Homeowners must be taxed on equity in homes to address crisis, MPs told

[SueEllen]

Land value tax? Is that the Corbyn idea that punishes you for a house you bought years ago?
Totally agree with the second part of the comment - unoccupied property used as investment needs taxing more heavily, but similarly you have to be careful not to burst the property bubble.

Actually a number of the smaller opposition parties put forward the idea long before Corbyn stole it. Corbyn's version was to punish people with gardens.

The problem with local taxes is each government hasn't been bothered to put them up.

[LondonManc]

Actually a number of the smaller opposition parties put forward the idea long before Corbyn stole it. Corbyn's version was to punish people with gardens.

The problem with local taxes is each government hasn't been bothered to put them up.

The problem is that we're heading towards the Ayn Rand situation of not enough people paying enough tax to cover the increasing population. Tax workers too much and they'll get to the point of realizing that they're better off not working as a lot of low-paid families already feel with free prescriptions, etc.

[SueEllen]

The problem is that we're heading towards the Ayn Rand situation of not enough people paying enough tax to cover the increasing elderly population. Tax workers too much and they'll get to the point of realizing that they're better off not working as a lot of low-paid families already feel with free prescriptions, etc.

FTFY

Main problem is pensions plus NHS and social care for the elderly.

Maybe the government should work out how to keep us fit and active for longer - but that would involve regulating the food industry for a start....

[LondonManc]

FTFY

Main problem is pensions plus NHS and social care for the elderly.

Maybe the government should work out how to keep us fit and active for longer - but that would involve regulating the food industry for a start....

Didn't need fixing. The biggest increase in budget spend has been social protection, which covers all ages, including benefits of all kinds. The gig economy has contributed to that and the likes of Uber need stitching up/sorting out to make sure that they pay their fair share.

[SueEllen]

Didn't need fixing. The biggest increase in budget spend has been social protection, which covers all ages, including benefits of all kinds. The gig economy has contributed to that and the likes of Uber need stitching up/sorting out to make sure that they pay their fair share.

All leads back to the Taylor report.

Actually even if they got tax from people being workers rather than self-employed there would still be an issue. The demographic time bomb of people living longer than when the welfare state was designed has been known since the 80s. There aren't enough workers for the number of pensioners.

[OwlHoot]

Maybe the government should work out how to keep us fit and active for longer

Or ease off on their obsessive anti-smoking vendetta and encourage old people to take up smoking!

[Mordac]

FTFY

Main problem is pensions plus NHS and social care for the elderly.

Maybe the government should work out how to keep us fit and active for longer - but that would involve regulating the food industry for a start....

Have you thought this through? All we'll end up with is a growing population of pensioners with dementia.
If we all live into our 80's and 90's, the cost of pensions and social care is going to go up, not down.

[SueEllen]

Have you thought this through? All we'll end up with is a growing population of pensioners with dementia.
If we all live into our 80's and 90's, the cost of pensions and social care is going to go up, not down.

Have you actually looked at life expectancy? Life expectancy is already around 80 in the UK.

Average life expectancy is 79.4 for men and 83.1 for women - which is why we have the pensions, NHS and social care problem.

Not all old people get dementia before they die, but too many people spend the last 13-20 years of their lives being ill.

If people are are healthier, while they may live a few years longer but they won't cost so much in total.

[ProInDisguise]

All leads back to the Taylor report.

Actually even if they got tax from people being workers rather than self-employed there would still be an issue. The demographic time bomb of people living longer than when the welfare state was designed has been known since the 80s. There aren't enough workers for the number of pensioners.

And seemingly the answer to that problem is to bring net migration down to the "tens of thousands", Brexit and penalising one of the most productive groups via IR35 so they either retire early or go perm! You couldn't make it up... the legacy of this government will be as an example of how to destroy your own country by pursuing ill thought out populist policies.

All we can hope for is that the pain caused by this idiocy will mean that future generations learn their lesson and actually pursue policies that are in the long term best interests of the country. Brexit is going to be so painful over the next few years that in time you wont be able to find someone who will admit to having voted for it.

[AtW]

Have you actually looked at life expectancy? Life expectancy is already around 80 in the UK.

Average life expectancy is 79.4 for men and 83.1 for women - which is why we have the pensions, NHS and social care problem.

Dire pensions, underfunded NHS and tulip care will solve the problem of high life expectancy - the survivors will be eating black caviar and drinking finest English sparkling wine