What will it take for the Government to enact welfare reform?

[Schlossadler]

What has to break, before the Government is finally willing to enact welfare reform?

Children benefit from a strong economy. Look at the Nordics

What about the feckless? Are they selfless?

Am sure we’ll soon learn from a myriad of posters that it won’t be the blessed souls fault. There’ll be a million reasons why they were unable to make basic decisions for themselves. Yet they’re somehow still entitled to vote.

Not everyone on benefits is feckless. I really wish we stopped acting like everyone on benefits is the same.

That’s it, isn’t it?

No accountability or ownership. Everything is someone else’s fault or problem.
One poor life decision after another, and they expect the hard working to pick up the tab.

Staggering, really.

Which have high taxes.

Good question

We need a government that has the balls to make some tough decisions around welfare. That will never happen under a Labour government, so don't expect anything to change until they've gone.

Not everyone, no, but surely you must accept that the welfare spend is unsustainable.

If Labour fails to address spending, the bond markets will do it for them.

I was referring to the studies regarding the impact of universal childcare and its impact on the economy

Besides the Nordic’s taxes are higher for lower and mid earners.

High taxes but high wages and good public services. So you can appreciate what you are paying for. They also don't have a vast benefit class spending all the tax raised.

I don't know what the answer is and I can't be objective because I'm on benefits and at the mercy of any potential changes.

It's terrifying.

Daft comparison.

UK has something like 25% of population being socioeconomic grouping D & E.
Norway, as an example, is more like 10-15% equivalent.

Ignoring the much smaller population, and SWF in Norways case.

They spend more on welfare than we do. Nordic welfare spending is amongst the highest in Europe!

I'm so sorry you are so worried Kirbert2. Some people forget that benefit recipients are human beings, it seems. 😔

I’m sure it’s hard. The accusations of people are being selfish won’t help, not from you just generally.

Borrowing and taxes are at a limit.

Are you?

Or do you think feckless can't apply to you?

Agreed. And for those that aren’t, we should be providing more for them that what we’re currently doing.

Look at France for example, if you’re made redundant you get a substantial portion of your salary paid for a period of time (subject to you have made sufficient contributions).

for me it’s all underpinned by a world class education system as I firmly believe education to be the great enabler and leveller: everyone should have a chance.

@TemperanceWest

Here’s one for you.

Let’s say I sell a business, or part of it, and generate say, 5m quid of pure profit - what level of tax should I pay on it?

Why had @Schlossadler’s post bern deleted - this reporting is getting ridiculous

And most forget that those they’re demanding more and more taxes from are people too, that’s the issue.

I’ve often thought a great experiment (TV show?!) would be a setup where a group of people have to decide who to tax what and what to spend the taxes on. With the impact being calculated live ie ABC want to spend more on their housing, D has to pay more tax so his kids need to leave their private school.

I really think personalising it would help demonstrate that both:

1. those that truly need help need more help than they get at present
2. those that are continually asked to pay more and more are already paying more than their fair share

the problem is there’s a disconnect at present, with many I think believing the government has a magic money tree

It goes both ways. People on benefits are all different and acting like everyone is feckless with their hands out and can't be arsed working also doesn't help.

It just makes genuine people like me feel like shit. It's hard enough as it is already.

It’s the same old reporters - it changes nothing, and they know that.