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

leveller2911

vivatifosi wrote: »

A fascinating google. Many thanks leveller. Worthy heroes.

"Agreement of the people " was way ahead of its time.

Men who were willing to be piloried and die for what they believed in.

Each year at Burford Church thousands of people gather to remember what happend there....Take a look at Rev Hammers album "Freeborn John" which he made with the Levellers ,Maddie Prior and others.

Im going on a bit as Im passionate about the History of this Country and the people who made us what we are.....:D


EDIT:Well thats Killed this thread..........lol

pop_gun

Wookster wrote: »

Tax credits are the most stupid thing. Hard to administer and they have the effect of providing a disincentive for people to go back to work.

I don't understand why there isn't a time limit on benefits. Full benefits for 8 months, tapering down to 50% 4 months later and then zilch after that. The idea that one can claim job seekers benefits their entire life without doing anything is just wrong.

why don't we just send the army to round up all these people who don't work and get them to put a bullet in their heads. that way we won't have to watch them starve to death or beg on the streets.

treliac

Graham_Devon wrote: »

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

Don't you think though, Graham, that Liz is a secret toff? It's my growing suspicion.

treliac

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

Thanks, carolt, what have you started!

Brilliant thread, and to think I've been missing mewbie....

Made my day. Thanks chaps.

Ah, Jennifer, but he's never far away. Bit like the children's character, 'Where's Wally'?

nightwatchman

I post that in a diferent thread

nightwatchman wrote: »

After a year unemployed have free health care stoped.
Let the nature do the natural selection trick.
This way you got two birds with one stone, save some money on the NHS initially & on long term on all other benefits as the recipient will be either on work or dead.

Simples.....tweeeetrrrr (as Alexander the mearkat would say)

SingleSue

Hmmm.........

No suggestions really from here (apart from sorting out tax credits and their very silly way of basing things on last years figures causing overpayments/underpayments).

I'm still trying to work out if we are still tongue in cheek posting.....or if people were being deadly serious!

kabayiri

I believe the question is how "I" would help Duncan Smith. I'll read it as a very personal invitation then.

I will help by :-
a) not thinking I have to claim for something just because I can. The last couple of years I reckon we would have been entitled to Tax Credits but we manage without it thanks. It's up to me to sort things out.
b) not go around blaming others. I can't change what the bankers did. I'd rather take a positive stance. If we all diverted just 10% of our income into local community banking, spent more in local shops, things would change
c) stop believing life is fair. It isn't. Some will always get more than others when you implement national benefits. The reasons why are numerous; you just can't easily legislate for all variations in personal circumstance. I just want a system which encourages the right moral values in society.
d) push for charity to get more funding, and take up the slack where the benefits system retreats. Did you know that the boss of Oxfam, a truly global organisation, only earns just over £100K as a package? When I think of the good Oxfam do it puts many a chief exec of Local Authorities on more income to shame. Though my income has gone down in recent times, my funding to my fave charities has gone up. We will need them more in future.

I need to be positive. You can have a bitter tone, like LizE, but I prefer to keep bitterness in my lemon slice in a cooling cola drink.

neverdespairgirl

One easy one is to bin payments to all over 60s / 65s.

It's ridiculous that so many wealthy, healthy 60-somethings get free presciptions, free transport, winter fuel allowances, and all the rest of it.

JonnyBravo

LizEstelle wrote: »

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...


............................................................................................................................................

Liz,
you were talking about intelligence levels in one post. The next you're using "hilarious" nicknames to show just how silly those politicians are and how you clearly are in a different intellectual league.

Way to go Liz...... the scholar of the board.

nearlynew

kabayiri wrote: »

d) push for charity to get more funding, and take up the slack where the benefits system retreats. Did you know that the boss of Oxfam, a truly global organisation, only earns just over £100K as a package?

Over 100k?

F*cking hell.

No wonder they haven't succeeded in eradicating third world poverty.

That's the last thing they want to do if it means the directors will be out of a well paid job.