MoneySaving Poll: Have benefits been cut too far or not far enough?

Some benefits are too low and others could be too high.

It is wrong that a person without children who has worked and paid tax/NI for many years is entitled to virtually nothing if they become unemployed, but as long as someone with children meets the minimum work threshold of 16 hours a week or 24 if part of a couple they are often entitled to hundreds of pounds a month in CTC etc.

In the current low inflationary climate the triple lock on pensions needs to go too. We are all in this together after all and on average, today's pensioners are better off than younger people.

I am very sad to see how many people want benefits reduced more.

Our media is to blame for this misinformed attitude. The Daily Mail has had a non stop go at claimants for years - the same way as the conservative party, who don't forget got an 11% pay rise given - way above inflation but some how they got voted in again.

Pensions are something no political party would dare to touch as they know pensioners are the one group who vote - I think it's around 80% or more and so they are safe because of this, no one dares to means test pensions. I think they should be - why do people receiving over £2500 still get a pension, just because they've paid for it?!

Same for bus passes. Again, no one dares to touch these or means test them.

There have been many people who have had their benefits stopped for no good reason and that has left them without any money to buy food or pay essential bills and they have committed suicide - there have been thousands of these suicides which the media has largely hidden AND the DWP refuses to release the figures - they have been taken to court to get these figures out but have fought it tooth and nail - that should make you realise that something sadistic is going on in the conservative party.

How anyone can say benefits should be reduced more I do not understand unless you have no idea of what goes on.

You have to look for jobs - that don't exist. You have to show you have applied for jobs, every two weeks. Even jobs which you have no hope of getting but because they are the only ones going - you still have to waste your time applying. That is what is going on in the Jobcentres up and down the country.

Then the conservatives have brought in "Apprenticeships" for the young. These are needed due to the fact that there are no jobs for young people anymore but surprise, surprise jobs can be found that only pay £2.75 per hour to a young person who has worked hard to get good college qualifications and thanks to being in the EU there are no jobs for them to do. Some companies provide no training at all to apprentices - they are just there to move furniture around when needed and answer the phones and are general dogs bodies but that's ok because it's a government sponsored apprenticeship which pays the companies to employ the unemployed young and reduce unemployment figures so the conservatives look as if they have achieved something.

No they have not are are not but we are being kept in the dark and many people who are on benefits are being driven to suicide and stressed out when they shouldn't be but hey ho you keep your opinions and keep voting for benefits to be reduced because you couldn't care less about other human beings in the UK or the poor homeless from Syria who have had their lives ruined and country bombed out of recognition but we don't want them here, even though we are bombing them AGAIN.

What is going on - wake up and smell the coffee before it's too late.

They should be cut more. It's so annoying seeing these MPs keep fighting against them for arguments sake despite the Tories winning on a pro-cuts manifesto & the government needing to borrow more.

That £26k per year max should be dropped to £16-20k. It always annoys me now when I hear people saying the maximum is at the average salary so they shouldn't earn more than that.
When I was in uni I thought "oh, it's capped at a graduate salary, that's probably tough for big families & reasonable". Then I graduated & realised it's nothing like someone on £26k. A person earning £26k pays tax. A person being gifted £26k pays nothing.

£26k benefits is the same as about £40k/year working income...far too generous. Tough to raise 6 kids on £26k? Then stop procreating. Nobody wants more leeches.

I agree with the 2 kid limit on child benefit.

No hard opinion on the disability thing but it's probably a good thing since so many people are fiddling it for extra money. Some C5 show said this guy had a bad kidney and the girl a twisted spine...seemed to move around fine so could do an office job at least. My dad claims it when he shouldn't also so they're clearly not validating things much or the requirements are too easy.

Bedroom tax should go as a result to cuts in these other areas

catwoman73 wrote: »

Some benefits are too low and others could be too high.

It is wrong that a person without children who has worked and paid tax/NI for many years is entitled to virtually nothing if they become unemployed, but as long as someone with children meets the minimum work threshold of 16 hours a week or 24 if part of a couple they are often entitled to hundreds of pounds a month in CTC etc.

In the current low inflationary climate the triple lock on pensions needs to go too. We are all in this together after all and on average, today's pensioners are better off than younger people.

35 hours per week at minimum wage is £252. Pension credit is £151.20. I get ~ £160 state pension, too much for pension credit. I pay some tax, most of my council tax and do get some HB but have to pay a lot myself. The only other benefit I get is £100 WFA (it's £200 per household, not per pensioner). No point in getting a bus pass, aren't many buses

THE_TRUTH wrote: »

To be fair posting this on a BENEFITS FORUM is going to give bias results.

The results don't seem to be showing any bias, right across the age ranges and for both men and women, the results are very similar for both for and against.