Budget 2015

savings_my_hobby

gadgetmind wrote: »

I'm hiring highly skilled people from overseas, where they have a lot of good universities teaching STEM subjects, because the UK ones simply aren't educating enough people in the right subjects.

What's stopping you training them?

savings_my_hobby

Glen_Clark wrote: »

Unfortunately thats only the start.
Pumping up house prices with taxpayers money also pumps up Housing Benefit costs - a double whammy for the taxpayer.
It encourages people to have kids to claim Housing Benefit because its the only way they can afford their own pace - a triple whammy for the taxpayer
And, as if all thats not bad enough, we have skilled young professionals - just the people the economy needs, emigrating because they are fed up of spending half their salary on rent and commuting.
Being replaced by - unskilled migrants claiming yet more benefits.
I'm beginning to understand how Osborne has managed to double the National Debt - 300 years worth - in just 5 years.

Apparently if the tories win a majority there will be £12 billion of welfare cuts which will most likely include a freeze on housing and child benefits

colsten

savings_my_hobby wrote: »

What's stopping you training them?

gadgetmind probably isn't/doesn't run a university. Like most employers aren't.

savings_my_hobby

nobody was suggesting he was although i'm sure you have heard of apprenticeships.

the question still stands (to the intend recipient)

I'm sure at some point in your career you have received training so lets not begrudge anyone else of it

colsten

savings_my_hobby wrote: »

nobody was suggesting he was although i'm sure you have heard of apprenticeships.

You do realise that there is a difference between apprencticeships, training on the job, and university diplomas? Actually, you probably don't, as you wouldn't have suggested they were effectively interchangeable.

Rollinghome

kidmugsy wrote: »

I can't see the NHS, as presently constituted, as a deserving cause. Most developed countries, bar the USA, seem to have a better Health Service than us.

According to an OECD report Britain spent 6.8 per cent of its GDP on health (in total including that spent in the private sector) compared to the European average of 7.9 per cent. At the time of the figures, the Germans spent £2,361 per head annually, France £2,034, and Britain just £1,510.

It's certainly arguably that better management might help but it's primarily a problem of the widespread 'wanting something for nothing' culture. If we want something better, such as a better national health service, then we'll usually need to pay more for it. That seems to be a difficult concept for some.

gadgetmind

Interestingly, I spend the difference between your highest and UK figures pa on our BUPA cover, so I'd happily pay more for the NHS if it meant I could drop BUPA. Of course, everyone else would have to pay the extra too or it wouldn't work.

Glen_Clark

colsten wrote: »

what a lot of xenophobic piffle. As if any only half successful employer would replace skilled professionals with unskilled workers, and as if all immigrants were unskilled and/or claiming benefits.

Did you read my post before commenting on it?
I said skilled were emigrating and being replaced by unskilled. I did not say the unskilled were getting the skilled people's jobs. (Although some may be if they are all that is available)
Neither did I say all immigrants are unskilled.

philwakely

iltisman wrote: »

£1000 tax allowance for savers . I see a lot of paperwork needed for savers who use multiple banks etc.

I was made redundant and took early retirement 6 years ago and am too young for a State Pension, so I now live on a reasonable company pension and my redundancy money. The redundancy money was invested in several savings accounts with various providers. The total of my company pension and interest on the savings leaves me well inside the basic rate income tax band, so I have not had a need to complete a tax return as all tax is taken at source. I guess this now means that I (and many others) will now need to complete a tax return just to get an (up to) £200 tax rebate [or will all interest now be paid gross of tax and it will be up to me to pay any tax due through the tax return?]

Significantly more paperwork [or online data entry] and almost certainly more work required by HMRC in checking these additional tax returns.

Glen_Clark

savings_my_hobby wrote: »

Apparently if the tories win a majority there will be £12 billion of welfare cuts which will most likely include a freeze on housing and child benefits

Freezing housing benefit would be fine if they were freezing housing costs as well. Instead of pumping up house prices with taxpayer guarantees and subsidies.
Its no longer acceptable to put women and children out on the street, Local Authorities have a legal obligation to rehouse them whatever the cost, so when Housing Benefit is below Rents what happens?
Whats happening in practice is that women and children are being evicted because their HB doesn't cover the rent, then immediately rehoused in hotels at greater cost to the taxpayer.