to loathe this sense of entitlement we hear/read/see everyday

[scuzy]

the idea of some taxes is to pay into a pool for those in genuine need of some kind of benefits. but i am sick to death of people who feel that just because they paid tax for a certain amount of years they can now claim benefits just because they say "its their money". these people are making fraudulent claims but its justified to them because they have paid into the pot so to speak and now its their turn to give up working and relax.

if i hear "i am entitled to ..." one more time i'll smack someone!

we have become a nation of "entitlers".

even my own family ask why do i work x amount of hours when i coudl claim this that and the other. "you are entitled to you know"! er .... no i'm not.

*wasn't

I do not comprehend this stance of "hsssh don?t dare say a bad word agaisnt a person based on the very fact they are on benefits".

How about calming down and realising benefits claimants are not one homogenous group.

Some are good and fallen on bad times
Some are bad and fallen on good times

Look at each case on its merit and stop jumping into defensive mode just because somebody typed the word ?benefit?.

We should all have a problem about those cheating

To apply a blanket defence to anyone on benefits is quite anomalous

I am more worried about the money spent in Libya than I am about someone who has not got a pot to piss in getting a few quid.

Of course not all benefit claimants are living the high life but some are and that should stop. There should be no more stories about Afghan families been given 6+ bed houses, not even once. I know they are rare but they shouldnt ever happen. People who have never worked having child after child should be offered a 2 bed house - no more for free. Anything else, child benefit, extra allowances should not be available. I am sure that would stop the so called 'accidental' pregnancies where the two people concerned didnt use any protection!!

We have one of the highest levels of teenage pregnancies and speaking to my US friends are the laughing stock of Europe with our benefits system and view of immigration.

Waits for the words

"Daily" and "mail"

crazynanna then those without a pot to piss in obviously are entitled.

i think the word benefits has drawn out very defensive attitudes.

Just benefit cheats Coco?

I've never seen anyone start a thread asking if they should shop their mate/cousin/neighbour to the inland revenue, because they have had a cheap cash in hand job done

Have you?

Anyone who cheats in any sense is cheating us all- including you.

I cannot say I have usual but what has that go do with what I said?

My point is I dislike this automatic defense of a person soley on the merit of being a claimaint.

My dc dad works for cash in hand by the way- this is too stop dc getting any CM as its not in the system. He is cheating a 5 year old. Is this right?

Benefits cheats are usually contribution free, financially speaking.

Tax evasion (legal) is usually by people who are not contribution free, employers, job creators, business people, high earners who contribute at other levels and so on.

But then - it's legal. Fraud, tax or benefit, isn't.

Wasn't it Reagan's administration who deliberately created the concept of the 'Welfare Queen' during the 80's recession? Now acknowledged to have been complete fantasy in the cause of US 'benefit reforms'

Sense of Entitlement is the 21st century equivalent. UGH.

Would love someone to respond to Cocoflowers, she's very cogent.

I don't hate the phrase 'sense of entitlement' because it has a bloody good use when you think about the material goods that people (employed, not employed, whatever) consider a right and that they are underprivileged if they don't have them.

I knew someone who worked f/t, bought clothes rarely but chose well, always had new things however small, ran two cars - but oh my god, out came the cat's-bum mouth when she talked about what others had. She considered herself poor because she couldn't always buy the very best of everything whenever she chose - so, like a massive percentage of the population, then? Who also work and can support their families even if there's nothing left at the end of the month. That's a sense of entitlement. It's everywhere, the benefits cheats are just one side of a problem that's everywhere now.

My point is Coco

There is more revenue lost to the inland revenue through this sort of tax evasion than lost in benefit fraud,but no one gets up in arms about it

scuzy sounds to me like you're in deep denial. But hey ho won't be changing your attitude unless it starts to effect you and your family rather than your scuzzy neighbour?

Tax evasion is legal, usual suspect.

Benefit fraud is NOT.

And tax evaders are usually financial contributers. Benefit fraudsters are not.

Sorry I meant tax avoidance

Now that's illegal ,but acceptable apparently

Well I don't think it's acceptable - you seem to think so more than me, you're the one that thinks we can turn a blind eye to fraud.

err no tax evasion is illegal

don't confuse me

I must have them muddled up - evasion is illegal, avoidance is legal?

Deplore the illegal one, don't mind the legal one, whichever.

Whereas you think it's ok to turn a blind eye to fraud.

I really thought it was the other way round. That's really bad isn't it.

I had to google

I knew I was right the first time

Ok now I am confused too
What is the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance?

I'm a lone parent, and as with many lone parents I did not want it this way, I have a son who is currently going under assessment with CAHMS,( personally I think he has asperger's,) and I had to quit my job a few years ago, because I literally had not enough money to live on, (childcare allowance went down drastically as he'd started school, and tax credits thought that they had over paid me and took a huge chunk off my tax credits, I was still paying full rent and council tax) and also my sons behaviour was getting a bit hard for the school to deal with. However although I always paid my taxes and national insurance I never thought oh I'm entitled to benefits because I've paid it. When I was working, the money I paid into the government never amounted to the same amount that I got from the government, i.e. I pay £15 a week tax and they pay me £75 pound a week in tax credits. Due to ds1s difficulties childcare is now problem for me, so I am now planning on going to college as soon as ds2 gets funded for pre-school, to learn childcare and hopefully I can then get a job in a school and around school hours, and pay some back to the government. I find that people who go on benefits because they think they are entitled, a bit low, how do they think they get their state pension? and aren't they worried about building another pension up for retirement? especially with the economy the way it is currently.

eg putting your money in an ISA, pension, offshore fund etc etc is avoidance

eg not declaring income, cash in hand etc etc is evasion