Tax increases imminent

[Iwishicouldflyhigh]

Heavy hints that taxes will rise in the next Budget after the recent climb down (as the ‘taxes won’t rise again’ was based on a 5 billion saving in benefits).

I can’t lie, I’m so pissed off about this. I don’t think anyone wants to see someone who is genuinely unable to work to be further penalised, but we all know there are thousands of people who could work but don’t.

this country is going to absolute shit . We pay more and more for less and less.

@Jellycatspyjamas a better system is needed though - one resonating issue with the defeated reforms is that it captured many with MS - for my money as well as current impact, there has to be a weighting for whether you’ve got something currently more moderate but doctors expect you’ll be at a very low quality of life in 5-10 years.

we need a smarter system - you’d think we had the tech to do this…

I am no economist, but I think UK governments should focus on getting salaries increases.

They are shit. QE & low interest rates just masked it. Now we have higher food costs it's very noticeable.

Agreed but it is not the lack of net contributors that is the problem but those that have never contributed anything yet take everything!!!

We really need to implement a system whereby you can only claim once you have made x years contributions. Balanced and fair for all.

I want no part of a society where children can only access healthcare based on their parents willingness or ability to pay.

Agree we need to invest in the dc!

Labour said they wouldn’t cut PIP until they’d undertaken a full consultation with disabled people and their representative organisations. The only reason they didn’t was because their own MP’s held them to their original promise.

And those that haven’t ? What - they just starve in the street and we sweep them up at the end of every week ?

This! A lot of people will never be net contributors and that's fine, lower paid jobs are still valuable to society. As long as people work to the best of their abilities and contribute something to the system. Why are we paying UC to able bodied part-timers? I'm all for supplementing low incomes, but not for people who don't even try to maximise their earnings by getting a full time job.

nope. Under the current system, a state pension is CLAIMED and cannot be refused once you reach pensionable age and don't get me started on that. You apply for benefits and have to fulfil certain criteria to be AWARDED them. With the State pension, there is also the opportunity to buy extra years of contributions. Yes it is taken from salary in a lump with contributions for other things but it is not a benefit it is a right. Changing the system would not just be possible by saying "we are now going to means test your state pensions".

100%. It astounds me that even though everyone agrees we are screwed, no one ever wants to address the elephant in the room, being that there are an awful lot of able adults of working age who will not work. Not unable to - will not. If you had these people working, and paying tax, surely that would start to make a dent in it? And before everyone jumps on saying that wouldnt help, well the status quo certainly isn’t.

Not so long ago people had a pride in working and being employable and making their way in the world, whatever that job was. No longer. Now this is the upshot.

Sorry but you're totally wrong here. Pensions are a benefit just like any other. That's how the government can change the criteria like raising the pension age.

Children should NEVER be charged for healthcare just like they shouldn't be charged for education. Because

1. they have no access to their own money
2. they are the future of the nation

Everyone else should have to pay something to see a GP in my opinion

It astounds me that even though everyone agrees we are screwed, no one ever wants to address the elephant in the room, being that there are an awful lot of able adults of working age who will not work

3.5m are over 50 though & have taken early retirement or are ill. How do you force people to work?

Not so long ago people had a pride in working and being employable and making their way in the world, whatever that job was. No longer. Now this is the upshot.

This is nonsense as the majority of people do actually work...

Some people are in zero hour contract jobs where one week could be full time hours, and the next a lot less.

I wasn’t referring to people over 50, or disabled people, as I said. I’m clearly referring to adults of working age, who are in receipt of benefits, for much of their adult life. They are being effectively enabled by this government and previous governments, and certainly aren’t being forced to work. Further perpetuating the issue.

The percentage of the adult population on unemployment benefits long term runs fairly consistently at 1% and has fallen in recent years. There will always be a tiny percentage of the population who are essentially unemployable for one reason or another. Should we let them starve?

Trends in unemployment and long-term unemployment | The Health Foundation share.google/4D3FgDtuIAXS55pHW

@itwascousinhalifax I don't understand. Of the economically inactive people who are not working 3.5m are over 50? They are adults of working age? Sick isn't the same as disabled.

The poster you’re saying ‘nope’ to is absolutely correct.

The original act of parliament which established state pension defined it as a benefit. And nothing has changed since then. It’s still defined as such, administered by DWP and paid from their budget, and you can only buy back gaps in NI contributions for the last six tax years. Your NI contributions don’t ring fence your pension entitlement - before you reach the age at which you can claim it, it’s subject to whatever changes government applies. And it’s the working people of today whose NI is footing the bill for the pensions currently in payment.

So it’s not a right, it’s a state benefit, and as such the government of the day can pass an act of parliament to change it in the same way as they can change eligibility and conditions for other state benefits. OK so they can’t just say ‘right we’re going to means test it from next Friday’, but provided they have the support to pass the act of parliament needed to effect any proposed change they can do as they see fit. How do you think they would have managed to extend the age at which you can claim it otherwise ?

Please don’t be disrespectful.

I work very closely with people who are able to work, and don’t. Because it’s not worth their time of effort. They are paid well to stay at home. And it’s in Scotland, so yes, paid well, if you count the ones having children as a career choice. As research shows, these children are unlikely to work. I have seen the same families through different generations (old bird here) so know what I’m referring to.

So, a majority work, it’s a moot point. There’s more could be working. Or do we just continue paying more taxes? Seriously, come to Scotland and see how that is working out.

Good luck if you think you can run a country without paying what it costs to run it.

@itwascousinhalifax It's not disrespectful. The vast majority of people do work so you can't just say people no longer have pride in working.

You know some people who don't but you can't extrapolate that to everyone. There have always been people who didn't work.

I have seen the same families through different generations (old bird here) so know what I’m referring to.

"Not so long ago people had a pride in working and being employable and making their way in the world"

Well how long ago are you referring to as you have seen generations not working?

What a stupid idea. £30 might deter people from getting symptoms checked that could point to cancer etc.

I was a non-resident for a while and it was actually 1 year in 4, max 183 days any one tax year plus upto 20 days for business, and you otherwise had to cut all material ties under the ‘statutory residence test’.

I kept within the 90 per year, which was no hardship.

That’s a big ask under the current assessment system. There are currently no doctors doing assessments - even for the more significant disabilities. It’s left to HCP’s like nurses, physios and paramedics in the main, recruited from the NHS. There is no requirement to have any specialist knowledge of any area of disability or even a background in any specific area. A couple of weeks training and hey presto, you’re qualified to assess the effects of disability which would be far above your pay grade in any other area of medicine. We definitely have the tech to create a smarter system. But the political will to do it doesn’t exist.