2016 Budget

No. I didn't give exact figures. My exact income is my business, and I used approximations to illustrate my point.

Can't get tax credits, only the what used to be called family allowance. To get tax credits, you have to be on the breadline.

 

That's totally fair enough. Just my rough workings based on £750 a week that you offered in reply to Pete.

Thank god for that. I was about to go off on one for a second or two.

I'm not so sure that is a good thing. I do think that if it had been a lesser person in his role things could have been much worse for the disadvantaged. Out of a bad bunch I think that he was one of the better ones.

 

Hi Longk,
I can tell you've never had dealings with his decisions etc.
I've had 2 court cases.
I've been caught in a battle between my local Job center who refused to let me sign on for unemployment benefit after his office said I had to.
My local MP has dealt with my case for me, dealing with IDS's office directly ( PS my MP is in the Conservative Treasury Office).
It is now sorted and they have had to pay me 2 years back pay at todays rates. So this has cost them even more than if they had been paying me fairly from the start.

 

I haven't and I'm sorry to hear that you have (although I am not surprised as you are not in their core voter target group). However, I do stand by my assertion that it it had been a real yes man/woman in that role who had carried out the chancellors dictats without reservation or a fight then it would have been far worse.

 

The jobcentre/benefits office is a massive farce. I remember being unemployed and on the dole. I was asked, as usual, what I had done to find work since last time I'd signed on. I answered, truthfully, that I'd compiled a list of recruitment agency email addresses and contact names for my industry. Approximately 1200 in all. Pulled in a favour from a former colleague whose expertise was in marketing, proof reading, copy, etc and had my cv professionally polished, and then emailed my cv to the circa 1200 recruitment agents I'd found telling them I was willing to work anywhere on the UK mainland. I'd recorded all responses, totalling over 600 incoming phone calls.

This wasn't enough, and I was chastised. Following that, I continued to apply for every job I saw advertised that I thought I could do, and continued liaising with about 800 agencies (those that had shown interest in my skills), and about a month later, my dole was stopped because I wasn't doing enough.

 

@fat controller £300pw rent is £85 more than my gross weekly income :-)

A problem I see is members of the Government think £85 a month is a pittance
well it is if you pay £85 for a bottle of wine at "lunch

As for the sugar tax, one national company up here has suggested, instead of 25p per litre
on premium drinks coke etc to put 5p per litre on all products, spring water, diet drinks,
Which totally defeats the purpose of the tax
I suppose the Government could go the whole hog and tax Fish and Chip shops, Pie shops out of business, to save the fatties who can not save themselves

Some gentile lady who likes the odd Gin and Tonic, now has to pay more to save some fat kid from his parents

 

General musing, and this is by no means a criticism of those that either oppose or support the new sugar tax, I'm just interested in opinions.

Ocassional smokers (that now includes me) pay more than perhaps is necessary, because tobacco is heavily taxed on the premise that it is harmful and needs to be discouraged, because otherwise some people would smoke 80 per day if they could afford it.

Should baccy be sold at cost plus profit margin plus vat, and without all the other tax on it?

 

Well one thing I've always said is......
Everyone wants everyone who smokes to stop, right, but if this happened where would all that tax come from then.
Income tax would probably have to go up by God knows how much to cover the loss of revenue.

 

I think that this will be a game changer. Camerons response is without precedent and I think that it is the end of Osbournes prime ministerial ambitions as well.

 

I'm probably going to get taken to the town square & stoned for what I'm about to say....this is by no means a dig at anyone this is just my personal view....
I work more than full time, (I'm self employed so I can put in as many hours as I want to) as you all know I have a small portfolio of property which is my retirement plan, I've never claimed any benifits, I've never had children (nor do I want to) I'm not a drain on society infact I pay my tax bill in good time every year (I have to pay in Jan then payment on account in July for the following year), so basically I'm a slave to the country! But my point is what exactly am I getting for my money? Well nothing is the answer, I still have to wait months to see a consultant at the hospital for my asthma, I can't get an appointment with my GP for 3 weeks, my state pension.....well that's a bloody joke there won't be any money for that by the time I retire! It's a very unfair country & although I moan & it does get me down sometimes I try to remember that there's always someone worse off than me!
I haven't meant any offence to anyone with what I've just said

 

Who wants to see a stoned Beckie?
I also never lose track of the fact that there are far worse off than myself.
I personally don't see anything offensive in your post.

 

A couple of years back, I had an epiphany. On the way to work - whilst sitting on the M56 in yet another traffic jam, on a cold and wet Winter's morning - I thought...what the blue heck am I doing?

I've done my fair share - paid into the system for over 30 years - I reckon that's paid for my education and the 2 visits to hospital. I'm entitled to a full state pension (assuming I make it to the ever increasing state pension age), any NI contributions I make from now on go solely into other peoples benefits and funding the NHS.

I'm now part-time - half the previous income - and it's made no difference to my lifestyle - in fact it's improved - I've more time to do what I want to do.

I looked at how much I would get on benefits - £70 odd a week for 6 months and then NOWT. Provided I spend all my time looking for a job.

The welfare safety net has got massive holes in it - and they're going to get bigger when the £3.5 billion is taken out.

 

Very true. My Uncle saved up for his old age - and is now taxed to the hilt and can't get out to spend what is left. Someone else, religiously paid into a pension, retiring at 65. His pension now pays his residential home fees - whilst the guy next to him gets the same service - but its paid for by the state.

Spend your cash while you can still enjoy it I say.

 

About 5 years and a paraphrasing of "Work Makes You Free" too late for my tastes, lol. But yes, good to see one of the evils is vanquished.

I don't believe for a second he's doing it out the goodness of his heart, though. He's bound to have an ulterior motive that isn't in the picture yet.

 

Yeah, probably something to do with the EU debarcle.

At least we know he won't be able to put himself forward to be party leader, he's already tried that and failed.