Majority of people are on some sort of benefit.

[*_ash_*]

I was referring to the figures of the OP.

 

I don't think it matters if the figures are correct, as the government will manipulate them anyway to give the impression they want.

 

The figures weren't produced by the government, they were by the IFS, which is a non-profit making and politically independent institution.

 

As for point b I refer you to the recent debaccle in which headlines were screaming about benefits being capped at £25K giving the impression that that was the sort of figure claiments received.

Nowhere (that I saw anyway) was there a figure which showed what percentage of claimants actually received that amount, or what the average claim was.

You said benefits weren't too generous, and based that on something that you wrote that you had no idea about.

I personally think I agree with a cap at 25K, though I would be much happier with a cap on rents, which as I understand it, is the main reason for benefits exceeding the 25K in the first place.

I'm not sure how this would work, but in principle, I agree.

[anywebsite]

Price caps on rents would just cause shortages & long waiting lists. Price caps never work & cause more trouble than they aim to solve. Only way to bring rents down is to build more.

[*_ash_*]

Price caps on rents would just cause shortages & long waiting lists. Price caps never work & cause more trouble than they aim to solve. Only way to bring rents down is to build more.

Like I said in principle.

 

Building more doesn't seem to happen either, hence perhaps why the cap is the current best answer that anyone can implement.

 

Year or so ago, I went up Parson Cross, there were loads of houses recently done up, or in perfect sense to be done up by someone. When I went up more recently, they're all gone.

 

I can't see any sense in that. I'm happy to hear some though

[Ms Macbeth]

I can't convince myself that the state pension is a benefit where people who have worked all their lives are concerned. For me who has paid in hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax and NHI over the years, without taking anything back, it's bloody pay back time.

 

I don't see my state pension as 'benefits' either, mine is based on NI contributions and is just over half the basic rate. Our generation were also conned into thinking the basic state pension would be based on the same calculations for us all. Then the last government introduced pension credit! Another level playing field gone.

 

However, I am grateful for my travel pass.

[Dingus]

http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn13.pdf

 

Table 2.1 on page 5 breaks down these benefits.

 

I suppose someone with the amount of spare time that you clearly have will be getting a far larger divi up than most.