Benefits Too High?

[El Cid]

Lee Anderson, the new Conservative deputy chairman, was being interviewed by Nick Robinson on the BBC. He used to work for citizens advice and then for a Labour MP. He believes that benefits or making peoples lives worse. That is what he said, to the best of my recollection.

Do you agree, is there any evidence of this?

Unemployment is between 4-8%, actively working around 60% with 32% not working and not seeking work, is that about right?

Is it the level of the benefits or certain ones which should be stopped?

We have a benefits cap in London and no more Child benefit after the second child. Have those policies made a difference?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jryp

Edited March 5, 2023 by El Cid

[XPertByExperien]

6 minutes ago, El Cid said:

Lee Anderson, the new Conservative deputy chairman, was being interviewed by Nick Robinson on the BBC. He used to work for citizens advice and then for a Labour MP. He believes that benefits or making peoples lives worse. That is what he said, to the best of my recollection.

Do you agree, is there any evidence of this?

Unemployment is between 4-8%, actively working around 60% with 32% not working and not seeking work, is that about right?

Is it the level of the benefits or certain ones which should be stopped?

We have a benefits cap in London and no more Child benefit after the second child. Have those policies made a difference?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jryp

Yuck, if it was up to the Tories/Right, claiming benefits would've been declared illegal years ago!   

 

I have a job, I'm "working" this Tuesday morning, but I'm still on benefits because I could no more work full time than put on a Superman costume and fly!

 

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by XPertByExperien
More detail and a small rant

[Al Bundy]

18 minutes ago, XPertByExperien said:

Yuck, if it was up to the Tories/Right, claiming benefits would've been declared illegal years ago!   

 

I have a job, I'm "working" this Tuesday morning, but I'm still on benefits because I could no more work full time than put on a Superman costume and fly!

 

 

It really really wouldn't.

 

Stop being silly.

[XPertByExperien]

3 minutes ago, Al Bundy said:

It really really wouldn't.

 

Stop being silly.

You clearly haven't been around long enough to see the reaction I used to get on here merely for existing on benefits as a result of being disabled!

 

 

[m williamson]

I'm retired and have been fortunate during my life to have never needed benefits. The UK provides one of the lowest levels of benefits in Europe as it stands, the idea of reducing them even further is unacceptable.

Reform them where necessary and ensure as far as possible that they are not being abused is what should happen, but further reducing the welfare of  genuine claimants isn't acceptable.

 

https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/blog/social-benefits-europe-isnt-britain/

[El Cid]

This is from the ONS

 

The UK employment rate was estimated at 75.6% in October to December 2022

[El Cid]

6 minutes ago, m williamson said:

I'm retired and have been fortunate during my life to have never needed benefits. The UK provides one of the lowest levels of benefits in Europe as it stands, the idea of reducing them even further is unacceptable.

Reform them where necessary and ensure as far as possible that they are not being abused is what should happen, but further reducing the welfare of  genuine claimants isn't acceptable

I claimed benefits around thirty years ago, for around ten months. It helped me, with rent until I returned to work.

I do feel couples with children should be supported more, to encourage families to stay together.

A two parent family is the best way to bring up children, not sure if governments can encourage that. There does seem to be too many benefits, bereavement benefits even.

Disabled people should be able to keep some of their benefits when working, is that practical? A different tax code perhaps.

[XPertByExperien]

9 minutes ago, El Cid said:

This is from the ONS

 

The UK employment rate was estimated at 75.6% in October to December 2022

And is likely to get MUCH worse before it gets any better IMO, particularly among the disabled, most places won't even interview you despite some of the bigger retail chains offering "guaranteed interviews if you meet the criteria", load of cobblers, they don't mean a word of it, it's just a legal requirement under the Equality Act.

 

 

2 minutes ago, El Cid said:

I claimed benefits around thirty years ago, for around ten months. It helped me, with rent until I returned to work.

I do feel couples with children should be supported more, to encourage families to stay together.

A two parent family is the best way to bring up children, not sure if governments can encourage that. There does seem to be too many benefits, bereavement benefits even.

Disabled people should be able to keep some of their benefits when working, is that practical? A different tax code perhaps.

I'm on enhanced rate PIP, and even though I have a job I will keep that for life, because I physically can't work 40 hours a week so I'd never earn enough to even break even on a month's rent plus other living expenses.

 

And the Tories think this is acceptable?   

 

[L00b]

1 hour ago, El Cid said:

(…)

Unemployment is between 4-8%, actively working around 60% with 32% not working and not seeking work, is that about right?

(…)

I take it that those stats are for the whole population, not just the active population?

 

Numbers matter. Accurate numbers in their correct context matter more 🙂

[Al Bundy]

1 hour ago, XPertByExperien said:

You clearly haven't been around long enough to see the reaction I used to get on here merely for existing on benefits as a result of being disabled!

 

 

But during a conservative government benefits were not illegal...right?