Tax cuts to get people working
Tax cuts to get people working
Author
Discussion

Gunny Sergeant D

Original Poster:

2,248 posts

269 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Not sure what the numbers are. From what I gather if you are claiming benefits there is a real disincentive to get a job.

If its political suicide to reduce benefits, then an answer is to amke sure that those working at the minimum wage level have a real incentive to do so.

What are the pro's and cons. What would it cost the economy to reduce the taxes for anyone earning less than 13k p/a to nowt.

I see the benefits as being mahooosive, to all in the country.

esselte

14,626 posts

296 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Gunny Sergeant D said:
Not sure what the numbers are. From what I gather if you are claiming benefits there is a real disincentive to get a job.

If its political suicide to reduce benefits, then an answer is to amke sure that those working at the minimum wage level have a real incentive to do so.

What are the pro's and cons. What would it cost the economy to reduce the taxes for anyone earning less than 13k p/a to nowt.

I see the benefits as being mahooosive, to all in the country.
Would that be the first 13k of everyone's earnings......

MitchT

17,114 posts

238 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
esselte said:
Would that be the first 13k of everyone's earnings......
I do hope so. Would be nice if those of us who could actually be bothered working in the first place were recognised for it.

Gunny Sergeant D

Original Poster:

2,248 posts

269 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
esselte said:
Would that be the first 13k of everyone's earnings......
Totally, otherwise it would be un fair. I'd rather see people working than completely scamming the state.

V8mate

45,899 posts

218 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Gunny Sergeant D said:
esselte said:
Would that be the first 13k of everyone's earnings......
Totally, otherwise it would be un fair. I'd rather see people working than completely scamming the state.
All that would happen is that people earning £14k would bh and moan that they were beng penalised rather than helped.

Now scrapping income tax altogether would be more like it!

Cpn Jack Spanner

2,632 posts

234 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
My ex. is on £12,500 take home in benefits (single person, own home, no kids). However she is going to college, actively working towards working.

Still, many people taking home £12,500 a year in benefits would need a HUGE incentive to go out and look for a job. Anything paying less that £20k is out, as why would you accept a job that - after tax - gives you less than you had doing nothing! Some have a conscience, not many though.

Obviously paying people to do nothing isn't cheap, so I doubt that there will be any money available to knock the tax down on the few people who work.

sa_20v

4,112 posts

260 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Oh come on, you're very likely to see a rate increase for higher tax earners in the next budget, along with higher taxes on bonuses...

A flat rate tax of 25% would actually make far more sense - but politicians seem devoid of that!

Alfa_75_Steve

7,489 posts

229 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
sa_20v said:
Oh come on, you're very likely to see a rate increase for higher tax earners in the next budget, along with higher taxes on bonuses...

A flat rate tax of 25% would actually make far more sense - but politicians seem devoid of that!
But only if it was set to kick in at something like £16k.

Any less than that, and lower earners would be worse off.

VTECMatt

1,371 posts

267 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
There is a chap I know who has been out of work for ages living on benefits, offered a f/t job at £7 ph (15K py), he turned it down as was better off on benefits.

Something needs to be done.

esselte

14,626 posts

296 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
VTECMatt said:
There is a chap I know who has been out of work for ages living on benefits, offered a f/t job at £7 ph (15K py), he turned it down as was better off on benefits.

Something needs to be done.
^^^^ there's the problem.....

VTECMatt

1,371 posts

267 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Yup pisses me right off.

tinman0

18,231 posts

269 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Gunny Sergeant D said:
If its political suicide to reduce benefits
1. Benefits need to be capped on a household basis. Anyone found bending the rules gets the benefits for the household removed - everyone living at the property loses all entitlements. Some slag wants a loser boyfriend, then it better not be someone who is blacklisted cause her benefits are history whilst he lives with her.

2. Benefit cheats lose all future benefits claims for life.

3. Benefits to stay the same for the next ten years. Let inflation reduce their value.

4. Stop giving bl**dy council houses to every Tom Dick, and Sue. Council house lists should be worked on a basis of first come first served, and the current lists should be assessed chronologically.

5. If some 16year old single mother slag gets thrown out of her council house, the council have the right to say "You know, its not our problem fk off". She'll soon apologize to her parents given a couple of nights in the cold and learn some manners in the future.

6. Have a child under the age of 16, and you and your child are housed in a mother and baby centre, and not a house, and your parents are investigated. Any feckless losers who allowed it to happen lose their benefits as well. The least a benefit claimant could do is bring up their children properly.

Finally,

7. Every year 1 in a 100 benefits losers in council housing gets evicted in a random lottery. "It could be you" should have a whole new meaning.

Gunny Sergeant D

Original Poster:

2,248 posts

269 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Well taking that 15k example. If on 15k benefits p/a you have to do 40 hours community service then you are not free to moonlight. Also changing the way that benefits are paid, would help - food stamps etc..

Killer2005

20,581 posts

257 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
VTECMatt said:
There is a chap I know who has been out of work for ages living on benefits, offered a f/t job at £7 ph (15K py), he turned it down as was better off on benefits.

Something needs to be done.
yikes

I really need a better paid job frown

Simpo Two

92,662 posts

294 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Wasn't it Nigel Lawson who reduced taxes and the tax take increased as a result?

Alfa_75_Steve

7,489 posts

229 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Wasn't it Nigel Lawson who reduced taxes and the tax take increased as a result?
As I recall, this was because the higher rate payers stopped avoiding tax, rather than it getting people off benefits.

esselte

14,626 posts

296 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
I can never work out how someone (the government)can think that it's a good idea to give some people more in "benefits" than they can earn on minimum wage...?

Soovy

35,829 posts

300 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Cpn Jack Spanner said:
My ex. is on £12,500 take home in benefits (single person, own home, no kids).
There's the problem.

They should be on A BASIC SUBSISTENCE, FOR WHICH THEY SHOULD WORK.


The Tea Boy

4,129 posts

264 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
bloody hell, i would actually be better off on benefits!!, i work 42hrs a week and get 13k per year beofre tax. sometimes it really does make me wonder what the point!!

esselte

14,626 posts

296 months

Tuesday 17th February 2009
quotequote all
Cpn Jack Spanner said:
My ex. is on £12,500 take home in benefits (single person, own home, no kids).
I don't wish to be nosey but how does that break down? Seems an awful lot for a singly....