To think every SAHM, low hour PT worker and carer should read this?

[Peachy]

Well i am not but it matters to you so you must

here

Changes to system WRT worker hours

have a thread in chat and don;t want a debate, or at least won't participate iun one as petrified as we will now certianly lose our home and not up to taking flak. But if it affects you, you need to know.

You know what folks? Every time I think people here cannot possibly sink any lower they do.

Let's just pull the ladder up eh?
Those sinking don't really matter

Actually I'd rather NOT share a society with some of you here - a lack of compassion doesn't even BEGIN to cover what some of you are saying

Not what I typed Dilly, please don't twist my words.

Northernwreck

Sounds idyllic.

But how do we fund it?

See "make big tax dodging corporations and foreign mega billionares pay tax.."

It's what came across

I think depression can be a mixture of both circumstances and chemical balances. I am not a doctor or an expert but looking back at my life I have always had depressive tendencies so perhaps the illness has always been there. However put me in certain circumstances and I cannot cope and I will reach a point that means I may need full time care or be unable to work. I suppose another way of looking at it is that I have an illness which means I cannot cope with certain circumstances.

But that's simply not enough. The Welfare bill alone is over 100 billion annually.

Most corporations already pay tax, very few are dodging. I absolutely agree we should do all that, by the way, but it's not enough.

Endogenous depression.
Causal depression.
Both legitimate illnesses.

Sigh. The biggest slice of the welfare pie by far is pensions. What shall we do with those? Now.

One of the chief incentives to work is to have the security of a roof over one's head. Shelter is the most basic of rights. The housing boom has brought with it a disaster of massive proportions for the 'have nots' who couldn't get on the property ladder, or who are not eligible for low cost housing. The cost of private rented property prices people out of work. It used to be possible to buy much more cheaply, or to access council housing much more easily. Not so now.

I don't blame anyone in low wage work and private rented housing, for working part time and making sure they maximise their benefits. What incentive is there to do otherwise? Better than watching their entire wages drain into the pockets of private landlords (and energy companies).

Causal; meaning that some people are stronger and more able to cope than others?

That shouldn't necessarily be medicalised, help should be available but let's not spin it to make it an illness. That rather reduces the impact of "real" illnesses.

eminence - I think the complicated set up of the current system disincentivises people going for seasonal/agency work. Could we not move to a system where a family gets one amount according to needs. to include housing payment etc, then if they manage to obtain work each month, they get to keep a proportion of it on a sliding scale. It think it is a HUGE problem that we have these cut off points. There must be a huge amount of seasonal work - retail jobs at Xmas, fruit picking in the summer plus other short term jobs etc etc You declare your earnings once a month and the balance is calculated? People can work when they can without having to completely "sign off" benefits and the extra support.

Plus open the schools! In Belgium they are open 7.30 til 6pm or later - afterschool club is ridiculously cheap here = 2 euros per day, and also use them for holiday clubs. Also maternelle starts at 2.5 yo and is free. You cease to have the "school hours" issue. The buildings exist, you employ more people.....

Agree!

YY, Porto and also the tenancies are so short here!

I agree that medicine is not the answer to everything, I have not taken any medication for a number of years and have instead managed to make lifestyle changes - it took years and much cost to get me there though. However there are many people who need medication and possibly hospitalisation and I was definitely one of those people.

I am not going to be so naive to think that some people are not faking mental illness but it is wrong to say it never can be an illness.

Lookattheears, very few corporations pay as high a proportion of tax as a woman earning £200 a week.And many pay a big fat zero. Fact I'm afraid.

And the thing about the "welfare bill" is misleading I think, because if you look at ANY government bill for ANYTHING its a million billion zillion etc.
These are big figures, they scare people. Thats why they are trotted out at election times and in recessions.

Oh, also, people on benefits also spend money-they put it into buying food, heating, travel etc just like everyone does.
What happens when you slash the public sector and benefits is that many many fewer people have any money to spend.

Totally agree bakelitebelle, about the housing problems.
But hey, it's no longer "housing" is it? Its "property", which transforms it from a basic human need to a luxury possession.

Anyway, I have to go and read ds a story, so I will have to ease of my rant!

so when are tax credits being cut?

True eminence, the standard lease in Belgium is 9 years! But I think there was never the same push to make money from property here - so fewer buy to let landlords in a precarious position. More likely someone inherited granny's house and is happy to rent out for the foreseeable future/you get married and let out your old bachelor flat. This current situation in the UK is not easily solved.

can anyone find out anymore info on this? I tried to click on the op's link, but its been deleted, so any info would be appreciated

Well if the plans go ahead I think they will change in 2013, so not just yet.

From October 2013 to April 2014 about half a million new claimants will receive Universal Credit instead of Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.
At the same time, another half a million existing claimants and their families will be transferred to the new credit when their family circumstances change significantly, for instance if they get a job or have another child.
From April 2014 a further 3.5 million claimants and their families will move to Universal Credit.
And from the end of 2015 to the end of 2017 a further 3 million people will be moved over, focusing on Housing Benefit claimants

Thats from the BBC website.

thanks, will look up the bbc website

UK Public finances 2011-2012 fiscal year
Revenues £589 billion
Expenses £711 billion

That is £122 billion more debt this year.

Shrinking the economy to nothing after a world economic crash is not the answer. What would be great is if the current government put their minds to preventing such reckless banking de-regulation and irresponsible lending from ever happening again, thus protecting us from she shit storm that inevitably follows.
But they would rather blame single mums. Because we hold the purse strings, right?

122,000,000,000

And if we get downgraded it will become more expensive to repay so we need to make some serious savings while encouraging investors.