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Let's help Duncan Smith - how would YOU improve the benefits system?

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Comments

  • Graham_Devon
    Graham_Devon Posts: 58,560 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    LizEstelle wrote: »
    Here's another benefit worth scrapping - let's do away with the benefit currently given to farmers and landowners in the form of a tax free encouragement to act irresponsibly. New farm buildings should henceforth require planning permission so as to blend in with the landscape and any subsequently discovered deviation from the permission should be fined heavily. Also there should be a mandatory £100,000 fine placed upon the owner(s) of any land where birds of prey can be shown to have been poisoned. There are plenty of other farming and landowning practises which can be currently viewed as indulgent 'benefits' but which should be withdrawn.

    Oh come on Liz.

    If that came in, you'd be the first one moaning that the toffs are targetting the farmers and that milk now costs 3x more than it should do and is costing way to many pointless airmiles for something we did ourselves.

    In other words, shush now :p
  • leveller2911
    leveller2911 Posts: 8,061 Forumite
    sjaypink wrote: »
    TBF I think there is not far off the right amount of SH, & an OK amount being built to keep up. Surely the problem is the amount of 'normal' working people unable to buy....


    Fair point but unless we see a crash in house values the majority of low income families will never be able to afford to buy, so the alternative is Social Housing.IMO given this to be probable then the only solution was/is increased Social Housing ratios.

    Im all for Social Housing, wonder if that makes me a Lefty or Righty wing......
  • LizEstelle
    LizEstelle Posts: 1,559 Forumite
    Ok, fascist tendency?

    Had enough illustrations of where IDS is going to make very, very sure that he and people like him are not going to be 'in it together' with you?

    In getting you to talk about the Benefits system in isolation, he and Camertoff together with Poodleclegg are halfway to getting their hidden agenda adopted.

    The government has a tax/benefit system. There are receipts as well as expenditure. There are not two kinds of money, just one. And guess which side of that system Camertoff wants to take the lion's share of the pain...


    ............................................................................................................................................
  • Graham_Devon
    Graham_Devon Posts: 58,560 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    LizEstelle wrote: »

    Had enough illustrations

    Yes.

    Good to see you taking my advice :D:D
  • sjaypink
    sjaypink Posts: 6,740 Forumite
    leveller2911 wrote: »
    Fair point but unless we see a crash in house values the majority of low income families will never be able to afford to buy, so the alternative is Social Housing.IMO given this to be probable then the only solution was/is increased Social Housing ratios.

    Im all for Social Housing, wonder if that makes me a Lefty or Righty wing......
    Im all for it if the only other option is private rent. If there is to be no more drops- or at least long term stagnation- then I agree, build more. Rather have all (well, i mean most) able to buy though :)

    ETA: 'leveller' def a lefty name ;-)
    We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. Carl Jung

  • LydiaJ
    LydiaJ Posts: 8,083 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    leveller2911 wrote: »
    Fair point but unless we see a crash in house values the majority of low income families will never be able to afford to buy, so the alternative is Social Housing.IMO given this to be probable then the only solution was/is increased Social Housing ratios.

    Im all for Social Housing, wonder if that makes me a Lefty or Righty wing......

    There are three housing sectors in this country - those who can't afford to buy and can't get social housing rent privately. Of course, that's stupidly expensive too, so it doesn't alter your assertion that the high cost of non-social housing is a big part of the problem.

    ETA Cross-posted with sjaypink
    Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
    Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
    Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.     :)
  • leveller2911
    leveller2911 Posts: 8,061 Forumite
    edited 30 July 2010 at 10:25PM
    sjaypink wrote: »
    Im all for it if the only other option is private rent. If there is to be no more drops- or at least long term stagnation- then I agree, build more. Rather have all (well, i mean most) able to buy though :)

    ETA: 'leveller' def a lefty name ;-)

    John Lilburne(freeborn John), Richard Overton and the rest of the Levellers are some of my heroes.We can learn a lot from our History......
  • vivatifosi
    vivatifosi Posts: 18,746 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! PPI Party Pooper
    edited 30 July 2010 at 10:03PM
    leveller2911 wrote: »
    John Lilburne(freeborn John), Francis Overton and the rest of the Levellers are some of my heroes.We can learn a lot from our History......

    A fascinating google. Many thanks leveller. Worthy heroes.
    Please stay safe in the sun and learn the A-E of melanoma: A = asymmetry, B = irregular borders, C= different colours, D= diameter, larger than 6mm, E = evolving, is your mole changing? Most moles are not cancerous, any doubts, please check next time you visit your GP.
  • sjaypink
    sjaypink Posts: 6,740 Forumite
    leveller2911 wrote: »
    John Lilburne(freeborn John), Francis Overton and the rest of the Levellers are some of my heroes.We can learn a lot from our History......
    not to forget: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HDoZAi7-Ws&feature=related :D

    (a liberal lefty link for the thickos) :o
    We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. Carl Jung

  • leveller2911
    leveller2911 Posts: 8,061 Forumite
    edited 30 July 2010 at 10:51PM
    sjaypink wrote: »
    not to forget: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HDoZAi7-Ws&feature=related :D

    (a liberal lefty link for the thickos) :o


    Ive seen the Levellers live a few times and I can recommend their music to anyone who likes thought provoking ballads and great musicians who over the past 25 years have been akin to the wandering Minstrels of old .....

    Try looking up songs like : 15 Years,One Way, Julie,The Boatman, Battle of the beanfield ,Maid of the River and many more.........
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