Alastair Darling's Budget -- amongst things that caught my eye.....

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From October 2009, rules for housing and council tax benefit will mean families on benefit are better off in work.

From April, 2009, child benefit will be increased to £20 a week.

For environmental reasons, fuel duty will rise by 0.5p per litre in real terms in 2010. He said he was postponing the 2p increase in fuel duty until October this year.

From April 2010, all long term recipients of incapacity benefit will attend work capacity programmes

Cigarettes up 11p a packet.

Beer up by 4p a pint, wine 14p a bottle, spirits 55p a bottle and cider 3p a litre by Sunday.

And did he address how the Tax Credit Office will not try to claw back money from working poor families on the verge of poverty when the TCO fucks up and overpays them through their own incompetence?

And did he talk about how it won't take a month or two for the TCO to process your application whilst you struggle to pay for childcare?

And did he talk about how employers will be forced to offer more flexibility for workers with young families so they can go out to work all those shifts and wonky hours across the board 24/7?

No, he sure didn't.

Because he's talking out his hole just like the lot of them.

Most families on benefit will never be better off in work till he addresses at least these issues - also tenancy laws, particularly for private tenants as council/social housing is so scarce.

But of course, what can you expect for this Government?

And why should I, a responsible drinker who rarely uses alcohol, have to pay more for other peoples' lack of self-control?

How about penalising people who use alcohol irresponsibly rather than everyone?

How about addressing the root of the problem as to why people binge-drink, especially as alcohol is far cheaper in Europe, but they don't have the alcohol-fuelled violence problems on the same scale as the UK?

Oh, I know, because that would require some original thought, forsight and long-term thinking, something the Government's not capable of.

I'm with you on this one....
i am always amazed by how much vitriol the conservative party elicits in MN, but this government is pretty incompetent, as far as i can tell

I notice he also didnt mention that his puppet master had designed this budget

expat took the words right out of my mouth

I'm with expat.

Wonder if he got splinters climbing on the climate change/binge drinking tax bandwagon?

'We're going to make you better off in work than benefit', whilst raising the fuel tax so your bus fare to your job and the cost of food goes up because the haulage company has to charge more to get it to the supermarket.

By increasing the costs of haulage companies so they can put working poor lorry drivers out of work.

Way to go, Mr Darling!

Ever heard that saying, 'People don't get rich by spending it'? Well, here's another one: 'Raising taxes doesn't help folks get out of poverty.'

How about a few targets in there, too? You forgot about those, too.

'Raising taxes doesn't help folks get out of poverty.'

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ding ding ding - we have a winner!

too bad he's not a fictional character like mr. bean, too.

"From October 2009, rules for housing and council tax benefit will mean families on benefit are better off in work."

I want to know what this actually means. I downloaded the Budget document and it's very vague about it. Stuff about the LHA, which I'm in favour of, but also more fluff about future changes after further investigation.

I'm concerned that it'll translate into "get a job or we'll cut you off without a penny you lazy dole scum scroungers" which would end up putting more families deeper into poverty. It just seems like the logical end of this government's villification of the poor.

'It just seems like the logical end of this government's villification of the poor'

Indeed it does, especially considering the lack of original thought this government seems to display.

you've got to laugh at

"A family with two children earning up to £28,000 a year will be £130 a year better off"

hmm - a whole £10.83 a month

I love the way I shall be able to redress the increase in my alchol bill with my child benefit.

Is that with or without once the fuel increase is factored into your bus fare, food and just about everything else we buy, FAQ?

And let's not forget the number of people who will be driven to drink just from hearing Gordon's voice on TV and taxed more for it .

It's enough to make anyone fall into despair over that extra 55p on their Famous Grouse.

Yes, increasing a non means-tested benefit is essential to lifting children out of poverty.

without LOL

Absolutely LynetteScavo, I've just ordered another couple of cases of wine now with DD's benefit!

make sure you get in before the tax goes up on Sunday.

Had inkling that it would, so phoned wine merchants at 10am today!

Or rather yesterday now. Damn, have been up addicted to MN for too long now. I must go to bed.

we're too far to catch a quick ferry to France.

DH gets his rolling baccy from a Polish workmate, anyhow. He places an order whenever the chap goes home.

hehe - I'm still on that £7 bag of polish stuff that H brought home beginning of February! And the packet looks like I've hardly touched it - even though I've been smoking more than I usually would (can't imagine why that would be ) - I reckon it's going to last me at least another 2/3 months!

he gets 50g of Golden Virginia for a fiver.