Election Year or Fear!

[swaledale]

Who are these mysterious people who "won't" help themselves? I find funny that people think they are getting away with something, I mean if life was that brilliant on benefits, why aren't you doing it yourself? And no don't come back with because I have more pride and self respect!! Thats *******s, life on benefits is no sinecure.

I'll wait now for the anecdotal evidence of people on benefits who have the latest everything, drive new cars and holiday in the Caribbean!! Most of which is total horse****.

On the other hand I know quite a few "businessmen" whose declared income is far below mine but enjoy a lifestyle that is beyond what I could or would wish to fund.

I for one think paying some of the useless lummocks, the unemployable the social misfits a basic income solves more problems than it creates. Reduces crime costs to justice system, prison etc. and frankly having had the "pleasure" of employing some of them, saves a lot of hassle in the long run.

There will always be a section of society unfit for work and unable to raise their skill level to the work that is available, given that 100,000's of low skilled jobs have disappeared over the decades, what's the solution.

Mind you with AI taking over even skilled jobs, many who might have thought they were skilled and n secure jobs might be casting around for something to do!

In terms of facts its worth pointing out that 50% or thereabouts of welfare expenditure is on pensions and that tax fraud and avoidance costs the UK much more than benefit fraud and of course people on benefits spend their benefits into the local economy whereas tax fraud and avoidance tends to see the money leave the UK or not spent locally.

But of course one wouldn't get the same sense of smug self aggrandisement as is clearly enjoyed by "punching down" on the so called "skivers" rather than those cheating the economy or like P & O CEO being paid 6 figure sums and exploiting workers.

[Andy_Faber]

Who are these mysterious people who "won't" help themselves? I find funny that people think they are getting away with something, I mean if life was that brilliant on benefits, why aren't you doing it yourself? And no don't come back with because I have more pride and self respect!! Thats *******s, life on benefits is no sinecure.

I'll wait now for the anecdotal evidence of people on benefits who have the latest everything, drive new cars and holiday in the Caribbean!! Most of which is total horse****.

On the other hand I know quite a few "businessmen" whose declared income is far below mine but enjoy a lifestyle that is beyond what I could or would wish to fund.

I for one think paying some of the useless lummocks, the unemployable the social misfits a basic income solves more problems than it creates. Reduces crime costs to justice system, prison etc. and frankly having had the "pleasure" of employing some of them, saves a lot of hassle in the long run.

There will always be a section of society unfit for work and unable to raise their skill level to the work that is available, given that 100,000's of low skilled jobs have disappeared over the decades, what's the solution.

Mind you with AI taking over even skilled jobs, many who might have thought they were skilled and n secure jobs might be casting around for something to do!

In terms of facts its worth pointing out that 50% or thereabouts of welfare expenditure is on pensions and that tax fraud and avoidance costs the UK much more than benefit fraud and of course people on benefits spend their benefits into the local economy whereas tax fraud and avoidance tends to see the money leave the UK or not spent locally.

But of course one wouldn't get the same sense of smug self aggrandisement as is clearly enjoyed by "punching down" on the so called "skivers" rather than those cheating the economy or like P & O CEO being paid 6 figure sums and exploiting workers.

You don't usually react well to anecdotes that don't support your POV but I could offer a number of such that I know (as acquaintances, not 'know of'), who have set their stall out to 'work the system' and avoid honest graft. In fact I've helped one recently fill in a form requesting a rental allowance of some sort, happy to do so as she wasn't doing anything illegal - however, despite not working since 2014 (to my knowledge) she is going to Tunisia for two weeks in June. Not The Caribbean, but still a bit puzzling. And no its not a once in a lifetime thing, it was Turkey last year.

I do take your point about the genuinely useless, but if as you suggest you pay someone NOT to work, how does that make, lets say, a hardworking nurse living next door feel, earning marginally more but popping a ******* all day for the cause?

I don't think anyone here has any disagreement on the CEO thing, in fact I've been more outspoken than anyone on it, but that wasn't the issue being discussed