If you're really fed up of all "your" money going to benefits ....

[Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits]

We really need to be campaigning for more council homes. One of the biggest payouts is housing benefit because of the extortionate private rent costs.

That single mum topping up with UC to bring her to over 100k? (supposedly) Wouldn't happen if her rent wasn't >£2000pcm for a 1 bed flat.

Build a 3 bed house for £300,000 (presumably less with large contracts). Charge £500 rent, they'd make the money back in 50 years even without increases. And houses last more than 50 years!

I know I've read several comments over the years from people saying this. RTB was the worst etc. So why hasn't it happened? Upfront cost. It would cost the government a hell of a lot upfront, despite the astronomical gain further down the line. But if they're not in power when the gains start to show, they get none of the glory. And that's what it boils down to. Elected governments only want something they can boast about within their term. Who cares if it benefits the country in the long run? If it doesn't benefit them short term, it doesn't matter.

Same with education. Better funding will result in more people in work, out of poverty and out of crime in 20 years time. It's the best use of money possible! But no.

SEN funding. Early intervention can prevent children getting to crisis point and keep the gap from widening so they have a chance of staying in school, getting qualifications and contributing to society in the future. Not funding SEN effectively is pretty much cutting off a section of society and forcing them to spend their lives on benefits. Funding could give them a chance. But no.

How many health conditions could be improved by early treatment so people don't end up out of work and incapacitated on benefits?

You've got to spend money to make money...

The males who appear to be absent from any conversation about ‘single mothers’ (not widows) need to be footing the bill for their offspring. Not the tax payer.

It is also very insulting to suggest that those who do not have money may also possess little morals and a tendency to criminal behaviour.

It did not happen to my parents-brought up in the 60s with bugger all. I am insulted on their behalf.

Exactly we didn't have much growing up.

We were encouraged to work hard at school.

In principle I totally agree. In practice, can you imagine the procurement/tender/contract process in today's world!

If it went anyway like HS2? I can imagine the budget overruns/stop start due to govt change/shoddy delivery.

I think governments on both sides are waiting for population/birthrate decline to play out and naturally reduce the need for more housing. At that point they hope that inter generational living will have been normalised.

People earning just £35k a year are ultimately going to be over £1k a year worse off because of frozen tax thresholds. So yes, as I am earning roughly that amount, I do object to my ‘taxes’ going to people to support children they can’t afford, and to people who choose to work part time to get hold of benefits. £35k isn’t much above what a family of five on a part time salary topped up with benefits and child benefit get, and I’m working my arse off full time. What’s fair about that?

Not enough space or infrastructure or roads to keep on and on and on endlessly building homes.

I know EXACTLY what it is like to be in a family with four children with no money.

I also know EXACTLY what it's like to watch someone die of cancer within 6 months at working age and then watch his family have to rely on benefits.

You don't need six figures to have a family of four children if one parent is on £35k (average wage) and the other is on £50k, not unreasonable for a man at the peak of his career in his 50s.

Not that it matters or that you care, but I also have an undergraduate diploma in Economics so I also understand fiscal reality.

Britain is an undertaxed economy and much of the tax revenue is paid in housing costs because we don't provide social housing. It is disgusting that hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers money is given to private equity and venture capitalists who run care homes for the elderly and children to make hundreds of millions of pounds of profit. It is disgusting that millions was wasted during Covid. It is disgusting that food bank use has soared from virtually nothing at the end of the last Labour government.

We should cut spending on private companies and private landlords and spend it on housing and caring for our population.

If you are not disgusted by nearly half a million children living in poverty because the Tory government introduced the two child cap then there is something wrong with you.

We should be proud of ensuring that children can grow up decently.

But statistics do show that those from poorer backgrounds are the ones who burgle and rob. It is what it is. You don’t find many people who hold down full time work who turn to burglary, it’s usually done by people who earn nothing or very little who do it. It’s a choice - they want what other people have, but without having to work to get it.

Actually I don’t agree that we need more council homes. These homes cost money (and no the rent doesn’t cover the cost when you factor in building cost, maintenance etc). I would prefer people to have private affordable homes that they are responsible for.

We seem to be rapidly moving towards a situation where someone who works all their life and provides for themselves as regards housing etc will be no better off than someone who doesn’t work/works part time in retirement, infact the latter could be more comfortable esp if the former is private renting.

As regards the 2 child cap, in my view it is the parents who are putting their children in poverty. It’s no coincidence that mc working parents are stopping at 1 or 2 children when they are having to fund them themselves, amazing how vaste swathes seem to manage to not get pregnant. I don’t understand why people carry on having children. I would like the government to produce detailed stats on this ie location, working patterns etc.

As regards Sen, clearly needs more investment but the ferrying children to private schools at ££££ cost to the tax payer has to stop. It’s lovely having an education that meets all your child’s needs but unfortunately the majority don’t get their needs met and there should be a general accepted level. The money saved could be ploughed into staff and facilities in all schools.

It's not saying that people from poorer backgrounds have lower morals or "threaten" to turn to crime. I am saying that they are vulnerable to criminal organizations. If people are desperate enough and see no way out, they become easy pickings for those looking to turn them into petty criminals. Once in these organizations, it's hard to get out with all your limbs in tact.

People who are poor and have (or do not know) a way out of said poverty are at risk of being exploited. This exploitation can come from any corner, legal or otherwise.

I remember the outrage when it was stopped! No governments can ever win.

But, like it or not, it will lift children out of poverty. Perhaps they should've said the 2-child benefit will start again with all children born in 9 months time. Then all an informed choice and the children that are here and now are helped.

How absolutely insulting.

So, it is always going to be the low paid and benefits class that commit more crime than anyone else.

Many working class people have a sense of pride and would rather eat shit than steal.

I imagine you're a patronising Labour voter- we must give these sorts of lower class people bread and circuses in order to keep society safe because don't ya know, the poor things have no moral code. We must pay the buggers to behave.

Disgraceful.

Why are you not PM? I would vote for you.

No it isn’t down to society to take on parental responsibility roles. Maybe there should be better education for prospective parents around the fact that just because you want three children, if you can’t afford them, then it’s not a good idea. Maybe stick at two. I mean, it’s obvious to most people. I had two. Would have loved more, but I knew I couldn’t afford, even working full time. And then you have a family this morning on TV, she doesn’t work because she ‘can’t’, he works in a low paid job. They have four children, one being a baby, and are saying how relieved they are about the two child benefit cap being removed, because her and her husband have to go without food regularly just so the children could eat. Right there, everything that’s wrong with society and self entitlement.

This comment killed me 😂😂😂

Meh government makes a bomb in tax on rental income. The country is bankrupt because of the interest payments on its debt. Providing more free housing is impossible and pointless.

@Happyjoe But, like it or not, it will lift children out of poverty.

Labour claim that it will lift 450,000 children out of poverty. But has no-one asked the question as to why they were in poverty in the first place?

If you can't feed 'em don't breed 'em, I say.

Well of course it is. People who have jobs and earn money are not going to go round at night fall trying to break into peoples homes are they? They don’t need to. And I’m talking of criminal behaviour involving burglaries and robbery. There are of course many many more crimes committed by all classes of society, but burglary in local communities are committed by those on minimal incomes.

Who put them there?

Osborne and his austerity.

I's not just a Labour claim either.

But you seem happy with children going hungry.

I guess if you're just looking at burglary and robbery.

But amount of money lost through fraud would be the high net worth individuals??????

It was only a few weeks ago that there was another MP in the news for fiddling their tax accounts.

Rich people also commit crimes and the value of the crime proceeds is much higher.

@Yesimmoaningaboutbenefits , there are buses which run at night. Carers and nurses are employed outside the capital too. There needs to be a cap on the rent it’s possible to have paid for by benefits. Our benefits bill has the nation in a stranglehold.

But what do you suggest we do about education of parents? Are we supposed to send the message that if you can’t afford to have lots of children, it doesnt matter because the Government will bail you out? Some parents are where they are due to circumstance, ie divorce, job loss etc, but many more are where they are due to life choices, ie they want a baby but just don’t work out if they can afford one until after they’re born, and then apparently it’s society and the government at fault for not giving them money to look after them…

Oh so let's have a policy of forced abortions when you have had two children? Or shall we say you can have more if you earn six figures and can guarantee you're not going to die before they are tax-paying adults in their own right?

It's completely unenforceable and a lot of families make it work.

And in any case why should the children suffer? It's not their fault that they have more than one sibling.

What about religions and cultures that advocate for many children or no contraception, like Catholicism?

You made choices based on your situation and what you wanted. You values and choices are not the same as others. What's more, you could have chosen to have that third child and live off benefits, where you would have been better off according to you. This begs the question, why didn't you if that's what you wanted and you'd have been better off? You're argument doesn't make economic sense. You should have had that child, not worked and lived in clover off the benefits system.

In fact, now the cap has gone, if you're still of child bearing age, why don't you have that third child and claim benefits?

We are the sixth richest economy in the world. The second richest in Europe ahead of France. This is about government choices to support children and families in poverty or not and I am very proud to live in a country with a government that wants to prevent poverty.

Everyone complaining is saying they are happy with half a million kids living in poverty in the sixth largest economy in the world. I'm happy third government has decided to help everyone.

I don’t see anything fair in that, at all.