Page 11 | To want the Government to do more about the Cost of Living crisis?

user365241987 · 2026-04-18T15:26:47+00:00

I just cannot see what the Government is doing to support the insane rise in CoL. Our income is higher than it has ever beautiful we just scrape by every month. It's so depressing. Don't qualify for any benefits. So tired of it. I have written to my MP. I can't understand why they don't increase the lowest tax threshold as that would at least help everyone at the lower end. I don't see any improvement ahead.

5128gap · 21/04/2026 20:15

2dogsandabudgie · 18/04/2026 18:20

If my estate was going to the treasury rather than my children, I would sell my house move to a smaller property and spend the rest and give my children as much as possible. I've paid enough tax throughout my life and me and my husband have worked hard for what we have.

Where is the incentive to work hard if you can't pass your wealth on to your children? We might as well all give up work.

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If everybody had that attitude we'd be in a bit of a mess, wouldn't we? Do you think that everyone who works hard, the carers, the cleaners, low paid essential workers are all home owners who will pass their children a free house when they die? Otherwise they should down tools?
The incentive to work is to live while you're alive.

XenoBitch · 21/04/2026 20:23

5128gap · 21/04/2026 20:15

If everybody had that attitude we'd be in a bit of a mess, wouldn't we? Do you think that everyone who works hard, the carers, the cleaners, low paid essential workers are all home owners who will pass their children a free house when they die? Otherwise they should down tools?
The incentive to work is to live while you're alive.

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I worked for me. I don't have kids and never wanted them.
Whatever little I have left when I die will go to animal charities.

DdraigGoch · 21/04/2026 20:32

FalseSpring · 21/04/2026 19:48

In my opinion there is a lot of wastage and bureaucracy at council level. Council spending should be cut. Council Tax is completely inequitable in my view and should be charged per person rather than based on some historic house valuation that bears no resemblance to the property size or current value.

The planning departments in most areas are a joke and are incredibly wasteful. The whole planning system needs simplifying and sensible reform before the whole countryside is covered in unaffordable housing that is not designed to meet the needs of the country.

The roll-out of yet more recycling bins has been a complete disaster as the bins are as good as useless for containing the waste. Most people I have spoken to around my rural area have decided to put their new bins to better uses as they are not fit for purpose!

At a national level I do think we should increase the tax allowance to give people sufficient funds to live on without needing UC top ups. Again the whole system creates jobs for adminstrators to take tax on one hand and give it back with the other.

Incentivise work and stop penalising employers. Scrap NI completely and add it onto income tax and corporation tax above a fair threshold.

Higher rate tax payers should pay more. The thresholds need to be less severe, but there should be more of them, more differential for super-high earners and those with unearned income above £200,000.

Company profits also need to be taxed more as individuals are using companies to shield income from the income tax system and accumulate vast reserves - there needs to be better parity for the employed and self-employed.

Keep the triple lock on pensions as those who don't have much will need it, but it should be means tested as should all other benefits. Where I grew up, only those who really needed benefits claimed and the rest of us just managed without and we wouldn't have dreamt of putting in a claim if we were out of work for a few weeks or had a disabled child. We just got on with it ourselves as we were too proud to claim. I'm not saying this is right either, but I think today people are too quick to claim every penny they can even when they have savings or sufficient earnings. There are so many posts on forums like this from people asking how to 'hide' savings or an inheritance. Families don't seem to pull together like they used to do to support each other.

Increase import duty and VAT on all the imported tat from China, etc. Most of it ends up in landfill anyway.

These are just a few of many many examples.

Council Tax is completely inequitable in my view and should be charged per person
How did that go last time it was tried? I agree that the valuations system is a joke, perhaps they should start charging by property footprints - it's something that can't really be disputed and is more reflective of how expensive services are to provide to different population densities.

The planning departments in most areas are a joke and are incredibly wasteful. The whole planning system needs simplifying and sensible reform before the whole countryside is covered in unaffordable housing that is not designed to meet the needs of the country.
Are you saying that planning departments approve too much? You know that councils often have no choice in the matter and that if they reject without sufficient ground it'll be overturned by planning inspectors? Perhaps if we want to reduce sprawl we'll have to build up instead. More mid-rise development.

we wouldn't have dreamt of putting in a claim if we were out of work for a few weeks or had a disabled child
What would you have done if you had a child so severely disabled that they needed round the clock care? Assuming that you can't just rely on the other parent's wage alone.

Nodramalama85 · 12/05/2026 19:11

Pensioner poverty it a real thing. Food poverty is a real thing to. There are more children and pensioners living in absolute poverty than ever before. If you read the Joseph Rowntree reports you’ll get a much better idea of how a lot of families reliant on the welfare system and pensioners are living instead of reading propaganda in the media vilifying people that need support from the state. Genuinely horrified by what I read on mumsnet. Look into the increased use of food banks and welfare support. Read and reasearch before making some insane, uneducated remarks. If you are struggling and own your own car and home you have assets. If you are able to go on holiday once a year you are not in poverty. Everyone across the board is poorer than they were. Blame the government and global events that are impacting the economy. Stop blaming the poorest and most vulnerable sector in society. That’s exactly what the newspaper articles want you to do and your friend/family members situation:lifestyle is not an induction of how that sector of society lives. I would also imagine that you have little no real idea how they are funding that lifestyle, what their level of debt is etc. Honestly so sick of middle class people benefit bashing. It’s disgusting.