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?

what Is the relevance of her having a child at 16.

you earn £95k a year OP it’s hardly the breadline. You should be happy For what you’ve got and stop comparing to others. You have no idea what other people’s circumstances are. She could be in huge debt!! also you seem to know a lot about her private life so either you’re good friends with her in which case stop judging or you see all this through SM, which mean it could be shite anyway

What??! This is absolute nonsense.

You seem to be mixing Labour up with Stalinists!!!

Op I suspect you will get flamed for this but I fully agree. It encourages people to not try to better themselves - how often do we see posts on here where people ask why they should work more / study further because their benefits equal what they would get in salary

The goal of labour seems to be to get everyone to have a similar amount of income no matter their job or responsibilities.

@Boomboom22 have you got a source for that?

You presume incorrectly then. Government top ups stop at a much, much lower income than you seem to think.

And back to a previous poster's point, if you are struggling while in the top 5% of UK household incomes then you are absolutely overstretched, whether that be mortgage, bills, food etc, only you know that unless you're brave enough to post a breakdown here. If you genuinely think at your income level you need government assistance then I'd suggest you take your head out of the clouds and spare a thought for folks who really are struggling.

I think the answer is pretty fucking obvious.... pay nurses and teachers more!

What would be some policies that focused on the squeezed middle?

Do you mean things like tackling fiscal drag so the higher rate kicks in later and you get more money to spend? Or are there other ideas.

To me good state education and good healthcare seem like things I want as these are expensive things I cant afford to buy so they seem like squeezed middle policies for me.

I've reported the blatant benefits bashing the OP is pulling.

Do you really think pension credit is enough to live on? 😂

@Boomboom22 how on earth is that Labours goal?! what are you basing that on?

You're squeezed, I get it, me too.

HOWEVER we are absolutely nowhere near the middle.

£95k household incomes puts you in the top 10% of comparable households. Don't believe me? Check with the ONS or Institute for Fiscal Studies.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/articles/incomespendingandwealthhowdoyoucompare/2022-03-09

You also seem to have a very mistaken idea of UC.

I have a similar income overall now as always despite as much household earning 20 to 25k more a year. Because the top ups go as you earn more. I know many others the same, this is real life.
The many saying you don't get this should check out entitled to, if you have kids you absolutely do. You need to get to 80 or 100k household before you start to see benefits but even then they get taken away like child benefit and the 20% tax free childcare. Really 150k is where you want to be to stop being squeezed!

Good. I considered it myself.

Because we have way more important people to help than the squeezed middle- the first are imo those on low wages, but who own homes so don’t qualify for anything other than the measly child Ben, and who can’t afford to heat or eat
but whose wages cancel out help. Those where both parents work full time but are still in poverty

So?

Your blaming the wrong people for your own stretched situation. You've been stitched up like a kipper by the Daily Mail.

Why?

Some people actually think like the OP and I would rather have a discussion about it.

£95k is not the middle. It puts you in the top 10%

Such a ridiculous thread.

If anyone who calls themselves the 'squeezed middle' thinks they're best served by yet more of the current shitshow, they're completely deluded.

The Tories are the cause of how skint you feel currently @Winterday1991 - they'll only make it worse for you.

I'd rather get back to pre-Tory living standards.

@Spendonsend raising the middle tax rate might be a good idea, there’s definitely some fiscal drag issues plus much higher housing costs along side it does mean those of us with higher household incomes do have a reduced lifestyle compared to pre-2007. Thing is I’m not moaning about it. Both me and my husband have used more NHS money than we’ve put in by far, and we’re only in our 30s.

It's a bit hard to have a discussion when someone who clearly has no idea how the benefits system works thinks that people on UC are pulling in the equivalent of a 95k salary.

How is 95k the squeezed middle? That’s a high income, and considerably more than DH and I earn, living in London.

I understand it makes us top earners, but our lifestyle really does not reflect the top 10%.

So much of our income goes on mortgage, student loan, pension, childcare, council tax, energy, running a car, commuting etc.

The preschool childcare years can feel very brutal. Worth reminding yourself that on your incomes you get tax free childcare up until they're 12, which covers nursery fees, wraparound care, holiday care, etc plus other Ofsted registered clubs. And that 3-4 year old childcare is massively subsidies. And school is fully funded, as it should be.

Everyone is feeling the pinch thanks to inflation and interest rates but best to take the blinkers off about how much better off you are in the long run, and what you actually get now (though I'll agree lots of things are in an absolute state.)

I understand you op, but the bottom line is we aren't worth caring about

I earn 6k a year working part time Evenings and my DH earns 45k working all the hours god sends. We wouldn't qualify for childcare help so avoid it by working opposites. We get child benefit, but it's something we expect to lose in a year or so due to dhs income. He works full time and on the side for himself so has to pay class 1 and 2 NI, why? Why must he pay it twice. The amount he pays in tax is sickening, we certainly have no more money than two parents working lower paid jobs and not paying loads of tax and they at least benefit from free school meals and free holiday clubs for families on benefits.
We do feel a bit like giving up and I've suggested DH get a lower paid, lower stress job and I can up my shifts, but it doesn't feel right either.

Work doesn't really feel like it gives a good reward for us, I feel like the 40% tax kicks in too low and it doesn't feel worth it to go above with work time and earn more as it just gets taken in tax