cuts - Wednesday's Spending Review

[mrsbaldwin]

Brace yourself ladies - these cuts are big, there will be tens of thousands of public sector redundancies and it's said (by the Fawcett Society amongst others) that they will disproportionately affect women.

Some workers will get some sort of payoff, and some will be pleased to go. Some will find new jobs.

But I reckon the overall effect (licks finger and holds it in the wind) will be to drive down women's wages, meaning that once you are made redundant from your public sector post you may find more work but it will be at a lower rate and the extra competition for jobs across the board will drive wages down across the board. This may be true for men as well but I think it will affect women - mums - more.

If you are watching the press coverage on Weds, what do you think the effects of the cuts and the job losses for women (and mums) will be?

It looks as though your DH can work the 16 and you the 8 so you can qualify for WTC.

Both couples have to be working, one of them at least 16 hours, the other to make up to the minimum 24 hours. If you want to work 8 hours and your DH wants to work more than the 16 you are still ok.

If for whatever reason, DH works 16 hours, and you dont work...WTC will not apply to you.

If DH works over 24 hours and you still dont work, WTC will not apply.

(I think) Dont quote me on it as it's just how I am reading it.

full text of GO speech here

Similarly CatIsSleepy I have not read all the thread, but I can second her opinion.

Currently burying my head in the sand hoping it will all blow over by the time I dare to look up.

It is unlikely though. As I was coming in to work this morning I made small talk to somebody and she told me she was made redundant yesterday. I felt awful for asking any questions. But then I plucked up the courage, and I invited her for a cuppa and I'll tell her about my experiences with redanduncy procedures and ask her to speak to the union. We cannot just let her deal with it alone.

Oh God Ginger, that's awful.

Why don't they just run round the UK randomly burgling 25% of the houses and giving the money to the banks? That will be about as fair as some of the crap they've just come up with.

Miggsie - that would make more sense.

Owners of burgled houses will then be able to claim off the insurance (if they have any), and then spend the insurance money therefore keeping the economy going.

Even if owners have no insurance they would still need to replace the belongings therefor keeping retail sales up, jobs in place and so on and so forth.

Christ almighty it's bad when you can say in theory the economy would be better off if people were burgled complared to GO's ideas.

SGM- have emailed him, thanks.

Coz like I am sat at home watching JK and not getting dressed all day

I bloody wish. Just for one day would be nice.

So tehn0 if you DP is in the forces and you stay home to balance that you lost WTC too? or if your DP works shifts youc an't fit around?

Blimey, a lot of people better off divorcing.

which I suspect is why he made such a hoo ha about the married allowance.

It's going to be a very bad idea to be married in many ways.

Brooker www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/18/charlie-brooker-nationwide-jumble-sale had some ideas on generating revenue / saving money for the Treasury on Monday. At least he gave it a thought.

GideonsMum Your child's best friends, Mr Cameron, would be astounded that they manage to encourage people to get divorced.
I love your name.

Try the link again Charlie Brooker

We've got to reduce the deficit somehow and if I'm honest the cuts are not as severe as I thought they would be. Increases in NHS spending, a 0.1% increase in schools and an increase in international development so all in all not too bad

Riven, I do worry about the lack of opportunities people in care homes will have as a result of a big chunk of their benefits being taken away. Especially since I have heard horror stories about the now prolific market of private care homes from a friend who was in senior management in learning disability services. They were all understaffed and residents were unable to leave the home, day after day. Their only hope was proactive relatives and this extra money with which to take them out and give them the things in life that make life worth living

Lucky you Hudd

OTOH this evening I ahve to get togethr apperwork to call housing people to see what happens when we lose the house

Remembering SSD said disabled kids cant go into homeless accom so foster carers may be only option for them

I'm, funnily enough, not so sanguine.

Oh and Dh woudln;t be allowed to run his business from a homeless unit; double whammy. I haven;t told him that yet. I could always go on teh game, the diet is going well, should up the price a bit.

DD I worked in socialc are in homes years ago.

I wish I hand;t; no person who will ahve to use one should ever work for one. Ever.

There had to be cuts and the honest truth is that the country was living way beyond its means. You cannot borrow your way out of debt, the current situation where £43 billion a year is spent on the interest on Government bonds is a disgrace and has to ended ASAP.

The banking bailout didn't contribute a penny to the structural deficit that the country faces and regarding Afghanistan I couldn't agree more.

Does anyone actually think 'oh dear we neededit though' makes a haporth of difference when one is facing six months with their kids in foster care whilst they await a house?

Really?

I agree its terrible for those bearing the brunt of the cuts but as Liam Byrne said "there's no money left"

I didnl;t vote Labour so I wish people would quit quoting him at me too.

I did ask the boys to quite being disabled, ds1 squeaked and ds3 stared at a wall. No go there.

I have a question for you Imgideonsmumandihatehimtoo if you had to make the cuts where would you have made them.

Huddspur Are quite sure about the banking crisis not contributing to the structural deficit? So why would you say the structural deficit stood at 3 % of the GDP in 2007, but neraly 8% today? What do you think has happened in the emantime?

GideonsMum It is simply terrible.