Now then...lower benefits for the Northerners ??

coastline

as its cheaper...looks like we'll soon have a new Hadrians Wall...£1 a pint and £2 for fags North...£4 a pint and £6 for fags South..;)

Read on...

The range of new measures – requested by the Chancellor George Osborne — include abolishing the retirement age, extending the school day by up to three hours and paying lower benefits in the North and other parts of the country where the cost of living is less expensive.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9782816/Tory-manifesto-blueprint-lower-benefits-for-Northerners-and-longer-school-days.html

GeorgeHowell

Quite right too. Incomes and prices tend to be lower in the north, so why should benefits not be also ?

I thought the compulsory retirement age had already been abolished ?

Adding three hours to the school day would help with many people's child care issues, and coupled with other actions being take by Gove might actually lead to an improvement in our children's education and have them spending more of their time doing something worthwhile.

Is there a problem with any of this ?

grizzly1911

coastline wrote: »

as its cheaper...looks like we'll soon have a new Hadrians Wall...£1 a pint and £2 for fags North...£4 a pint and £6 for fags South..;)

Read on...

The range of new measures – requested by the Chancellor George Osborne — include abolishing the retirement age, extending the school day by up to three hours and paying lower benefits in the North and other parts of the country where the cost of living is less expensive.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9782816/Tory-manifesto-blueprint-lower-benefits-for-Northerners-and-longer-school-days.html

Take out housing and day to day costs are similar. They may even be more expensive in many areas of North. It is bigger than Sunderland after all.

When this was muted earlier in the year I heard two comparison prices used by a commenatator 1.) Bottle of branded gin and 2.) dry cleaning costs. Both big on the necessaries list not(perhaps for MPs:think:).

Thought they had abolished the retirement age, which will no doubt help youth employment.

Increasing the school day to help with study time, citing US as a positive example:rotfl:

No doubt northern MPS will be paid less too.

[Deleted User]

Completely agree on this one... benefits should be altered dependent on where you live - in the same way jobs have 'london weighting'

grizzly1911

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Completely agree on this one... benefits should be altered dependent on where you live - in the same way jobs have 'london weighting'

Totally agree , if housing costs more in London more benefit needs to be paid there. It is a London problem.

Day to day living costs are no different and I would say even worse in the North for many.

While they are at move Parliament and all Whitehall departments to Redcar. Save the taxpayer money and reduce MP expenses.

Graham_Devon

I don't see the point really. Are benefits not already adjusted to your local area when it comes to council tax and housing benefits?

Taking those out of the quation, I don't see food, transport, and clothing behind cheaper in the North than it is in the South.

If they actually do this, then I'm happy to suggest the tories are looking towards class warfare, and protecting their own area at the cost of others.

And I hope they don't extend the school day 3 hours.....imagine the nightmare rush hour traffic that would cause!!!

GlynD

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I don't see the point really. Are benefits not already adjusted to your local area when it comes to council tax and housing benefits?

Taking those out of the quation, I don't see food, transport, and clothing behind cheaper in the North than it is in the South.

If they actually do this, then I'm happy to suggest the tories are looking towards class warfare, and protecting their own area at the cost of others.

And I hope they don't extend the school day 3 hours.....imagine the nightmare rush hour traffic that would cause!!!

Why do companies pay a premium for London jobs then? why do the police and armed forces get a London allowance - even when they're living in quarters?

ILW

I cannot see the logic of national pay deals in the public sector.

Carlos77

Im all for the adjustment of benefits, for the north/south divide, but only if they do the same for tax contributions too, if us up north receive less than the south, then we should pay less too, only fair!

The_White_Horse

Carlos77 wrote: »

Im all for the adjustment of benefits, for the north/south divide, but only if they do the same for tax contributions too, if us up north receive less than the south, then we should pay less too, only fair!

you pay less on your smaller salaries

GlynD

The_White_Horse wrote: »

you pay less on your smaller salaries

Very true.