Originally posted by GB9
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People on the lowest incomes were already not paying tax, those taken outside tax under the Tories are the next group up. Splitting hairs for accuracy here, but what IS important is how the actual "take-home" for those on lower/lowest incomes has changed due to changes to tax credits and other benefits. You see claims that in real terms the poorest are loosing out but I've no idea if that is accurate. Clearly though, these are the ones to who even a small change makes a big difference.
And then the whole issue of benefits sanctions and an "unsympathetic state" we keep hearing about. Isolated cases WILL ALWAYS slip through the cracks and the fact these are real lives doesn't change that - e.g. a cancer sufferer being taken off benefits because they had a chemo session when they were supposed to be at the dole office and it taking months to get it fixed, we all see these stories in the Guardian or on FB if we have socially aware friends who share all these things ad nauseum.
My view is much of these issues are down to local government workers - an example of public sector workers doing bad jobs - rather than facsist Tory policies. But it still needs addressing.
The living wage is just a rebrand. You cannot say "we introduced a Living Wage", they just increased the NMW. Which is good IMO but it's not a LW.
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