If benefits stop as the government have no money

krisskross

Just had a check up. In 1974 for 3 children the benefit would have been £5.18. this is equivalent to £38.88 today.

In 1979 the child benefit was £4 a week per child, equivalent to £14.58 in todays money.

Loopy_Girl

krisskross wrote: »

But we DID manage and I am talking about approx 25-30 years ago. A lot of people in Britain are totally soft and rely on handouts when it comes to providing for themselves and their own wants and needs.

You may have managed but it wasn't always easy was it? c'mon now, be honest....the fact is that tax credits ARE here and whilst I take my hat off to you 'old timers' who managed years ago, it's not like that now and it seems to be a teensy bit sour grapes sometimes.

The provisions are there and whilst there will always be some people who will take the pI$$ there are many more that are grateful for them and I include myself in that.

Let me give you an example - I am a lone parent with a 6 year old and went back to work in Jan 2007 after 5 years on IS (obv getting HB and CTB too). To enable me to go to work, I needed after school childcare. My job alone would not have paid for everything and childcare but thankfully there was a provision in place so that I could get help with that.

Last year I bought my own house. So for the amount I get in TC, I have stopped claiming IS, CTB and HB. Surely it is better for me to be claiming TC than being still on IS wondering how I was going to get out the benefit loop?

Edit - great topic OP here's hoping it doesn't turn into a rabble!!!!

Loopy_Girl

Also meant to say that as I go to work - and only helped by TC - then my daughter thinks that's what you do for money. I've already drummed it into her to do well and school and then that means you can get a job and get nice things. So I am also stopping any potential chain of 'going on the brew' as we say up here Scotland. Just because I am a lone parent then I am damn sure I will not be tagged the same as these people who families for generations just live on benefits.

krisskross

No of course it wasn't easy. I often had 2 jobs and so did my husband. I also went on to further education, in my case Nurse Training when I was 38, My wages halved while I was training. I think the point of the OP is whether people would be able to actually stand on their own two feet (metaphorically speaking) if benefits were cut or in some areas stopped.

I don't have any feeling of 'sour grapes' about what people get handed to them now, even if some of it is coming via the tax I still have to pay because we have been thrifty. However I have my doubts about a Government that is shackling people to a relatively poor life by giving them money instead of encouraging enterprise.

arealbasketcase

lil_me,

to try and bring this thread back to the question you asked at the beginning of the thread, and to stop all those who seem to think that benefits are a gift from heaven only given to the none deserving, can I point out that:

The UK government (pointed out earlier) begs, steals and borrows from many sources in order to balance the books. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of civil servants employed for the sole purpose of spending hours pooring over strange national statistics in order to plan far into the future as to the amount of money the economy requires in order to maintain current levels and, preferably, to build in a level of growth.

The affect on every one of us would be felt by increases in taxation, higher inflation (yes, partly because BoE would start to print more money), reductions in services, higher unemployment, etc, etc, etc.

A requirement to severely cut or stop benefits would only happen if the UK economy was in such a disastrous position that, to be honest, none of us would be left unaffected.

Now, bearing my over simplification of the situation in mind, can all those people who think they would be unaffected because they are in the fortunate position of not, currently, being in receipt of benefits kindly put themselves in the position of those who do rely on them and rethink how they would cope in a situation of rampant inflation, raging unemployment and no state benefits. If you need any further help in imaging that situation think Zimbabwe today or Germany in the 1920's.

krisskross

arealbasketcase wrote: »

Now, bearing my over simplification of the situation in mind, can all those people who think they would be unaffected because they are in the fortunate position of not, currently, being in receipt of benefits kindly put themselves in the position of those who do rely on them and rethink how they would cope in a situation of rampant inflation, raging unemployment and no state benefits. If you need any further help in imaging that situation think Zimbabwe today or Germany in the 1920's.

If such a situation ever came about then the workers would probably feel the effects before the people reliant on benefits. Wage increases are already below the rate of inflation in a lot of cases and I know many working people on modest salaries who are finding it very difficult to make ends meet. My brother has not had a wage rise for 4 years, not entitled to any benefits. He told me today that he now has 3 meat free days a week in an attempt to make his money go further. He is a debt counseller at the CAB.

seven-day-weekend

Good post krisskross.

I'm sure living on benefits is not easy but we must not forget that some people also work for pittances and quite often end up worse off than those on benefits.

My son works for minimum wage at Matalan and can not afford to buy or even rent a place on his own, (as he is single and has no children he is not entitled to any benefits) which most of us who worked in the 70s could do.

peediedj

pipkin71 wrote: »

Any ideas how much they make in fuel tax per month?

Pipkin xxxx

i think i read somewhere this year in 1st 3 mnoths of year was £500 million

bestpud

krisskross wrote: »

Just had a check up. In 1974 for 3 children the benefit would have been £5.18. this is equivalent to £38.88 today.

In 1979 the child benefit was £4 a week per child, equivalent to £14.58 in todays money.

Wow, that is quite a drop over a few years!

It would be the beginning of the 70s my mum was talking about as they would have sold their house around 1977 and she talks about them having the mortgage to pay.

She has always said she bought a weeks shopping with it, which I guess is feasible with just under £40 if you are careful.

I know my dad was on strike in the latter part as well (as were many at that time) and she was even more glad of it then!

But basically, child benefit was worth much more than it is now, so many people would have relied on benefits then.

My eldest was born in 1990 and I know there was diddly squat help around then but it improved slowly over the course of the 90s. I know the poll tax crippled us financially. But perhaps it was 80s parents who had the rawest deal then (from the last several decades at least)?

mitchaa

Apart from £18.80pw CB, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to us. It is put directly into my sons saving account for when he is 18. I never needed it before he was born so certainly dont need it now.

£158bn raised through income tax, £161bn spent out in Social welfare.

Absoloute ludicrous, the benefits system is long due a drastic overhaul. Something i believe the tories will do when they come into power.

So i really do think the moral of this thread is highly possible. I can see (hopefully) big benefit cuts coming soon.

An instant saver would be limiting CTC and CB to a maximum of 2 children, that in itself would save the country billions.