The Budget

Re: The Budget

jewel1973 — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:27:36 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]I found the fact that some families get > £400 per week in housing benefit absolutely shocking-no wonder they're laughing at us silly idiots who work to pay tax to keep them I would have cut the housing benefit to £100 per week-enough for the rent of a 3 bed council house-if they've got dozens of brats they can't afford, then they can go into orphanages-they might be taught a trade, and break the dependancy culture[/quote]

love it

Re: The Budget

Vikki Halliday LLB — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:38:54 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]I would have cut the housing benefit to £100 per week-enough for the rent of a 3 bed council house-if they've got dozens of brats they can't afford, then they can go into orphanages-they might be taught a trade, and break the dependancy culture[/quote]

Knew we could rely on you Wynne for a healthy dose of Old Fashioned Moral Standards!

(Couldn't agree more though........ I can afford both my daughter and my 4x4, however some mothers are classed as 4x4's and definately can't afford any more,,,,,,,)

Re: The Budget

Edward Jones — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:37:07 GMT

Ha, yes good point. Firstly, it probably won't incur any wrath really - I make every effort to maximise turnover and that is recognised, and secondly, I probably won't be giving anything away in this case, it's not appropriate and your reply is reassuring. Still, a bit of community service here and there doesn't mean I'm a pushover.

Re: The Budget

Julian Earl — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:37:47 GMT

[quote user="i am ed"]

Yesterday I had someone say he'd borrowed £40 from a loan shark and would need to pay back £60 next week (presumably when he'll be getting his benefits) I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but he and his wife did stink of booze. Against my better judgement(?) I'll probably do the follow up examination for free (and risk the wrath of the boss...).

[/quote]

Sorry if this is off-topic, but if you feel that strongly about this why don't you put your money in the till for this boozy couple instead of getting your boss to do it without his/her permission?

Re: The Budget

stephen sargent — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:04:27 GMT

It's not like you to sit on the fence, you usually say what you really think!

Re: The Budget

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:35:11 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]And does anyone know why the pundits call VAT a regressive tax which hits the poor more than the rich.[/quote]

Presumably because everyone has to pay it irrespective of their income.

On the other hand many (most?) essentials of life do not bear VAT.

I'm not sure how the experts can be sure exactly how much more money the increase will bring in, given that any price rise will reduce purchases to some extent, but I suppose they know what they are talking about. Maybe there's a formula.

I do have one complaint. I like to show off by doing 17.5% in my head, but most people (unless they have only the present education system to rely on) can do 20%.

The big joke is the ritual blustering by Harridan Harman and the (jolly well paid) union leaders

Re: The Budget

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:43:40 GMT

Whoever said £1 in every £4 has to be lying-even after the rise it is absolutely impossible to spend more than 1 in every 6-and that's assuming you don't eat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They probably mean 1 in every 4 on something that has VAT on it-totally different thing

Even then I don't believe the comparison is valid, as it probably includes mortgages, which the poor don't pay-they get housing benefit instead !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-which is also non-VATed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found the fact that some families get > £400 per week in housing benefit absolutely shocking-no wonder they're laughing at us silly idiots who work to pay tax to keep them I would have cut the housing benefit to £100 per week-enough for the rent of a 3 bed council house-if they've got dozens of brats they can't afford, then they can go into orphanages-they might be taught a trade, and break the dependancy culture

Wynne

Re: The Budget

Ian Mostyn — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:41:09 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]And does anyone know why the pundits call VAT a regressive tax which hits the poor more than the rich.[/quote]

No idea as there is no VAT on food, childrens clothes or used cars. If you are on a low wage you aren't buying a new BMW or new tv's on a regular basis. I suspect the only way it can be true is that richer people spend more on mortgages which are VAT free. Surely VAT is a tax on consumption, the more luxury you have the more tax you pay?

Overall, the budget is what I expected and hopefully it will encourage a more efficient government, The VAT is fine, it should never have been reduced to 15%, but will not make too much difference. The timing is frustrating, I don't want to waste another New Year updating my price list!

Ian

Re: The Budget

Edward Jones — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:08:00 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]And does anyone know why the pundits call VAT a regressive tax which hits the poor more than the rich. [/quote]

For the same reason we don't have a flat income tax rate. VAT on essential items will make up a higher proportion of a poorer person's income than of a richer person's. Or something like that. Someone else can probably explain much better.

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Maybe I'm being very thick, but I don't understand why the poor spend £1 in every £4 on VAT whereas the figure is £1 in £25 for the rich (or something like that I heard quoted on the BBC yesterday). [/quote]

I don't understand that at all, VAT is a flat rate. Surely a 20% rate means one sixth of the money that goes in the till goes to the government.

Presumably VAT is one of the 'cheapest' ways a government can raise money - no expensive means tested system.

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Presumably this slashing of the benefits system is going to hurt some practices in deprived areas very hard.[/quote]