Foreign benefit scroungers!

[vetran]

We got one of those "where your tax got spent" pie charts for my wife. I think the amount her tax paid towards benefits was very close to what one of our young friends, on benefits, stood to claim that year. It made it feel better that we were "paying to look after our friend"

when you think your wife is probably paying more tax than most don't you find that a bit scary?

[petergriffin]

Public spending doesn't come from taxes anymore and it hasn't come for many years. It comes from printy-printy. Otherwise we would be in a much better state than today.

The "my taxes are spent on..." argument is pointless.

[GlenW]

Public spending doesn't come from taxes anymore and it hasn't come for many years. It comes from printy-printy. Otherwise we would be in a much better state than today.

The "my taxes are spent on..." argument is pointless.

I haven't got a clue what this means.

[petergriffin]

I haven't got a clue what this means.

I had no doubt.

[DodgyAgent]

On people that are down on their luck when times are tough?

Yep - They can go and pick fruit. If they are physically incapable they can go out and sell it.
You make your own luck

[NickyBoy]

Public spending doesn't come from taxes anymore and it hasn't come for many years. It comes from printy-printy. Otherwise we would be in a much better state than today.

The "my taxes are spent on..." argument is pointless.

Welfare costs about 100 billion a year.

The government collects over 600 billion in tax each year.

Welfare abuse is estimated to cost the state a few million a year and 'extreme' cases of welfare use (single moms with 10 kids etc etc) cost another few million a year (note: million. Not billion). As such most of that 100 billion is basic legitimate use of welfare money that can't be dropped or skimmed by efficiency drives.

So if people want to assume their taxes are spent on it and that 'printy printy' covers other things that CAN be dropped, that's a legitimate assumption to make

FYI costs are here (it breaks down central and local costs into 2 different columns) http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/ye...c1n_40#ukgs302

It also makes it very obvious how stupid people look when they piss and moan about welfare tourism. 60 thousand foreigners claiming welfare makes sod all difference to the budget of a country of 60 million people.

[petergriffin]

Yep - They can go and pick fruit. If they are physically incapable they can go out and sell it.
You make your own luck

What fruit do you pick now in January? Where? How do you make money from it? I want a piece of the cake too.

Feck contracting, picking fruit is the new Forex!

[DodgyAgent]

Harsh, but at the same time, true

Maybe we should encourage more of our benefits generational types to bog off abroad and claim in the lands of the EU taxpayer, possibly Scooter will appreciate funding them in his beloved land of the Boxhead.

You have a point. It is much cheaper to live in Romania than here. we house their workers who want to work in the council houses and benefits accommodation of those who do want to work here. We put the benefits recipients out to Romania where the cost of keeping them would be so much less.

[petergriffin]

Welfare costs about 60 billion a year.

The government collects over 600 billion in tax each year.

Welfare abuse is estimated to cost the state a few million a year and 'extreme' cases of welfare use (single moms with 10 kids etc etc) cost another few million a year (note: million. Not billion). As such, most of that 60 billion is basic legitimate, efficient use of welfare money that can't be dropped.

So if people want to assume their taxes are spent on it and that 'printy printy' covers other things that CAN be dropped, that's a legitimate assumption to make

But benefits and pensions CAN be dropped. It's actually a virtuous cycle: you save money by not spending it on the poor, then the poor die and you save money on pensions.

[DodgyAgent]

What fruit do you pick now in January? Where? How do you make money from it? I want a piece of the cake too.

Feck contracting, picking fruit is the new Forex!

There are plenty of jobs for everyone. There is no excuse for anyone to not work unless they are terminally ill.