What does the new government mean to me?

bubbles

I agree Delboy, it will be a worrying time for those of us who rely on benefits to make ends meet. I did receive my review for long term ICB or whatever they call it now and waited with trepidation while it was reviewed. It finally came back saying that I had exceeded all their point based system, (which I assume is a new thing) and they would not be needing any further medical reports, sick notes etc and it will carry on ad infinitum with a Christmas bonus each year of £10.

For those of us who are ill, incapable of work and have long term and progressive disease, then I understand that there is no problem. The PM said that for those who cannot work, are frail, ill etc, they will receive the help they need. I take it to mean that those who pull the wool will not be able to do so.

dreamdaisy

We have to repair the damage caused by The Prudent One. I am aware that he is not responsible for the global financial crisis but he is for ours. I am not good with money but even I know that you don't sell your greatest asset at a time when the price for it is nearly at rock bottom. He has presided over a benefits system that rewards breeders, dossers and druggies. He broke his tax promises many times and in many devious ways. He may be a decent family man, but he did a thorough wrecking job on our economy, and was an un-elected PM to boot.

The country has no savings upon which to draw. Cuts will have to be made and the disabled are easy targets. Other cuts areas are more controversial but should surely be considered. Do we still give massive subsidies and grants to Scotland? If so, why? They keep banging on about independence, let them have it.

It's the usual problem: people want everything but don't want to pay for it. Banks lent money to those who had not a hope in hell of repaying it, possibly because they didn't understand what they were getting in to - I remember a memorable quote from a woman who thought the APR reference in her loan repayment schedule meant April, but she wasn't sure because April didn't have a 23.5 in it.

The country is in a mess. We have young adults leaving school unable to read, unable to write, unable to do simple mathematical calculations in their heads, or even with a calculator. Employment is scarce, even for those who want to work. And now we have a young Prime Minister who will be walking a tightrope with a younger, pleasant but oh-so-idealistic man, who had some very unattractive policies in his manifesto.

I think we can safely say that not a lot will change, not much will be done because there will be too much negotiating, and we'll be back to the polls within eighteen months. The public face of politics is different, but the civil servants remain. I'm off for a cuppa. DD

tkachev

There will be changes to the benefit system. I wouldnt mind this if I thought the genuinely sick, disabled were indentified as legitimate recipients of those benefits.The tests are pretty thorough so you would think they would identify those who could work but it has been used as an excuse to make cuts.And so it will continue.
I will be interested to see if Clegg gets his £10,000 tax free employment through.
Elizabeth

livinglegend

Don't worry about grants to Scotland, worry about grants to India and China instead.

Mr MacShane said it was bizarre that UK aid to India totalled £1billion.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/45909/Save-taxpayers-cash-Ask-the-Whitehall-tea-ladies-says-Labour-MP

That's just the half of it.


Joseph 8)

cthornley

I’m with Joseph with this one I find it incredibly bizarre that we are giving India & China huge handouts, yes sure these countries have huge sectors of population in poverty but they also have an awful lot of wealth too and by trying to sort out the poverty for them we are not encouraging them to help themselves which would be the logical and sustainable answer. Sure some countries need a leg up from the wider international community but India and China already have these resources...I mean if you can afford a space programme then you can afford to sort out basic sanitation first. We have had tons of enquiries at work regarding new railway design in India they are currently spending billions on upgrading their infrastructure yet we as a country that cannot afford to upgrade its own infrastructure we are supporting them in aid. Just seems a little crazy to me.
I think that the best thing for the UK is to have a bit of a spring clean and reassess what is actually working, needed etc and prioritise it all but I’m afraid that this won’t happen properly and we’ll end up with the usual have hearted/arsed organisation. Unfortunately the kind of people who go into politics are often the very people who shouldn’t be put in charge!
Chrissie

dreamdaisy

We do appear to have lost all common sense. The benefits system is far too open, far too flexible, and so mis-used. It was intended as a safety net for periods of financial hardship, not as a means of providing a living for the scumbag workshy, with their dozy bints and foul brats. Grrrrrrrr. Stop supporting them (let them whinge and whine, but they have to grow backbones), disband all the un-necessary QUANGOs, stop giving money to foreign countries, get out of Afghanistan (we're only there 'cos Bush couldn't find Osama bin Laden - Bush went ages ago, his lap-dog Blair has also gone, why are we still there?) and that will save a few billions - and lives. DD

frogmorton

Does anoyone think they will do away with the EMAs??

education maintenance award paid directly to kids over 16 in full time education?

Interested as i guess that was to keep them off the jobless lists....

Toni xx

Oh yes and because I have two 15 year olds...

mellman01

Why don't they bin Trident and stop all over sea's aid ASAP, and we should stop fighting other peoples wars for them we are a small overcrowded bankrupt country so lets start acting in our interests for once, another good idea would be to pull out of the EU it's costing us £40 million a day to be in it that's over £1.4billion a year and for what??, Oh and while I'm on a rant why don't they also stop the worlds dross coming here for leach of the benifits and medical gravey train that you and I have paid for all our lives, ye gods it's not fecking rocket science.
What gets me is Glegg was a top claimer in benifits when he was an EU MP and Cameron still claims £20K for his mortgage although he is a multi millionaire.
And bet on one thing kids all those who are swinging the lead big time wont be made to look for work some are so unimployable and violent they will get left well alone by the DHSS, nope you really ill people will be hounded to pick up the slack, has it ever been any different?.

joanlawson

livinglegend wrote:

Don't worry about grants to Scotland, worry about grants to India and China instead.

Mr MacShane said it was bizarre that UK aid to India totalled £1billion.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/45909/Save-taxpayers-cash-Ask-the-Whitehall-tea-ladies-says-Labour-MP

That's just the half of it.


Joseph 8)

A FORMER minister attacked high taxes and state waste yesterday saying “tea ladies in the Foreign Office” knew more than the expensive consultants employed by the Government.

I think we should sack all the politicians, and let the tea ladies run the country instead. As most of them are probably on minimum wage, I'm sure they would be very good at budgeting. Also, as women are so good at multi-tasking, they could run several government departments simultaneously, thereby saving us even more money.

Tea ladies rule!!!

Joan

c4thyg

I am worried about what will happen to my benefits. I'm both long term sick and a lone parent now so it's a double wammy. The most annoying thing is that I want to work and I think I can but I can't convince an employer to take a chance on me and pay me enough to cover childcare and be able to live on what's left. I want to know how they are going to *make* me work when employers would rather someone less complicated?

patriciamary

Hi Toni
Have not heard anything about the EMA being changed but I have spent the day gathering all the information for them so my 17 year old can still receive EMA until the end of this school year (June). OH was laid off last year and after applying for 100's of jobs he decided that self employment was his only route to earning a wage. Since then I have had to provide them with monthly income and expenditure analysis so they can work out if she is still entitled to it. I even had to chase up the jobcentre to get a P60 for me because I receive IB and that was no easy feat. I have told them that OH is earning a reasonable wage and I dont think she would qualify for EMA when she goes back to school in August and hopefully this will be the case and we dont have to go through the same form filling. I understand that they have to check everybody is sticking to the rules but its a nightmare getting all the information they ask for. I wish you luck when your time comes.
Regards
Trisha

dreamdaisy

Nothing is going to change overnight. We have no need to fret just yet. They have bigger problems to tackle first, such as who sits where, who gets the key to the executive loo and sorting out the biscuit supply for meetings - who's in favour of Garibaldis then? Nick? No? Oh, they're too bland are they? Never mind, we got more votes and Garibaldis it is - etc etc etc. DD

livinglegend

The full text of the new government's intention is online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8677933.stm


Joseph 8)

mellman01

livinglegend wrote:

The full text of the new government's intention is online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8677933.stm


Joseph 8)

Intentions are the **** children of manifestos, both tend to mean sweet F A, only take it for red when it happens otherwise ignore anything they have said pre election.

dreamdaisy

Oh legend, you are a serious man, aren't you? I will check the offering you give tomorrow - too tired now after my exciting day mastering lively smileys! DD