and the eu is paying for this

[escapeUK]

Makes me realise how far this country has fallen, it's a crying shame

People voted for it, so meh. Socialism works till you run out of other peoples money.

[VectraMan]

Well that's missing the whole point of benefits... to provide food and lodging for people equally. You don't accumulate benefits by paying taxes, that's what savings and pensions are for.

Indeed. I understand the Daily Mailist argument that benefits are often given to the undeserving, but the same Daily Mailists would be the first to complain about the inevitable increase in burglaries and homeless people that would result if we just left people with no income at all.

I like the idea of giving all people the same benefit whether working or not. That way everybody can increase their income by working, and there's no issue with the unemployed picking up the occasional day's casual work or taking on low paid jobs and losing their benefits, which surely has to be better than just being idle. For most of us it just disappears as part of tax, but it does mean that if you lose your job you still get a small income, and don't have to queue up at the job centre to apply. It also means it's not denied to anyone who's been sensible enough to save more than £16K.

[Doggy Styles]

I like the idea of giving all people the same benefit whether working or not. That way everybody can increase their income by working, and there's no issue with the unemployed picking up the occasional day's casual work or taking on low paid jobs and losing their benefits, which surely has to be better than just being idle.

You have a lot of faith in human nature!

[BrilloPad]

in spain

Jobless benefits will be cut to 50pc of a person's salary after six months. Currently, jobseekers are paid 70pc of the wages they earned in the last six months of employment, and 60pc after six months.


its sounds as though the benefit is only being cut by 10 % after 6 months oh the hardship

If this is true then why is the Spanish economy in depression? Surely the citizens still have loads of money to spend.

[SueEllen]

If this is true then why is the Spanish economy in depression? Surely the citizens still have loads of money to spend.

You are making the presumption that these people were in highly paying jobs in the first place.

One of my mates, whose parents lived in Spain and actually mixed with the locals, use to point out before the crash that the average Spanish person never have any money.

Also with their high youth unemployment it's likely the father of the family has to take care of his adult children who live at home as well as possibly an elderly parent.

[KentPhilip]

Here's a scenario for you that could quite easily happen in Spain. Unemployment keeps rising, benefits are slashed; people get hungry and start fighting for food (which gets more expensive due to a poor veg and fruit harvest). A leader emerges, probably with that wonderful combination of 'national pride' and socialism. Leader gets power in an emergency election (or worse, the army take over). Leader then picks the old fights with other countries to restore 'national pride'. Invades Gib. Takes side of Argentina over Falklands issue. Europe and NATO are split down the middle, Britain has to fight two wars it can't afford, Europe's economy is dealt the final blow.

What wars, and why?
Let Spain have Gibraltar and the Falkland islands. If European countries want to fight each other let them get on with it. If those same countries want to try to invade the UK, threaten to nuke them.

Offering to support failing european countries does not resolve the underlying causes of their failings, and it only puts off any adverse consequences of their problems - it is the economic equivalent of Neville Chamberlains's "I have in my hand a piece of paper" type of approach.

We didn't cause the euro fiasco, and we should have no role in preventing any consequences of it.

[sasguru]

In Germany you get 90% of your last salary in Unemployment Benefits. Not too sure how long it goes on for, but I know it's over 12 months.

not after the hartz reforms you don't.

[Doggy Styles]

Let Spain have Gibraltar and the Falkland islands.

Why? Neither belong to Spain and nor do their populations want them to.

I see your point about letting Spain and the eurozone sort out their own problems, of their own making, but I don't see the point of this statement.

[Robinho]

We could just nuke spain and argentina.

[Robinho]

Apparently the benefit is capped at 1100 Euros a month. Which is probably comparable to housing allowance here.

So when you throw that into the mix it isn't too ridiculous.