Average Family £891 Worse Off

[steveL]

What's a council house?

[fred c]

Riff Raff................ isn`t that one of those Low Sugar Breakfast Cereals

[The Great Dictator]

The council house tenants bought them up and cashed them in, good old socialists that they are..

[mk1]

The council house tenants bought them up and cashed them in, good old socialists that they are..

Your other flame-bait didn't work and you will be no  more successful with this one...........

[SRMoore]

Finally! Some sense from the Labour back benches.

SIMON DANCZUK, Labour MP

GEORGE Osborne says we need a welfare debate. I've got news for the Chancellor — it's already happening.

The word on the street in my constituency is way ahead of Westminster — and the Left of my party.

There are plenty of people capable of working in Rochdale that have been parked on benefits for years.

There is nothing to be proud of watching people's potential waste away, trapped on a life of benefits.

The Left has to accept there are some people on the dole that don't want to work, and we need to have a plan to get them into work.

Those trapped in welfare dependency will never experience the satisfaction of a hard day's work.

This is a criminal loss of human potential we should all fight against.

[fred c]

The majority of people recognise that benefit reform is neccessary Shane, we don`t need it ramming down our throats, but for Gideon to use the deaths of 6 children as a drumbeat for welfare reform was, to say the least dispicable.

Now you can tell us about the 1 Million jobs your government have created in the public sector, as well as the hundreds of thousands of apprenticeships.......

BTW.... how long does it take to serve your time as a shelf stacker in a supermarket these days

[steveL]

Quote: "The Left has to accept there are some people on the dole that don't want to work, and we need to have a plan to get them into work. "

I've not read anything on here or heard anything on 'the street' that would disagree with the above. After all, there are nearly 3 million to choose from so it would be something of a miracle if there weren't some people on the dole that don't want to work. It's a question of emphasis, really and why the emphasis is so much concentrated on the small minority of those who don't want to work rather than the vast majority who do but can't because of the lack of available work. Isn't this were the Government should be concentrating its efforts?

This lack of balance leaves the genuine 'job-seekers', who are in the majority, feeling as if they little more than parasites.

[SRMoore]

In your rush to defend the indefensible and try to score cheap political points you completely miss the point. Until now, Labour have maintained the line that there is nobody playing the system and they will therefore object to any changes to the benefit system.

It is a fact universally accepted, Steve, that it is only a small percentage of the total number claiming some kind of benefits that are fiddling the system but even that is unacceptable.
It is only a small number councillors that are allegedly lining their pockets with public funds, Connected Care is only one £300k contract out of hundreds of service contracts - It's all still public money. Are you suggesting that because we are only talking about a small percentage of the councils overall budget we should not seek to change this type of behaviour?

[fred c]

It is a fact universally accepted, Steve, that it is only a small percentage of the total number claiming some kind of benefits that are fiddling the system but even that is unacceptable.

Ahhhhhhh Ty Shane for accepting the facts........... So why does the government constantly demonise "People On Benefits"

There is a constant barrage of criticism about people on benefits, & as you quite rightly mention there are only a small percentage actualy "At It",

They have adopted the tactic of setting poor working people on benefits, against non working people on benefits, working people on no benefits, against working people on benefits... a clever tactic, but in the real world & with people having to face the harsh realities of living in Britain post Bankers Greed........Its a nasty way to try & run a country.

As Dave said "We are all in this Together".........It`s just that some are more "In It" than others

[mk1]

I believe the amount of tax being lost in avoidance schemes and in outright tax fraud is  some 10 times the amount said to be lost in 'benefit fraud' but I do not think the  publicity/resources devoted the  tax recovery is 10 times that of benefit recovery.
Be aware that more benefits are paid to people in work than those who are unemployed and that over half the 'Welfare' budget is in fact pension payments.
It is not a question of right and wrong her but a shameful attempt to scapegoat a small section of the community whilst  Osbourne is scuttling around Europe begging that his chums be spared any restrictions on their looting. 

[whatabouthisthen]

Yes, there should be more effort to collect due taxes. A bit hypocritical of you all though I should guess. It is generally thought that the NE has the largest black economy in England.
Hands on heart: how many of you have never done or received a 'guvvy' job? Just think of the VAT and income tax 'lost' to the treasury - if these taxes had been paid we might have been able to increase benefits.

[fred c]

Yes, there should be more effort to collect due taxes. A bit hypocritical of you all though I should guess. It is generally thought that the NE has the largest black economy in England.
Hands on heart: how many of you have never done or received a 'guvvy' job? Just think of the VAT and income tax 'lost' to the treasury - if these taxes had been paid we might have been able to increase benefits.

That amount is a drop in the Ocen compared to the "Legal Avoidance" aka ( Morally Corrupt ) tax avoided  by Big Business.

[whatabouthisthen]

So it's ok for the NE but not for the rich? At least the rich don't break the law. However, I do accept that some schemes are dubious and, of course, most are morally wrong.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

I've never done a guvvy job, I chose the wrong career path for that to be an option, which is an aside.

I don't agree with guvvy jobs but can understand the temptation for anybody struggling to survive financially.

Is tax avoidance legal because those doing it have the politicians making the laws on their payroll ?
Isn't that a bit like buying off the jury and calling yourself innocent ?