Where are those people's families and where is my tax going?

[AmusedTaupePlayer]

Nearly 50% of my income vanishes in tax and NI, and I’m seriously wondering what I’m getting in return. The streets are filthy, the Tube’s a mess of delays and breakdowns, and my child’s school can’t even fix leaking ceilings.
GP appointments? Impossible. Police follow-ups? Hit and miss.
I asked my councillor, and he said most of the money’s going to social care — mainly for elderly people and kids in care. Fine, but it makes me ask: where are their families? Why is the state carrying so much, and why does it feel like we're footing the bill for a system that’s barely working?
I’m not trying to be cruel — just frustrated. Is anyone else getting the same response from their council? Or any better answers?

So if you paid the new higher rate, which you wouldn't have... sold the business, paid tax and walked away with £1,5m yet still you complain!!!

thats the really problem, the very wealthy fucking moaning about tax!

That's very naïve. Plenty of men couldn't care less how many offspring they produce. They don't work and have no intention of ever paying a penny in maintenance.

Women are left without support, holding the babies and then something goes wrong - drugs, DV, poor health (mental or physical).

No wider family to step in, or families simply cannot afford to help or don't have the space. It happens all too easily.

Perhaps govt should consider forcibly neutering men who refuse to pay child support - I bet that would increase the payments pretty sharpish 😁(Only joking) !

But the cost of means testing would be huge. On balance, paying a chunk for another resident for those years that she is in the care home is probably the least expensive system. Where did her assets come from? Somebody worked for them and probably never claimed anything.

The state pension is not a benefit. Workers have paid into the system all their working life’s to fund the state pension once they retire. Don’t lump in pensioners with people who choose not to work as a lifestyle choice.

No. Some pensioners have never worked too. Or have only worked for part of their working age life.

They won't be getting full state pension. They will be claiming other benefits. State pension is based on contributions made during working life. If you have a work related pension as well you will pay tax on that at the same basic rate as everyone who is earning.

It’s the wealthy who mostly prop up the benefits system. If every wealthy person paying 40% tax left the country tomorrow, the UK would be screwed. But even Labour are realising there’s only so much tax they can squeeze from the high earners, which is why they’re now turning to a review of benefits claimants to try to balance the books. Previous Labour governments would never have discussed reducing benefits, which shows how desperate the situation is.

The state pension is not a benefit.

Yes it is!

Workers have paid into the system all their working life’s to fund the state pension once they retire.

It's paid forward & the majority haven't paid enough. Think logically about it, the state pension is 11.9k ish a yr 20 years of that is 239k. To have paid for that in tax and NI you would need to have earned nearly 50k for 20 years. We know the majority don't earn that. And that's just tax for a state pension, what about healthcare, education etc. That's the issue with the changing demographics.

Don’t lump in pensioners with people who choose not to work as a lifestyle choice.

Do feckless people only exist in certain age groups? Do feckless people become non feckless at any certain age?

If you log into hmrc it tells you exactly where it’s going

If every wealthy person paying 40% tax left the country tomorrow, the UK would be screwed.

The 40% tax rate isn’t remotely paid by wealthy people, in Scotland you start paying it at £43k which is an ok but hardly wealthy salary. You then have a 50% marginal tax rate because you’re also still paying full NI until your salary reaches £50k. So yes if every person paying the 40% tax rate left the country would be screwed because it would be teachers, nurses and social workers who’d be leaving.

LD is where the majority of social care budgets go. Some Adults need 2:1 on a 24 hr basis some 3:1 but they try to avoid that. The lifespan of these clients is that of an average adult. The money for older Adults does not come close

This is a load of crap and contradicts itself!

People withe LD who need expensive care have the same lifespan as average adults, can you link to that?

Surely lots of these expensive examples of adults with LD then fall into the category of older adults since they have the same
lifespan? 🤔

If every wealthy person paying 40% tax left the country tomorrow

Slightly disingenuous as plenty of average workers are paying 40%. Plus some wealthy people do pay a lot but not all of them. Rich people don't tend to be on PAYE...

But the cost of means testing would be huge.

Why is it huge though? Surely we have the tech for this?

@Notreallyme27 average income is not the same as average disposable income...

Indeed not. I supported a good friend through a problematical divorce from a very rich man who hid all his assets in offshore accounts/shares and property. His greed and duplicity was enabled by the insurance company for whom he worked. He had millions. She got the family home and not much else. He paid minimal child support for their child until child was 18.
Another friend was in a similar situation - husband had an affair and was helped to hide his assets by the very well know accountancy firm that employed him.

Do you have experience of government tech systems? The NHS for example?

Do you have experience of government tech systems? The NHS for example?

But why are they so shit?

That’s not how state pensions work. Pensioners today are having their pensions paid by current workers.

Consider the funding/payment/organising of PPE, contact tracing, covid. The extent of organised crime, tax evasion, money laundering. How well organised is any of that?

That is how it has always worked. The problem is that there aren't enough next generation workers to pay for the current ones. How do we help the children of today into decent jobs? I have no idea.

I got universal credit before I was even 18 because I had a child at 16, not ashamed to admit it. I don't believe 18 year olds in education living with their parents will get any money I believe you're misguided there.

Anyway the money spent on unemployed people is a drop in the ocean compared to the money spent on drug addicts who have 8+ children who are all taken straight into care and have many issues from drug exposure in the womb. Poor kids can't help it obviously but the foster care bill for one teenager with PTSD can be insane let alone 10

Why did you say ‘my child’s’ then?

Not a chance does anyone get that for one disabled child. For a start you can’t get DLA and PIP. DLA is for children, PIP is for adults.
my son is severely disabled and gets the maximum amount of PIP and UC as a result. It’s nowhere near these figures! We can’t claim carers allowance because we work but that’s only £79 a week.

Worth looking at why they didn't work, and how many theer are. Also the part-time workers will get a part pension.