To think benefits need to be cut to fund increased spending on defence

[Viviennemary]

This is absolutely necessary. Keir Starmer shouldnt have backed down the last time. But now with the current situation with Russia drastic steps need to be taken. We simply can't afford to sustain the current benefits bill with the armed forces so depleted. The money is needed to increase defence.

Brexit and the Tory gvt having to import/allow large numbers of non EU 3rd world immigrants ‘legally ‘ was proof that there are large numbers of people here who simply don’t want full time work in certain sectors even if it’s available because they are quite happy getting by on top ups and part time or in some cases not working at all - yes there are some who genuinely couldn’t work but that’s simply not the whole story - at the lower end of the earning spectrum and renting, especially in areas that aren’t that cheap it can come out almost equal to do less . I’m actually a liberal social minded person but we do have a ton of puss takers ( and they aren’t all left wing by any stretch of the imagination) I think the whole system needs radical overhaul - I think pip needs a big look at as the fact many get it , especially a lot if legacy claims but at no extra cost to live and in plenty of cases still working full time is not really how it was intended, a lot of people may not be the sharpest when it comes to jobs but can be very sharp about claiming and how to get claims through - some well meaning people can be very naive about such stuff - someone I know has a female gynae issue, not great but doesn’t stop her working a bit of part time ( could easily work more) , driving a nice car, plenty of nice overseas holidays - no help needed at all in daily activities - just free money to her. Long term legacy claim - it’s stuff like this that pisses many off !! It all needs a complete relook -

Maybe not blowing £4.5 billion on zebra crossings & cycle paths, & using for defence, would be a really good place to start!
Sheer lunacy.....

Absolutely agree. PIP needs massive reform. I'm really shocked at some of the people I know who are getting it. It should be for the most disabled only.

Not really insane as your parents would have already paid tax on the money they made and then left to you as an inheritance.

But I agree the concept of taxing money twice is really objectionable.

My view though is that until wasteful and inefficient public spending is curved it's immoral just to raise more tax.

0-3 it is childcare. if people who work want their child to go somewhere at 0-3 they pay, in Scotland (poss England/Wales) certain benefits entitle you to free childcare hours at 0-3…
I know the mn rhetoric is that we’re meant to be gushingly pleased to be lucky to work and pay for others, but am getting sick of it, when I see those on dc no3 who’ve never worked or contributed and have a better lifestyle…. Waiting to be told “well do better/change job/work more!!” Strange how that’s never expected of others!

@youalright she didn’t instruct me to quit my job, no. It was phrased much more subtly and she encouraged me to look at specific bits of information that gave me the answer that I’d qualify if I didn’t have my job. I was also not strictly speaking with her in a particularly official capacity, and she also knew me previously - I cba to explain, and I’m sure you will just disbelieve me anyway. But why would I lie? The fact that I would be able to claim UC if I quit my job, due to my child’s age, is readily available to discover online and I’ve since verified it with our situation, assets, and husband’s wage on two of the calculators anyway. If I were lying, I’d surely just say I googled it instead?

I agree. My son has AuDHD and an EHCP. He goes to special school for which I am extremely grateful for. I am eligible for mileage allowance from the council as I drive him there in addition to DLA, Blue badge etc. Both me and dad are very fortunate to be in good place financially. We do not need these benefits and do not claim but I am puzzled as to why we are eligible in the first place. Maybe means testing should be introduced ? Should it be extended to the state pension as well....? 🤔

It's an acknowledgement of our need to socialise as a species - from an early age - to ensure a normal development

Means testing pip/DLA tends to cost more than it actually saves.

It’s also a gateway benefit. So not claiming it can make you ineligible for some things that you may need but have nothing to do with income.

so why can’t that be a place like surestart where the parents attend? Why does it have to be a nursery setting where the parents drop off?

Taxis to school does not come out of income tax but council tax paid to county councils. I agree though DC should be driven to school by parents if they have transport or taken by parents in bus or taxi if not. It is not uncommon for a council to pay £20k on taxis to get a kid to school for a year.

WTAF. we have kids living in poverty in this country.(31% of all children according to the government, 70% of those are living in working households) we have disabled people restricting the number of nappies they use and elderly people restricting their heat consumption.

TAX the fucking firms that create huge revenue in the uk. TAX property owners who leave their properties vacant.

👍🏻

you're wasting your time with this OP though.

Take state pension away from public sector They don’t need it with their DB pensions

Because studies show that it helps disadvantaged children get to where they need to be in line with their peers when starting school.

A parent staying with their child obviously isn't the same so the gaps would likely increase again.

Typical batty labour solution.

I think we should pay higher benefits, but for a limited time but make it easier to sack people, it’s likely to mean more jobs are created. Long-term unemployed should be given a job working for the local Council litter picking or something similar. I’m sure many would find alternative employment very quickly.

That's nonsense.

We don't have 31% of children living in poverty in this country. It's not the Sudan.

Those figures use a special benefits culture definition of the word "poverty"

Of course there are some in dire straits for one reason or another and they need help. But your post is overall melodramatic and inaccurate.

But it would provide education and support for the parents, so maybe the next child might not be so disadvantaged? Or is expecting personal responsibility so terrible?

fine, but stop the NI deductions from the wages then?

Hmm. We already have a huge issue with youth unemployment (and unemployment generally) as companies look to AI and offshore solutions as the cost of employing staff in the UK increases.
Retail and hospitality (in particular) are already struggling with the recent increases to ENI and minimum wage.
Raising the cost of employing staff is a terrible idea.

There are people who are so disabled that they cannot work at all- this is what I class as severly disabled.

So you don't class a rare congenital condition causing multiple organ failure severly disabled. And thats just my physical health i also have bipolar and bpd. But please carry on telling me how minor my disabilities are I'm all ears

This was the beginning of it all going wrong. We acknowledged working full time on low pay wasn’t enough to live on so topped up with benefits rather than forcing businesses to pay proper wages.

It’s suppressed wages at the bottom end. And taught people to rely on the state.

Listen to businesses howl about minimum wage increases.

Most of them are hugely profitable with huge differences between the average worker and the exec team.

Of course they can afford to pay more. They just don’t want to.