to be fed up of hearing 'I've worked hard for my money'

[newbluesofa]

Lots of chat on MN recently about taxes on high earners. So heard lots of 'we have this money because we work bloody hard for it' and honestly I'm sick of it and think the people who say it are selfish.

Nurses work incredibly hard, long shifts, difficult job. Carers provide absolutely essential service, again shift work, difficult hours, difficult job. Teachers provide essential work, I know multiple teachers and they all devote evenings, weekends, school holidays to the detriment of their own families. All of these jobs also have huge emotional tolls. So 'I've worked hard for my money' means nothing to me, because a lot of people work a lot harder for a lot less.

Fair enough.

It’s a bit of a shame that you spent possibly 18 years out of the work force; and still think it’s your place to pontificate to the rest of us about how much tax we should/shouldn’t pay, and who should/shouldn’t be in work.

But still - welcome back to Team “Paying In.”

Bowing out now but kudos to a truly heroic effort on the part of the OP. Sadly it's wasted on some people.

@ForHazelTiger have a good night! I'm sticking around till the baby on my lap wakes up

I get this a lot, people telling me I'm lucky like I won the lottery or something. The truth is far from that. Its been a long hard slog whilst battling mental health issues. I'd say I'm privileged to earn a decent wage but it wasn't luck that got me there.

I'm so curious to know what your point is with this you gotta tell me

Presumably just trying to diminish the impact of it despite having no direct experience except to probably profit from it via her husband 🤷‍♀️

Education and common sense aren't the same thing. And who said anything about social workers? You seem to be projecting something else of your own on to this response instead of responding to what was actually put to you.

And btw - 'too wet to cope'? You may have 'tons' of common sense (though I'd dispute that given the poor grip of logic you're showing on this thread), but you appear to have literally had an empathy bypass. I'm glad I'm not you.

I agree that's it's not about comparing high earners to low earners.

High earners still likely have a better quality of life than many. I'd be more annoyed working my arse off for minimum wage knowing that others who don't work have as much or more disposable income than me.

People who don't work do not get more than someone on NMW. A lot of people on NMW get UC themselves.

Two children in full time nursery is over £5 k a month. No free hours over £100k and no 20% tax free childcare. You lose your personal allowance between £100k and £125 k so the effective tax rate for that portion is 62%. It’s not worth it, and that’s why if you look at the salary groupings, so many people drop hours or reduce their net salary by putting it in their pension, to keep salaries at 99k.

Two children in childcare is pretty much the whole of a £100 k salary. With the free hours, many nurseries put their hourly rate up, which hits those that don’t get free hours the most

I agree. I grew up in a deprived area and went to a comprehensive school. I am not the smartest or most talented, but what landed me a good job was perseverance, grit and a lot of sacrifice. I went to uni three times and my dad passed away during this as well. It wasn’t luck that got me a good job, it was bloody hard work and a lot of pain at times.

You have “worked” bloody “hard” on this thread @newbluesofa thats for sure!

Wages often don’t reflect how hard people work… people are rewarded massively for being brainy and getting degrees, they may have easier jobs and easier hours than say a nurse, carer, policeman, fireman etc…. Yet be paid a disproportionate amount more ..
my ex had a civil service job earning £30k a year for years… he was on call 24/7… 365 days a year….
he later took an office job assigning others the shit jobs and hours and he got triple that wage !

Me neither, but I do pity people who think money, and getting more of it, are all there is to life.

Stop putting words in people's mouths. No one has suggested that. You're really making a fool of yourself on this thread, you know.

The people who hoard it think that's all there is to life, I don't think most people think that way. Money is a means to an end, that's all. For me, money will allow me to live the life I want instead of working till I drop dead. I plan to retire at 40, spend time with the people I love, travel, take my dog on adventures and volunteer. I have a substantial inheritance that I will use to support myself and there will almost definitely be a lot money left over. My husband and I will be spending every year touring animal sanctuaries and charities so that we can use that money to save and enrich the lives of animals around the world, a cause we both care about. Money is definitely not everything, but it can be used to do a lot of good.

Those do sound like positive, constructive uses of money as opposed to all the bigger house/fancier car/status symbols stuff a lot of people seem to obsess about.

I work hard but am fully aware that luck and the sector I work in all have a big impact on what I earn. I was unquestionably more lucky to rise from a very poor background than I was talented or smart. Still, it’s too easy for people to attack wealth simply because it’s less common. That doesn’t mean the “hidden” 60% effective tax band—or even the headline 45% top rate—is any fairer. No matter how you slice it, anyone earning more already pays more, even if tax was a flat rate. But the system piles on extra penalties: fiscal drag and frozen earnings bands quietly pull more people into higher tax every year; inheritance tax thresholds stay put while asset values climb; the design of IHT—with its arbitrary reliefs and loopholes—gives some a free pass while hitting others hard; and you often get taxed repeatedly on the same capital through income, gains, and then again on death. The truth is, these policies quietly strip value from people who save and invest, and get away with it mainly because most voters aren’t directly affected or don’t realise the long-term impact.

I earn a good amount of monies but that does not mean I should now have to give more of that to people who are not working or at the beginning of their careers.

I have worked behind a bar, on a factory production line, as a carer, cleaner and shop assistant all to help me get to where I am now. Everyone forgets that most people earning decent monies - worked in low paid jobs first without universal credit and support -so they do get it and do know what not having eonough means.
I remember doing a 14 day stint was looking to a day off when - the car blew up - big bill coming, so I worked my next 4 days off to cover the repair bill because I did not have the monies ot hand. Now I should pay my monies ot help people who wont help themselves. Am sick of SAHMs saying if I worked then most of my pay would go on childcare and living and my surplus would be 200 quid do why bother - get the tax payer to pay for my child care and give us universal

Genuine people in need - as benefits were meant for a short term safety net not 20 yrs living on the tax payer- me and other hard working people.

Could you make ends meet as a carer?

How long ago was that because times are a lot different now. Housing, even renting, was so much cheaper.

People doing the jobs you used to do now need UC to survive.

This.

My first rental property 15 years ago was £420. The same size property would now be around £900.

Wages have not doubled in the same period.

2000-2002 -national minimum wage was 3.70 and on a bank holiday I got 4.60!. My rent was 560pcm without bills - I worked 2 jobs.
So now it is OK for me to subsidise people because having grafted, gone without and cut my cloth to succeed - I should subsidise those who do not work / will not work - sorry no.

the same job I did for 24k per annum on 70-80 hrs per week. is now paying 70-90000 for a 44 hr week.

What do you mean no, you will subsidise them - you can’t actually opt out of PAYE taxation.

It’s not optional, we pay the tax they take, or we leave our jobs/the country.

I’m not sure “no thank you” is actually an available option.