£26k a year for doing nothing.... (From Bucks Free Press)
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£26k a year for doing nothing....
7:19pm Tuesday 24th January 2012
Over the past few evenings yours truly has been tuning into my trusty radio to listen to the news about the Governments proposal to cap the amount that can be claimed on benefit to £26,000.
Apparently there are currently around 67,000 people who would be affected by the new proposals.
These people are receiving an income more than some who are working indeed those of us with experience of living on the minimum wage can only dream of seeing such a large income.
The state benefit system was supposedly created to support vulnerable people. Now I fear that claiming benefits has become an alternative to work for some and it pays more too.
In my opinion a cap of £26,000 is still too high indeed even yours truly manages to live on far, far less than that. Maybe I would be better giving up work and signing on the dole?
Some say they may have to move home if their benefits are cut, well, maybe that would be a good idea after all why should the tax payers have to fund extravagant lifestyles of others for a sustained length of time?
Come to think of it why are fit and able people being given free hand outs at all?
Years ago there wasn't any social security and the people had to contribute to friendly societies in case they were unable to earn.
Of course nowadays financial support should be available for those who have lost their jobs but the tax payers should not be required to fund them for ever.
Would it not make more sense to link the benefits received to the amount of National Insurance a claimant has paid? At least people would get out a sum of money in proportion to what they have paid in.
It also seems to me that state benefits are being used to pay for the rent of private houses, surely there needs to be limits set on how much and for how long private rents are paid?
The benefits revelation follows hot on the heels of the news that some council house tenants are earning over £100,000 a year while still living in social housing.
Its about time those with jobs were coaxed to move out of the social housing to allow those on benefits to move in.
In years gone by the concept of the workhouse existed for those in dire financial straights, maybe a similar idea needs to be re-introduced so at least the people earn their benefits?
With so much needing doing in our towns surely those out of work and with time on their hands could be tasked with cleaning up the streets and doing other community work.
The sooner the cap of £26,000 becomes law the better and once the benefits cap is accepted the maximum limit should be gradually lowered.
No wonder the country is in dire financial straits if tens of thousands of pounds are being paid out willy nilly while those in receipt sit around doing nothing!
Benefits should be there as a financial safety net and not as an income in their own right.
What do you think?
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Comments(49)
fishyfingers
says...
7:44pm Tue 24 Jan 12
but how much do you spend a year on cigarettes?
fishyfingers
says...
7:49pm Tue 24 Jan 12
but how much do you spend a year on cigarettes?
fishyfingers
says...
8:10pm Tue 24 Jan 12
Alberto The Great
says...
8:58pm Tue 24 Jan 12
Just when are you going to tell us all about your research in the library, for the non-existence of a Bigun family, in High Wycombe, or anywhere else?
ivor
says...
9:12pm Tue 24 Jan 12
~
I am glad that you are in agreement with me on this issue.
~
As you quite rightly mention some of the £26,000 claimed by those on benefits will be spent on cigarettes, alcohol and other non-essentials.
~
Thankfully I am not on benefit so I do no need to justify my spending but maybe those who are on benefits should be made accountable so the money is spent only on essentials.
ivor
says...
9:16pm Tue 24 Jan 12
~
There is no need to apologise for the triple post.
ivor
says...
9:19pm Tue 24 Jan 12
~
Maybe I should devote an entire blog to how to go about researching your family tree?
Alberto The Great
says...
10:15pm Tue 24 Jan 12
ivor wrote:No, that's not the question that has been put before you by many people on many occasions.
Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 8:58pm
~
Maybe I should devote an entire blog to how to go about researching your family tree?
Having declared that the Bigun family have been pillars of High Wycombe society for hundreds of years, why are there no records of such a family?
Why haven't you told us on which page of the historical muster role, as can be viewed in the local library, are the male members of the Bigun family listed?
ivor
says...
10:54pm Tue 24 Jan 12
~
Indeed my ancestors did play a key role in society however like my good self they did not actively court publicity.
~
Those who gave money to political causes in order to further their own interests are the ones remembered by history and not those who selflessly devoted their lives to helping others through good deeds and charitable donations.
~
If my ancestors did not seek out recognition for their philanthropic deeds while they were alive why should I disrespect their wishes and make it all public now?
Alberto The Great
says...
7:34am Wed 25 Jan 12
ivor wrote:The plain and simple truth is, you've been telling lies to all the BFP readers, and there is no Bigun family, and there never was a Bigun family.
Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 10:15pm
~
Indeed my ancestors did play a key role in society however like my good self they did not actively court publicity.
~
Those who gave money to political causes in order to further their own interests are the ones remembered by history and not those who selflessly devoted their lives to helping others through good deeds and charitable donations.
~
If my ancestors did not seek out recognition for their philanthropic deeds while they were alive why should I disrespect their wishes and make it all public now?
gotanybiscuits?
says...
9:57am Wed 25 Jan 12
fishyfingers wrote:ff: you should be more concerned about how much he spends a year, on fish paste, for his sandwiches!
ivor, for once i agree. but how much do you spend a year on cigarettes?
u5r23
says...
11:54am Wed 25 Jan 12
So what is this blog?!?!?
dtap
says...
12:17pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Mama36
says...
1:08pm Wed 25 Jan 12
sticksandstones
says...
3:00pm Wed 25 Jan 12
ivor
says...
7:45pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
Not at all.
~
My ancestors have been living in Wycombe and the very close proximity for many hundreds of years.
ivor
says...
7:46pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
Indeed my food bill is quite large and probably my largest source of expenditure however I do enjoy eating all the food even if it has made me dangerously obese....
ivor
says...
7:46pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
I suppose this blog is a from of public outpouring however I am really a shy person at heart....
ivor
says...
7:46pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
The problem is that the people receiving the £26k are not living in cardboard boxes indeed they are living in good houses at our expense.
~
What incentive is there for them to ever find any work if we keep them on the gravy train for free?
ivor
says...
7:46pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
You are setting a fine example.
~
Maybe those scrounging off the state should be made to follow the example that you have set?
~
Unfortunately they are doing nothing and playing with the x-box too....
ivor
says...
7:46pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
You make a good point, how do these people end up claiming so much when for so many getting any benefit at all is so hard?
dtap
says...
8:02pm Wed 25 Jan 12
ivor wrote:Just how many people are living a life of definable "luxury" on benefits, then? The Gravy Train has the bankers, etc, and those who can afford specialist accountants and tax haven opportunities all in first class, at the expense of the country as a whole. No - hysterical headlines do not a policy make; let`s deal with the biggest scroungers first and not get carried away by Mailesque rantings.
Re the comments of dtap at 12:17pm ~ The problem is that the people receiving the £26k are not living in cardboard boxes indeed they are living in good houses at our expense. ~ What incentive is there for them to ever find any work if we keep them on the gravy train for free?
ivor
says...
8:13pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
Indeed I can see your point and I also agree that those who have got away without paying their taxes should be brought to book and also those who created this financial mess in the first place.
~
It would be interesting to know how much tax is avoided in the country, probably far more than those on £26k benefits are syphoning off....
dtap
says...
8:23pm Wed 25 Jan 12
ivor wrote:Yes, quite: it`s actually not easy (as others have mentioned) to get benefits in this country - one has to prove genuine need, they don`t just hand over massive cheques down at the DHSS, or whatever they`re calling themselves these days. An estimate I read last week claimed that 17 trillion (yes, trillion) pounds is languishing in tax havens. And who actually "earns" multiple millions a year, anyway? Our society is disgustingly slewed in this regard: is footballer Wayne Rooney, for example, really "worth" 500 trained nurses? As I say, let us prioritise...
Re the comments of dtap at 8:02pm ~ Indeed I can see your point and I also agree that those who have got away without paying their taxes should be brought to book and also those who created this financial mess in the first place. ~ It would be interesting to know how much tax is avoided in the country, probably far more than those on £26k benefits are syphoning off....
ivor
says...
9:09pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
£17 trillion? That's an awful lot of money, think how much the tax would be on the interest on that pile!
~
Actually I think footballers do earn too much money for what they do when there are other skilled people out there who earn far less.
Alberto The Great
says...
9:26pm Wed 25 Jan 12
ivor wrote:So, if your ancestors have been in this area for many hundreds of years, then they must have been cowards when called to arms for the defence of this country. Otherwise, the many official records would clearly show thier names.
Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 7:34am
~
Not at all.
~
My ancestors have been living in Wycombe and the very close proximity for many hundreds of years.
How does it feel to be the last member of a family of proven cowards? Cowards that are a disgrace to those that died for our country.
dtap
says...
9:48pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Alberto The Great wrote:You know, Alberto, I`m beginning to think you`ve got it in for ivor...
ivor wrote: Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 7:34am ~ Not at all. ~ My ancestors have been living in Wycombe and the very close proximity for many hundreds of years.So, if your ancestors have been in this area for many hundreds of years, then they must have been cowards when called to arms for the defence of this country. Otherwise, the many official records would clearly show thier names. How does it feel to be the last member of a family of proven cowards? Cowards that are a disgrace to those that died for our country.
Alberto The Great
says...
10:32pm Wed 25 Jan 12
I just dislike a fictional character that constantly lies to its readers, and has dubious morals, with perverted overtones.
ivor
says...
10:47pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
I can assure you that my ancestors were not cowards.
ivor
says...
10:47pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
I am beginning to think that too....
ivor
says...
10:47pm Wed 25 Jan 12
~
Then you have no reason to dislike me....
Alberto The Great
says...
8:57am Thu 26 Jan 12
ivor wrote:Then prove that you have never lied to the BFP readership. Provide answers to the many related question that have been posed.
Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 9:26pm
~
I can assure you that my ancestors were not cowards.
A VOTER
says...
10:28am Thu 26 Jan 12
Alberto The Great wrote:The only thing that Ivor can prove, is that he constantly lies.
ivor wrote:Then prove that you have never lied to the BFP readership. Provide answers to the many related question that have been posed.
Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 9:26pm
~
I can assure you that my ancestors were not cowards.
Mama36
says...
6:40pm Thu 26 Jan 12
DoI too lost my job when the recession first hit, when the company i worked for went into administration in 2009. I was unemployed for 2 months, couldnt claim a bean. No help with mortgage, bills etc. even though i have always worked since leaving school and paid my taxes!!!! A disgrace to think that Joe Bloggski gets benefits just for stepping off the plane!!!
Bookermum
says...
7:56pm Thu 26 Jan 12
My nephew once told us that when he is older his not going to be silly & work, he'll get benifits like his mums BF, after all, his house is much better than ours!! To a point he is right!!
Although we don't have the gadgets the BF does, we've worked hard for everything we do have!!
It's people like this who are taking complete advantage of the system!! ... & we're paying for it!!!
ivor
says...
11:24pm Thu 26 Jan 12
~
I thought I had answered all the questions....
ivor
says...
11:24pm Thu 26 Jan 12
~
You may try to damage me by doubting my authenticity but you are very wrong in your assumptions....
ivor
says...
11:24pm Thu 26 Jan 12
~
Indeed there are some who seems to get everything from the benefits system while others get nothing. There is something very wrong....
ivor
says...
11:24pm Thu 26 Jan 12
~
You make a good point.
~
But I would like to know how a few people manage to get so much from the system while others get very little?
Alberto The Great
says...
11:49pm Thu 26 Jan 12
ivor wrote:Then you thought wrong - You haven't answered any of those questions.
Re the comments of Alberto The Great at 8:57am
~
I thought I had answered all the questions....
CarolHorner
says...
11:50pm Thu 26 Jan 12
We all agree about the greedy bankers but take a check out to that as well. How many of these are there and what is their average salary?
We all also need to rethink how much it costs to keep the 83,000 prisoners in gaol. I read that this was over £50,000--00 per prisoner! That must be a thought provolking point of contention for you. This means that it costs the country £20,000--00 a year more to keep a prisone in gaol than we pay salaries to the average members of the armed forces! Ponder that one.
Now go a little further and look at the Civil Service and Local Government Civili Service. They account for 20 to 25% of all the employed in the country. Who pays for their salaries and their luxurious pensions - final salried and two to three years lump sums on retirement? Yes the Tax Payers again.
Add to that the £65,000--00 paid to Underground Drivers in London and the message gets clearer and clearer.
The Walker
says...
10:02am Fri 27 Jan 12
I've known single mums who can't pay for their kid's dinners, school trips etc., but have all the latest gadgets (one carts her hoard around in a Mercedes V Wagon given to her by a charity!).
I know many others who struggle in low income jobs to meet the basic needs of both their families and their pride.
One solution would be to offer no more than minimum wage as benefits, and then offer extra support to those who do actually work for a minimum wage. Otherwise, where's the incentive? How many people would find that part-time cleaners job beneath them then.
The SURGEON
says...
1:22pm Sun 29 Jan 12
The point here is that although it's clearly totally wrong that people can be given such sums of money for doing nothing , it's only poor people who actually REALLY care about it. When you earn more than you can spend then you find you are too busy enjoying life to spend all day churning out the same 'I work two jobs and still they get more' diatribe as nausem. To be honest, if you're working two jobs and earning less than 26k then you should have taken your education a LOT more seriously.
The SURGEON
says...
1:36pm Sun 29 Jan 12
CarolHorner wrote:No we don't all agree about greedy bankers. It wouldn't be my career choice, but the bankers at the top of the tree will have worked phenomenal hours for years and years in a famously profitable industry. Why shouldn't they be paid out of those profits? It's just base jealously because we all want to be paid those bonuses ourselves. Why are they 'greedy'? If you want a rewarding job, then be a nurse. Just don't expect to be paid well. It's not like it's a secret. Same with soldiers - they CHOSE to be soldiers. It's not like they should be on 40k. They are generally just inarticulate school leavers with no prospects. I'd pay them minimum wage and no more. They are hardly in it for the money - they just want to go to the Middle East and kill as many foreigners as possible. THAT'S the perk. Plus if they get blown up they will probably make the news, when their only other career alternative would be flipping my burgers in MacDonald's.
These comments make for good reading. How many people out of work do you know that get this £26,000--00 per year. I have not come across many.
We all agree about the greedy bankers but take a check out to that as well. How many of these are there and what is their average salary?
We all also need to rethink how much it costs to keep the 83,000 prisoners in gaol. I read that this was over £50,000--00 per prisoner! That must be a thought provolking point of contention for you. This means that it costs the country £20,000--00 a year more to keep a prisone in gaol than we pay salaries to the average members of the armed forces! Ponder that one.
Now go a little further and look at the Civil Service and Local Government Civili Service. They account for 20 to 25% of all the employed in the country. Who pays for their salaries and their luxurious pensions - final salried and two to three years lump sums on retirement? Yes the Tax Payers again.
Add to that the £65,000--00 paid to Underground Drivers in London and the message gets clearer and clearer.
dtap
says...
4:18pm Sun 29 Jan 12
The SURGEON wrote:No, sorry - no jealousy here, in all honesty: just disgust at the extent to which "worth" (being judged by money) is so slewed in our society. Many nurses (and doctors) work "phenomenal" hours in a business which is also "famously profitable" (for drug companies, that is), and many others work hard and honorably for a minimum wage which, currently, amounts to a poverty wage. And just why is banking a "famously profitable industry" anyway? As for all young soldiers longing to kill Johnny Foreigner; really? Ah, I get it - you don`t live under a bridge, by any chance, do you?
CarolHorner wrote: These comments make for good reading. How many people out of work do you know that get this £26,000--00 per year. I have not come across many. We all agree about the greedy bankers but take a check out to that as well. How many of these are there and what is their average salary? We all also need to rethink how much it costs to keep the 83,000 prisoners in gaol. I read that this was over £50,000--00 per prisoner! That must be a thought provolking point of contention for you. This means that it costs the country £20,000--00 a year more to keep a prisone in gaol than we pay salaries to the average members of the armed forces! Ponder that one. Now go a little further and look at the Civil Service and Local Government Civili Service. They account for 20 to 25% of all the employed in the country. Who pays for their salaries and their luxurious pensions - final salried and two to three years lump sums on retirement? Yes the Tax Payers again. Add to that the £65,000--00 paid to Underground Drivers in London and the message gets clearer and clearer.No we don't all agree about greedy bankers. It wouldn't be my career choice, but the bankers at the top of the tree will have worked phenomenal hours for years and years in a famously profitable industry. Why shouldn't they be paid out of those profits? It's just base jealously because we all want to be paid those bonuses ourselves. Why are they 'greedy'? If you want a rewarding job, then be a nurse. Just don't expect to be paid well. It's not like it's a secret. Same with soldiers - they CHOSE to be soldiers. It's not like they should be on 40k. They are generally just inarticulate school leavers with no prospects. I'd pay them minimum wage and no more. They are hardly in it for the money - they just want to go to the Middle East and kill as many foreigners as possible. THAT'S the perk. Plus if they get blown up they will probably make the news, when their only other career alternative would be flipping my burgers in MacDonald's.
The SURGEON
says...
4:48pm Sun 29 Jan 12
dtap
says...
5:12pm Sun 29 Jan 12
The SURGEON wrote:So you do live under a bridge! At no time have I suggested that doctors/nurses are paid the minimum wage (try reading my comment more carefully). And you`ve "spelled out" your position with dazzling clarity, thanks. Enjoy your evening - over and out.
Banking is a famously profitable as it is 'famous' for being 'profitable'. I can't really believe I'm having to spell that out. And where do I suggest that there is inherently more or less worth in what they do? I just think it's stupid to call them greedy. If money is what motivates them, and that is what they dedicate themselves to, then fair play to them for being so successful. To then suggest doctors and nurses are working for the minimum wage in just simply inacurrate. They may not be rolling in it, but they are by no means under the bread line. And if they are, then more fool them. To blindly commit to something whilst not giving enough consideration to yourself (and/or your family) is an ill-conceived approach to life. I for one am forever grateful that my dad was incredibly successful and gave me the most wonderful childhood, rather than some 'worthy' nurse mopping up urine all night for this so-called 'poverty wage'. As for the soldiers, you're living in cloud cuckoo land if you don't think it's unintelligent, immature young boys being sent to their death on the promise of war games. I met a large group of them only a few weeks ago, and several of them didn't even know then NAME of the country they were being sent to (Afghanistan). All that cared about was 'bagging an Arab'. I've heard the same sentiment time and time again. Funnily enough the army don't let those boys take part in all the documentaries you see. It's bad PR. You don't tend to get university graduates heading straight to the front line when they graduate do you? These simpletons are just human shields for all the privately educated senior brass at the army, being sent to their doom. Tragic really, but also quite funny.
The SURGEON
says...
5:44pm Sun 29 Jan 12
And thank you, I will enjoy my evening even more knowing I have bantered you into submission.
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The perfect wife and mother, Rebecca runs a home, a bad temper and is working on her novel. She enjoys photography, playing the piano and likes almost anything that's out of fashion and uncool. She lives in Amersham with her husband and youngest child (aged ten). Her eldest, now 27, lives and works in Buckinghamshire.
fishyfingers says...
7:41pm Tue 24 Jan 12
but how much do you spend a year on cigarettes?