Benefits and the deficit: what would you cut?

Kohoutek

dopester wrote: »

That could be reduced by a significant amount.

Abolish it for any person 60+ who has an adult living with them (under the age of 60) who earns over say £14K a year. Or even if the other adult is on benefits.

Such a change would hit our household... but I think it's fair to do so.

Winter Fuel Payment currently has virtually no strings attached I think - it's paid to my grandmother despite the fact she lives in a carehome funded by the NHS! Pretty crazy.

StevieJ

dopester wrote: »

That could be reduced by a significant amount.

Abolish it for any person 60+ who has an adult living with them (under the age of 60) who earns over say £14K a year. Or even if the other adult is on benefits.

Such a change would hit our household... but I think it's fair to do so.

I think even 60+ millionaires can receive this, this should definately be means tested.

drc

I think child tax credits should be cut so that you would get the most for your first child and then for any subsequent children you would get much less in the same way as child benefit.

Obviously housing benefit/LHA also needs to be cut so that families that decide to have loads of children without being able to support them aren't being provided with £7k per month townhouses in Central London at the expense of the taxpayer.

JonnyBravo

vaporate wrote: »

Pointless. Everyone will just say cut this n that which they do not claim, or will not be affected by it.

Sometimes. Not always.

eg For a start cut the child benefit to max three children and make it income dependant ie none for wealthier families.

That would affect me. I'd still back it.

Admittedly plenty of other stuff I'd suggest wouldn't. eg tax credits up to a family income of £52k I think it is?? Ridiculous!
And yeah my parents get the fuel allowance. Do they need it? Not on your nelly.

elfen

Get rid of the Christmas Bonus except for those in dire need/poverty - those out of work with more than 3 kids, pensioners on pension credit, and leave it at that.

Cut Winter Fuel Payments or at least check people are living in their own home not a care home or in hospital.

Housing Benefit could be cut - instead of doing it up to the max and giving some of the extra, wipe the extra (think it's £15 a month per claimant)

Could potentially cut a few billion there

The_White_Horse

Cut 30% from every public sector worker earning more than 20k

Basic state pension: £84b
Tax credits: £0
Housing benefit: £0b
Universal child benefit: £15b
Disability Living Allowance: £15b
Income Support: £3.7b
Pension credit: £0b
Incapacity benefit: £7.6b
Attendance Allowance: £4.8b
Council Tax benefit: £0b
Jobseeker's Allowance: £0b
Winter Fuel Payment: £0b
Carer's Allowance: £2.4b
Christmas Bonus (£10 every Xmas for retired and benefit claimants): £0m
Funeral Benefits: £0m
Community Care Grants: £0m
Free TV Licences: £0m
Education Maintenance Allowance: £0m
Asylum Seeker's Benefit: £0m
Maternity Allowance (for those not on statutory pay): £0m
Heating benefits (grants for insulation etc): £500m

Kohoutek

There's also free NHS prescriptions (for all people living in Scotland and Wales and over 60s in the whole UK).

In Scotland it costs £1.3 billion a year or £247 per person.

For Scotland, Wales and all over 60s I guess it's probably in the £10 billion range.

I think it should be means tested for over 60s. I mean, there are there plenty of people over 60 that can afford £7.20 for some paracetamol surely? A system where everything is free is wasteful.

The_White_Horse

you can't punish people for saving throughout their lives. otherwise, they simply won't.

ukcarper

Kohoutek wrote: »

There's also free NHS prescriptions (for all people living in Scotland and Wales and over 60s in the whole UK).

In Scotland it costs £1.3 billion a year or £247 per person.

For Scotland, Wales and all over 60s I guess it's probably in the £10 billion range.

I think it should be means tested for over 60s. I mean, there are there plenty of people over 60 that can afford £7.20 for some paracetamol surely? A system where everything is free is wasteful.

Not so easy when you need half a dozen things a month at £7.20 each.

You wouldn’t be a very good MSE if you paid £7.20 for some paracetomal when you can get it for 30p at the local supermarket.

PasturesNew

I read somewhere in the past three months that a feral family will cost £100k per year in terms of social services and police/courts/prisons etc.