I've been reading the last three pages on this thread with regret. We seemed to have started to argue over what are mainly personal situations which, naturally, would differ greatly. Of course your view would be coloured by what has or is happening to you but it may not equate in any way to how it affects others. Two people can have worked hard all their lives but may have ended up in totally different situations, not just because of how much they may have earned but also because of how life and circumstances have treated them - or because of lifestyle choices each may have made. The view that you may derive from how things have turned out for you, or people you know, may be totally wrong for some other people. I recently quoted the situation of one of the disabled people that I look after. He has a very positive attitude although life, from birth, has dealt him so horrible blows. I've been looking after him since 1983 when his father, who worked for me, died. He lives on Disability Living Allowance (yes, I know that they've changed the name to PIP) and a few other benefits. He also gets housing benefit. When they brought in the 'bedroom tax' his housing benefit reduced as he has a two bedroom flat (although the authorities had given him two bedrooms because he occasionally needs a live in carer). I handle all his official documentation and sort out any other problems and told him that I could easily get the bedroom tax dropped in his case. His answer: "No, I don't want you to because there's a limited amount that the Council has in that budget and others need it more than me". Everyone has different circumstances and different viewpoints. They can all be right (or wrong) depending on the situation.
Re migrant workers and apple picking: Over 50 years ago I used to regularly go and do hop picking and pea picking. The work was hard and the conditions were not good, but the pay and the cheerful way of life balanced that out. I've no idea what the pay or conditions are now ( @wiseowl may know more as he lives nearer to where I used to do it) but it seems as though, in general, the English people don't want to do that sort of work nowadays and the migrants do. Good luck to them
I have also noticed it is starting to deteriorate, it is becoming as divided as the country. The decision has been made, by a majority vote, lets all suck it up and move on.
That is inaccurate. A reduced tariff is offered if someone in the household is on certain benefits and/either ~ have 3 or more children under 19yo and in full time education. ~ someone in the household has certain medical conditions
I'm on a water meter too (and believe that everyone should be). You only pay for what you use. In terms of council tax, I get a 25% reduction for being in a single occupancy dwelling so I don't pay the same as a multi person household and for gas, electricity, etc you obviously only pay for what you use.
I'm getting rather fed up with all the scaremongering, no one actually knows for sure what the future brings! I strongly believe that the media are stirring everyone up & causing a lot of unrest. Yesterday Kevin spoke to his parents, his father told him that house prices had fallen 20% overnight, he then went on to tell Kevin that he couldn't go to certain parts of the country because there were riots mainly in areas where there were a lot of polish, his next piece of useless information was about the interest rate & how we were on the edge of recession! & so it went on, Kev & I agreed that father had spent too much of his time reading the sun & watching the news! But my point is....this is what the media are pushing everyone to believe, some of it may be true but why can't we stick to the facts, stop second guessing, I'm a great believer in things always work out in the end, as frightening as the uncertainty of this is there's always hope & I believe that in time things will get better, yes we have a volotile situation right now but it will eventually calm down. I'm sorry if what I've said has upset anyone it's just my point of view!
We have been since the last recession. This will just be the straw that broke the camels back. Give it a couple of weeks and you'll be able to buy an acre and a half over here for less than over there
To put things in perspective for myself anyway is that we are 3 days away from the 100th anniversary of The Battle of The Somme. I believe (I'm no historian so happy to stand corrected)that on the 1st day the Allies lost 19,000 plus men. How does that utter tragedy compare with having to pay an extra couple of Euros for your holiday meal in Spain for example or the perceived value of your home may (only know if you try to sell) have gone down a few % points ? You'd think the end of the world is about to happen. Yes on paper my family is considerably worse off than we were last week BUT we are all fit and well and still have food on the table. I'd like every 1 of our politicians to read Kipling's If poem and get a b grip.
@silu I find it a bit puzzling when just a short while ago (weeks and months - not years) everyone was complaining that house prices were too high!! Now they're complaining that they've come down in price (not actually happened yet but it will happen).
Same happened 8 or 9 years ago when house prices went crazy then collapsed. I capitalised on it, buying my house at rock bottom price. I couldn't have got on the property ladder if it hadn't happened because no lender would lend me enough to buy even a tiny terraced house at the prices before the crash.
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/06/27/canadas-relationship-with-uk-is-special And if other countries take the same attitude...
