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!

Just to address your point about part time workers.

I work 3 days a week. I do not claim, nor would be entitled to, any benefits of any sort.

The reason I work part time is that working full time in my role involves countless unpaid hours of work a week. And at age 50 it's just too exhausting.

Don't make that assumption about all of us!

Literally didn't mention diagnosis in that post so I don't know why you are raising it again. Given that GPs will sign people off work for extended periods often without seeing them and for certain conditions much of the eveidnce is consultants regurgitating what patients report to them, I do believe that in some cases evidence, such as it is, is given out very easily. I am not for one moment suggesting that this is the case across the board but the suggestion that it doesn't happen is just absurd.

Quick google eh? 😅

Perfectly calm and not a troll but thanks for the personal attack and name calling (reported).

But also not rude and accusatory.

It's still a small amount of total benefits bill. Tbh, I think this country wastes far too much money on doing things wrong. The UK is not efficient and also has too many fingers in the pies.

It’s 2.2% of the benefits bill, according to .Gov.Uk. So not insignificant at all but still very small.

Quick come back to be right as I had factored in the loss of non taxable income eh?

Brexit is the gift that keeps on giving though. Why Labour don't have the balls to actually address it is beyond me. Joining/rejoining a customs union would be a quick and easy way to boost growth but they won't even contemplate it (obvs if the other countries would have us!).

What discounts are those? I pay for prescriptions, dentist, school meals etc.

You’re right it would be absurd to suggest that it doesn’t happen at all. However, that’s not what you were implying; your posts allude to swathes of people with fake diagnoses claiming benefits that they have easily obtained with fake evidence. Thats why you were called out, because that idea is absurd!

No humour with you then? Ok. (was just teasing!)

Thank you.

Waste is fine when it is other people's money.

The 40% tax rate starts at 15k in Belgium. There are more exemptions though. People forget that taxes in UK are NOT that high compared to elsewhere. If you want public services they have to be paid for. All I see is high earners who benefited from free healthcare and education claiming they now need to leave as HOW VERY DARE they have to pay a bit extra. I do understand for people on low incomes every little makes a difference though.

That's completely inaccurate. My point wasn't about 'fake' evidence or fraud. I am not suggesting that any of these people are committing fraud or faking things. My point is that the definition of disability is now so wide and and that definition is supported by a whole industry of professionals. This had led to a significant increase in the number of people who now consider themselves to be disabled and a consequence of this is they are applying for benefits at an unprecedented rate. We can see the sharp increase in applications for disability benefits through the statistics. This is not mirrored in other similar countries. Either the UK has fairly suddenly had a vast increase in the number of previously unidentifed disabled people which is not mirrored in any similar countries or perhaps there may be something else going on? I know which I think is more likely.

Agree.

And with Labour’s high horse stance but frequently being found to be hypocrites, it just grates so much more.

At least with the Tories, you knew what you were getting. Rayner, Reeves et al…all caught looking out for No 1 despite the party’s holding themselves out to be paragons of virtue

Oh good. Another disability benefits bashing thread with swathes of the usual comments about how claimants are lazy, rolling in cash, and faking their disability.

Excellent. We've not had one of these threads for at least an hour.

Well it’s hardly surprising is it? Only so much money they can squeeze out of the super wealthy and middle classes before they turned on their core voters.

I've seen threads on here recently where people have explained that they can't work more because they are 'burnt out' and 'overwhelmed', so they have to claim benefits. Then lots of people validate that choice. And I'm not meaning to dismiss their feelings, but I also feel incredibly burnt out and overwhelmed; I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder and am neuro divergent. I just keep doing it because I suppose I feel I should.

It makes me feel foolish, and I know somebody will be along in a minute to say well, why don't you just claim benefits then, if it's so much better? And maybe I should, but if enough people think that, then who will pay in? We can't afford to pay for everyone with anxiety or overwhelm to give up working altogether, but even just suggesting this is deemed discriminatory, so it can't ever be discussed sensibly.

Tax payers are free to discus how their tax is being spent. The majority support the welfare state even if that means paying more tax. They just want tax spent well.

What is your proof of this? As you said you’re an observer, it’s your opinion, not factual.
I work in healthcare, supporting people with disabilities, there has to be medical evidence, can you expand on what diagnosis processes aren’t equally robust?

Can't we have another referendum and vote to re-join the EU??
We have horrifically fucked up.

I dont mind paying a bit more tax. But they still should have reformed benefits.

Kew Gardens for example £1 ,everyone else £27