Not an ordinary working person if you earn over 45k

[TesChique]

Disincentivising anyone to strive to earn over 45k a year is a bizarre strategy for growth i feel

Aibu?

I am still waiting for the PP.

Alright, more calmly, i'm in a bad mood this weekend. Genuinely interested to hear - why?

Yeah, funny that…

I’m not fully understanding your question in relevance to what I was responding too?

Which media source would you like us to use (in future?)

The Guardian, FT?

Oh dear, mid 40's. Manager in Civil Service, science based. I make £35 000 and that is after working hard for years. How do you all earn so much?!Went to uni for 3 years but have paid off my debts. I can't see myself being on £45 000 for years, if ever. Feel like such a loser. I got in to do study dentistry but decided to do a science degree instead..wish I had made a better degree choice 26 years ago.

If I was full time I’d be £27k and DH is just over £24k. Both well educated and work hard. Not everyone has ‘well paid’ careers, and just have jobs that mean they can put food on the table. Per hour, it’s the most I’ve ever earned, even compared to when I was a full time civil servant 15+ years ago. We live in a beautiful part of the country by choice, but means we have fewer opportunities for higher earning wages. I have two jobs and pay tax on the whole of my second wage.
I suspect it’s about keeping the minimum wage and living wage workers on side, but I’m, yet again, very disillusioned by all of them.

Taxes are too high here. Life is a bit crap. Crime is too high. We'll f off and retire in India soon.

Peace, my friend.

You are not a loser.

The Civil Service Fast Stream starts on £31,554 so you could always apply for that - they say that the earning potential on completion is £45 - £55k.

Part of the reason the top 10% pay such a large share is because, in the last 15 years, earnings at the top end have grown disproportionately, while earnings at the lower end have stagnated.

How would you structure tax bands so they were ‘fairer’, in your view?

The thing is that they ask those on 45k+ to contribute, but they won't even call them "working people".

It is mad that people are at each other's throats at this point. Wait until the actual budget details are announced before tearing into each other!

@Araminta1003
Interesting point which makes me wonder why HMRC permits salary sacrifice for pension contributions which effectively reduces your exposure to tax and NI when you get to £50k. We all need to save more for retirement, although the government can't have it both ways - jam today and none tomorrow!

Not wishing to steam in, but you cannot look at fiscal policy in isolation without addressing the welfare budget etc.

Maybe because it's tax on withdrawal of the pension?

The bands have stagnated. They've been frozen for years which is basically a real terms tax hike every year

Erm, many of us are not tearing into each other, as you state.

Many of us are very, very fucking angry with this wretched government, however.

It’s more the middle has stagnated. Minimum wage has gone up a lot, but the salaries above that haven’t. Meanwhile, the top end has been running away from everything else.

And I keep banging on about this, but once you take universal credit into account there isn’t always much difference between someone earning minimum wage and someone earning £45k, depending on circumstances.

But as to whar’s fair, I have no idea. But it’s not constantly hitting the middle earners.

Yeh most posts are in agreement anyway.

I think so too - I love the spirited debate on this thread.

I mean as long as you're happy with the choices you and your DH have made and aren't claiming benefits that's fine

Labour are cutting off their nose to spite their face. They are targetting middle earning government employed union type people, i thought they were the ones labour were all about looking after? Seems like they have lost their values (or their minds)

Agree, but that is also connected to stagnation in earnings, as well as the impact of the austerity. The idea that the welfare budget can be slashed with no consequence is pretty ingrained here though so I don’t hold my breath for any sensible suggestions.

Most people I know earn around 30k