Welfare Cuts

Labour leak little snippets of their plans to the media and then when the media have them on their show to answer what's been leaked, they don't say anything. Ed was getting very annoyed. It's important those too ill to work don't end up with a cut in what they get. I can't believe what's coming out from Labour.

 

He should just roll over and ask his wife tomorrow morning.

 

My girlfriend is completely disabled. Even on PIP she doesn't have enough to live on. The rhetoric of Starmer's Labour Party is horrendous. I've been a Labour supporter all my life, but I cannot relate to them any more.

 

Totally agree. They will, 'inadvertently' hit countless thousands of genuine people here. I know from personal family experience how difficult it is already to get monetary support for a family member. I'll gladly not vote Labour again and I say that as a Labour bloke!

 

Funny (not funny) how when they talk about making "tough choices" it only ever relates to taking money from those who have little to start with and not taxing those who have vast stores of wealth.

 

The puppet masters always win. They said Corbyn was unelectable. Was he..? That word suggests people would not vote for him. They did. I think what the media meant by it was: we simply can't allow him to be elected.

Compared to Starmer his way was absolutely light years ahead in terms of morality, economics, decency and flair.

 

Absolutely correct..

 

Who would you vote for out of curiosity?

 

The Lib Dems nowadays align far closer to my views than the current incarnation of the Labour Party. However, as my constituency is a Labour/Tory swing seat, there's little point voting for them. Electoral reform is long overdue.

 

Heyup. I'd probably vote Green. Perhaps Lib Dem. Difficult choice for people on the left I think.

 

These welfare cuts are the most disappointing policy decision so far by this Government. In fact it's worse than disappointing it's disgusting, the country is in a mess, yes, but try to fix it by hitting the poorest and most vulnerable in society is simply Thatcherism. Grow a pair Starmer and TAX THE RICH.

 

Scrapping APR is effectively a form of wealth tax and look at the grief the government is getting from that!

 

Awful people. Dead behind the eyes.

 

I suppose every case is different. I read as of January, 9.3 million people aged 16 to 64 in the UK were economically inactive I suppose a good number of those could work.

 

True, the billionaire media empires will have a go and gobshites like Jeremy Clarkson will pile on but that is all short term. If he does the right thing and taxes the wealthy, by the time of the next General Election, the VAST majority of ordinary people would see the benefits and would support him. Why can't he see that?

 

I agree, but the rhetoric is not helpful for those who can't. My girlfriend was working in the admissions department of Leeds Beckett Uni for several years after her accident. AI has replaced most of the jobs sorting applications and she was made redundant. She's had work coaches at the DWP, but they all came to the conclusion that she is unlikely to find something, even though she has tried. Labour seem to be trying to fend off Reform with this type of messaging. Unfortunately they are turning off lots of true Labour supporters. Depressing.

 

Doesn't it depend what the final proposals are though, JP? I got the impression they were more after carrot than stick - i.e. providing assistance into work, rather than just draconian Tory-style measures. I think this was the thrust of the Barnsley project led by Alan Milburn. Hopefully people such as your girlfriend, who have investigated the possibilities in good faith wouldn't be disadvantaged by the changes?

 

Imo benefits should either be for those who are genuinely unable to work due to ill health or a short term safety net for those who find themselves out of work. I remember the thread on here about the barnsley fan who got caught fraudulently claiming for disability and some of the comments more or less defending her.

 

The real problem is that there is plenty of work but it's very lowly paid and physically demanding. Sadly the sort of well paid jobs that people really want are going to be lost to AI and other technological advancements. I'm so glad that I've retired, I wouldn't like to be looking for such work these days.
I claimed benefits in 2018 - well I tried to anyway - and my "job coach" was a joke, she strung me along for a couple of months till I asked her how much was I going to get, only to be told that my occupational pensions were too high for me to actually get anything - I was too late for the old unemployment benefit (based on NI contributions) so I was assessed for the replacement benefit which is means tested.

 

There's lots of economically inactive rich folk living off their parents and grandparents passive income. Why not send them to work for £12 an hour?

Also iirc that figure includes students as well. So many people after Covid are knackered, that's one of the prime reasons the number has jumped up.