I don't want to pay more fucking tax!

[marthainthemarket]

I am the sole earner in a family of four, earning just under 40k a year and getting probably fuck all or below inflation pay increase next year, if I am lucky enough to keep my job ( public sector and employer needing to make massive budget savings). I barely cope now.

I am so fucking angry that Labour fucked up the disability benefit cuts. Other countries don't have run away disability benefits crises because they have a proper assessment process that means they keep a lid on people getting disability benefits who don't really need them. But instead of dealing with that, they came up with a crap proposed cut that wouldn't have dealt with the actual issues and they couldn't defend.

And having fucked that up they are now raising everyone's tax. I hate them!

You are absolutely right that not all diagnostic processes are equally robust; there was recently a documentary exploring the private diagnosis of ADHD and how “easy” it was to get a diagnosis over zoom.

However, diagnosis does not equal disability benefits. They are two separate issues .

It was also raised by the tories just gone.

I just don't get why politicians are not grappling with the basic fact that over population is the root cause.

The NHS functioned in the 60s because it was designed to deal with the number of the domestic population which was about 52.4 million. Now the population is estimated to be 69.3 millions.

You look at that and it is illusory - it doesn't look much because 52 to 69 doesn't seem that big a figure but just imagine one MILLION people. That's enough people to fill 11 Wembley stadiums. Now imagine 17 million people.

It's insane. Immigration is part of it but not the only part. The time frame is has been uncontrolled as well.

The most sensible thing that could happen is for governments to get a grip of this population insanity because it is this grotesque strain that means more and more and more money is needed to prop up failing services unable to cope and benefits and education and so on.

So @EasternStandard would everything be rickety boo if the Tories had been returned last election? Do they bear no responsibility for the legacy they left? Or are you going down the Reform route now?

Yes the lazy and feckless franticly posting and justifying their existence as it dawns on them they might not have a home in a few years when cuts are enforced.

You have made a huge rash of assumptions. Firstly at no point have I said you need a diagnosis to get PIP, I have merely observed the ease of getting a diagnosis from some private practitioners. My point was to illustrate that the 'medical evidence' that you are so keen to trumpet is not necessarily that hard to obtain. The idea that all 'medical evidence' is somehow infallible and based on robust assessments is inaccurate.

My point was, Labour have only been in government, 14 months, the conservatives 14 years, Labour have to deal with the mess the Conservatives left, as others have said, how covid was dealt with, Brexit, illegal immigration etc it doesn’t make sense to blame one government.

Where do you get your facts from @belovedandpureones ? Some person on X or TikTok who appealed to you and you've decided to throw your lot in with? Why do you believe them any more than anyone else?

Just curious

Weren't things good under Blair and Brown? Strong economy, growing wages?

But the ageing population, cost of the pandemic, Brexit and increased defence costs means we all will have to.

And which of this has magically materialised and blindsided RR since Labour won the GE 15 months ago, on a solemn promise of no tax rises for ordinary working people?

They just lied. Plain and simple. Rishi Sunak in the TV debate just before the general election said: 'Mark my words, Labour will raise your taxes. It's in their DNA. Your work, your car, your pension.'

But to do so badly in 14 months.

It's not an enormous leap then is it to suggest that the medical evidence supporting the existence of 'needs' that require support may also not be that robust in some cases.

People keep saying this, but how on earth do you decide who is “genuinely disabled”?! People are worried because of the vitriol against disabled people. As someone with a hidden disability, I don’t look disabled, but I can assure you I am. How would you decide whether I was or not?

To get PIP you have to have evidence to show how you are genuinely disabled. If the idea is to cut PIP from claimants, then you ARE cutting benefits from disabled people?! So of course people are going to worry and rightly so.

You could argue that more people here means more money earned and into the pot. So my question is why did the tories cut funding to the NHS while giving visas to hundreds of thousands of people every year instead of putting it back into our services, knowing full well those numbers for several years will be putting it all under great strain? And the tories also had 14 years to get to grip with social care, one of the more expensive and bed blocking group that cause an issue with the NHS.

Ps, the tories also cut the amount of doc training places about 10 years ago, I remember reading about it and that they were advised not to do it because of a shortage of docs for the future. They also cut bursaries to nurses, midwives, radiographers and applications fell.

A person could think the tories were worse than useless and damaged this country very badly.

The NHS isn’t really functioning that well though is it? Schools are on their knees. And if you don’t know any tax evaders or benefit cheats, you are living in a glass cage.

As I said upthread if we advertise at work a full time role we get barely any applicants. They just don't want full time. It isn't minimum wage either..

If we advertise a part time role we are inundated. They actively seek it out because it's the golden ticket to get top ups. That's men and women applying by the way, not just mothers 🙄

How exactly does it sub businesses? They don't get any handouts for it.

If the Government want to raise taxes why don't they do something about the cost of living and the energy companies absolutely buggering everyone to death? That's a major reason why everyone is so on their arse these days.
They won't do anything and nobody says a word.
If we weren't all being fucked over by gas, electricity and water companies (who love to post their record breaking profits) we wouldn't be so poor. In France their energy bills keep coming down yet here it keeps increasing.

If we had more money in our pockets at the end of the month, more people would be behind a tax rise. It won't be long before we are at breaking point.

People should be taking to the streets marching and protesting for this.

You do realise that a diagnosis of ADHD or stress and anxiety doesn’t automatically get you disability benefits, don’t you?
Comments like yours are straight from the Tory / Reform / Daily Mail playbook. They aren’t based in any kind of reality.

I want to know how people expect the government to raise the money needed. Genuinely, how do they do it? Can’t raise taxes, can’t means test winter fuel allowances, can’t review PIP, can’t look at council tax.

What should they do?

I am in the same situation OP. I earn £52k per year. As a sole earner it just isn’t enough and I’m living pay cheque to pay cheque, frequently having to dip into credit cards at the end of the month just to pay for essentials. I have a mortgage to pay and a young adult DD to support (student finance count me as a high earner so her maintenance loan doesn’t even cover accommodation..) We had a far better standard of living 10 years ago when I was working part time on £35k per year!! Even the difference to 5 years ago is staggering and very depressing.

I am past caring tbh, my roof is leaking again so more expense, found some awful damp so it looks like my damp proof course has had its day, and I haven't got a clue who to call or who to trust to sort it out. I was crying in the supermarket today because of all the Christmas stuff and was thinking about how difficult Christmas is going to be due to 3 bereavements. And to cap it all I have had to call the police out twice due to my vile anti social neighbours. So let them do their worst as I already feel I have no control over my life and no money.

How many times does it have to be spelled out! AT NO POINT HAVE I SAID THAT A DIAGNOSIS IS REQUIRED FOR BENEFITS OR IN FACT LEADS TO BENEFITS

Benefit cheats, though should be stopped, is such a small amount of the total benefit costs.
The NHS, schools etc are all suffering because of cuts under 'austerity'. Something that's been proven not to work.

Again, you are confusing the issues of diagnosis and disability benefits. You have to have a stack of medical evidence for a successful PIP claim. Assessments from NHS consultants, GPs, hospitals etc. Without it, you have no chance of being awarded PIP. Surely you can’t believe that this evidence is given out easily either?

People claiming it’s so easy to get disability benefits have clearly never been through the system. It is humiliating and degrading and often takes appeals and years to get. People are delusional if they think it’s so easy.

So why make the comments then? What was the point in the context of this thread?

Get out of there.. sorry that it's so hard at the mo. Good luck.. x

I dont think you do.