Osborne to cut benefits

[Tangled up in Blue]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/sep/09/george-osborne-cut-4bn-benefits-welfare

The sort of person I'm worried about is an ex-girlfriend of mine who's now living on disability benefit after having had mental heath problems for a couple of years.Technically she's below retirement age.Is she the sort of person Osborne is going to be targeting? If not who?

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'm guessing the sort of person Osborne will be targeting is the type with seven children from seven fathers, never worked an honesty day of work in her life and whose current partner is claiming disability benefit for a football injury he picked up twelve years ago that prohibits him from even desk work, yet he's available for a kickaround if you ask him nicely.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I'm guessing the sort of person Osborne will be targeting is the type with seven children from seven fathers, never worked an honesty day of work in her life and whose current partner is claiming disability benefit for a football injury he picked up twelve years ago that prohibits him from even desk work, yet he's available for a kickaround if you ask him nicely.

Do you think Gideon is going to pass any of these savings on to you?

I don't.

I'm lucky enough not to rely on benefits but if it all goes wrong I hope there is a system left I can rely on.

One thing is for sure - it's a system that David, Gideon et al have never and will never have to rely on.

Osborne's intentions are nothing more than spite. I bet he hasn't turned round to his entitled Eton chums and said 'actually we have it pretty good chaps - perhaps we could pay a bit more tax?'.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Do you think Gideon is going to pass any of these savings on to you?

I don't.

I'm lucky enough not to rely on benefits but if it all goes wrong I hope there is a system left I can rely on.

One thing is for sure - it's a system that David, Gideon et al have never and will never have to rely on. Their intentions are nothing more than spite.

No, and I'd have hoped not too... The country has run up a massive tab, it's now last orders and we'll all have to dig a little deeper to foot the bill. I'm fully aware that the system is necessary, but its current entity is too easily abused. If you want to have seven children, be my guest, but you cannot expect the country to support you in doing so, with you only to do nothing in an attempt to support yourself.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Do you think Gideon is going to pass any of these savings on to you?

I don't.

I'm lucky enough not to rely on benefits but if it all goes wrong I hope there is a system left I can rely on.

One thing is for sure - it's a system that David, Gideon et al have never and will never have to rely on.

Osborne's intentions are nothing more than spite. I bet he hasn't turned round to his entitled Eton chums and said 'actually we have it pretty good chaps - perhaps we could pay a bit more tax?'.

Highly unlikely, but then that's the same as the Public Schoolboys of the last Government.

One of the main tenets that IMO Blair won so many votes in 1997, was his promise to think the unthinkable on social & welfare reform. He had just the man in Frank Field to do the job, but almost certainly because of resistance from Brown the previous Government did the square root of **** all, and poor Frank Field was booted off to the back benches.

I hope that the coalition are able to tackle this issue, as in Iain Duncan-Smith they have a man in place who knows his brief, and it's interesting that he has the very same Frank Field on board.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Highly unlikely, but then that's the same as the Public Schoolboys of the last Government.

One of the main tenets that IMO Blair won so many votes in 1997, was his promise to think the unthinkable on social & welfare reform. He had just the man in Frank Field to do the job, but almost certainly because of resistance from Brown the previous Government did the square root of **** all, and poor Frank Field was booted off to the back benches.

I hope that the coalition are able to tackle this issue, as in Iain Duncan-Smith they have a man in place who knows his brief, and it's interesting that he has the very same Frank Field on board.

Quite a few Governments have indeed talked about doing something regarding this issue, going as far back as Ted Heath's Tory Government in 1970.I await with interest to see what specific plans IDS has(as you say with Frank Field giving advice in the background)and how these will be implemented fairly.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/sep/09/george-osborne-cut-4bn-benefits-welfare

The sort of person I'm worried about is an ex-girlfriend of mine who's now living on disability benefit after having mental heath problems for a couple of years.Technically she's below retirement age.Is she the sort of person Osborne is going to be targeting? If not who?

This old girl went out with you and now she's mental? Well I never.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

This old girl went out with you and now she's mental? Well I never.

Our relationship terminated a long time ago.I'm glad you have a caring attitude towards mental illness.BTW, read what I wrote more carefully.I said she had had mental illness problems.She's been stable for the last three years apparently.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

Osborne is targeting people who is fit to work, but pretending to be disabled and on Incapacity benefits. I know 3 guys who is pretending he got back back, knee and cannot use their arm etc and can't work, yet, they are fit and be able to do sports etc - I know a guy who is on Incapacity benefits, he pretending he cannot walk or bend down to lift something etc, but he was fit to play football, can head, tackle and shoot etc - I already reported him to The Suns, with video clips of him playing football and bit of his details, now he expect someone come knocking on his door, to check him out soon :) so at least one of our tax money is saved from paying him!!

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Our relationship terminated a long time ago.I'm glad you have a caring attitude towards mental illness.BTW, read what I wrote more carefully.I said she had had mental illness problems.She's been stable for the last three years apparently.

If she's been stable for three years, why hasn't she gone back to work? Read what I am about to write very carefully, being 'a bit sad' is not mental illness. These wretched loafers needs to cowboy up and stop leeching off those of us with the gumption to keep on keeping on.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

If she's been stable for three years, why hasn't she gone back to work? Read what I am about to write very carefully, being 'a bit sad' is not mental illness. These wretched loafers needs to cowboy up and stop leeching off those of us with the gumption to keep on keeping on.

I've no idea.I haven't seen her for years.As I said she's very near retirement age.IIRC her mother also suffered from depression, which as I imagine you're probably aware, is often hereditary.

 

[DTS]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/sep/09/george-osborne-cut-4bn-benefits-welfare

The sort of person I'm worried about is an ex-girlfriend of mine who's now living on disability benefit after having had mental heath problems for a couple of years.Technically she's below retirement age.Is she the sort of person Osborne is going to be targeting? If not who?

I cant begin to say I understand mental health and I feel empathy for anyone that has suffered from it. But at the end of the day if there are 5 Million people claiming benefits....That by my reckoning is one in every twelve UK people (And thats just includings kids and pensioners so its probably even higher) on benefits.

Now not every one of those five million peope has health problems. I am sure for many its a lifestyle choice. and that is simply unacceptable. I am sure every poster knows people pefectly fit for work and yet they cant be bothered. Personally the Mrs meets loads of Mums and Dads in the process of looking after our kids that choose not to work.

The country is creaking under the strain of debt. £1 in every £4 we spend a country is used to pay loans from past goverments. We have been living above our means for years and now we all have to take responsability.

The public sector once again seems to be stuck in a bygone era with various strikes, walk out etc planned over the next few months, the private sector has probably been culled back as far as it can go, and yet people are up in arms about cuts to benefits.

Some peope the elderly and unwell are more than entitled to state support in my opinon but people that dont want to work are not and I personally support the goverment all the way on this.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Is anyone that is involved in the buy to let game concerned about the government cutting benefits?

 

[DTS]

Is anyone that is involved in the buy to let game concerned about the government cutting benefits?

I have got buy to lets but then I wont let them to benefit cases. Im not taking a moral high ground but personally I want someone to look after my places and to ensure people do that I want a deposit and to know the person is a decent professional on paper anyway.

I dont think it will make a massive difference as if benfits are cut people will be forced to work in theory and they will still need somewhere to live.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I have got buy to lets but then I wont let them to benefit cases. Im not taking a moral high ground but personally I want someone to look after my places and to ensure people do that I want a deposit and to know the person is a decent professional on paper anyway.

I dont think it will make a massive difference as if benfits are cut people will be forced to work in theory and they will still need somewhere to live.

If I let properties I would rather rely on the AAA rated UK Government to pay the rent rather than someone who is presumably working on or around the minimum wage.

People still need places to live but on the flip side landlords still need tennants. My guess is that rents at the bottom end will be driven downward by market forces rather than being set by what the Government is willing to pay - this in turn will affect the entire market.

 

[DTS]

If I let properties I would rather rely on the AAA rated UK Government to pay the rent rather than someone who is presumably working on or around the minimum wage.

People still need places to live but on the flip side landlords still need tennants. My guess is that rents at the bottom end will be driven downward by market forces rather than being set by what the Government is willing to pay - this in turn will affect the entire market.

Why do you say on or around minimum wage. I have got an IT developer in one on £45k a year, I have got a couple of hospital staff in another with a joint income of £65k which is good?

If you take council tenants you can (And I am not saying always) get a lower class of people. The councils will (In this area) only guarantee the rent and pay it directly to you if you let your place out on a long term let of two years (I dont want to do this as might need flexability one day) and if not they pay the housing benefit to the council tenant who in turn pays me in theory. So thats your AAA rated goverment payment scheme for you.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Why do you say on or around minimum wage. I have got an IT developer in one on £45k a year, I have got a couple of hospital staff in another with a joint income of £65k which is good?

If you take council tenants you can (And I am not saying always) get a lower class of people. The councils will (In this area) only guarantee the rent and pay it directly to you if you let your place out on a long term let of two years (I dont want to do this as might need flexability one day) and if not they pay the housing benefit to the council tenant who in turn pays me in theory. So thats your AAA rated goverment payment scheme for you.

When I say on or around minimum wage I am talking about people who have had their benefits cut partially or completely. My guess is that they won't all be marching into £45K a year jobs.

 

[Cricko]

Why do you say on or around minimum wage. I have got an IT developer in one on £45k a year, I have got a couple of hospital staff in another with a joint income of £65k which is good?

If you take council tenants you can (And I am not saying always) get a lower class of people. The councils will (In this area) only guarantee the rent and pay it directly to you if you let your place out on a long term let of two years (I dont want to do this as might need flexability one day) and if not they pay the housing benefit to the council tenant who in turn pays me in theory. So thats your AAA rated goverment payment scheme for you.

Ooo very dangerous words IMO..whilst I agree with most of your comments Dave..The job front out there is dire for most people....as an example...TJ Hughes recently opened up in Southend offering approx 100 jobs...they had over 2500 applicants.(Evening Echo).so that one shows me 1 jobs are in short supply and 2 people are trying to find work.

You cannot just tar all people the same, a lot is do with their background, upbringing and education, although education does not seem to help Scholars these days...It is all very well cutting benefits for the obvious spongers, but at the same token job opportunities for the less fortunate have to be there for those that wish to work.

It is a very fine line and I think the fact foreigners seem to come here with 19 kids and get instant help while those that are born here are the forgotten crowd..(EU rules not ours) will and does make the less fortunate/ lazy people think who gives a toss.

The Government plan of making people better off by working can only work if the jobs are out there.

 

[Mad Cyril]

The Government plan of making people better off by working can only work if the jobs are out there.

So if you walk away from a life of benefits and embrace a minimum wage job in (say) a sponge factory who exactly is better off?

Your newly found sense of self esteem isn't going to keep you sheltered, fed and clothed.

 

[Cricko]

So if you walk away from a life of benefits and embrace a minimum wage job in (say) a sponge factory who exactly is better off?

I would say the individual of course...It cannot be fun having no self esteem if you want to work......I am not saying that the obvious spongers should not be forced off the system they abuse...In fact I am 100% behind it.