Kemi B - the best form of welfare is a well paying job...

[Oofftheflooff]

She is absolutely right isn't she? Discussing the triple lock pension challenge and instead focusing on getting people into work. Do you agree with her ? Working 3 or 6 or 9 hours to then top up with benefits isn't the way forward (not including disabilities in here )

My OH with "only" their MBA receives £150k. Because they chose a private sector career and followed the money.

If you have a skillset and aren't happy with what you're being paid, do what everyone else does..move jobs

I didn't hear everything that ms Badenoch had to say about welfare reform and getting people back i to work instead
The key to getting g people back into work Is improving mental health and take home pay I. Relatio. To cosy of living , so that people can afford to live on what they earn, including paying for their own housing, food, transport and bills and a bit left over to make working worthwhile .

Is there an expectation that able bodies pensioners should not retire or should go back to work if they can't afford to live on state pension without state top up.? As ms Bademoch knows state pension is already the highest outgoings on the annual welfare bill, costing the tax payer more than in work benefits, and universal old age care is going to put those costs up enormously which has to be funded from.somewhete. I didn't catch how she said that would be done.

That's a very small solution to a bigger problem. Lots of highly skilled and intelligent people are working in lower paid sectors. Telling them to move elsewhere might help them as an individual but it doesn't help society if everyone left these roles. Because we need them.

Nope that’s not huge.

You’d be better off training to be a plumber.

Not that there’s a solitary thing wrong with being a plumber before you all pile in. Being a professor and being a plumber are fine occupations but and we need both.

I was a teacher, masters.PGCE, 25 years experience, middle management on about 50k - if I did extra covers and duties.

It was an affluent working/middle class area, most parents in trades and many with own businesses or working for family businesses.

Lovely people, super hardworking and mostly great to work with. My son used to ask why they had big houses, second homes abroad, posh cars and we were in a 2 up 2 down with a 20 year old car and a package holiday. And saying all that I’m actually very aware that we all be bliss for some people.

Son is at uni and NOT going into teaching. I retired but my lump sum went on getting him to uni and paying off credit cards. The teaching workload eventually did for my mental and physical health (I’m better now). I’m not at all envious or bitter but I probably wouldn’t bother with degree and professional qualifications if I had my time again. I think I’d set myself up as a mobile housekeeper.

And that is always the problem. The free market wants one thing: money. Meanwhile the real world needs many things: Money, certainly, but also research, services, maintenance, engineering, innovation, health, education. Ultimately without those 'lower value' things, the money does not happen. Free markets above all else supporters seem unable to understand this.

Did you do the same?

Fine if you can get a job. Not that easy if you haven't had a middle class life and all the trappings and advantages that brings

Do we now?

Yes.

What is your job and salary?

My talented husband has a Masters and has moved jobs a lot, always one step ahead of changes and never been out of work since he started work 50 years ago. Most he has ever earned is £65k. Some really don’t understand the reality of life for the state educated Joe Blogs.

DP had a Masters that is relevant to his job. He is mid 50s and on just over £30k.
It is only on MN where there is some scale of how much of a failure you are based on your salary and age. I try and ignore the people spouting shite like that.
And it seems they are more than happy to brag about their OH's salary, but not answer questions about their own. Funny, that,

Nah. You're right mate. Next time we need some research into economic growth I'll give my brother in law a bell. He's an engineer. Close enough innit? And I don't see why them lot working on AI can't have a browse on the internet to see what's new in cancer care and advise the NHS while they're at it.

They weren’t during WW2 either

My DH and myself are also state educated, grew up in a developing nation, barely any money. Just worked hard and was driven. My DH makes more than double yours.

My DC is doing a degree apprenticeship and is just 18 and is just over £30k

Oh dear. Have we really descended to “My dad’s bigger than your dad”? And you’ve just proved @Harv3srM00n’s point beautifully.

This is feeling a bit like 'my dad has a bigger car than yours' playground talk.

Plenty of people are working very hard for lower wages and these are the people we are depending on. Nurses, teachers, social workers, bin men etc.

And yourself? What do you do and how much do you earn? And what path did you follow to achieve it? Because if you've posted this in order to evidence that you took a superior life path to lower earners, then it would be a great deal more compelling if we knew what that path actually entailed.

Nurses and teachers are actually paid fine.

So why do some get over £500 a month of universal credit? Surely if they’re paid fine they wouldn’t need it.

100% spot on do not tell labour though

Because a lot of them, esp at lower bands, don't work full time.

Or live in very expensive areas. Solution to this would be housebuilding of social housing, not UC

High rent
High childcare costs
Single income households with or w/o dependents

All while working full time.

That surprises me as a starting pay for them is £32k , £34k which is a good salary to start with