Government suggestions to help with cost of living crisis

[ThankGodItsThursday]

Is it me? I don't think so. Latest suggestions being reported include making MOT 's bi annual. How will this help. My MOT in March cost £37. That's a drop in the ocean compared to rising petrol prices, increased fuel costs, food prices etc.

Plus wouldn't this be a safety issue. Cars being driven that are potentially unsafe and it won't help anyone who owns a garage will it. There will be less people having a MOT so less income for the business.

Why is everything this government suggests or does a complete and utter cock up.

And no I don't have any suggestions myself that won't cost the government anything which is what I understand they are looking for. But any ideas surely need to be safe and actually save people a decent amount of money if it is to genuinely help.

I heard that one too this morning 🙄
and how nurseries could take on extra children with no need to raise their staff ratios, that’s safe too isn’t it? And I’m sure the staff will be overjoyed to be doing more work for the same pay, which still won’t cover their bills.

The best bit fro the useless fuckwits is the mot saving is likely to be offset by reduced fuel efficiency from not getting cars tuned.

This government has run out of ideas, we need a change.

Stupid suggestion. Driver bills after two years of no maintenance will be higher than ever. Around 30% of vehicles fail their MOT first time, so we would have almost a third of eligible cars potentially driving around unroadworthy.

It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so fucking insulting 😡
increasing the ratios at nurseries??!! Jeez I don’t know where to start with that! Watch the exodus of nursery staff…

oh and don’t forget the third idea, giving the passport office a jolly good talking to for being slow! Errr… wtf has that got to with anything?!

so bloody out of touch 🙄

Clearly they won't do anything to help but need some sound bites to toss around.

A lot of other countries either have no MOT equivalent or a bi annual one so its not that outrageous to suggest it

The problem is that people want to maintain the same standard of living and won’t accept genuine solutions to reduce costs. Like eating less meat and less in general, stop buying alcohol and smoking and eating out, less new stuff like clothes and toys, etc. Can you imagine the outcry if the government told people to stop drinking to save money? So they come up with nonsense suggestions.

As someone who has always driven very old second hand cars, and always dreaded the MOT because my cars almost always need a couple of hundred quid's worth of work every year, this horrifies me. It's a safety issue ffs. The cost of maintenance on your car can make you weep, but not as much as killing your family in an accident caused by driving a dangerous car around for a whole year.

But anything to avoid taxing people who can afford it, eh.

The MOT suggestion ruins the business of every MOT garage overnight too.

The nursery thing might have some merit but it's not something to be implemented on a whim to reduce costs. If there is too much red tape/ ratios are too low and costs are unnecessarily high, that should be changed, but after proper research. E.g. if it's OK for a reception teacher to have 30 children, it probably is OK to increase group sizes for 3/4 yo?

Windfall tax for energy companies. 20% discount cards to be issued to all UC /disability claimants, claimable at all major supermarkets. Waive business taxes and vat for childcare providers,; increase amount that can be claimed on tax free childcare. I don't know what to do about Increasing rents as that is linked to the increasing cost of repairs for landlords as well as increasing demand.

I don’t see how cutting childcare ratios would help? Ok parents of under 4s in childcare save a bit of money, but most people in society don’t have children under 4 and those who do don’t necessarily use childcare.

Lib annual mot is a good idea. Even after a mot it's still your responsibility to make sure its roadworty

Isle of man doesnt have an mot. And they seem to manage

*Bi-annual

20% discount for people on u/c would never. People will just get someone they know to do their shopping.

The should cap private rent to 25% above social housing rent

The police have more powers (and probably more funding!) in Germany for instance, the test is more stringent and it’s more expensive.

first things first the police would need to be properly trained and funded to stop and prosecute drivers of poorly maintained or poorly modified cars .

Mot garages at the moment are eerily quiet because of the 6 month extension anniversary. They are mentally busy in September - March now, but March - September, quiet

This is a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

They keep increasing minimum wage, which is a good thing and thank god for it. However, it creates wage inflation at all levels and pushes up costs on everything we buy.

Are you serious?
do you know how many people don’t check their tyre treads? at 3 points a corner, that’s you license gone. It’s also the only point of contact their car has with the road.
how would most people check welding or suspension without a ramp? Headlamp levelling, brake capability.

Not MOT, but oil, so few people check it, yet it can write their car off if their engine fails.

Ok long term solution for renters and to help solve housing crisis (aside from building more social housing and houses in general) - allow people to salary sacrifice (this can be capped) into a account which is used to buy housing (only primary residence). This account also has 5% interest rate on the first 25k. Might reduce demand for rental if more people can buy their homes.

Not perfect but from my experience, it's the deposit raising that is hard, I had to live with family for 3 years to save our deposit.

The problem is that people want to maintain the same standard of living and won’t accept genuine solutions to reduce costs. Like eating less meat and less in general, stop buying alcohol and smoking and eating out, less new stuff like clothes and toys, etc. Can you imagine the outcry if the government told people to stop drinking to save money? So they come up with nonsense suggestions.

I don't think people wanting living standards to drop are the problem.

Windfall tax for energy companies. 20% discount cards to be issued to all UC /disability claimants, claimable at all major supermarkets. Waive business taxes and vat for childcare providers,; increase amount that can be claimed on tax free childcare. I don't know what to do about Increasing rents as that is linked to the increasing cost of repairs for landlords as well as increasing demand.

We should be doing this & far higher levies imo on 2nd home ownership/foreign ownership.

@Agrudge ah yes. Maybe they can cap the value. Like say £15 off all your cumulative shopping trips per week.

They keep increasing minimum wage, which is a good thing and thank god for it. However, it creates wage inflation at all levels and pushes up costs on everything we buy.

I don't the current inflation issue has been caused by this months increase to minimum wage. If anything salaries have been stagnant for decades.

I don't think people wanting living standards to drop are the problem
Yes of course there are some people who are genuinely struggling. But the fact that money is still being spent in pubs and restaurants and on holidays and days out means that a lot of people have room to pull their belts in but aren’t.

Not putting the clocks back in winter would reduce energy costs, and not cost the government anything apart from parliamentary time to pass the legislation.

As I've said other countries manage fine. It would have to bigger fines for failing to maintain the obvious stuff like tyres ,break pads . The bi-annual mot would check for anything major

Any car that's 40yrs+ old doesnt need an mot . Ok fair enough they arent used Daily.