Why won't any political party focus or help the squeezed middle

[Winterday1991]

Off the back of another thread, has got me thinking about the next general election.

Why is there not a party that will focus on the middle earners in the squeezed south east , where both partners work full time, who are struggling juggling mortgages, cost of childcare and self fund everything and are over threshold for any help or subsidies ie child benefit, cost of living payments, free childcare via universal credit?

We are a middle/highish income family and are just so sick of paying into the system and getting nothing back! The amount of tax we pay is insane, certainly not anywhere near value for money. Labour just seem to want to focus on single parent families and those on universal credit.

Any party who focuses on the middle will surely win the election?

Because they need to focus on the ones who are struggling for food and paying the bills? I don't deny people are finding it tight but at least you will have food on the table and a warm house.

Simple - the middle earners are the ones who contribute the most in taxes - they get the economy moving ! They spend more in services and goods than any other segment ! If they assist us we end up being wealthier and thus pushed into higher earners - who in turn contribute far less in taxes to society !They need our sweat and blood!

that is depressing

The benefit for you is that you live in a safe country. You dont to have worry about seeing tent villages and children begging in the streets.

In my experience those people would be entitled to Universal credit and other top ups. in reality, most middle earning families are left with the same disposable income as lower earners as they have to self fund and are over threshold for child benefit etc

You say that you get nothing back but presumably you have access to all the same services as anyone else would for their tax payments.

Because the people below you are struggling way more than you think that you do.

What are you classing as the squeezed middle?

Exactly the problem. Any family on 60 to 100k generally has a similar income in total after tax as those on uc. So why bother being a teacher or nurse or going into management when you could do a mw job and claim uc for a very similar lifestyle, often using less childcare etc.

Exactly this

I think you overestimate how generous UC is!

And the SouthEast is becoming a cesspit.

Not enough support or service staff as they can't afford to live here, and all the WFH whineys have moved out to Norfolk, Cumbria or Cornwall.

We are a parent household with a joint income of £95K

vert very few people contribute more than they get back, so statistically it’s unlikely that you get nothing back.

if you have children in school, have visited a GP or received virtually any sort of healthcare, if you drive on the roads, visit parks you’re cashing in your tax £ and receiving direct benefit.

have you ever lived anywhere, without a welfare safety net? been harassed on the street by mentally ill drug abusers because there’s no support for them?, walked past overflowing rubbish piles because streets don’t get cleared? had to pay someone to mind your car whilst you pop to the shop because that’s the only way to guarantee you car won’t be stolen? Those are all the indirect benefits you get from a functioning society and welfare net paid for by taxes

I think people underestimate how much they benefit from taxes. We all benefit from things like public health, transport, an educated workforce, judiciary, defence, policing, cultural amenities etc. Even if you dont feel like you directly get anything like a payment, there must be a lot of indirect benefits.

ok... a girl I know from school, 4 kids by 4 different dads by aged 30. Gave birth to first kid age 16. She has never worked a day in her life.

Yet has a lovely big 3 bed council house for free and her and her latest squeeze go on holiday more than we do!

I'm sure I read somewhere that if you have children then unless you are earning way above £150k you will use more services paid for by tax than you yourself will actually pay for. Can't remember the source though.

I get the frustration of being in a professional job and always feeling like I have no money but I have to remind myself that 'no money' to me now is not the same as when I was young and genuinely had to worry about where the money for a tub of formula would come from some weeks.

I work full time and not in a mw job. I'm in a management position as someone who has worked hard to gain the experience and qualifications yet I still get uc.

I agree to an extent- I’d vote for someone who prioritised the working adults who prop the whole country up with their work and taxes rather than focussing almost exclusively (it feels) on pensioners and those on benefits.

95k and still moaning! Blimey you have no idea!

The squeezed middle are squeezed because they over stretch themselves financially, buy houses at the top of their budgets, spend to excess when things are good and then now interest rates are up they are complaining they can't afford their houses and financed cars.

I'll save my sympathy for those on UC and fighting to put food on the table.

Of course but is it right that hard workers in professional jobs have similar spending power to those on benefits or working in very low skilled jobs? I think it is unfair and we should reward say nurses and teachers with a disposable income that is higher than what mw is topped up to. And its not just the top up is it, it is everything else with it like 85% childcare instead of 20% up to 100k.

This

Most people on UC scrape by so I wouldn't imagine that is a typical situation. I am on UC and work and rarely go on holiday.

That's the squeezed middle 😳

The vast majority of those claiming UC work full time.