Reality Check

[steveL]

Worth a watch especially to those who think poverty is all about dole wallers....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04l6x1k/panorama-workers-on-the-breadline

[Hartlepudlion]

I don't think that many of us are in any doubt that the low to median paid worker is worse off than people on benefits. Take the benefit cap of £26000. Who is better off? The guy on £26k worth of benefits who pays no Income Tax, no National Insurance and, in this town, only 12% rather than 20% of the Council Tax due. Or the worker on £26k who has to pay Income Tax, National Insurance and 100% of Council Tax. And that's not including the other extras people on benefits can get, emergency grants, free prescriptions and dental care for a start.

At least this Government is trying to make work a more attractive proposition than being on benefits.

I wonder how many people in this town are trying to get a job at Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe. Many do you think? www.hitachirail-EU.com/careers

[mk1]

For the umpteenth time:

The majority of benefits are paid to people in work and pensioners.

[suvin]

State Pension is not a benefit

[mk1]

State Pension is not a benefit

Semantics .
State Pension in the majority of cases is topped with other  'benefits'.
The truth trying to be wriggled out of is that the bulk of all benefits go to  people in work.
It is the working poor who 'suck the system dry'.
How do you  think we should get out of that conundrum?
How about a proper minimum wage of around a tenner?

[not4me]

"At least this Government is trying to make work a more attractive proposition than being on benefits."

You obviously haven't bothered to watch the Panarama programme otherwise you wouldn't have made such a ridiculous statement.

[fred c]

Job seekers allowance at 3% I wonder if you have ever been in reciept of that particular benefit?...... £72 quid a week for 26 weeks, then Zip.

You will be telling us all about the 1Million aprrenticeships created by the coilition next............ shelf fillers, street cleaning engineers, retail apprentice, etc etc etc.... it smacks of abuse of young people, reminiscent of  the Yoof Opportunities Scheme of years gone by.

Proper meaningful trade apprenticeships are desperately needed, the industry i work in is fast losing experienced tradsman, within the next 10 to 15 years hundreds of thousands of tradesmen will be retired.

Government ( any government ) & companies within the construction & engineering sector need to start a massive recruitment drive now & keep it going until the shortfall can be covered.