute. My personal view is that there should be better childcare provision , taking away the financial pressure or the idea of not being better off having paid for it and worked all week. Child benefit should members equal instead of set at a limit due to one earner, pensions should be better.
In terms of actual benefits, if you can work you should, so that should be kept to a bit less than the minimum wage to stop healthy young men and women just not wanting to because it’s easier then working.
Thecbig change should be for the significantly disabled , both adults and children, who absolutely need more. Their costs are huge, and often they cannot do any paid work at all and have a lifetime of medical care ahead.
Carers allowance should be increased- you have to be providing care for 37 hours a week, so it should be 37 hours a week minimum wage at least, with the option to still work too and the amount earned before being penalised increased too

@WithACatLikeTread because a lot of people have disabilities these days and earn a lot less but we were on much less benefits until recently when my DD finally got some support and it still seemed too much.

@Getonwitit I’m no one’s pet thanks.

Yes, Iran and Kenya. Would you say they’re good samples for the U.K. economy?

I think the rates seem right now. I’d be interested to see why people think it’s too much and what lead them to think that.

@IncompleteSenten Also how often do you hear people say I can't get a job, I'd be worse off than I am now on UC.
That would be gone. You would always be better off in work because you'd keep all your ubi and be paid on top of that.

Not “always”. A single Mum working full time on NMW plus UBI would still be on less than £2.5K after tax. If she’s spending £2K on childcare, and £1.5K on rent, that would leave her zero to live on.

They were tiny trials in countries that don’t compare to the uk

This. The money needs to go to genuinely disabled people. It's got ridiculous and is ruining the economy.

Yes exactly. Unless it’s done exactly the same as UC, it will be much more costly and many very poor people will be much worse off. The point of UC is to encourage people into work but supplement their income.

It is not just journeys of miles, in our local village two children are picked up by taxi twice a day because there is no path along the road from their house to the school. Their house is less than 100 yards away from the school gate. Mum is at home and is not disabled.

It would depend on individual circumstances and where you are living. Some regions are more expensive than others. For as long as it’s needed.

There is no one size fits all.

I can't see how UBI would work in practice. At 58 I'd immediately give up work and use it to live on until I get my state pension. I'm sure lots of others would do similar. Immediately any tax revenue I'd be paying for the next 9 years is lost. I don't currently qualify for any benefits so I need to work but I've got to a point where if i could get a basic income i wouldn't bother. I've worked for over 40 years and I'm tired, although I earn well. it would be like taking your state pension whenever you choose.

Financially I don't see how it could work.

I'd rather see a complete overhaul of the benefits system. I have a friend who inherited £150k and has spent every penny on holidays in Dubai, Caribbean and the Maldives. Had a boob job and bought designer handbags. She has no money left and is now getting benefits and her rent paid but she's lived a life lots of people can only dream of. That can't be right.

All healthy adults should be working if possible and more benefits should be paid to the disabled. Child maintenance payments should be taken inti account. It's scandalous that they are not.

🤯🤯🤯

It would be cheaper to put in a pavement however if there isn't a safe walking route as in this case the local authority is responsible for providing a safe means to access school so it is correct that they send a taxi

The voice of reason!

Would cause huge inflation as well. Look at what's happened since 2020 with furlough etc. As my Economics teacher reminded me, turning on the money printing machines is not a policy any government should explore.

I wonder if those claiming UBI is unaffordable and unworkable have ever actually read up about it or looked into the evidence?

I don't understand how universal income would work. Do they say well everyone needs a certain amount e.g. £15,000 a year in order to live. Therefore we will give everybody £15,000? Because if they give you less than you need to live than you need top ups which brings us back to the same situation we have anyway.

Then what happens with taxation? That figure e.g. the £15,000 would have to be tax-free.

Yes I have. Have you?
This is an easy read but there are many many others. Small scale pilots do often show a positive impact but that’s the point - they are small scale and affordable. Once you scale up to population size, I can’t find a single study that shows how you pay for it.
https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/news/universal-basic-income-pros-cons-and-evidence

I haven't but given I'm 58 and would give up work immediately if someone gave me money to live on (mortgage paid off so I could live on less than I currently earn) so I would cost the state money and stop contributing I can't see how it's affordable given the size of the benefits bill already.

www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/richest-1-bag-nearly-twice-much-wealth-rest-world-put-together-over-past-two-years

Oh, there's plenty of wealth.

For that people do something, surely. To be active members of society.
Otherwise it's a generation of workshy. parasites.

So would I

I really can't stand the thought of working till I'm 67.

Wish it had remained at 60

Yes I've read about many of the pilots. Most have been very low amounts or have been very narrowly targeted (e.g. care leavers).

@Janjk I think it's important to think bigger than just tax in vs 'benefits' out. UBI is a tool for wealth redistribution.