I Am Thinking Of Calling It A Day

[fluffycabbage]

This made me giggle...

how about your wife's (if any) sanitary products.

But for someone with low income, those thongs should be a one off not a recurring cost.

I don't know if you meant things or actually thongs in response to the wife's products. I surely hope she is not using a thong as a sanitary product.

OMG

 

[raptorrex]

What IS wrong is how many times we pay tax. You get paid and you pay tax on your earnings, you buy something and they want even more tax. So I do agree in a sense. One needs getting rid of so you at least only pay once. Since income tax is the easier one to get right they should adjust that a bit more and get rid of vat.

gota agree here. PAYE is the only "fair" way to tax. thing with this is, the rich, actually have to pay their own way. not something they like to do. a single income tax rate of 30% whoever you are, whatever you earn. now someone earning £3 million will squeal like hell. "why should i pay £900,000". answer? because its the same percentage as a guy on £30 thousand. so we all pay the same proportion of our income in tax.

its often forgotten why the UK has a sliding scale of tax rates, going up as wages rise. simply to make up for the fact that indirect taxes (VAT et al) place a disproportionate burden on those with low incomes. to make up for that, higher earners pay a higher rate. what's unfair about that?

while were are on about tax an cuts. how about collecting the £57 billion of unpaid taxes? actually £57 billion is government figures. the real "none structural deficit" is between £120 billion and £160 billion. if you take out the pension payments (£60 billion) unpaid taxes could fund the entire welfare budget (£137- minus pensions)) or near enough, using the middle figure.
we are quick enough to jump on those on benefits. how about tackling the real thieves?

 

[BethK]

we are quick enough to jump on those on benefits. how about tackling the real thieves?

totally agree

 

[walkers101]

i 100% agree with the above im currently on JSA and have been advised this morning by my new babies health visitor that i can actually claim carers allowance and become a fulltime carer for my partner as she has epeliepsy but i immediatly thought that i would be labelled even more of a "scrounger" so ive not looked into it yet

 

[Curiosity101]

i 100% agree with the above im currently on JSA and have been advised this morning by my new babies health visitor that i can actually claim carers allowance and become a fulltime carer for my partner as she has epeliepsy but i immediatly thought that i would be labelled even more of a "scrounger" so ive not looked into it yet

If the money would actually help make life easier (as opposed to say just being like 'spending money').
Then I can't see why you shouldn't... or why anyone has the right to look down on you for it.

And to an extent even if it is used for recreational things like maybe going out for a meal once a week or whatever. Happy relaxed people = happy families...

 

[JoshuaA]

Completely agree raptorrex!

On another note, I got pulled over last night by the police for apparently not having tax/insurance (which I did). They had picked me up going through the Mersey tunnel and they have cameras closely linked with their ANPR systems. Furthermore there were numerous cars which over took me in the tunnel in another lane and I was doing 40mph. However I obviously was the priority because I had apparently not paid my... guess what TAX! Of course I was completely clean and they apologised after they had pulled me over metres away from my car park gate. The thing I queried was with all the cars that were blatantly speeding in the tunnel why didn't he stop any of those? The policeman just mentioned that they weren't speed cameras and although they can tell which cars are speeding they have no real physical proof and therefore can't do anything. Also that paying your tax appeared to be more important than preventing anyone breaking road laws.

In the end it turned out that since I had retaxed my car that morning after a SORN and my new insurance policy had started that morning also which didn't give the system enough time to update its records I was pulled over on a false positive. They kindly removed my car from the black list and said ta ra. Nice guys... though when I was in the cop car I noticed 2 police cars creep past and discussions on the radio between numerous other cars on what the status was. I was kind of miffed by the fact they had taken 3 cars obviously out of the way to "Catch" me when I complied to the police car within a split second of the lights going on. Where as the numerous cars that over took me in and out the tunnel had more bearing on what the police were intending to do. No joke I saw taxi's going easily over 50 in a 30mph in Liverpool City centre on Scotty road but no bother to the police. Its beyond me sometimes.

Of course it came down to tax though! I also found it funny how they played good cop, bad cop. The good cop was a real nice genuine guy where as the bad cop was nice but just wasn't hitting the note on the pushy side!.

 

[raptorrex]

i 100% agree with the above im currently on JSA and have been advised this morning by my new babies health visitor that i can actually claim carers allowance and become a fulltime carer for my partner as she has epeliepsy but i immediatly thought that i would be labelled even more of a "scrounger" so ive not looked into it yet

I feel for you, its pathetic. someone who works, hard, and follows the rules. suddenly finds themselves labelled a scrounger. simply because its found they need extra help.

take my advice. TAKE IT. you are entitled to it. you are not "fiddling", or stealing. more than can be said for many who would call you a scrounger.

dont get me wrong, i have no "rich bashing gene". indeed i remember conversations with my farther, in 1977, where he complained bitterly they he paid tax at 98%. reasoning that he would have to earn £15 to buy one pint of beer. (now that's no, entirely true. at the time he only paid 98% on 20% of his wages. the rest were taxed on sliding scale rates).

my wish is fairness, wealthy or poor. i have several friends in the building trade, all self employed, yet despite earning £25,000 pa, they pay no income tax. using fiddles and tricks, to avoid it. that, to me, is just as bad as the fiddling the wealthy do.

I noticed that man(?) Cameron was asked about tax avoidance. he went red and avoided the question. which sums up the problem the UK is in.

now i normally avoid getting into conversations about benefits. after all i have a 9 year old, severely disabled child. my wife has epilepsy and i suffer from RSI, along with back and neck problems. My wife cant work (or should i say employers will not give here a job) and we need masses of help with little Morgen. but i have worked since i left school (1976). and spent 15 years paying high rate tax. so whilst i wish to work, and am willing, i have no problem collecting benefits. i have, after all, paid into it for most of my life. for every £ spent on benefits, £1+ is claimed as tax exemption. and from the figures published, £1 is fiddled.
what's good for the goose!

 

[BethK]

i 100% agree with the above im currently on JSA and have been advised this morning by my new babies health visitor that i can actually claim carers allowance and become a fulltime carer for my partner as she has epeliepsy but i immediatly thought that i would be labelled even more of a "scrounger" so ive not looked into it yet

Don't be silly, claim it, it will help with costs, esp with a new baby and no, you are not a scrounger at all, you have a legit reason.

I'm classed as a fulltime carer for my son (although, I am his mum) but it means I have money to pay for taxes/transport to and from his regular appointments, which in turn is less stressful for him and me. My son hates crowds, when I say 'hate', I mean full blown tantrum, think of the terrible twos, add that to a 15yr old girl who thinks it's the end of the world, along with headbanging, slapping, scratching and you currently have my son

There are funds there that are supposed to help those who need it, don't be worried what others think x

 

[raptorrex]

There are funds there that are supposed to help those who need it, don't be worried what others think x

what a breath of fresh air.

 

[BethK]

There are funds there that are supposed to help those who need it, don't be worried what others think x

what a breath of fresh air.

I was worried that people would think I was a scrounger, at first but then i thought '#62### it'. I've worked hard over the years, never been on benefit before and I have a legit reason, i am not sitting on my #14###, doing jack. I decided to attend college (majority of fees are paid by the gov), it means I will have a qualification that should help me get a decent job in the long run.

Use what you can to help to your advantage, we have 1 of the best benefit systems in the world (believed me, I've lived in countries where the gov won't help at all), you've previously paid taxes, it's not like you're being lazy and never worked a day in your life.

Plus, being on DLA/Carers, opens you up to sooooo much more help in the long run. I get discounts on residential parking permits, trains, buses, cinema, swimming pool, plus there are charities that will help fund holidays for families who have a medically diagnosed member in their household.

People may slate me for this reply but they wouldn't understand the situation and limitation.

 

[Curiosity101]

People may slate me for this reply but they wouldn't understand the situation and limitation.

If they did it'd only be because they've never struggled in their life and are too short sighted to even try to imagine what it might be like.

People who expect the government/tax payers to pay them money cause they somehow deserve it = Bad

People who have tried their hardest in life and are only recieving what they are entitled to = Good
If people are struggling due to no fault of their own, or even generally aren't 'well off' so although you're not neccesarily scraping by, you've not got money to burn... so what. If you're applying for it cause your entitled due to an un avoidable/un forseeable circumstance then who are they to judge?

You know what I think one of the top 3 biggest problems is in the UK... too many people read the daily mail...

 

[BethK]

You know what I think one of the top 3 biggest problems is in the UK... too many people read the daily mail...

and 'the sun'

 

[Curiosity101]

Well according to the daily mail I should probably be a mother of at least two children to two different fathers and would be with neither of them. I'd be claiming every benefit possible and would probably drink and smoke.
I'd probably also live in a council flat with 2 dogs.
Edit: oh n I prob would have left school before finishing my GCSEs

And all because of apparent 'statistics' of people of my age who have had 'x' 'y' n 'z' happen in the past.

My nan is the funniest, she's always like 'Oh well you hear it in the news all the time', 'Oh well I saw the other day in the paper', 'Well I think I should know, I did see it the other day on the news'.

It's like banging your head against a brick wall trying to convince her that she's not going to be murdered if she steps outside after dark, even though we live in probably the safest area in the city.
And apparently cause someone broke into our shed (first time in over 12 years and no reported break ins in the area before a random spout of shed burglaries), that means the house is just as likely to be burgled so we need more safety... (We now are possibly adding wire mesh to the glass door and fake cctv cameras... this is on top of 1 electric wall sized shutter that goes of the patio door/window, and two manual shutters on some other windows, a chain and lock on the front door, every inner door being locked at night. Ie. back door --> utility room, utility room --> garage, garage--> house. And I think my parents went through a phase of disconnecting the power to the electric garage door at night.) And THIS is in an area where we haven't heard of a single house break in for over 12 years... and there probably haven't been any before that tbh.

 

[raptorrex]

My nan is the funniest, she's always like 'Oh well you hear it in the news all the time', 'Oh well I saw the other day in the paper', 'Well I think I should know, I did see it the other day on the news'.

It's like banging your head against a brick wall trying to convince her that she's not going to be murdered if she steps outside after dark, even though we live in probably the safest area in the city.
And apparently cause someone broke into our shed (first time in over 12 years and no reported break ins in the area before a random spout of shed burglaries), that means the house is just as likely to be burgled so we need more safety... (We now are possibly adding wire mesh to the glass door and fake cctv cameras... this is on top of 1 electric wall sized shutter that goes of the patio door/window, and two manual shutters on some other windows, a chain and lock on the front door, every inner door being locked at night. Ie. back door --> utility room, utility room --> garage, garage--> house. And I think my parents went through a phase of disconnecting the power to the electric garage door at night.) And THIS is in an area where we haven't heard of a single house break in for over 12 years... and there probably haven't been any before that tbh.

we are risking, serious diversion from the OP's comments. providing the OP and mod's are prepared to let it go on:

this is one of my "pet hates", of today. the perception, brought about on by "blanket news access", that the UK is somehow less safe than 10 or more years ago.
the facts, and experience, prove other. crime, despite the increasing in the number of crimes reported, has decreased. however, it will increase. and right or wrong, it will be the policies of this current government, that causes it. there are large sections of UK society who feel disaffected. slowly, perhaps too slowly. they were being absorbed, back into the main stream. now, as once again, they see the door shutting. it reaffirms their conviction that, nobody cares.
whilst my personal morals, detest this attitude. the logic of their situation is, inescapable.
anyway, modern society needs a large pool of unemployed. for, if there were not for them, wages would go up. and we cant have share holders suffering can we?

one final question i would like answered. what are the people, who's jobs go through the increased efficiency of company's ( sacking people) going to do. are we to presume, though there are no jobs, they are still scroungers?

 

[Inchworm]

we are risking, serious diversion from the OP's comments.

Thank you for noticing, raptorrex. I think now would be a good time to close this thread. If anyone is interested in continuing the discussion, please feel free to start a new one for that purpose.

BTW, has anyone heard from the biffster lately? I hope he's doing better.