To just give up and not bother!

[Goddessoftheearth]

It seems that under a Labour government being hard working and aspirational just means you get punished for being so.

Looks like rather than working 50 hour weeks in good jobs (which contributes to the economy) is a waste of time and effort - easier to give up and just claim benefits. Less stress, more time to put your toes up. Seems like a no brainer!!

Reeves plans to add an additional tax onto homes in London and the South East apple.news/AIieFo3k_T4eMKy7kNy7lgw

This is going to completely stagnate the housing market as no one will want to move to the properties with the additional charges which will be ON TOP of the council tax charges.

All the 1000s of horrible ‘luxury’ homes that have been built across much of the farmland in the south east in the last 6 months won’t sell; there will be a bun fight for the few affordable homes that the developers grudgingly shoehorn into the corner of the plot - because they have to; and the whole ‘Labour are going to build their way out of this financial mess that the Tories left for us to deal with’ will be shot in the foot because developers don’t want to build affordable housing. They want to build 4 and 5 bed houses because that’s how they get their money.

So, AIBU? Is it actually worth working your arse off under a Labour Government or shall we all sack off our jobs that allow us to live in nice houses and claim back all the tax we’ve paid into the system over the years in benefits?

Meh, south east. More interested in the rest of the population to be honest.

Intriguing- why are people in the south east of less importance than the rest of the population?

Well they’re not, obviously, but not more important either. But they do suck up a lot of bandwidth.

So, AIBU? Is it actually worth working your arse off under a Labour Government or shall we all sack off our jobs that allow us to live in nice houses and claim back all the tax we’ve paid into the system over the years in benefits?

You're welcome to go and live on benefits if you think it's that easy (except we all know you won't, because you don't, you just want an excuse to have a whine), but I'm not sure where you get "we all" from, or why those of us who aren't wailing entitled overgrown children would want to come with you.

I don't earn a huge amount in my job but I'm realistic enough to know I'm better off with it than without it, and that the government needs tax revenue to address the multiple systemic problems facing the country/world.

In what way do they suck up a lot of bandwidth?

Is it fair that this group have to pay higher council tax potentially, because property is more expensive in that part of the country?

Which benefits are you considering claiming OP?

30 seconds on google shows that London and the south east are the only two regions of the country that contribute more in taxation then they receive in public spending.

I await your gratitude for our largesse.

They also pay a shitload of tax.

Blessed are the taxpayers

Sadly, nobody cares. If you have more than them you should be happy to pay for the incompetence of the current government. Anyone who is not on benefits, disabled or on a low wage is worthy of contempt these days.

See how you do without them...

Umm, I think you'll find they actually pay less in council tax generally.

https://www.cipfa.org/about-cipfa/press-office/latest-press-releases/north-east-to-pay-over-440-pound-more-than-greater-london

This. The so called square mile in London pays for three quarters of the money needed to keep the whole British show on the road.

But, if anyone thinks they’ll be better off on benefits, then go for it, and please report back how well that’s going. 🙄

Because there's an ever increasing concentration of super high earners in London. With higher paid jobs in other regions reducing. So if anyone wants a decent wage they have to relocate...

It's not just that people born in London are super smart and get good jobs and find ways to pay more tax 🙄 if more was done to incentivise high paid jobs out of the south east other areas would pay more tax and housing in the south east would become more affordable.

https://ifs.org.uk/articles/pay-growth-londons-top-earners-has-driven-geographical-inequality-mean-earnings

Yeah, but they’re all on benefits so the hypothetical cost is meaningless, isn’t it?

Oooo great! Tell me how I can get the equivalent of £50k a year in benefits @Goddessoftheearth .

Sounds like just the ticket

But is that not due to population per square mile?

It's got to the point where I feel sorry for Rachel Reeves.

I went out for a meal with family on Thursday, Reeves kept coming up, everyone was anti her. Noone voted Labour though.

Went out with friends last night, Reeves was the main topic again, everyone anti her, some did vote Labour.

I don't think she's as bad as everyone makes out. Yes she's awful at public speaking but she's probably got a good head for numbers, even if she doesn't inspire confidence as a Chancellor. I think the mistakes she keeps making are more down to her backbenchers making things impossible for her - one today has called for her and Starmer to be sacked. They need to shut up

To be fair the south east and London is where the billionaires live so those areas should be taxed a lot more if it keeps taxes down for the rest of the country. Reeves has got this one right

Couldn’t agree more, but in a discussion about tax burdens and the relative ‘ease’ of instead claiming benefits and not bothering to be aspirational, it’s a bit rude (and silly) to say ‘meh, I’m not bothered about them’!

Apparently Reddit is a good source.

Cash is the problem. Benefits should not be paid with any cash value so all spending is auditable. Hopefully AI will bring this in soon. Nobody needs cash in 2025 apart from criminals and people wanting to hide what they are doing with it.

I go to Costco and see people paying hundreds of pounds in cash. Let’s just say 99% of the time they fit the profile of benefit claimants or tax dodgers to the letter.

Get rid of the cash value in the benefits system asap.

This 'incompetent' government inherited a half destroyed country after 10 years of Tory rule

Every part of the infrastructure has had funds removed, partially privatised and completely run into the ground

Regardless of who’s in power I’ve never worked 50+ hours a week or devoted my entire existence to work. I do work, and I earn pretty well, but enjoying my life is more important than having more money. We do need to do something to bring house prices down though so I’m broadly in favour of any policy that achieves that (and I say this as a homeowner)