To think the govt are purposefully trying to keep the poor down?

[Alltheseboys]

Seems like with all these cuts the govt are deliberately trying to keep the working class down?

i thought some of the current policies benefited the poor - eg increase in tax free allowance, encouraging people to work rather than being on benefits. we earn a decent living and many of the cuts will affect us - cuts in child benefits, student charges.

if the labour gov hadn't squandered so much money we wouldn't need to make cuts now.

some of the responsibility is also on the individual - i know some people can't work and have good reasons. my BIL is poor because he spends money on non-essentials, will not take any promotions offered at work, and refuses to do any further education/courses.

AIBU to think that the rich pay a higher proportion in taxes, 40% of £100k is more than 40% of £50k. Over 100k then personal allowance is lost.

What's the problem with that? Afterall, the majority of tax layers aren't earning over £150k.

I think the attitude displayed by people like outraged are part of the problem. The government really don't believe that people are struggling the way they are. Firstly in general terms poorer people are less likely to have insulated houses, more like like to have damp and drafty windows and doors all making it more difficult to heat. Please remember fuel prices are increasing. They are more likely to have pre pay meters which charge more per KWhr than other payment plans so remember they are paying more to get the same amount of heat as richer people.

I am one of these people who people like outraged and heswall view as irresponsible. When Dh's CBJSA entitlement expires in June we will have my wages and and CB to live on so £100 per week after tax. Thankfully we were finally awarded some HB after an appeal however we have been turned down for CTC, IBJSA, IS etc even on appeal. Not entitled to WTC due to hrs worked.

Ok out of this £100 we will have to pay £27 rent, £23 CT, gas and electric is currently about £20 per week and internet luckily only £1.50 per month which leaves £28.50.

It may sound a lot but it's not just for food an nappies but to cover emergencies and fund job hunting too. Dd's are growing so need clothes from time to time even using charity shops will take money out the food budget. A couple of weeks ago I was in agony with toothache. If I didn't have a child under 1 it would have cost £47 more than 1.5 weeks disposable income.. It cost £8.50 return to nearest town on the bus for example.

Please tell me where I am being irresponsible, I want to know.

YABU.

Hopefully the changes will undo some of the damage that Labour did to our free market economy.

Haven't read the whole thread but referring to the OP's second post on page 1 - if you are above the threshold for tax credits and help with benefits, you're not fecking 'poor'!

Tories have been gaging at the bit for years to re-structure the country to the favour of the rich. Those shiney faces yo see on tv are masking an evil intent that everyone should be able to see through by now.
When people claim "but they have lost touch/don't know what it's like" the real answer is "We don't fucking care about it or you. You are vulnerable and poor, so you aren't much use to us."

The majority of people in the cabinet went to oxbirdge and private schools. Why would they care about the poor. They loath them. The conservatives aren't right wing or anything, it just happens that way because they are coorporatists. If they really cared, they do away with trident, the HS2 link, get out of afghanistan, that way they wouldn't need to bring in high tuition fees or cut public sector jobs.
I don't find what they are doing shocking. What i find shocking is that this is a coalition, and the lib dems are doing eff all about what the conservs are doing.

What's also shocking is that people actually think the governemnt has some sort of repsonsibility for social or economic justice. They have responsibility to their sponsors. Poorer people are just peices of poo that need kicking out of the way.

Hecubas - that may well be the case. But even if you're right and the current government is less concerned about the poor than the previous government, that supposed indifference still doesn't equate to 'purposefully trying to keep the poor down'.

What i find shocking is that this is a coalition, and the lib dems are doing eff all about what the conservs are doing.

It's probably because they're not stupid and they know what's being done is absolutely necessary.

" we have been turned down for CTC"

The only reason you'd be turned down for CTC from April is if your income is over £26,000 (1 child) or £32,200 (2 children). And, from WTC require a minimum 24 hours per week worked by a couple but CTC is not dependent on that. If you are not earning over the thresholds it could be that you are entitled to more help than you are currently getting. Try the Turn2Us Benefits Checker and the HMRC Tax Credit Calculator when they are updated between 1st and 6th April.

We've been turned down because they have insisted on calculating it based on what DH used to earn before redundancy, they also insisted on calculating for only one child.

Hecubas, I don't think you are irresponsible at all, how can I? I dont know you. Please don't make assumptions about my opinions.

Nor am I part of any problem, but I will admit that I find it hard to believe that one family can have so little while claiming benefits while another can find themselves with more than enough to live on. Maybe I'm missing something, I don't know, and I don't know the benefits system well enough.

Surely you can see that there are people legitimately claiming all the benefits they are entitled to, who don't have to struggle significantly. That is what makes it understandably hard for someone in my position to think that a family genuinely have to choose between heat and food.

If you say that's what you have, I believe you, I have no reason not to. But there has to be some reason somewhere that means you have so little to live on, something that makes your situation different to that of other I know.

As Curiosity says, if you are above the threshold to get TCs, you can't be poor, or there must be some piece of the puzzle missing. My family is only just above the level to get TCs (as it stands at the moment) and we manage fine, even with growing children and a DH with high commuting costs.

Following my last post, either way,this discussion is not about benefits and what the government does or doesn't provide. It's about whether the government are trying to 'keep the poor down' and I really don't see that they are. I think they are just trying to get people to take more personal responsibility and become less reliant on the state.

"they have insisted on calculating it based on what DH used to earn before redundancy"

Then it's incorrect and should be challenged. HMRC uses the previous year's income to make the calculations unless your circumstances have substantially changed. If they think you only have one child and you have more than one then that is something else you should challenge them on. There is help available.

We are not above the threshhold, we would have been a fraction above the threshold for one child had DH not been made redundant and if he had not been made redundant we would not have to make these choices.

I didn't mean you were part of the problem I meant polititians holding views similar to yours was part of the problem.

If we got full benefits with me not having a part time job we would be better of. For a start IBJSA would be £120 per week, dd1 would be entitled to free school meals and school clothing grant, DH and I would not have to pay for dental treatment etc. As it is we have to fund it all out of £100 per week, can you see the difference also HB would be 100% so we wouldn't have to top up either. Each on it's own is a relatively small amount of money but they add up to a significant difference in terms of what can be afforded and standard of living.

Can you see the difference basically it is because we don't get all the benefits things are so bad.

Fair enough.

As I have already admitted, I don't know much about the benefits system, but I would have thought that there is something you can do. Why won't they consider that you have two dc? That sounds wierd. I think you need to get yourself some help from CAB or simelar to make sure that you really are getting everything you are entitled to in your circumstances.

Hecuba - you have been given LOADS advice that you are entitled to more than you say. You should go back and bloody well sort it out instead of using the energy complaining endlessly on here. The maintenance your exh pays does not affect your entitlement either.

I've been back on the phone to them and they still said there was nothing they could do.

Well you need to try again. Have you run your figures through the benefits calculator as suggested?

After 13 years of being bribed for votes by Labour, its no surprise the poor are feeling a little unloved at the moment. The current government wont pander to them and isnt afraid to cut where required.

The Coalition are doing some essential rebalancing, and any party in power would be doing the same.

I really wouldn't trust the people on the end of a phone Hecubas, they are often wrong.

Little, slightly irrelevant story. I had a thread on here a few weeks ago about my friend having to pay London Low Emmission Zone Charges, because although his van does give off too many emissions, he is severely disabled and needs it. He had phoned the helpline twice, only to be told that there were no exemptions and he had to pay to enter London, which he wants to do for a charity thing. I complained on here, a few people said he shudo just get on with it, but someone suggested a way I could look into it further and I did, by emailing the mayor of London. Two weeks later he has a letter form Boris telling him he doesn't have to pay, and apologising for whatever crap it was on the system that said he did have to pay. There was some administrative error that basically mean the computer said no. Which it sounds like its doing in your case. You have to remember that when the computer says no, it should say yes, and it will do if you push the right buttons. Don't let it drop. You clearly need more than you have.

Doing a rough calculation based on numbers you gave - you seem to entitled to more that £100 per week in ctc. Why are you not pushing this??? Do you get council tax benefit?

I did the benefits checker before calling them back porto.