I see eight people here having to choose between eating or heating

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I see eight people here having to choose between eating or heating

153 posts & 72 voices | Started 3 months ago by mudshark | Latest reply from Junkyard

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madhouse - Member

binners - nothing we can do about corporation tax, if we have different rules then they'll just not bother trading with the UK or our prices will rise. As we're not self sufficient we'd be cutting our nose off to spite our face.

In general the public could ensure they buy British from British companies, this would help the matter but we're talking years for it to have any impact. But there's nothing to stop you or I making that change right now.

We'd be better off closing the loopholes that many companies that are registered in the UK use to avoid paying tax while staying within the letter of the law.

Posted 3 months ago #
grum - Member

Illnesses that you can claim are debilitating with little or no evidence to the contrary... Illnesses that seem to affect quite a few people of the hard-working persuasion who seem to manage or treat the symptoms enough to hold down regular employment without any difficulty whatsoever...

Y'know, like agoraphobia, anxiety, ME, back pain, asthma...

I've got one of those illnesses. And yes I manage to hold down a job and don't claim any benefits - but if I could only get inflexible, physically demanding minimum wage work it would be extremely difficult to do that.

Again, I'm sure some people abuse it - but rather that than people who are genuinely struggling are accused of being lazy scroungers eh? Oh.....

Posted 3 months ago #
wallace1492 - Member

TandemJeremy - Member

No luxuries at all allowed if you are unemployed - bare basics for survival only despite the fact we do not have work for millions of people

So are fags on booze esentials? These peope, seem to do OK out of our benefits system.

Posted 3 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Conversely, after my old mum had her second heart attack she was directly instructed to give up work by her doctor. But she was refused any benefits because she had voluntarily given up employment.

Subsequently several folk told her the "correct" answers to put on forms, but she refused to lie so she got nowt.

Posted 3 months ago #
buzz-lightyear - Member

What I find hard to believe is that a computer programmer could be out of work for 10 years: a miner or shipworker, I could understand, but a programmer???

I have a mate who is a Fortran expert from the days when Fortran was a mainstream programming language. He might as well be a coal miner with that skill-set.

He learned the basics of C++ on a night course and got a job working on a C++ project fixing code. The problem was that the code he was fixing was so huge, undocumented, badly organised and ill-supported he could not do the job. He's given it all up now.

Posted 3 months ago #
binners - Member

madhouse - I agree with you on that. Is there by any chance you can get hold of accurate information about which companies regard UK tax as a minor inconvenience to be dispensed with?

Posted 3 months ago #
edlong - Member

200 fags AND a packet of rolling 'baccy... where's the "bag of weed" cost in their weekly spend then?

Posted 3 months ago #
the wanderer - Member

Incentives!

People act on the incentives they are given. Why work when you can get free housing and a more money than the minimum wage.

So;
1. Decrease the taxes / disincentives to minimum wage earners / maybe increase the minimum wage / remove any barriers to employers
2. Disincentivise living on the dole - If you want to live on the dole and are;
a: single - government supplies dormitory accommodation with canteen food
b: in a family - larger family accommodation with canteen
c: disabled/OAP - humane level of support as necessary

Free roof over your head / food / health care / basic job help - should be all that tax payers should pay for. Make it civil but not so comfortable that people don't feel the need to get back on their feet.

Safety net not a safety water bed and down duvet!

Posted 3 months ago #
grum - Member

where's the "bag of weed" cost in their weekly spend then?

They get that for free because they are dealing too, duh!

Posted 3 months ago #
JPR - Member

wanderer - did you just suggest bringing back the poorhouse?

Posted 3 months ago #
the wanderer - Member

Possibly. It's hard to know what the right course of action is. Are those in the BBC case the norm or just the few. I work with a lot of people on the minimum wage who would be better off (financially) on the dole.

So I know at least that part of the system is wrong.

I'm a big believer in hard work should get you somewhere. If you don't want to work then that's cool - but I don't think you should get a free ride.

Living in London, I see so many people who are obviously scamming the system - it makes my blood boil that I have to work so hard to pay for their free house as well as my rent!

Posted 3 months ago #
madhouse - Member

binners - not really, I knew the Amazon thing due to there being an invoice of theirs on my desk! Companies House and associated websites (which are probably easier to use) will tell you if a company is incorporated in the UK, if they're not on that list then they are registered elsewhere (obviously).
Although you will need to work out if holding companies are involved as the trading name may not be the same as the publicly known trademark. Even then if they are registered in the UK if they are part of a group they may still get away with it.

Most companies websites will have their registered office on, which may give their true location away but that's not definitive either. If they've an investors section you'll get more information from there, a quick look at their annual accounts will be telling as more often than not they'll use the currency of their country of domicile.

So basically it's all a big complicated minefield.

Posted 3 months ago #
mogrim - Member

He learned the basics of C++ on a night course and got a job working on a C++ project fixing code. The problem was that the code he was fixing was so huge, undocumented, badly organised and ill-supported he could not do the job. He's given it all up now.

As opposed to sticking it out, and applying for a new job at the same time?

Posted 3 months ago #
project - Member

He has brought shame on us the WELSH, with his portrayl of the benefits he is legally allowed to get paid.

But surely he would like a job to get him away from the wife and kids, as most men do.

Posted 3 months ago #
althepal - Member

See a lot of this at my work.. Folk with alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health probs.. Like someone already mentioned these folk seem to think they're entitled to their benefits despite never working a day in their lives. I accept that a lot of these folk are ill and do need help. But not to maintain the sort of lifestyle as detailed in the BBC article.. I accept it may have been written to polarise opinions (or troll) but I'm sad to say I see the same thing most days I'm at work.
Challenged folk about it a few times (until I realised how pointless it was) and they're answer was that theyre sick and deserve it.. That's what our benefits culture has turned into, a place where someone believes it's their right NOT to work at all during their life if they have some sort (any) sort of illness. I have asthma but in general (apart from maybe if I have a bad chest infection for acouple of weeks or something similar)im able to do a reasonably physical, demanding job. Mind you, ive never smoked and am not a heavy drinker (ie, 24 cans of lager a week!) but feel a lot of folk just play the system, and mostly, get away with it. Wecsntgo on like this.
I really do despair sometimes.
And then I think what their five kids are gonna turn out like and it gets worse.
Think something has to be done now, not 100% sure the cap will sort it out, but I guess it's a step in the right direction..

Posted 3 months ago #
molgrips - Member

So, rather than have people on benefits do community work, why can't we just have more council jobs doing the same thing? End result is the same but without any kerfuffle.

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

The answer is to run the economy so we do not have millions of unemployed people.

~When tehre is a job for everyone then we don't need the benefits

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Molgrips - we could esily do this - however it would drive up the cost of labour so is not in the tories interest

High unemplyment keeps down the cost of labour and makes hire and fire easy.

Posted 3 months ago #
ahwiles - Member

it would drive up the cost of labour so is not in ~~the tories~~ anyone's interest

High unemplyment ~~keeps down the cost of labour and makes hire and fire easy.~~ makes people unhappy, and likely to vote for 'anyone but this lot'

makes sense now.

Posted 3 months ago #
project - Member

We need to bring in maximum pay limits for all jobs, and increase the pay for lower paid jobs with the savings, then create lots of jobs, tidying up the environmnet, careing for older people, and general non skilled jobs.

We need to somehow take empty homes back into public ownership,and charge affordable rents, reduce the council tax for the lower paid, and reduce the intrest rates on mortgages, possibly by natioanlising the banks with no compenstion for the shareholders, just the price of their shares back, large companies owning shares in Banks, should just get a small proportin back.

Roll on the socialist revolution

Posted 3 months ago #
wrecker - Member

That sounds hideous. I'm rather pleased it'll never happen.

Posted 3 months ago #
ernie_lynch - Member

High unemplyment ~~keeps down the cost of labour and makes hire and fire easy~~. makes people unhappy, and likely to vote for 'anyone but this lot'

makes sense now.

There's no evidence that is true.

I know of one prime minister who double unemployment and yet got an increased majority.

As long as they convince voters that unemployment is not their fault, which they usually do - specially if backed up by the press, and that unemployed people should get off their arses and stop sponging, which they usually do - specially if backed up by the press, then high unemployment really isn't a problem for governments.

In fact it keeps wages low and profits high, so really quite desirable.

Except of course that skint people can't afford to buy goods and services, so profits are affected in the long run. But that sort of talk concerning the contradictions of capitalism is marxist stuff, so we choose to ignore it and pretend it doesn't happen.

Posted 3 months ago #
konabunny - Member

This is why those on benfits don't always get much sympathy - none of the above expenditures are 'essential'

Yeah, 'cos they're ALL like that.

Posted 3 months ago #
mrlebowski - Member

possibly by natioanlising the banks with no compenstion for the shareholders

Love to see you try & get support for that idea..

Posted 3 months ago #
buttercup - Member

I haven't had heating for 3 years... When faced with the question of £300 for a full tank of oil... or £300 for a marmot triclimate parka you are going to buy anyway... you easily realize you have electrically heated showers and the joy of the postman's face as you accept packages.

Posted 3 months ago #
cheekyboy - Member

Roll on the socialist revolution

Is`nt the Socialist evolution moving quick enough or you ?

Posted 3 months ago #
ernie_lynch - Member

"possibly by natioanlising the banks with no compenstion for the shareholders"

Love to see you try & get support for that idea..

Well at least you don't think there'll be any problem with project's other ideas, it's just that idea you think will cause problems. Lets run through project's other ideas again :

"We need to bring in maximum pay limits for all jobs, and increase the pay for lower paid jobs with the savings, then create lots of jobs, tidying up the environmnet, careing for older people, and general non skilled jobs.

We need to somehow take empty homes back into public ownership,and charge affordable rents, reduce the council tax for the lower paid, and reduce the intrest rates on mortgages, possibly by natioanlising the banks with no compenstion for the shareholder......"

So we'll leave nationalising the banks with no compensation until there's a bit more support then.
Sounds OK to me.

BTW, how much compensation was paid to shareholders when the banks were nationalised 3 years ago - was it a lot ?

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

wallace1492 - Member

"TandemJeremy - Member

No luxuries at all allowed if you are unemployed - bare basics for survival only despite the fact we do not have work for millions of people"

So are fags on booze esentials? These peope, seem to do OK out of our benefits system.

I meant allowed by folk onhere - sarcasm? Wooshing over your head?

Ok I don't think much of their priorities especially the fags. However to deny folk any luxuries at all in this day and age seems rather harsh when we have millions out of work - there simply is no job for most of the unemployed to go into if they all retrain and get skills and apply for jobs tomorrow where are all these new jobs coming from? there will still be 3 million unemployed

Posted 3 months ago #
cheekyboy - Member

Surely these people cannot be happy, how can they be.
In my simple little world view the whole point of life is to pursue happiness for the family and oneself.
If there is no pursuit then there can be no appreciation.

Posted 3 months ago #
CHB - Member

Both my brothers have worked for 30 plus years on salaries closer to the minimum wage than I care to think,they pay into the system and have always held their own despite the fact they could have easily taken the lazy option.
Despite the fact that by having the good fortune of a university education, and the salary that often goes with that, my brothers are a great source of inspiration to me.
Lazy feckers in wales that sit on their backside funded by people who often are earning 10 to 20 k themselves is wrong.
Its also wrong that those that have paid into the system or saved a bit for a rainy day get means tested to the extreme if they ever lose thier job. The system is broken and encourages lazy irresponsible behaviour.

Posted 3 months ago #
big_n_daft - Member

grum - Member
Funny how there's never the same tabloid induced outcry about tax cheats/avoiders, wonder why?

tell that to the head of the Student Loans Company

personally the best answer to some of the issues presented are to take time from those on benefits, be it on courses to become employable or some pointless activity it doesn't matter tyhe point is that if you are getting money something is wanted in return i.e. your time

as for the benefits cap, I'll ask the person stacking the shelves in Morrisons or working in the call centre part of my company tomorrow and see what they think of it

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

CHB - Its also wrong that those that have paid into the system or saved a bit for a rainy day get means tested to the extreme if they ever lose thier job.

So you want means testing for some but not others? thats the deserving and undeserving poor again?

Posted 3 months ago #
Junkyard - Member

Lazy feckers in wales that sit on their backside funded by people who often are earning 10 to 20 k themselves is wrong.

yuo are so right ...shall we launch a campaign for full employment with a living wage for alll ...should help out your brothers if we achieve this..you with me?

Its also wrong that those that have paid into the system or saved a bit for a rainy day get means tested to the extreme if they ever lose thier job.

6 k for a single person is more than I have set aside for a rainy day...should we give benfits to those with say 100 k in the bank?
Ps if you have paid 2 years NO then you get non means tested benefits for 6 months ...but hey dont let the facts stopa good rant.

The system is broken and encourages lazy irresponsible behaviour from banlers together we could strive for full employment, a decent living wage and together we could eradicate child poverty in the 6 th richest country in the world if we just shared the wealth around a bit more equitably

FTFY

Of course we could just attack the poor and ask bankers not to take a £2 million pound bonus instead

BigN daft not is not a bad idea at first glance but it just drives wages down. i tend to agree that voluntary work should be mandatory though as a general rule
we cannot train people for jobs as their are more unemployed than jobs

Posted 3 months ago #
big_n_daft - Member

However to deny folk any luxuries at all in this day and age seems rather harsh when we have millions out of work - there simply is no job for most of the unemployed to go into if they all retrain and get skills and apply for jobs tomorrow where are all these new jobs coming from? there will still be 3 million unemployed

I can't undersatnd the logic of working people cancelling Sky subscriptions, stopping smoking and rarely going out to save money due to pay constraint and rising prices and their taxes being used to fund another families Sky package £128/ mth mobile bill and fags and booze

or is it just me?

Posted 3 months ago #
big_n_daft - Member

but it just drives wages down.

why? please explain why putting someone on a training course lowers wages? There are plenty of activities that could be done that will not impact wages as you will not be replacing "paid" activity. Arguably you will create jobs in the infrastructure to make it work and in the childcare services for those who have kids

i tend to agree that voluntary work should be mandatory though as a general rule
we cannot train people for jobs as their are more unemployed than jobs

strange circa 1 million EU migrants have found work recently, care to explain where they magically appeared from

Posted 3 months ago #

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