to ask how you will be affected by the budget announcements?

[manicinsomniac]

Sorry if there's another thread about this, I can only see lots of speculative ones.

Now that it's announced ... I admit I'm struggling to get my head around it. I don't think it's as bad as I thought? I don't think it can be that good though? I don't think there's a single thing in it that affects me. I'm not sure about any of that though because I find it all quite confusing!

So, ordinary people from ordinary families/households - how are you going to be affected, if at all?

We'll be better off.
I can't understand how this useless government can justify having such a ridiculously inflated payrise for themselves and then screw the hard working people of this country.
These money grabbing bastard politicians make me sick.

So why support them?
And no politician can change the underlying maths. As a nation we are living way beyond our means. We are living off the backs of those who work for pennies in the pound. In order for the current welfare system to be sustainable, it has to be reduced by 40%. Now, we can all hide our head in the sand and go all alfalfa, or we can start cutting the frivolous government spending. If we do not cut the dependency on welfare, then pensioners, single mums and those most vulnerable will be crying in the streets in a few years, just like we see in Greece. I would rather cut my dependency on the sate and stand on my own two feet than see someone who has no ability ever of standing on their own two feet destitute because I couldn't be bothered to pull my horns in. We're not rich, and we'll probably never own a home, but I'd rather skimp by and eat spaghetti hoops than become dependent on the state.

Anyone who will be better off under this budget doesn't need the extra money.

Somethingfunny....that's a bit of an assuming broad statement! You have no idea of everybodies outgoings and what extra money they could do with!

Who will be better off exactly? Only higher rate taxpayers by hardly anything. I'm not saying they should be better off but nobody has got a handout in this budget unless I missed something.

We might be better off. By £400 if the calculator is right. I don't think we need the money more than anyone else but it's less overall than what we've lost in CB for three kids and DLA for two. This is just one reason I'll continue to hate & despise the Tories and those who voted for them.

Who will be better off exactly?

People who inherit homes from their parents worth £325K-£500K- an extra £175K tax free,with tax cuts on estates worth up to £2million.

Who will be better off exactly? Only higher rate taxpayers by hardly anything. I'm not saying they should be better off but nobody has got a handout in this budget unless I missed something.
We'll be better off. DPs personal allowance will increase and so he will pay a little lest tax. We don't earn anywhere near £30K, we rent privately, and we don't claim anything except Child Benefit (which if they took away from me I could live without it). So we're low income winners.

Low income winners. By how much, did you vote Tory, was it worth it? (Feel free to ignore it, it's a more general rant. How much to sell your fellow humans.)

We will be a few hundred better off. Why? We don't need it, people who do need it are going to be crippled.

Fucking hate IDS for his pathetic antics.

Thank you to those who explained why they couldn't be better off.

I would be happy to pay more in tax to support those who can't work. I am concerned though about supporting those who won't work. I also want to see a stable and thriving economy. I have more faith that this government will spend wisely than the last labour government.

We will be £2 a week better off on an unpalatable income. If we were to be, say, £50k pa worse off I would want a bigger voice about how things are run. I know I wouldn't get it and shouldn't get it.

I want more pru's and support for sen, I want more nursing care for those with alzheimers, I want better mh and maternity services and a fit for purpose GP system. I want sensible uni provision in the context of numbers and safe defence spending.

I want a system where it is worthwhile for Brits to clean and iron and have a better life and for the benefit/income gap to be dealt with so it is worthwhile to work.

I don't know which party would do those things but I am sick of "computer says" Little Britain".

We are married, own our own home and earn £42,500 between us but we will be £160 better off per year. WHY?! We already have over £1000 disposable income per month between us. I feel awful for those who will struggle even more. I voted labour because I care about the whole. My parents were on a low income when I was a child and I know how difficult life can be. I really need to start a DD to a charity or start donating to a food bank!

I will be £1157 worse off (BBC calculator). Single parent, working full time (40h) at around median wage, 2 kids both school age, one in wraparound childcare (not funded under 30h scheme or any other scheme I know of). The £1157 is childcare tax credits, so I would in fact be better cutting my hours, but can't because employer has perfectly good business case against and I don't want to be an arse to them when they are nice enough.

But hey, we're all in this together- I'm sure some nice tory will leave me a million pound house so I can pay uni fees for the kids, right?

No one needs to pay uni fees for their children. They get a loan, and the amount they can borrow is increasing

I'm sure some nice tory will leave me a million pound house so I can pay uni fees for the kids, right?

Why not ask the many labour supporters on here who are more than willing to help out, there must be a few who reside in London and will benefit from this....

£258 better off. Bloody angry about it too. We both earn a really decent wage. We don't need it. Lots of people do. Bloody Tories.

Beaufort you articulate it much better than me.

People talking about paying their kids' Uni fees gives me the RAGE

the graduate pays a small amount per month if they earn more than the threshold, it doesn't affect their ability to get a mortgage and will probably never actually get totally repaid if they earn less than about 50k IIRC

the increased loans actually help those families who did not previously qualify for assistance for their students, in that less top up help will be required. It's also way fairer to have all students in the same position rather than being judged on their parents' income.

Homebuthesea - you need to go back to tory school and report their strategy of indoctrinating the masses into the benefits of tuition FEES isn't working.

Low income winners. By how much, did you vote Tory, was it worth it? (Feel free to ignore it, it's a more general rant. How much to sell your fellow humans.)

I didn't vote. I'm not that stupid. But that is a whole different debate.
I have no idea what the net gain is of having DPs personal allowance increased is. Probably peanuts, but no real loss. It's funny how only those who have learned to be dependant upon the state, reach a point where they believe they are 'entitled'. I have not reached a point where I believe I am entitled to anything yet. I have health issues due to my lifestyle, but I inflict them upon myself and I should not be entitled to care at others expense. I choose not to avail myself of treatment. Not do I claim benefits other than CB for DCs. Will that change in the future? Maybe, but. I hope not. Am I able to claim benefits at present? Probably. DP earns £20K, but we choose not to. We can manage just fine without, and we will not trap ourselves in dependency on money that we can lose at the whim of a government or the incompetence of some data input clerk overpaying us and then trying to recover the money. Don't claim. Make savings elsewhere (no TV, mobile phone, car, holiday, etc.) Next year when this thread rolls out again, and the complainers complain, again, I'm hoping DP will still be working, and the only thing we need to look out for is another increase in personal allowance.

Welfare is going to get cut, dramatically. It is not sustainable at its current level. So 40% across the board will go over the next four years. You can complain and point the finger and cuss, but you can do nothing about it. So you need to change your lifestyle or increase your income, and the sooner you do it, and get ahead of the learning curve, the easier you will find the transition. It's natural to feel angry and betrayed and blame the rich. That's what you're meant to do. But it does not benefit you. It only reinforces your belief that you are right. It doesn't matter how right you are, or how passionately you know you are right. If you do not take action to protect yourself and your family, you will suffer and claim you did not see it coming.

Think of the poor pensioners in Greece. Not one of them did not see this coming. It could be seen 10 years ago. Did they do anything? No. They just sat on benefits and did nothing.

Elliefantspoo - you're not angry about this? You even think you're a "winner"? Sorry, but they've got you exactly where you're supposed to be: lamb for the slaughter.

margo I'm not entirely sure I understand your point. What I do know is that the falling off of Uni applications from students in lower socioeconomic groups has not happened since the introduction of repayable fees. I also know that the living expenses element of the cost of being a student can be a burden on families just above the threshold for grants who do not have the extra disposable income to bridge the gap. Now those students can get access to increased maintenance loans, and everyone is on a level playing field.

Oh, and I'm not a Tory

Students will be allowed to get into more debt, that's an excellent thing. Levels the playing field gor what?

But a debt that actually need never be paid back! And why should Middle income families be worse off as they are under the current system? The real issue in my view is the sheer numbers of undergraduate students who will never get "graduate" jobs, the fault of the Blair government who said 50% of our school leavers should go to higher education. There's far too little discussion in our schools about routes into work for those who frankly would be better off not going to University.

We will be better off due to increased tax allowance