AIBU to think the disabled are the next target?

[Locutus2000]

The Guardian

Though Jeremy Hunt said the government was “not in a position” to contemplate a decrease in tax immediately, he said the welfare budget could be hit further down the line to foot the bill.

He told the Times that 100,000 people a year were “moving off work into benefits without any obligation to look for work” – a sign he said showed the system was not working.

The welfare system had to be a “mix of carrot and stick”, with more assistance required to help people find work, given there was “no shortage of jobs”, he added."

Funny how 'carrot and stick' always equates to 'more stick'.

I have no idea what will happen when there is no more money to pay for it all ? maybe the criteria for the other benefits will be cut, maybe old people will have to live with their families like they used to ? Who knows what will happen if / when the country goes bankrupt. I'm not sayin git will but the future doesn't look great.

How will things improve Blossom ? Do you mean just because of the sheer numbers of boomers ?

Of course. Boomers are the bulge in the snake. Once we’ve all gone - and the youngest are 60, so not too long to wait - the pressure will ease never to return.

Things won’t improve. We are on a downward trajectory in the UK. For too many years we stupidly penalised success. Wanting to take more and more from those contributing to society. Throwing stones and trying to drag them down. We now have a society which is fiscally unproductive. More and more people going onto out of work benefits. Less children being born vs an increasing elderly population.

It’s not about electoral suicide. It’s about the crash of a whole country for future generations. Admittedly the selfishness and lack of education is the main problem of why we are in this position. All serious short sightedness.

We now have a minority working population that’s mad in a developed economy and completely unsustainable long term. The thing is, there isn’t much keeping the young or highly educated here. Painful truth and the statistics back it up. High tax, hatred if you do well, universal benefits are gone and a crumbling healthcare/education system. The economy is completely fucked and this has been a long time coming. Yes the politicians are to blame. However so are the selfish, shortsighted electorate. In general we don’t think of the long term issues in the country. “But boats!” “But passports” “But house prices” “We paid in all our lives.” “Tax the rich.” People get the country they deserve.

Yes I agree @Princessandthepea0 people including the politicians mainly think short term and have no idea how the economy works. And there is alot of entitlement (not everyone). This is not a labour v Tory issue as some on here seem to think, they all engender the same short term ism, maybe something about the political system?

I don't know, princess. Thing were pretty awful when I was growing up. They got better. I think the UK will stumble on for a while and things will improve. Hopefully some fresh political talent will emerge. Young people with fire in their bellies and who have actual ideas rather than relying on populusm.

100% and dare I say it - it’s all at the mercy of the media. I’m not conspiracy theorist at all. However this country has been bled dry. People hate those who do well - you see it on here. So shortsighted, you need those higher rate tax payers to pay the bills. They aren’t some evil entity. Aspiration has been crushed.

Something has to change and urgently. The trajectory from the ONS statistics is appalling. You can’t have a majority population not contributing and such a high state burden. It’s just impossible. It’s not Labour vs Tory. I wish they’d bang their heads together and sort it out for long term prospects. Labour’s school fees policy is another example of going down that rabbit hole. It’s so short sighted I don’t know where to start. However not for this thread. It’s not been costed and will lead to more inequality. It’s madness.

I really, really hope so.

Yes, politicians are short termists. Successive governments of both colours have had 60 years to plan for the biggest generation alive to grow old and have done nothing. It’s as if they managed not to register the high birth rates from 1945 to 1964 - amazing really, especially when you consider that they managed to educate all those kids.

You’re right @IClaudine, times have been hard before. Postwar Britain was pretty grim - yet managed to build houses and create the welfare state - the 1970s was an awful time and the medicine to cure it was dreadful. We’re currently going through a very tough time but nothing lasts for ever. The biggest challenge now is climate change and we’re currently stepping back, which feels like madness. I have high hopes of Gen Z, they seem to get it.