*I wrote this blog in July 2011 and sadly, on the day Mr Osbourne is due to release his latest attempt to decimate the public services that we. the tax payer, actually fund, it seems more pertinent than it did back then. Progress?*
At the top of this page is written the simple phrase “you all know I’m right so look deep inside yourself and summon the courage to admit it.”
Now some people might perceive this as my being slightly arrogant however this is not the case. I use that as a header simply because it is true and the reaction to my previous blog about people making the choice to sponge/steal from the rest of us by living on benefits confirms it. Indeed, not a single person has disagreed with me.
So with that in mind, I’d like to continue along that path just once more. And it will only be the once because to be honest, I’m not sure my blood pressure could stand another bout of thinking about it. You see the other morning as I was listening to some MP or other ranting on about the state of the nation, another benefit related thought struck me. And it was this:
Saddled with the legacy of Labours ridiculous spending policies and a reported £170 billion a year welfare bill, the current government are being forced to make some drastic decisions. The public sector is being decimated with all kinds of people being made redundant (including members of the Armed Forces even though we’re currently engaged in two major conflicts in case anyone had forgotten) whilst the private sector is undergoing seemingly ever increasing hardships as a result of all kinds of exterior pressures ranging from increased fuel prices to the instability of the financial markets.
In short, we’re in the shit and to address it, the entire country is going to have to keep calm and carry on (to coin a phrase).
There is however, one area of the UK economy who have remained immune from what’s been going on and will apparently remain so; the unemployed. For them, that cheque has continued to drop on the mat every fortnight and it will continue to do so irrespective of the cost to the tax payer (that’s you and me).
Now can someone explain to me, how is that right?
I’m not saying for one second that the majority of unemployed men and women wouldn’t give their right arm to be employed or that everyone is
claiming the dole by choice. That’s not what this is about. This is about fairness pure and simple. When hard working tax-payers are being hammered on an almost daily basis, why are the unemployed not sharing in the nations pain? And how better to do that than to apply an across the board 5% reduction in unemployment benefit.
It makes perfect sense. If the cuts are about saving money then surely the obvious thing to do is to cut back on one of your biggest expenses. Not by sneaking around trying to catch people out but by simply cutting the amount you are paying out. And let’s be brutally honest, a cut in unemployment benefit might surely encourage people to actually take jobs which they have thus far thought of as ‘demeaning’ or too low paid and as a result, put something back into the country too many of them are happily screwing over.
Most importantly of all, it would prove that this government are actually thinking about what’s going on and show the tax-paying British public that when they say that we’re all in this together, they actually mean it. Because to me, at this moment in time, it doesn’t feel like that at all.
Is that being too simplistic? Or is it simply stating the bloody obvious?
PS: I have already had a number of posts agreeing with me and suggesting 5% is a tad too low. 10 if not 15% being closer to what people would like to see together with a time limit for claimants! A nice idea in theory although I’m not sure it would work in practice.
I’d far rather see a programme relating to earning UB such as cleaning up the local community, working with the elderly, etc, etc. Although no doubt the do-gooders of this world would consider this demeaning. Which kind of takes us back to the previous blog!
I am not really sure why I am replying to this, you have obviously bought into the hype that benefits claimants are all scroungers etc but do you realise that straight forward unemployment benefit is less than £60 per week? Benefits are taxable? So not only do we pay tax on our earnings when we are employed and our NI as well for many years for just such times as these, we are also taxed on these benefits?
Penny… I’m 52 years old and have been unemployed before so I don’t need to buy into any hype thanks.
And I do not for one second accuse all UB claimants of being scroungers as I make crystal clear in this and the previous blog.
But the central point remains the same. I’m working my nuts off to keep my head above water and a good portion of the tax I pay on my income goes to people who can’t, don’t or won’t work.
Given the state this country is in, that’s simply not fair. If nothing else, those in receipt should at least be doing something to earn it.
I understand what you are saying but you are missing the point of what I am saying, the benefits are very low to start with and many claimants are barely scraping through, they would not survive a further cut. Benefits are already taxed, claimants are already paying tax the same as you are! You say those who can’t, don’t or won’t work should be doing something to ‘earn’ their benefits, it’s those that can’t that interest me, if a person CAN’T work through genuine disability/poor health how should they ‘earn’ those benefits?
I purposely didn’t mention anything relating to either DLA or Carers allowance because I fully support the notion that anyone with a genuine disabilty should be supported by the welfare state. I have absolutely no issue with that at all.
By ‘can’t’ I was referring to people who live in areas where there are limited opportunities for gainfull employment. In those areas I cannot see why people who take from the state should not have to put something back into it be it by volunteering for charity work, helping those genuinely in need or even cleaning the streets. If nothing else, it might help instill some sense of community into areas which in turn, might well attract employers back.
Your ‘arguements’ are quite sad really not least because you clearly haven’t read what has been written.
However, I’m self-employed so pay my own way and my earnings are dependent on my own efforts so since I work my nuts off, I do quite well thanks. Furthermore, I don’t drink so rarely go into pubs.
During a time of prosperity, nobody says “we can all enjoy this together” and offers the unemployed (and unemployable) more money. Now we’re being subjected to austerity, what exactly do you think there is to take from us? We never had it to begin with.
But you’re right, the austerity measures are not fair. The privileged have had a chance to save, to make preparations for a rainy day. They won’t feel the full brunt of cuts because being employed softens the blow. When you’re sick and unemployed you feel everything, every penny that’s added to VAT, every bus that stops running, every clinic appointment that’s not available due staff shortage.
The truth of “we’re all in this together” is that the poor are the hardest hit. Anyone who believes otherwise is either kidding themselves.
During a time of prosperity, nobody says “we can all enjoy this together” and offers the unemployed (and unemployable) more money. Now we’re being subjected to austerity, what exactly do you think there is to take from us? We never had it to begin with.
But you’re right, the austerity measures are not fair. The privileged have had a chance to save, to make preparations for a rainy day. They won’t feel the full brunt of cuts because being employed softens the blow. When you’re sick and unemployed you feel everything, every penny that’s added to VAT, every bus that stops running, every clinic appointment that’s not available due staff shortage.
The truth of “we’re all in this together” is that the poor are the hardest hit. Anyone who believes otherwise is either kidding themselves.
During a time of propsperity, there will be surely be less unemployed because there will be more work. Simplistic maybe, but true nevertheless.
As for austerity, the poor will always be the hardest hit because there are too many of them but you have Blair and his cronies to thank for that. However, expecting the working class (the bulk of whom are also poor) to prop them up is clearly unfair and something has to give. Or we’ll all go under and what will happen then?
During a time of propsperity, there will be surely be less unemployed because there will be more work. Simplistic maybe, but true nevertheless.
As for austerity, the poor will always be the hardest hit because there are too many of them but you have Blair and his cronies to thank for that. However, expecting the working class (the bulk of whom are also poor) to prop them up is clearly unfair and something has to give. Or we’ll all go under and what will happen then?
Who is “them”? Tomorrow it could be you. What is unfair is to expect those who do not have anything to support those who are lucky enough to have work.
Anyway, I have decided that you are a troll and I shouldn’t be wasting any more spoons on you. http://j.mp/spoonie
Who is “them”? Tomorrow it could be you. What is unfair is to expect those who do not have anything to support those who are lucky enough to have work.
Anyway, I have decided that you are a troll and I shouldn’t be wasting any more spoons on you. http://j.mp/spoonie
Do you seriously think I haven’t been poor? If only you knew mate… 😀
Do you seriously think I haven’t been poor? If only you knew mate… 😀