Monday, November 27, 2006
A nation of claimants
The Times reports here on a report from Reform who apparently are a "think-tank" which promote the liberalisation of public services (so they're overdue a link on the sidebar which will be following soon).
The report exposes the horror of the "welfare state" from the article: "The welfare state cost £79 billion last year, more than is spent on the entire education system, twice as much as on law and order and almost as much as on the NHS. It totals nearly £3,000 a household a year. There are 51 different benefits, with 39 per cent of households claiming one or more."
£3000.00p per annum it costs me, so in real terms that probably means I have to earn £5000.00p p/a to pay my contribution, to say that represents a very substantial part of my income is only all too true. I have to go without, not because I haven't earned it, but because the state takes it from me and gives it to others.
Oh well I suppose it's for those less fortunate, people who'll literally starve to death if I didn't pay. "Households with incomes of up to £66,350 — which puts them in the richest fifth — can be entitled to welfare." Well that's nothing like what I earn, why should I who earn less money be subsidising someone earning all that? What a sick disgrace.
Apparently: "80 per cent of benefits — £64 billion — paid without any strings attached." Well where's my cut of action? I want a slice of the pie after all I'm paying for it. I'm studying a part-time course as well as working; I can't even get tax relief for my course fees. I'm one of those trying to better my position and myself, and what do I get? "...the benefits often end up punishing those who want to better themselves." That's right! I can't claim any benefit, yet I have to pay for the benefits; I get punished twice over, firstly my work is worth less money to me because of all the taxes I have to pay, and secondly the pound in my pocket is worth less because of the that state slush fund (which I've paid for along with so many others) which makes the prices of everything higher. I can't afford to purchase labour, because the labour I could afford is paid by me via the state to sit on its backside and do nothing.
This report really brings home the insidious nature of state benefits. The only surprising thing about them is how they sucker the public. It's high time people wake up to what the reality of the benefits system means, I suspect one day they will and there'll be a terrible price to pay.
The report exposes the horror of the "welfare state" from the article: "The welfare state cost £79 billion last year, more than is spent on the entire education system, twice as much as on law and order and almost as much as on the NHS. It totals nearly £3,000 a household a year. There are 51 different benefits, with 39 per cent of households claiming one or more."
£3000.00p per annum it costs me, so in real terms that probably means I have to earn £5000.00p p/a to pay my contribution, to say that represents a very substantial part of my income is only all too true. I have to go without, not because I haven't earned it, but because the state takes it from me and gives it to others.
Oh well I suppose it's for those less fortunate, people who'll literally starve to death if I didn't pay. "Households with incomes of up to £66,350 — which puts them in the richest fifth — can be entitled to welfare." Well that's nothing like what I earn, why should I who earn less money be subsidising someone earning all that? What a sick disgrace.
Apparently: "80 per cent of benefits — £64 billion — paid without any strings attached." Well where's my cut of action? I want a slice of the pie after all I'm paying for it. I'm studying a part-time course as well as working; I can't even get tax relief for my course fees. I'm one of those trying to better my position and myself, and what do I get? "...the benefits often end up punishing those who want to better themselves." That's right! I can't claim any benefit, yet I have to pay for the benefits; I get punished twice over, firstly my work is worth less money to me because of all the taxes I have to pay, and secondly the pound in my pocket is worth less because of the that state slush fund (which I've paid for along with so many others) which makes the prices of everything higher. I can't afford to purchase labour, because the labour I could afford is paid by me via the state to sit on its backside and do nothing.
This report really brings home the insidious nature of state benefits. The only surprising thing about them is how they sucker the public. It's high time people wake up to what the reality of the benefits system means, I suspect one day they will and there'll be a terrible price to pay.
Tags: justice, taxes, welfare state
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
Labels: welfare state
