Should DLA be means tested?

I-Owe-You

Also just to add to my post...

In anger!! ...People who I know, my age and went to school with, who have perhaps irresponsibly gone and got themselves pregnant out of a relationship young, having never worked a day nor intending to ever work a day in their lives have been handed a nice subsidised council house, a wad of benefits and seemingly live better off than me who bothers to get up to work...

If DLA was means tested, and it meant that I would "earn" more not at work than in work then I wouldn't hesitate in handing in my notice...

These people on benefits forget they also get their prescriptions, dental, eye tests, children's school meals for free & all the other perks...

By the time I pay out for all those things I'm actually no better off getting up at 6am every morning to work!!!

jazabelle

I-Owe-You - if it were to be means tested, I'd want the threshold very high, as I said. Working alone doesn't make you wealthy.

I too work, and am disabled. It costs me a fortune, and I don't even get DLA. I work because I don't want to give up at this point in my life. There may come a time where I am forced too, but I want to work at the moment, and do some good.

I just would like to see some of the money redistributed to those that need it - and if you work and still struggle, then that very much includes you too!

Invasion

I-owe-you, I think it's slightly unfair that you say you "bother to get up and go to work everyday" I'd love to work, or to be back at college, but I'm too ill to even get out of the house most days at the moment, let alone work every day, yet I'm still entitled to my DLA as I am disabled.

jetta_wales

I-Owe-You wrote: »

Also just to add to my post...

In anger!! ...People who I know, my age and went to school with, who have perhaps irresponsibly gone and got themselves pregnant out of a relationship young, having never worked a day nor intending to ever work a day in their lives have been handed a nice subsidised council house, a wad of benefits and seemingly live better off than me who bothers to get up to work...

If DLA was means tested, and it meant that I would "earn" more not at work than in work then I wouldn't hesitate in handing in my notice...

These people on benefits forget they also get their prescriptions, dental, eye tests, children's school meals for free & all the other perks...

By the time I pay out for all those things I'm actually no better off getting up at 6am every morning to work!!!

I think maybe you've missunderstood a little. What's been talked about by some in politics is making DLA and even child benefits means tested but at a high level not something in any way simelar to IS and such (at least I hope not).

Basicaly the argument is that though we fo have more needs and costly needs too if you are nothing short of rolling in it then you really don't need the money.

It's comendable that we can pay it to not just the poor but there's not really any need for it to be paid to those who are very rich.

Trialia

Invasion wrote: »

I-owe-you, I think it's slightly unfair that you say you "bother to get up and go to work everyday" I'd love to work, or to be back at college, but I'm too ill to even get out of the house most days at the moment, let alone work every day, yet I'm still entitled to my DLA as I am disabled.

Thank you Invasion, I was thinking much the same thing but couldn't phrase it tactfully.

jazabelle

Just to clarify, when I said I didn't want to give up and stop working, I didn't mean that others that quit work were simply giving up. I meant I personally wish to continue at this point, no reflection on others at all.

[Deleted User]

I`m not sure dla should be means tested as that is expensive,however i would go along with those who claim dla AND work(and this should be allowed)being taxed on their dla,which would be far simpler than a means test

Indie_Kid

woodbine wrote: »

I`m not sure dla should be means tested as that is expensive,however i would go along with those who claim dla AND work(and this should be allowed)being taxed on their dla,which would be far simpler than a means test

But why should they pay more tax? And if they were earning the same wage as someone who doesn't receive DLA, wouldn't the person receiving DLA be worse off?

[Deleted User]

They will be better off because they are getting DLA,under my plan they would get DLA less 20% tax,its far easier than means testing and far cheaper to administer

Invasion

Apart from the fact that the amount of DLA they receive is to help them to live as normally as possible, on top of a "normal" wage, not to be penalised for working. I think Jetta is trying to say that those earning 60k+ should maybe not receive DLA, not those earning 20-40K, which is more or less average full time wage, it's what we earn in this house between 2 working adults (my parents, father is f/t, mother is p/t, she cares for me too).