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MSE News: Help to Save scheme to offer £1,200 bonus to low-paid workers

245

Comments

  • sharpharp
    sharpharp Posts: 167 Forumite
    This is pathetic, they should offer this scheme to those on a Low "working" wage, not those on the various benefits....


    The government have totally misjudged the intended audience for this scheme. Offering it to those on benefits, as the previous poster just said, will just put an even bigger smile on the work shy.


    Yes I'm sure their are those who cannot work for a reason, but it just seems that whenever the government does something like this, it's always to the detriment of the working people.
  • steve65e
    steve65e Posts: 154 Forumite
    sharpharp wrote: »
    This is pathetic, they should offer this scheme to those on a Low "working" wage, not those on the various benefits....


    The government have totally misjudged the intended audience for this scheme. Offering it to those on benefits, as the previous poster just said, will just put an even bigger smile on the work shy.


    Yes I'm sure their are those who cannot work for a reason, but it just seems that whenever the government does something like this, it's always to the detriment of the working people.

    Ermmm...

    MSE News: Help to Save scheme to offer £1,200 bonus to low-paid workers


    The scheme is not available to those you disgustingly refer to as workshy.
  • And what's to stop someone more well off, finding a relative on benefits that they trust, saving the £50 a month in their name, taking the capital back at the end of the term, and splitting the bonus? ;)

    Easy way for two people to make a few hundred quid each.

    That's my plan, if my parents can open one each, £7.2k out for £4.8k in :T
  • bristolleedsfan
    bristolleedsfan Posts: 12,651 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    When axing introduction of '50p for £1' Saving Gateway in 2010 this is what was said :

    http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-1696486/Budget-2010-50p-for-1-Saving-Gateway-is-axed.html

    "The Treasury's reasoning is that if the Goverment borrows more money it will lead to more problems in the future. If poorer people are helped now to build up assets, they will face higher future taxes to pay back the debt"
  • POPPYOSCAR
    POPPYOSCAR Posts: 14,902 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Why do they have to be receiving benefits to qualify?


    Surely it should be available to all those on a low wage.
  • steve65e
    steve65e Posts: 154 Forumite
    POPPYOSCAR wrote: »
    Why do they have to be receiving benefits to qualify?


    Surely it should be available to all those on a low wage.

    I think it's assumed that the low paid will be receiving in work benefits unless they already have savings or another income/higher earning partner, in which case they don't need the help.
  • POPPYOSCAR
    POPPYOSCAR Posts: 14,902 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    steve65e wrote: »
    I think it's assumed that the low paid will be receiving in work benefits unless they already have savings or another income/higher earning partner, in which case they don't need the help.






    So what in work benefits is my minimum wage daughter entitled to?
  • steve65e
    steve65e Posts: 154 Forumite
    edited 14 March 2016 at 6:55PM
    That would depend on her age, hours worked, housing costs etc, the area she lives in and whether universal credit has been introduced there. There is a benefits calculator here.

    https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Find-Benefits-Grants

    I did for a 30 year old in my street,no children, working 37 hours minimum wage, paying £100 pw rent. It gave me £25 pw now, £41 when Universal credit comes in.

    (i'm not saying I agree with any of this btw. It seems like a hare brained scheme which almost no-one will claim from, and might not even happen)
  • POPPYOSCAR
    POPPYOSCAR Posts: 14,902 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    steve65e wrote: »
    That would depend on her age, hours worked, housing costs etc, the area she lives in and whether universal credit has been introduced there. There is a benefits calculator here.

    https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Find-Benefits-Grants

    I did for a 30 year old in my street,no children, working 37 hours minimum wage, paying £100 pw rent. It gave me £25 pw now, £41 when Universal credit comes in.

    (i'm not saying I agree with any of this btw. It seems like a hare brained scheme which almost no-one will claim from, and might not even happen)



    Exactly, she is 19 and entitled to nothing but is a low paid worker so not all low paid workers will be eligible, so my point still stands.
  • I suspect using benefit payments as a qualification for this is partly related to saving money on admin. If you have a means-tested savings scheme it makes life easier for you if you pick some group of people who've already been means-tested (i.e. those on benefits) rather than do a whole new round of means-testing yourself.
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