MSE News: Autumn Budget Statement: Benefits to rise 5.2% with inflation

flight747

Wait till next year March Budget 2012, will get a biggest cuts ever! Tory are not to be TRUSTED!

ceridwen

flight747 wrote: »

Wait till next year March Budget 2012, will get a biggest cuts ever! Tory are not to be TRUSTED!

Errr...I've got news for you - neither are the Labour Party...PFI Initiatives re funds for hospitals anyone?:cool: Giving more and more and more money to people for their personal choice to have children anyone?:cool:. Opening up our borders to any Tom, !!!!!! and Alfred (ie - as they tend to be men in the first instance) anyone...

ceridwen

The_Write_Girl wrote: »

What's wrong with introducing food and clothing vouchers etc so benefits can't be spent on 50 inch tellys? Scrap the money. Give it out in coupons.

Errr...the administrative burden for tiny little businesses - like the health food shops, farmers markets, etc where some people buy their food (instead of getting it at supermarkets) for instance.

Believe it or no - there really ARE some people on the Dole through no choice or fault of their own (ask me how I know:cool: - ie because I've been there....).

There are many people on the Dole through no choice or fault of their own and trying their darndest to still eat a healthy diet/live their "own" lifestyle as best they can....so thanks very much (NOT!) for bracketing all unemployed people into one "They're unemployable anyway/buy all their food from supermarkets anyway/spend all day watching tv anyway" bracket - because some people at least certainly dont fit into even one of those 3 brackets...:mad:

poppy10_2

ceridwen wrote: »

Errr...the administrative burden for tiny little businesses - like the health food shops, farmers markets, etc where some people buy their food

With respect, it's a tiny minority of benefit recipients who would buy their food from health food shops or farmers markets.

A system similar to the food stamp setup in america, whereby benefit money for those out of work could only be spent on essentials such as food, clothing, shelter would work out so much cheaper for the taxpayer, whilst still providing a safety net for those that fall out of work. It's ridiculous that I am paying taxes for a workshy JSA-scrounger to watch Sky Sports HD on his 60" plasma screen when I can barely afford either myself. Benefits are supposed to provide basic support, not provide luxuries to those unwilling to work for them.

ceridwen

Errrmmm....with respect...there is a reasonable proportion of people on the Dole who really really arent there by choice/are decent reasonable hard-working people...and KNOW right down to their bones that "This shouldnt be happening to ME".

Many people really really do NOT "belong" in that position - ask me how I know....ie because I've been there myself and can still go into one heck of a temper all these years later that it ever happened to me and I was expected to manage on that teeny income (due to no choice or fault of my own).

Unemployment really really CAN happen to any of us - believe me. I certainly didnt believe it could - until it happened to me - and I duly spent months in a "steaming" temper that it had...whilst I applied for jobs to get back into work again.

As for State Pension - its a certainty that we will ALL be OAP's one day - bar accident or illness.

Foodstamps and vouchers - yeh...right...believe me - its those of us who are in the absolutely KNOW we should not be in this situation position that will get angriest about having any further "humiliations" put upon us and would NOT be likely to just sit there and quietly "steam" with fury at being put in such a humiliating position.

Even hard-working, provident, middle class people can end up in situations like this you know......voice of experience time...

As for the HUGE t.v. - there has often not even BEEN a t.v. in my home (as they are rather disapproved of by peeps I know....). I have got one now - but its very basic and as small as possible and certainly no "pay" channels....so dont tar all claimants with the same brush...

poppy10_2

ceridwen wrote: »

Foodstamps and vouchers - yeh...right...believe me - its those of us who are in the absolutely KNOW we should not be in this situation position that will get angriest about having any further "humiliations" put upon us and would NOT be likely to just sit there and quietly "steam" with fury at being put in such a humiliating position.

Why is it humiliating?

ceridwen

Is that a serious question????

1. Anyone...but anyone would hate having to hand over vouchers (rather than cash/debit card as normal) for their purchases. I certainly know that I would be livid personally at having it branded across my forehead "On the Dole" every time I had to hand over a voucher for something - rather than paying as normal. I would also feel I had to explain the circumstances each time (ie to make it plain "Its not my fault/nothing to do with me"). I'm darn sure - that even after "meeting" me in person there would still be people forming judgements about me for being "on the Dole" - and I'm sure it would be even worse for other people. I really dont see why anyone should feel forced to explain to every Tesco/Sainsburys/etc shop assistant that the fact they were handing over vouchers rather than cash or card was "nothing to do with me - its because....etc....etc...."

2. Having been on the Dole - its bad enough having to shop around/literally think twice about spending every single penny, etc without knowing you are restricted to certain shops and (in the case of some of us) that almost certainly wouldnt include our usual ones. We are still the same person we were before some employer decided to make us redundant - that doesnt change just because Society has decided "Time for Miss/Mr X to take a place on the Dole Queue for a while".

Errr...think I'd better take a break here...all these years later I can still resonate with people who are unemployed and feel "steam coming out of my ears" at having ever been put in that position myself.....

rogerblack

ceridwen wrote: »

Is that a serious question????

2. Having been on the Dole - its bad enough having to shop around/literally think twice about spending every single penny, etc without knowing you are restricted to certain shops

In addition.

Why should not someone who is willing to budget, and carefully save money by cooking from scratch, be able to afford the occasional luxury?

The level of JSA/... is set by the government at the minimum level someone can live on.

It also has perverse effects.

For example, I'm currently pondering purchases of some rather expensive bits of electronics.

It so happens that this is test-gear and other equipment that may enable me to do some part time work, rather than a nice TV.

However, I have saved this money largely from my food and heating budgets.
Something that I would not have the flexibility to do on a 'food stamp' program.

MamaMoo_2

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I am a Pensioner (although not entitled to Pension Credit) and I too think this is far too much rise when working people (including my son working for minimum wage) get no rise at all. Soon there will not be enough taxes generated to pay the benefits!

Actually, your son will have just had a pay rise, as minimum wage increased in October.
My hubby is on NMW, and his hourly pay has increased from £5.93 to £6.08, which is a rise of around 2.5%. I find it a bit shit that benefits are increasing by more than double the % that NMW is increasing. At least match the % increase for those that are working

MamaMoo_2

I also agree that giving benefit recipients vouchers instead of cash is ridiculously unfair. It would be extremely embarrassing, and also, it's stupid to dictate how people spend their money. If someone wants to go without food or fuel, or wants to cut back in order to save cash, surely it's their choice what they spend their money on.
Also, if they need to put extra gas/electricity on, or they run out of food because part of their benefit has been swapped for clothes vouchers, then it's unfair.
It would also restrict where people could spend their money (the local shop where I often buy nappies, milk, bread etc doesn't accept debit cards, I doubt they'd accept benefit vouchers) which can be a real issue for some people, especially if they're missing out on a good deal, or having to travel miles to buy a loaf of bread.