To ask if you have an idea you believe would significantly improve life in the UK?

[ConfusedmumUC]

I’ll go first.

I can’t help but think making someone’s rent payments eligible to prove you can pay a mortgage would go a long way to housing security for so many people. And limiting the amount of properties owned by one landlord / amount a landlord can charge in rent, would also go a long way. I can’t help but think profiteering massively off of a basic need and right such as housing is really not ok.

Im sure there’s a reason why my idea wouldn’t work, feel free to put me right 😂

What’s your idea?

The start of a People's Manifesto, I love it!

Affordable cover is now fairly easy to find, it changed significantly about eight years ago (I work in the industry) and now in the UK a pre-existing condition etc may only add a very small additional premium compared to what policies used to be like. There are also many more specialist providers now as well that has also helped to significantly reduce premiums.

Why do you want children (all children are innocent) to be made homeless if their parent/s die?

@Simonjt thanks for the tip, we'll take another look.

To be honest, my original point was about finding funding to create a national social care system. I don't agree with wealth that originated in the times of William the Conqueror still benefitting some families rather than all and so focusing on the inheritance system seems a good source of that funding.

I don't know why people are so against recognising that luck plays a role in what we achieve in life.

You seem to be dismissing all hard work as based purely on 'good luck' while failing to recognise the sacrifices that people make in order to give their children the best possible start in life. Simply being lucky enough to be born in the UK is a huge 'leg up' compared to what other people experience.

My point is that all kids deserve "the best possible start in life" - do you disagree?

Education free at all levels to increase social mobility, the ability to change careers and the general educational level of our society.

The recognition and promotion of manufacturing/manual skills as a worthy profession, similar to that seen in Germany.

Controversially, if you still smoke/vape in 2023, pay for your own NHS care. I don’t wish to work to support your death wish.

Stricter criminal sentences.

It's a laudable aim. How do you realistically propose that it be achieved?

What about people who eat unhealthy food?

What about people who don't exercise enough?

Should they have to pay for their own NHS care as well? How far do you go?

Or if they fall while skateboarding?

Or if they get brain damage falling off a unicycle?

Or if they suffer burns while cooking something unhealthy?

Controversially, if you still smoke/vape in 2023, pay for your own NHS care. I don’t wish to work to support your death wish.

Obviously you'd include people who drive in that?

My point is that all kids deserve "the best possible start in life" - do you disagree?

In a perfect world, yes, but it's just not realistic because human nature will ensure that inequality always exists.

Reform child support legislation and investigatory powers. Disgraceful the number of NRPs funnelling cash through businesses, driving new luxury cars and not paying a penny for their children.

What a really sad view of the world and our species.

How does your approach get us closer to that perfect world?

We can and should strive to achieve what we think is right. Not make the problem worse because 'it'll never happen'.

What a really sad view of the world and our species.

Why is it sad to acknowledge that some humans are highly creative, resourceful and hard working while others are lazy and happy to take from others?

Council tax is indeed a joke. Around here, every village pays a slightly different rate. And in my town you can find four-bedroom houses in Band A and two-bedroom flats in Band D.

My street has a row of identically-built houses. Most are Band C, but a few which have since been extended, are Band D. Fair enough. But if you live in one of the two houses which happened to look a bit run down in 1995, you’re in luck. They’re indistinguishable from the rest of the street now, but they were put in Band B and that’s that!

I think everyone should pay national insurance contributions at the same level. We all use the national health service. So no discounts for self employed people or over 60s. We saw during the pandemic that self employed people DO get benefits from the state, so there's no justification for the discount.

I think that capital gains, dividends and interest from savings should be taxed at the same rate as . Capital gains when you sell your primary residence should also be taxable.

I also think that squirreling tax away in tax havens should be discouraged more rigorously.

Then we can use the extra money to properly fund the education, social care and health.

There certainly should be nic on property income such as buy to let’s or air bnb - no reason at all why not as many people regard it as a business.

We’ll 3 million DIDNT get furlough nor SEISS grants, so presumably those excluded should get a NIC refund?

Controversially, if you still smoke/vape in 2023, pay for your own NHS care. I don’t wish to work to support your death wish.

Smokers actually save the state money. If they lived to a ripe old age, they'd cost far more in pensions and social care. That's not to mention the stiff taxes on tobacco which mean that in practice they actually have paid for their care.

What about passive smoking though? Also, there’s the economic cost of family members giving up work to care for a relative with COPD, cancer or a limb amputation.

I really don’t like it when people think my success in life is attributable to luck. It’s not true. From a young age, about 7/8, I made sure I did all my homework as soon as I got home. I was very very average academically so knew I had to work twice as hard to get good grades.

After school I made lots of choices which helped further my career. I saved up when at university and moved to London post graduation. I worked multiple jobs, having 2-3 jobs at any time. I kept my expenses very low.

I moved abroad for my employer and realized I needed a U.S. qualification. I went back to school on evenings and weekends and got the credits needed to get my CPA license. I sat my CPA exams between the births of my first two children. It was really tough and my ex husband wasn’t the most supportive. I accomplished this without going into debt.

Speaking of it the ex… there was zero luck with that one. None of my successes were applauded. My career wasn’t supported. I wasn’t supported as the mother of our children. Yes he was working hard, but so was I. If it wasn’t for the women around me helping raise the children, I wouldn’t be where I am. It’s not luck that got me here. It’s a solid education, applying myself to my studies, prioritizing the important things first over fancy stuff, having good quality dependable childcare and eventually shaking off the husband who wasn’t pulling his weight.

What I want for everyone is support to be successful. Education, quality dependable childcare, safe housing and a proper diet are the cornerstones of being able to be in a position to make better choices. Better choices lead to better outcomes.

@Inkyblue123 - if you look at CO2 emissions per capita, China is nowhere near the worst. It’s also a bit hypocritical of the west to penalise countries which are less industrially developed and poorer. The west went through the Industrial Revolution much earlier and have had a lot of advantages.

@Ilovemycatalot I encourage you to take a look at apprenticeship degrees, via your employer. Employers with a £3m+ payroll bill each year, has to pay in to the apprenticeship levy**

In simple terms, it’s a tax on the business (IMO). Some companies are good at setting a learning strategy to ensure the money is spent wisely on apprenticeship schemes - but the word “apprenticeship” is lost on people in terms of it being available to those already employed. I’ve now got managers studying degree level courses (business, procurement, Continuous Improvement) funded by this levy (that we pay anyway)

You work whilst studying and dedicated 20% of the course to study (which organisation has to support you in). It’s not necessarily a day a week studying, because it tends to be evidence based and logging the things you’re doing linked to the subject matter.

**I think, but don’t quote me, smaller organisations can tap into other organisations’ levy that hasn’t been used, so even if you work for a smaller company, this could be open to you

But to a certain degree it was still due to luck. An awful lot of hard work too, but a degree of luck. Your last paragraph sums it up. If you don't have those things in place, then it's a lot harder to succeed.

It's luck whether you end up being born in a stable home, with no disabilities, having space, light and time to do your homework, not needing to care for others in your childhood, not being homeless during your GCSEs/A levels, not being critically/long-term ill whilst establishing yourself, having a certain level of intelligence so you can study for qualifications, having a suitable school/college near enough your childhood home to attend post 16...

Like your last paragraph, I'd like to see a UK where even the unluckiest has sufficient food, heat and secure accommodation. However, I realise that no matter how hard some people strive, there is a certain amount of luck in how successful they can be. Some will always turn out on top, but I believe reducing the inequality gap for those that cannot do so through not fault of there own. For one thing, there are only so many 'good' or 'top' jobs and we still need people to fill the other jobs.

I thought that idea had been debunked?

Including the costs of lost economic activity, increased disability and far fewer disability-free years, and greater and longer reliance on health and social care during their lifetimes, the pension savings and tax don't offset it.