MSE News: George Osborne to make £10bn welfare cuts

Cerisa

"Why is all that so important?"

Topazimam -Because:

a) We can afford to pay them - benefit claimants are being used as a scapegoat - particularly disabled claimants who have experienced a 300% rise in hate crimes since this government came into power.

b) Several people mentioned anecdotal evidence of benefit fraudsters.

There are actually very few benefit fraudsters - the DWP say 0.7%, and if anything, they'd seek to maximise rather than minimise that figure, because the far greater figure illustrates their mistakes.

On top of that these savings are false economies - cutting NHS cleaners has meant an increase in healthcare acquired infections, costing the NHS £1 billion.

Crime has gone up since the police force was cut.

If you chuck people off benefits permanently for committing fraud, how are they supposed to feed themselves unless they turn to crime?

Cerisa

Topazimam:

If I lost my job, yes, I would really need it. And it would be morally justified, because the alternative would be homelessness and starvation (my partner works around 20 hours a month).

Why on earth would I claim JSA if I didn't need it? It's an awful, humiliating process.

I remember laughing at the bit of the form that asks if you have 'over £16,000 in savings'. No, of course I didn't. If I had *any* savings I wouldn't have claimed Jobseekers.

Also, due to low income, I'm currently entitled to tax credits - which i'm not claiming because I can't go through the rigmarole of the benefits system again. I'd only do it if I were absolutely desperate.

Dunroamin

Cerisa wrote: »

If you chuck people off benefits permanently for committing fraud, how are they supposed to feed themselves unless they turn to crime?

Well, they could of course get a job.;)

Alternatively, you could pay them at a much lower "hardship" rate.

Dunroamin

clemmatis wrote: »

I doubt Bevan would have thought welfare benefits went only to

No, but I bet he wouldn't expect us to give it (and at such generous levels) to those who've made it a lifestyle choice either!

Cerisa

Oh; and the current tax deficit is £70 billion lost due to Tax Evasion and £25 billion a year lost to tax avoidance. The annual tax gap is at over £120 billion.

These are people and corporations that can afford to pay - and choose not to.

I find this much more morally reprehensible than someone who gets made redundant, who claims £200 HB, £100 CTB and £180 JSA a month - from the money they've already paid into the system.

Cerisa

Dunroamin:

Lol! Yes, I'd love to employ a benefit fraudster

The hardship payment thing sounds workable, for convicted rather than accused benefit fraudsters.

PaulF81

Cerisa wrote: »

"Why is all that so important?"

Topazimam -Because:

a) We can afford to pay them - benefit claimants are being used as a scapegoat - particularly disabled claimants who have experienced a 300% rise is hate crimes since this government came into power.

b) Several people mentioned anecdotal evidence of benefit fraudsters.

There are actually very few benefit fraudsters - the DWP say 0.7%, and if anything, they'd seek to maximise rather than minimise that figure, because the far greater figure illustrates their mistakes.

On top of that these savings are false economies - cutting NHS cleaners has meant an increase in healthcare acquired infections, costing the NHS £1 billion.

Crime has gone up since the police force was cut.

If you chuck people off benefits permanently for committing fraud, how are they supposed to feed themselves unless they turn to crime?

I asked before and I ask again. If the fraud rate is so low, why is it areas like Liverpool have a claimant rate many times that of other areas? The fraud is undetected due to the corrupt labour councils in control of these areas and don't want narked off voters who are happy to receive their benefits in return for keeping Labour in power n their areas.

PaulF81

Cerisa wrote: »

Oh; and the current tax deficit is £70 billion lost due to Tax Evasion and £25 billion a year lost to tax avoidance. The annual tax gap is at over £120 billion.

These are people and corporations that can afford to pay - and choose not to.

I find this much more morally reprehensible than someone who gets made redundant, who claims £200 HB, £100 CTB and £180 JSA a month - from the money they've already paid into the system.

No, it's monies that if levied against them would hit their profitability and would offshore with a hell of a lot of lost uk jobs. Don't you think the treasury would peruse this rather than lose votes if they could levy these taxes with minimal administrative cost and without the loss of uk jobs and taxation?

Cerisa

No, because HMRC's fraud staff has been cut - and as the Prime Minister's own father made his fortune using so called 'tax havens' it's very convenient that people believe the drivel that if Vodafone paid their tax, they'd have to lay off all the minimum wage staff that sell their China made products.

PaulF81 -I explained this before. I'm not going to do it again.

Also the 0.7% fraud rate is total for the UK.

exarmydreamer

Eellogofusciouhipoppokunu wrote: »

But he's claiming it for his son, not himself. It's his son's money. Perhaps you use your kids DLA as your own income and so judge others by your own standards?

One of my children does get a small amount of DLA, which is used to pay for tutoring due to his poor schooling. Look at some of my other post, if you wish. Anyone can judge me, 17 yrs in the army, injured and medically discharged. Husband 23 yrs in army and now in a very well paid full time job, have a mortgage and paid taxes for 20 yrs, judge me now.

By the way, I would not show my face if I claimed and had millions, its just not BRITISH. I too, hate benefit cheats and people who can't be bothered with their lives but I also hate people, who claim KNOWING they do not need it to support a child, bit like higher rate tax payers claiming Child benefit - same thing.

Go ahead, I judge people as I see fit, all I can say is I've worked long and hard, risked my life and paid my way. I would support anyone who needs the help and is struggling but those who don't need should leave the pot of money alone.