Welfare spending to rise by £73.2bn to £406.2bn

[topicalaffair]

Over the next five years, the OBR is forecasting that UK welfare spending will rise by £73.2bn to £406.2bn.

How does everyone feel about this? I’m livid because I pay lots of tax. I don’t mind paying tax to maintain a civilised society - but this? This is surely taking the piss and will result in weaker and weaker services as the amount of £ available reduces day by day.

YANBU - it’s totally deranged. The every growing uk population can’t function effectively on such a benefits for all basis.

YABU - this welfare spending bill is truly representative of need.

Imagine if we all attended day centres to sit around and chat? Who would work? Who would pay the tax that is needed to pay for the welfare system? Can I stay at home and join a support group for weight loss?

If there was a system that apprenticed people in proportion the benefit they were receiving (a) it would keep them in the industry / in line for opportunities / productive / doing labour / learning.

This something for nothing culture has to be formed / must stricter guidelines. Welfare shouldn't be a lifestyle choice.

Apologies, I have spoken at cross purposes with you.

My position on PIP specifically is that the criteria should be tighter. I don’t believe that generalised anxiety should be permissible (and yes, I appreciate there will be some claimants with much more severe conditions who also happen to present with generalised anxiety).

If it is the case that generalised anxiety alone cannot be claimed for (and I don’t have all PIP claimants’ data to drill into), that talking point would easily be removed if anxiety was not referred to at all at assessment, as it wouldn’t be relevant to PIP assessment. Including it in the statistics indicates that it is, in fact, relevant to PIP assessment.

First, the government needs to solve the housing problem. Loads of investment houses standing empty in central London, while the welfare state is paying £££ to private landlords. Thatcher's selling off of public housing was very short-sighted.

Next - why on earth does the government top up private sector wages? Talk about subsidising the rich. Anyone in full time work should be paid enough to cover the cost of living, including rent and childcare. For-profit companies should have these costs to the government recouped before they can show profits.

Finally, I just don't understand why unemployment exists in its current form. Why does the NHS pay £££ to private contracters to clean hospitals and provide food etc. I think everyone on benefits who has no job but is capable of working should be given some hours of work per week in exchange for the payment. Parents with school age children could work 9.30-2.30-pm. People who can't cope with full time work could do a couple of days a week. All the work should be valued as contributing to society. I think it would be incredibly beneficial to people stuck on benefits in areas where jobs are thin on the ground. Our streets could be properly cleaned, public areas refreshed, hospitals kept immaculate, isolated disabled and elderly people could be visited regularly and have errands run for them. Money is just a token in exchange for something. It should be a source of pride to work for the community part time if the government is providing for you.

A lot of money is definitely being wasted. For example, I know a university student with dyslexia who claimed a free laptop, free software and free online support sessions. It was not means tested and her parents would happily (and easily) have provided all of these things if they’d had to.
I know someone else with diabetes type 2 who gets all her prescriptions free. She earns over £200,000 a year. Also, I know a young woman with anorexia who has accumulated more than £20,000 in savings from benefits over the past few years. She lives with her very wealthy parents who pay for everything and are very adept at helping her claim everything she’s entitled to.

And while people get their knickers in a twist about welfare bills and immigrants, AI lurks round the corner, ready to steal our jobs.

Then what, eh?

Day centres are not for people who can't be arsed to work. Do you even know what they are? Fucking hell.
Or the support groups for people with SMI.

I’ll answer your question about pensioners.

Pensioners can happily stay on benefits afaic. Yes I understand it’s a big slice of the pie.

Pensioners have paid taxes all their lives (usually, at least atm - possibly not in the future) and they should retire in comfort - home, heating, food, healthcare.

I’d reduce / stop benefits for working age people because they could more often than not actually work. I know there are some that can’t obviously, before someone jumps on an unwise bandwagon.

If it becomes available, why not? They'd certainly be much closer and in line for it than being at home watching TV and out of a working environment for x number of years. Also the employer would have a better idea of what they were getting.

It is up to each person to find their own employment and house themselves.

If (for whatever reason) they are unable to do sot we can't let them starve but we can provide only the very basic benefits to cover simple food and makeshift minimal accommodation.

If they want more, it is upto them to make it happen.

People doing those jobs should be paid NMW for doing so.

What would simple food and makeshift minimal accommodation look like to you?

If those jobs exist, people should work them in exchange for wages and other benefits afforded to workers - access to occupational health, cycle to work etc.

If those jobs exist but we treat it as "work for your benefits", we absolve the company of the responsibility to treat its employees appropriately. What happens if the job isn't suitable for someone? If they get the flu, do they not get their benefits for a week?

"If you're disabled, live on cuppa soup in a tent and be grateful for it".

Simple food and makeshift accommodation.

You think it's a good idea to allow strangers access to vulnerable people such as the disabled and elderly?

I'd like to see a Venn diagram of those people and the people who think the "benefits bill" is too high! I suspect there'd be a significant overlap.

I live on the edge of a small town in a national park. While it would make me sad to see houses built in the fields behind my house, or across the valley where I have a view of approx 12 miles of open countryside,I wouldn't object, because I know how badly more housing is needed.

But I'd put money on there being very few in my road who'd feel the same!

Sorry, but no. I don't know what a day centre is for because I've been too busy working (I have 2 jobs).

I'm all for support groups for people with SMI. Occupational therapy in the form of eco gardening / litter picking / etc - as I said before in proportion to receipt of their benefits. I'm sure there are loads of activities that would be beneficial for people with SMIs.

Rice, potatoes, in season fruit etc. Dormitory style accommodation.

Those that 'work' for the community would receive additional privileges, furnished room and food choices.
This way we look after the very needy but do not incentivise people to be state reliant.

If someone has severe disabilities they would receive medical assistance and care.

This. If I hear another person say “It’s not ‘benefits’. I’m entitled to it, I’ve paid for it all my life!” my head will explode. In most cases, we’ll pay in a small fraction of what we get back. A person on an average wage will pay about £36 a week NI. We can’t carry on like this.

How would it work for those with food allergies or restricted diets due to medical reasons/part of their disability?

Would you include families with young children in this too? Or just single people?

Would those with severe disabilities be housed differently or in the same accommodation but with medical assistance and care?

Not too busy to post ignorance on MN though.

That is still thinly veiled cheap labour using people that are unwell instead of paying someone a proper wage to do the same thing.

I have a daughter, is she in the dormitory with me?

DH works but not enough to not need UC, because he's my carer. Does he get a nicer dormitory or do we have to divorce now?

Thank goodness this only lives in your head.
You could end up joining the ranks of the disabled one day. Being able bodied is only temporary.

Working isn't an excuse for ignorance.

I feel sorry for your employers if a 30 second Google is beyond you; training you must have been a chore.

Already explained this.

It is about providing the basics. The money saved would mean the disabled are looked after.

We need to step away from incentivising welfare claimants.