This may be unpopular - but what about the squeezed middle?

[AndroidUsername]

They are talking about raising taxes on the average person now. Which will really effect lower middle class families who are already feeling the pinch due to increases in cost of food, gas and electic, increasing childcare costs and rent or morgage increases. They are going to increase pensions and benefits with inflation but lots of middle class earners are not having their wages increased with inflation but will now have their taxes increased. What about help for the middle class, especially lower middle class and working class who earn slightly to much to qualify for any help but will now stuggle with all these increases.

What do you mean by help? FSM or similar? I get some tax credits working full time but if taxes are raised we will be struggling too.

We are on combined income of £91k (so close to £100k) with no DC and a mortgage, definitely middle income or below average where we live (London).

My net income is 5300. I'm the whole earner for a family of five. My fixed costs are massive and variable costs are going through the roof with food inflation. Yes I could afford a tax increase, but I already pay nearly 50% because I'm the sole earner. Everyone's lifestyle will change.

This!

I fall in to the lower middle bracket. I have to tighten my belt in terms of treats, but I’m not having to worry about heating, food or clothing.

I'm worried too, but it appears if you're able to eat and heat then you're just supposed to be grateful for your lot and not make a sound.

Unfortunately old people want :

Free social care.
Zero inheritance tax.
Triple locked pensions.

Yep, it does my head in.
An aunt was over this weekend, she has a 1.5m house, holiday home, didn't work for very long & gets additional gov support as now disabled. I don't want her to not receive this but she was complaining about the wait for the free transport. Another family member is a consultant & said the NHS is the worse she's seen it. We talked about ways to fund it & said to my aunt would you object to a charge on the house value payable upon death. She thought it was outrageous as she has worked hard & others will get it all for free. I just don't understand the logic tbh.

We are all about to get a reality check as to UK PLC's real place in the world, both ecenomic and influence. We are a declining nation clinging to the idea that e are special 'great' or should somehow just because be better than Germany, France or Poland. I think the national malaise is an inability to think long term. We don't plan let alone complete and finish a plan. We are chancers addicted to a quick fix (quantative essing, tax cuts btexit miraculously giving us instant cash for the nhs) with a complete buy now pay later mentality that operates in the personal and private and state sector's. An aging population, climate change/switching from fossil fuels/skills shortages etc were all utterly predicted...The NHS for example had been begging for a work force plan for 15 years. Did we plan for any of these raging certainties. Did we bollocks. So here we find ourselves... declining.... which means our overall standard of living will decline. Because every time any politician goes to the electorate with any whiff of something that's about investing now for our future the 'people' reject in favour of quick fixes and absurd promises of jam tommorow. We are a nation of toddlers with poor impulse control. Honestly I reckon if you did a country by country league table rating the population on the Stanford marshmallow test we'd be bottom third...

Those £100k households will struggle just as much. Their mortgage, childcare and general bills will be more than those on £35k.

MN are very quick to say well 'downsize'. But you can't just sell up a 5 bed detached and move to a 2 bed within a week. And that would just drive house prices further as they could afford to go over asking and out pay those poorer families.

You earn around 110k and pay around 33k taxes

So that's a third not half - good news eh!

People talk about combined income of 100k as if this makes you immune to col increases. Jobs that paid 50/80k when I left uni still pay the same, tax bands haven't risen, house prices are completely out of whack & look at childcare costs.

@midgetastic no, I don't.

That is shit to be fair!… My husband works away on a metal box in the sea with no life for 6 months off the year. In return he can buy food and heating.

Actually I don't think it's the population who object to long term thinking at all

It's the politicians and their Uber rich friends who won't do it

@Cherryblossoms85

Then get an accountant because if your income is what you say it is ....

You earn around 110k and pay around 33k taxes

What about NI in that calculation?

Fair point about recognising that the cost of living crisis affects a lot of people. However, there are some things I'd willingly increase taxes on, and I'm sure we'd each have our own list.

The observation about downsizing and moving to a new house are valid, but there is no need for about 99% of SUVs/BMWs/Audis or other expensive cars, for example.

I'm worried too, but it appears if you're able to eat and heat then you're just supposed to be grateful for your lot and not make a sound

We have to get away from the narrative that if you can eat & heat you should be grateful. It's a load of crap.

This.

squeezed middle aren’t middle class. It’s average income people- £20-35k a year types. No benefits but no spare cash either to afford price rises.

Absolutely. Myself and my sister are in this position. We both work 4 days a week and our partners don't work for specific reasons not relevant to detail. Because we both work and have a not bad wage we get absolutely no assistance. Full council tax, no unemployment benefit, no universal credit. We are both auto immune and I am recovering from my second bout of cancer. My friends (one works 1 day) the other on disability, pip etc bring in more than I do per month. Both are well able to work full time and do want to but they would be worse off. I am seriously considering quitting my job. I am on the wrong side of 50 and tired.

It depends what you mean when you say squeezed middle as that's a large spectrum.

I have a lot of sympathy for anyone just above the cut off point for any help as that is an incredibly tough position to be in. I don't have much for those on higher salaries (say 50k) who are sat in homes with large amounts of equity.

They may need to cut their cloth a bit but it's only right and proper that help is targeted at the most vulnerable - many of whom are literally going hungry atm.

Some Disabled people in particular and their carers have no chance to increase income. My friend received under £400 per month in state benefits and ultimately lost her very modest home as the waiting time for the assessment took 18 months and there is no help for those with mortgages. Some rely on life saving equipment that pushes electricity bills through the roof but only got £150 in acknowledgment of that disability - whilst millionaires are receiving the £400 too.

I don't have any real answers but I do know it must start with the wealthier paying their fair share as they simply don't. The tories have been Robin Hood in reverse for years now and thankfully people are now wishing up.

The rich?

Generally the people who have money to tax in the UK are old and middle class.

Basically if the government is going to raise money to pay for increased/better services then it is going to have to get it from the people who have the money.

It's pointless trying to get it from people who don't (the poor).

It's also pointless trying to get it from people who are rich. Because the more you attempt to tax the rich, the more cost effective it becomes to employ a small army of accountants to ensure you pay as little tax as possible. Or just head off to somewhere where you don't have to pay as much.

So the "squeezed middle" are about to become the "even more squeezed middle".

The alternative is not to squeeze them further, but don't increase spending.

I live rural and have an SUV. It's 11 years old and is a workhorse. It will run until it dies. It does less harm over its life than those who change their car every 3 years or so.

I don't have much for those on higher salaries (say 50k) who are sat in homes with large amounts of equity.

So should a 30 yr old earning 60k renting receive less sympathy than a 60 yr old earning 30k with 70% equity?

A month?

yes your lifestyle will change but it’s highly unlikely you’ll be facing heat or eat situations.