The real "biggest" financial drain on this country

[akia]

That shouldn't happen, people who are working on a low wage should have their wages topped up so they are receiving more than those on benefits, it would encourage people to work rather than stay on benefits if they were guaranteed that working WOULD pay, and it would probably cost the government less if they just had to pay a top up rather than the full council tax/rent/benefits package for those who do nothing.

 

While I agree with your sentiment but your statement above is all that is wrong with this country. Yet more hand outs by the state.

The cost of living should be brought down to a level that people on low wages can survive without being subsidised by the state. Then benefits reduced to a appropriate level.

[Badlittlepup]

perhaps what should happen is that wages should be sufficient such that that they don't need topping up

 

True. I don't really know how to resolve the situation but I think it's a sad state of affairs when a lot of people who work are a lot worse off than those who don't.

 

We would be significantly better off if we claimed bad backs or depression and didn't work.

[Badlittlepup]

While I agree with your sentiment but your statement above is all that is wrong with this country. Yet more hand outs by the state.

The cost of living should be brought down to a level that people on low wages can survive without being subsidised by the state. Then benefits reduced to a appropriate level.

 

But how can the cost of living be forced down? It's a nice idea but not really a workable one.

 

It's difficult to know what to do, because the situation at the moment where you can go out and work a 50 hour week and still come with less money in your pocket and a worse standard of living than someone who does nothing at all is obviously unjust, but how do you change it?

[chem1st]

But how can the cost of living be forced down? It's a nice idea but not really a workable one.

 

It's difficult to know what to do, because the situation at the moment where you can go out and work a 50 hour week and still come with less money in your pocket and a worse standard of living than someone who does nothing at all is obviously unjust, but how do you change it?

 

Basic income and one effective marginal tax rate.

[akia]

Market Forces, Supply & Demand. Stop propping up things like the housing market to keep prices high.

[Ms Macbeth]

wasn't it £40K NET income in total ?? (not necessarily for two working people either, as they had that chappie and his 'homemaker' wife and a couple of retirees)

 

You are quite right that not all the people interviewed were working couples, one wife didn't work, and one was a single man, and one couple was retired.

 

However, £40k is reckoned to be the average income for couples who are both working. That is why the programme makers targeted households with that level of income.

[ricgem2002]

But how can the cost of living be forced down? It's a nice idea but not really a workable one.

 

It's difficult to know what to do, because the situation at the moment where you can go out and work a 50 hour week and still come with less money in your pocket and a worse standard of living than someone who does nothing at all is obviously unjust, but how do you change it?

why arnt you targeting people at the top first? while you kick the lowest while their down, dont forget the well off who will be paying less tax than you ?why arnt you asking that they pay more tax ?oh and just think if you lose your job you will get what the people your complaining about gets. just a thought eh

[Badlittlepup]

why arnt you targeting people at the top first? while you kick the lowest while their down, dont forget the well off who will be paying less tax than you ?why arnt you asking that they pay more tax ?oh and just think if you lose your job you will get what the people your complaining about gets. just a thought eh

 

Well actually no, that's not the case because we both work. Unless we lost our jobs at the same time the likelihood is that we would become significantly poorer than them as we would still have one income and would be expected to fund 100% of our rent ourselves and 75% of our council tax. This is despite the fact that our income had been halved leaving us with a miniscule amount of money each week to survive on (We would be left with about £50 a week for two people to live on), leaving us MASSIVELY worse of as household with a low income where a member works as opposed to a household where nobody works where they will have all these items funded plus generous benefits on top. There's a good chance if one of us lost our job we would be punished for having one income by losing our home yet we would STILL be paying the tax that funds those on benefits to live a far more comfortable lifestyle than ours.

 

Ordinary working people pay tax and therefore have an interest in how it is spent, and it is spent to the tune of £112 billion a year on benefits.

 

At the moment we are in a situation where people who work on low wages are having money taken out of their pockets and impoverished to give money to people who do not contribute who are significantly better off than them.

 

I must be old fashioned but I believe that those who work should NEVER find themselves in a situation where they are signicantly poorer than those whose lifestyles they are funding who do not work.

[ricgem2002]

Well actually no, that's not the case because we both work. Unless we lost our jobs at the same time the likelihood is that we would become significantly poorer than them as we would still have one income and would be expected to fund 100% of our rent ourselves and 75% of our council tax. This is despite the fact that our income had been halved leaving us with a miniscule amount of money each week to survive on (We would be left with about £50 a week for two people to live on), leaving us MASSIVELY worse of as household with a low income where a member works as opposed to a household where nobody works where they will have all these items funded plus generous benefits on top. There's a good chance if one of us lost our job we would be punished for having one income by losing our home yet we would STILL be paying the tax that funds those on benefits to live a far more comfortable lifestyle than ours.

 

Ordinary working people pay tax and therefore have an interest in how it is spent, and it is spent to the tune of £112 billion a year on benefits.

 

At the moment we are in a situation where people who work on low wages are having money taken out of their pockets and impoverished to give money to people who do not contribute who are significantly better off than them.

 

I must be old fashioned but I believe that those who work should NEVER find themselves in a situation where they are signicantly poorer than those whose lifestyles they are funding who do not work.

so you still think its ok for the well off to pay as little as tax as possible ?and yes your right ordinary working taxpayers have an interest in how their tax is spent but cant do anything about it oh and as for being old fashioned and moral hasnt done this country any good .just look at the mps and bankers:hihi:

[MrSmith]

Well actually no, that's not the case because we both work. Unless we lost our jobs at the same time the likelihood is that we would become significantly poorer than them as we would still have one income and would be expected to fund 100% of our rent ourselves and 75% of our council tax. This is despite the fact that our income had been halved leaving us with a miniscule amount of money each week to survive on (We would be left with about £50 a week for two people to live on), leaving us MASSIVELY worse of as household with a low income where a member works as opposed to a household where nobody works where they will have all these items funded plus generous benefits on top. There's a good chance if one of us lost our job we would be punished for having one income by losing our home yet we would STILL be paying the tax that funds those on benefits to live a far more comfortable lifestyle than ours.

 

Ordinary working people pay tax and therefore have an interest in how it is spent, and it is spent to the tune of £112 billion a year on benefits.

 

At the moment we are in a situation where people who work on low wages are having money taken out of their pockets and impoverished to give money to people who do not contribute who are significantly better off than them.

 

I must be old fashioned but I believe that those who work should NEVER find themselves in a situation where they are signicantly poorer than those whose lifestyles they are funding who do not work.

 

I agree entirely, benefits should be set at well below the lowest wage.