Is cutting benefit fair?
Is it fair to cut benefits?
The Tories say they'll reduce more than half a million people's incapacity benefit by 25 pounds to force them back to work. But, with unemployment at the highest level in 14 years, is this the right thing to do?
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I have no idea. Does that help?
But I watched David Cameron not answwer a question from Andrew Marr about his own financial status - several times and thought hmmmm.
I was also intrigued by a report this AM about a sort of kicking something allegedly into the Law Courts long grass over in the Czech Republic - and a report of an earlier missive (and unadmitted to of its contents) written by someone to the same places Leader.
My hmmm became what on earth? But then that is me. I am all for proper discussion with Euro Sceptics - I am for the Union but I want it all done openly.
Can I say in full disclosure I receive No Benefit Currently so feel free to cut mine Mr Cameron's Party. No offence.
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Something MUST be done to cut the wefare bill but I predict a programme this morning full of people with their own sob stories.
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zeldalicious wrote:
Something MUST be done to cut the wefare bill but I predict a programme this morning full of people with their own sob stories.
I agree, an elysium for the workshy! Errr....especially incapacity benefit.
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I didn't hear "sob stories" (that phrase implies a degree of manipulation or even dishonesty), but rather the genuine fears of some people on IB.
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Genuine fears for many, especially those with 'bad back syndrome'. Hobble in to the surgery/consulation on crutches and when clear of the hospital ditch them then straight off shopping or down the pub. You have to live on planet Zog not to see what goes on here.
They mayor of one town was found guilty of claiming DLA with the most outlandish claims. He was fined and lost the Mayorship.
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Zelda, you're referring to the small dishonest minority on IB. Their fears can't really be described as genuine!
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The cheats are genuinely scared, scared they will get found out and their lifestyle will end. It IS widespread. The carers allowance is another one that is widely defrauded too.
How can there be so many people incapable of working.
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Is it fair to cut benefits?
The Tories say they'll reduce more than half a million people's incapacity benefit by 25 pounds to force them back to work. But, with unemployment at the highest level in 14 years, is this the right thing to do?
zeldalicious wrote:
The cheats are genuinely scared, scared they will get found out and their lifestyle will end. It IS widespread. The carers allowance is another one that is widely defrauded too.
How can there be so many people incapable of working.
Are Labour that vapid? If they're fit enough to work why are they claiming incapacity benefit? For the Tories it's going to lose votes....especially on sink housing estates.
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"If they're fit enough to work why are they claiming incapacity benefit? "
Lazy? Idle? Gravy trainers...?
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If people are capable of work then they should not be on disability benefit. We all know that it has been used to reduce the registered unemployment statistics.
By the way, the best place to discuss this would have been the old R5live Messageboard.
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There would have a damn sight more than 10 replies on the message board too.
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The brave new world of BBC blogging is really dire.
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Another fatuous question
The subtext here of course is that all benefits are only available to the worthy while they need them and that they appear out of thin air
In fact thy are a huge drain on the economy and are paid for by taxing business and people in work
Not one penny should be paid to anyone that does not require it. And lets not kid ourselves about the ' I have to survive on £90 a week' issue - once you qualify for one benefit others like housing benefit, council tax relief etc kick in, worth £100s
Labour has poured billions into the NHS yet there are more people apparently too ill to work than ever - anyone like to explain how this could be so?
I believe Ian Duncan Smith is onto something - the whole benefits system needs to be simplified. And what is left needs to be policed rigorously but sensitively
Once the fraudulent are kicked off, there might be extra money for the deserving - how about that?
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"The brave new world of BBC blogging is really dire."
Despite what they tell us, I think that's the plan - too much off-message opinion being carried, you see...?!!
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"In fact thy are a huge drain on the economy and are paid for by taxing business and people in work."
Indeed - and Tesco should be making a sizeable contribution this year. Oh, hang on - what's the betting they have a system to get away with paying next to no tax on their vast profits...?
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The society is wrong that provides no care for the elderly, but gives incentives to bastard bearers to have children!
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Re Tesco should be making a sizeable contribution this year
Under whom hath the great monolith left our shores for tax purposes
That shall be the Gorgon's then!
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As I understand it they are not cutting benefits. All they are doing is classifying people that could work into that category. This seems completely fair to me as long as the system is run fairly. For years people have been pushed onto disability in an attempt to lower the headline unemployment figures. The sooner we move to a economically inactive as an indicator the better.
It is only unfair if it is pushing the genuinely needy onto a lower weekly wage as a cost cutting exercise.
Iva
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All capitalist governments, when their economy is in crisis will pick on cutting public spending to bail their system out and will use all sorts of divide and rule tactics in society to justify it.
It sums up how hypocritical it is for both the Tories and New Labour (they may as well merge or be in coalition) to target benefits when it's been proved of late that the biggest benefit scroungers are the banks and the entire financial system which has been bailed out to the tune of £1.4 Trillion just to save the face and dignity of capitalism!
Incidentally saw Cameron on the TV 'jogging' around Manchester before the conference of Toffs with of course numerous photographers following him and perhaps an overhead helicopter. Judging by his performance I would have thought the last party to attempt to cut incapacity benefit was his!
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It's not true that once you qualify for IB, lots of other benefits "kick in". It all depends on your individual circumstances and those of your partner. For example, I'm on IB but don't qualify for housing benefit, council tax relief, or any other benefit!
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"conference of Toffs"
Hague wasn't born well-healed and went to the local comp. Does that make him a toff, then..,?
Incidentally, Darling (loretto), Blair (Fettes), Harman (St. Pauls - the girls division of the same school Osborne attended) and a selection of others in the PLP from monied backgrounds all enjoyed the benefits of the exclusive education only wealth can bring - don't hear anyone calling them toffs, etc. for being born with a silver spoon up their backsides, though.
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You don't hear anyone calling them toffs Tempus?
Your'e obviously reading the wrong papers or listening to the wrong programmes!
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Well, when one relies on the BBC....
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Modern working in the UK.
Less manual work. Far better health and safety. Better protection for workers. Outcome 2.43 million on IB, obviously there is something very wrong. No doubt many are far too ill to do any form of work, though I bet there are many who could do some kind of work, or shorter hours, then there are the malingers.
Get that number down to under a million where it should be.
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