To agree with increasing tax and more benefit cuts to pay for defence

[Viviennemary]

I was surprised to hear that Labour is to spend more on defence. We really do need to with the threats from Russia and run down of weapon stocks because they have been given to Ukraine. All of Europe needs to wake up. But I think they realise this.

I gave the OP the benefit of the doubt because they seemed concerned , but I'm suspicious now because, well obviously.

Lots of people receiving PIP do not need disability equiment or carers. Old people on tiny incomes had winter fuel removed at a slash.

It goes further than that though. If someone is on LCWRA and they dont get daily living, then they are found fit for work and lose the extra money that comes with LCWRA. If someone cares for them that is on carers allowance, then they will also lose that and have to look for work.
It is so much more than just losing money.

The winter fuel allowance was a one off payment. PIP is monthly and is what some people use to live on. No one was using a one off payment of £300 to survive.

Why is there no vitriol towards the Royal Family? They are raking in a significant amount that is completely insane whilst families working non stop feel they get nothing for their labour. These people will wave flags for the King? Why. What is this lunacy.

I don't understand why people aren't upset about this.

I worked in local government in central London before life took a turn with severe health conditions developing rendering me severely disabled. That could impact anyone sadly. Anyone.

At that time in LGov, I recall the Politicians we were accountable to would come up with a stupid brain dead concept. If it then became apparent we really should scrap it and cut losses and expenditure, we'd nearly always still have to go along with this shite because these numbskulls were so passionately invested, money had been spent etc etc and what they wanted would over ride us. It is beyond criminal what goes on. HS2 feels like such a passion.

A lot of Elderly people were relying on the winter fuel payments to heat their homes.
Your statement is very sweeping

It's not just labour @Vinvertebrate, our tax system is highly distributive?

You cite the Laffer curve but this does not take into account the fact that the wealthier in "our society" (if there is even such a thing, according to maggie!!) have access to accountants to maximise their tax efficiency therefore removing revenue from the majority who could benefit.

But they're all right, after all, they are government buddies (of all persuasions)

The richest 10% of income taxpayers earn more income than the entire bottom 50%.

Someone earning £45,000 faces the same income tax on an extra £1 of earnings as someone earning £145,000.

Distribution is not equal nor is it fair.

Even more reason not to cut it IMHO. PIP isn't means tested.

Yes heat their home in the winter. Not live on and pay the bill through out the rest of the year.
I am not one to compare one group against the other but pensioners losing a one off payment of £300 compared to disabled people losing 100s each month is vastly different.

Yes, I know the huge ramifications of introducing the new rule. It is just that pp suggested there were changes to descriptors etc. yet to be published.

Anyway, I suggest not engaging too much with this thread. I have seen the OP on many a benefit bashing thread and know their views.

I live in country rich in natural resources that shares a border with the most warlike country in the world, USA, and we have a very small, poorly armed military. Sometimes diplomacy is more important than arms

Yes I have too and they never seem to come up with anything other than about how things need to change. No suggestions as to how

Agree high taxes mean less personal and business investment.
We need to think of ways to reduce spending in some areas in order to have it for others that benefit the country
such as
nhs
education
defence
infastructure

It's not even two years' Trident running costs, and it wouldn't pay for one Dreadnaught class replacement.

Sure, if you are cutting corners everywhere then as a consequence you'll have more leeway to spend more on Defence, but what has screwed the UK is decades of fiscal mismanagement by Government, squandering the UK's natural resources and destroying public service by selling it off for a quick hit of capital, pandering to profit and dividend over duty of care to the public, and ever increasing borrowing in order to prop up the UK public's unrealistic expectations of standards of living in a country in long-term decline.

There isn't a lot that can be done while all politicians are hell-bent on continuing down the exact same neoliberal capitalist path, but that doesn't make it any more excusable that rather than change direction in an attempt to halt the managed decline, they'll yet again throw the poorest and weakest under the bus for the sake of their own electability.

Any more tax increases and I may just give my salary in full to the government !

That hardly means those pensioners don’t need the money
The only reason they don’t get the money gradually is just in case we have a mild winter
The payment is weather dependent.
and yet they had no warning at all, it was, quite literally taken away from them with many in support of that.

Why is there no vitriol towards the Royal Family?

There is.

They are just one small part of a larger picture of archaic lunacy within the UK though, and unfortunately they have a very slick PR machine, and more or less every part of State apparatus, BBC included, doing everything it can to whitewash them and trumpet them as something they are not.

Exactly
People will start wondering what’s the point.
might as well reduce hours, retire early or move

It's not as simple as that what the government is proposing is that if you lose pip you will lose lcwra which means disabled people will be left with nothing. Even without carers and equipment being disabled is expensive i have to travel to hospital the other side of the country on a regular basis as that's where the specialists are i have to take a significant amount of time of work for appointments, recovery from treatment, surgeries etc. I spend a lot of time housebound that means having to pay extra costs for deliveries, extra heating, extra electricity. And then the 10 billion little things you don't think of like compression sleeves as the nhs only supply 2. Electric can openers instead of just a cheap one as I don't have the strength in my hands. Taxis because I don't feel well enough to drive that specific day. Heating pads, ice packs, cutlery specifically designed for tremors. Expensive convinent food as I'm unable to lift a pan. Stools for bath/shower. Gardners, window cleaners, cleaners. All these little things add up. I already use all my holidays from work for appointments but it isn't enough so everything after that is unpaid. So if I lose pip and lcwra how am I expected to pay my bills plus extra costs of disability. On 20 hrs a week minimum wage job and no I can't work more I tried that and was actually of more as I just got more unwell.

WFA is 300 per annum. families with a disabled family member on enhanced PIP plus carers allowance will lose 12k. now that is a life changing amount esp if it's your sole income.

Someone will be among shortly telling you to move to a flat. why would you need a garden with reduced mobility esp if you cannot look after it. Have seen it all here.

Or wake up, and start questioning why you get next to nothing for your taxes, and why the company that pays you a pittance is enabled to do so by the politicians you elected, all while siphoning off vast profits to pay dividends to shareholders regardless.

According to the info on the changes families with anyone severely disabled getting a 4 point score in one area won’t lose these / some benefits.

Meanwhile all pensioners without any form of review had their fuel allowance removed in one go. No discussion. No review. Nothing!

But people that have no 4 point score will lose them.

Wouldn't surprise me a thread the other day someone said all disabled people should go work on a farm as the fresh air and being around animals would make them feel better. 🤣🤣 Nothing like driving a tractor when your full of morphine 🤣🤣