to wish the changes on tax credits had of gone through

[madhurjazz]

They would of affected 1/5th of people on tax credits and that would of caused some issues in the short term so maybe some more help to transition was needed. But since that tax credits sad face woman on question time that was claiming them to run a salon in her lounge they u turned.

This has just resulted in cuts from other areas and not stopped the cuts at all.

Tax credits and housing benefit maybe a good idea for people in the short term. But many people are being long term subsidised and the main beneficiaries are the employers who get away with paying less and making more profits.

I'll probably get flamed for this but how can this country carry on racking up the debt? Its just going to create a greater financial burden on the future generations.

Some do, not everybody of course. A girl I was friends with works 12 hours a week, she gets the same in tax credits as she does from work. If she worked full time she'd lose the tax credits. So why would you work more, if you get the same money from part time as from full time?

"So why would you work more if you get the same money from part time as from full time"

Exactly what's wrong with the system really.

I know people like that too eating. I guess it's tempting if someone hands you cash.

'Picturing David Cameron at his pc, typing away and giggling...'

You don't honestly believe he'd write 'would of', do you? Unless, of course, he were being a goady bridge dweller.

Yes the minimum wage is too low, put it up overnight and see unemployment soar as small businesses go bankrupt and large businesses lay off staff.

Where I work there's a couple on NMW who work around 16 hours a week each. (There's plenty of overtime available) 2 kids and no ambition. They're in their early 20s. Both heavily subsidised by HB and TC. Is this the type of thing you're getting at OP? If so, I agree.

Thank you! Yes that's exactly what I'm talking about. I know the same where I work. I need to employ agency staff come Christmas as the permies on tc and hb are unwilling to take on any more hours.

I know if I reduced my hours my tax credits would increase. I could potentially be better off. But morally I would not do that.

I have always worked and increased my hours when I became single. It's my aim to earn enough not to be reliant on tax credits. My DC will grow up and I need to be able to afford to live.

Putting minimum wage up would just mean that businesses would put their prices up to compensate meaning that £10 would have the same spending power as say £7 at the moment.
People should get free childcare instead of tax credits - giving people more money in their pocket but rewarding working. I've always worked part time since having kids (and mainly evening work) as childcare would have wiped out my wages. Even now the 3 kids are in school just after school care would mean I would earn less full time then I currently do working part time (we don't get tax credits)

Here we go. Today's "controversial" thread.

Working tax credits are necessary because wages are not high enough to live on. I would:

1. Introduce a genuine living wage that meant people in FT work don't have to struggle
2. Make MNCs pay appropriate tax (unfortunately this can't be done in isolation- other countries would have to do it also)
3. Heavily subsidise childcare (as is the case in most Western European countries)

For people who are unable to work through circumstances or illness tax credits are a much needed lifeline which I completely agree with. As for employers benefitting, if the government could find a way to raise the minimum wage to a level which would actually allow people to live out of poverty then tax credits wouldn't be needed. We don't get tax credits or housing benefit, because DP works mental hours to support us, but that's because we're able to do that, not because we're somehow better than people who claim. It's all about circumstances and individual situations.

Great idea about pensioners working. And part timers getting more hours - will help us all be a lot more prosperous and pay out less in benefits etc.

Now met me just wave my magic wand and create another what, 5 million full time Jobs? Oh. I can't

Disclaimer: I made up the number 5 million. No idea how many jobs would be needed to put all capable pensioners and part time workers in full time work

Waves flag at Daily Fail.

What planet are you on if you think tax credits and HB cuts will only affect those you deem not to need it?

It will affect everyone who claim those benefits.
I work full time and without TC i could not afford the childcare costs. I spend more time away from my children than i want to but as a single parent i have no choice.

The NMW needs to be increased first before you remove the financial support so why not start a thread about that instead if the benefits bashing one this clearly is. Or maybe a thread about how big corperations/bankers/MPs dont pay enough tax/high wages/large expenses?

Why is it when people want to cut back on public spending they look to the already poor to make the cuts??? [Angry]

High rents are party down to housing benefit, especially in London.

Not this shit again. Housing Benefit was capped and reduced 6 years ago. In your experience, how much have rents gone down in the last 6 years?

gowgirl is right, in an ideal world raising the minimum wage would be the perfect solution. However, many businesses would then have to lay off staff or even fold as a business as they just would not be able to survive paying those wages. Or, their prices would increase meaning the living costs would be even higher, making the higher wages pointless.

And if you raise the higher minimum wage surely you would have to raise other wages that are currently at the same rate as the proposed higher wage.

Tax evasion and fraud is where we should be focusing.

Why can't someone suggest reform without loads of posters jumping down their throats accusing them of wanting children to starve. It's ridiculous.

The fact is this country is running at a loss. Every year the UK spends more money than it receives in taxes and so the huge debt is getting bigger and bigger each year and of course the interest paid on that debt increases too. As the OP says it is creating a financial burden for future generations.

Perhaps benefits reform is the answer, perhaps it is tax rises, perhaps it is spending on infrastructure and providing more jobs. But surely we can have a sensible debate about it rather than burying our heads in the sand and letting the debt continue to grow.

So its employers who benefit as you say. And you are moaning about the "permies" who don't want Xmas work because it will muck up their TC and HB claims. Spot the irony there?

Do you know how long it takes to get claims up and running for HB? It's a bloody nightmare when you work different hours and causes no end of difficulties.

So many people would have suffered as a result of the changes AND don't kid yourself that we would not have had the same cuts...we would have...they were already planned.

"Wanting lower public spending is a dirty thought? Because the country is running at such a surplus and not building up debt for future generations to deal with?"

Wanting lower public spending at the expense of the poor and children is a dirty thought. BTW Britain's public debt has been higher than it is now for about 170 of the last 250 years, how do you feel about paying off the debts of past generations?

Facetious argument proving a inherent lack of understanding of the facts, and including a fallacy.

D -

"High rents are party down to housing benefit, especially in London"

HB accounts for only a small proportion of the entire private rental market, it isn't a determinant of rental prices, high HB payments are an effect of increasing rents, not a cause.

And FWIW, under the changes you are talking about, taking on extra hours while claiming tax credit would have made less sense than under the current system. So if that's what you were aiming for then it would have been a total failure.

I've always done overtime on tax credits, in the long run it leave you better off. Since DC sneaked one of his changes through in April I've had to start turning it down because I suspect it's going to cost me a lot in the long run.

OP you are the Tory government's wet dream. They've told you that poor people is why this country is broke, and you, oh foolish gullible you, have believed them.

Didn't you know they were just softening you up so that when the time came you'd lap up the stuff they want to do to poor people?

Have a brain. And a heart.

When the likes of Philip Greene are properly taken to task for their disgusting actions then I will have a discussion about tax credits. Until then I couldn't care less what people do or do not claim. Philip Green did nothing illegal....and tax credit claimants who maximise their claim are equally doing nothing illegal.

Surely austerity has been demonstrated as unnecessary by enough actual economists for people to see it for what it is...a philosophical CHOICE by the Tories? Or do people still believe that cutting the income of the countries poorest (those whose income is 100% spent again and not squirreled away into savings, offshore and otherwise) is the best/only way to decrease the deficit?

I agree about the lack of incentive for single parents to work full-time. However when I worked full-time and I was out of the house for up to 12 hours a day, occasionally more, my primary school age children definitely suffered.