The Labour Government

[hilts]

Tax fraud and benefit fraud cost the treasury about the same I believe. Most tax fraud isn’t committed by the wealthy btw, it’s committed by cash in hand workers.

If there is one group who get an easy ride in here it's the cash in hand and/or the self employed. I would imagine the sums are huge.

 

[69FACUPfinal]

If you’ve not seen disabled peoples’ struggles with filling in forms and going through the interviews, then it’s easier to think making it harder to claim is the obvious solution to weed out the freeloaders.

In reality, it weeds out the disabled far more than the freeloaders. I worked on ESA for years back in the day.

You are so right. So many of the shall we say ' less deserving ' know their way round the system. The forms can be very daunting for people who really are in need, they can struggle by with a bit of help from Disability rights/ Citizens advice. But the others always seem to know some magical way to play the system. See my other post.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Tax fraud and benefit fraud cost the treasury about the same I believe. Most tax fraud isn’t committed by the wealthy btw, it’s committed by cash in hand workers.

Their is tax fraud and tax avoidance, the latter is legal but morally indefensible. The FTSE 100 pay virtually no corporation tax, then add in the likes Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, Ebay, Starbucks. All these companies are getting away with murder.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

You are so right. So many of the shall we say ' less deserving ' know their way round the system. The forms can be very daunting for people who really are in need, they can struggle by with a bit of help from Disability rights/ Citizens advice. But the others always seem to know some magical way to play the system. See my other post.

Yep and that then creates a market for people to write peoples’ forms for them and they will be judged on what percentage they successfully help.

It’s always the same and for very little gain.

Stopping subsidising wages through tax credits would be far more of a money saver.

 

[KS55]

There is tax fraud and tax avoidance, the latter is legal but morally indefensible. The FTSE 100 pay virtually no corporation tax, then add in the likes Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, Ebay, Starbucks. All these companies are getting away with murder.

After Brexit it is now legal to charge swingeing sales tax on on line sales delivered to a uk address, wherever the seller books the sale. I would look hard into that as chancellor, if they avoided corporation tax by being domiciled elsewhere.

 

[blueparrot]

Tax fraud and benefit fraud cost the treasury about the same I believe. Most tax fraud isn’t committed by the wealthy btw, it’s committed by cash in hand workers.

I can believe that.

 

[Kompany Car]

The real reason why income inequality is increasing is because the country isn't growing whilst physical asset values continue to increase massively. Therefore certainly something like an asset tax (on asset value, not sales) should be looked at, especially on property (not just houses) and especially in the south.

You are right, tax on unrealised capital gains needs to be seriously looked at across the piece, maybe not on a primary property but certainly on things such as second homes, rental properties, land and other high value physical assets.

It should also include payment of unrealised gains when emigrating to stop people dodging it by moving abroad.

One thing I will never understand, with the alleged size of the budget deficit is why they gave non doms a stay of execution until next month rather than hitting them hard in the autumn.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

If you’ve not seen disabled peoples’ struggles with filling in forms and going through the interviews, then it’s easier to think making it harder to claim is the obvious solution to weed out the freeloaders.

In reality, it weeds out the disabled far more than the freeloaders. I worked on ESA for years back in the day.

Because of fraud and scurlious claims, DLA and Pip testing can in many cases not be fit for purpose, with examiners holding predifined views of claimants they deem to be swinging the lead, sometimes points don't always make prizes.

As I remember there was an undercover documetary on DLA and PIP examinations aired on Channel 4 in 2016 that displayed this analogy very well. It revealed controversial practices by one of the contractors that assesse people for their eligibility for disability benefits.

The documentary featured an experienced mental health nurse called Noel Finn, who went undercover to train as a personal independence payment assessor with Capita. During his training, Finn observed practices that raised concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the assessments, such as assessors completing reports before meeting the claimants and making offensive comments about claimants.

One of the assessors featured in the documentary, Alan Barham, admitted to sometimes completing his assessment reports before even meeting the claimants and stated that he could usually completely dismiss what he was told by PIP claimants.

Here we go:


This man with cancer taped his interview and managed to appeal his fraudulent decision at a tribunal hearing.


I'm not saying that all assesments are treated in this manner, as they are not, but it clearly does exist, and the genuine disabled are not only privy to wrongful or incompetant examinations, but also from the negative conjecture of their peers due to poor media reporting of the incapicity process. Fair to say our disabled community already have an uphill struggle to climb without having to put up with all this negativity.

Thankfully, I have been able to work all my adult life to support my family, but sadly many cannot. My youngest grandson and his parents had to face the gauntlet of benefit testing at first hand ... and it wasnt pretty.

At a few days old he suffered two brain bleeds and was admited to Oldham intensive care. After three weeks, and due to the brilliance of his care team, he survived the ordeal and is thankfully with us today. He is now six years old but his survival came at a cost. He's autistic, cannot articulate or string a sentance together, he's incontinent and not spacially aware of his surroundings. I could go on, but you get the idea that he's seriously disabled and requiring around the clock care.

So mum and dad put in a claim for dla when he was five. The first attempt was accepted for the lower rate of care and mobility. Mum and dad appealed, but the appeal was rejected. So they gathered more documentation from his consulatant team and requested to be transfered to Liverpools Court of appeal.

It never reached Liverpool, as the case was passed to a pre court hearing were a doctor awarded him full mobility and full care componant until he is 18 years old. This after have having submitted brain scans ,consultant reports etc.

So, this is the journey that many of our disabled have to face, and quite frankly it's not acceptable. Yes, there will always be scallywags in society, but a genuine team of skilled people should be able to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Attacking the weakest in society such as pensioners and disabled, to pay for war, immigration and black holes is not acceptable when easier targets can be met. A wealth tax of 2% more on the highester earners of 10 mill plus or maybe those with broader shoulders more able to take up the slack. An abhorant apethetic govermantal body in power at the moment that such should have stated their intentions pre election. Shame.

As for our mentally disabled, words fail me with the criminal understaffing of our system, and fair to say that it is completly on it's knees. Those that need the assistance of benfit enhancements in the years to come, then god help them all.

 

[bluethrunthru]

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Because of fraud and scurlious claims, DLA and Pip testing can in many cases not be fit for purpose, as examiners hold predifined views of claimants they deem to be swinging the lead, therefore sometimes points don't always make prizes.

As I remember there was an undercover documetary on DLA and PIP examinations aired on Channel 4 in 2016 that displayed this analogy very well. It revealed controversial practices by one of the contractors that assesse people for their eligibility for disability benefits.

The documentary featured an experienced mental health nurse called Noel Finn, who went undercover to train as a personal independence payment assessor with Capita. During his training, Finn observed practices that raised concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the assessments, such as assessors completing reports before meeting the claimants and making offensive comments about claimants.

One of the assessors featured in the documentary, Alan Barham, admitted to sometimes completing his assessment reports before even meeting the claimants and stated that he could usually completely dismiss what he was told by PIP claimants.

Here we go:


This man with cancer taped his interview and managed to appeal his fraudulent decision at a tribunal hearing.


I'm not saying that all assesments are treated in this manner, as they are not, but it clearly does exist, and the genuine disabled are not only privy to wrongful or incompetant examinations, but also from the negative conjecture of their peers due to poor media reporting of the incapicity process. Fair to say our disabled community already have an uphill struggle to climb without having to put up with all this negativity.

Thankfully, I have been able to work all my adult life to support my family, but sadly many cannot. My youngest grandson and his parents had to face the gauntlet of benefit testing at first hand ... and it wasnt pretty.

At two days old he suffered two brain bleeds and was admited to Oldham intensive care. After three weeks, and due to the brilliance of his care team, he survived his ordeal and is thankfully with us today. He is now 6 years old but his survival came at a cost. He's autistic, cannot articulate or string a sentance together, he's incontinent and not spacially aware of his surroundings. I could go on, but you get the idea that he's seriously disabled and requiring around the clock care.

So mum and dad put in a claim for dla when he was five. The first attempt was accepted for the lower rate of care and mobility. Mum and dad appealed, but the appeal was rejected. So they gathered more documentation from his consulatant team and requested to be transfered to Liverpools Court of appeal.

It never reached Liverpool, as the case was passed to a pre court hearing were a doctor awarded him full mobility and full care componant until he is 18 years old. This after have having submitted brain scans ,consultant reports etc.

So, this is the journey that many of our disabled have to face, and quite frankly it's not acceptable. Yes, there will always be scallywags in society, but a genuine team of skilled people should be able to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Attacking the weakest in our society such as pensioners and our disabled, to pay for war, immigration and black holes is not acceptable when easier targets can be met. A wealth tax of 2% more on the highester earners of 10 mill plus or maybe those with broader shoulders more able to take up the slack. An abhorant apethetic govermantal body in power at the moment that such should have stated their intentions pre election. Shame!

As for our mentally disabled, words fail me with the criminal understaffing of our system, and fair to say that it is completly on it's knees. Those that need the assistance of benfit enhancements in the years to come, then god help them all.

And many of the holier than thou don’t ever seem to realise that they’re an illness, an accident or a drunk driver hitting them away from being absolutely screwed..

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Didn't Labour target gdp growth of 2.5% per annum? So far I believe we have seen 0.3% growth over the first 6mths. And that is before the Chancellors steep tax rises on business kick in next month.

 

[Don Karleone]

 

[Postman Pep]

Seeing her nodding along to Kendall's every word the other day was a pitiful sight .... as predictable as it was.

The irony is that she is only on that front bench due to her elected position and she is only there because the very same people who would bin her off spent 4 years scriking from the sidelines.

Not expecting her to go full Tom Watson but she could at least make a token effort. Instead we get this

 

[69FACUPfinal]

Yep and that then creates a market for people to write peoples’ forms for them and they will be judged on what percentage they successfully help.

It’s always the same and for very little gain.

Stopping subsidising wages through tax credits would be far more of a money saver.

As someone said to me recently there is a sub economy making money out of offering PIP claim guidance!

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

As someone said to me recently there is a sub economy making money out of offering PIP claim guidance!

Of course there is. That’s capitalism.

Where there’s money to be made, a market will emerge.

 

[69FACUPfinal]

Seeing her nodding along to Kendall's every word the other day was a pitiful sight .... as predictable as it was.

The irony is that she is only on that front bench due to her elected position and she is only there because the very same people who would bin her off spent 4 years scriking from the sidelines.

Not expecting her to go full Tom Watson but she could at least make a token effort. Instead we get this

She imo is an absolute disgrace. I can't decide who is the worst between her Rachel ' Richard 111 lookylikey' Reeves or the mad woman Kendall. Those 3 together resemble the opening scene from MacBeth.

I actively dislike them all, and add Lisa Nandy into the cauldron for good measure....

 

[Hertzblue]

One factor is that this is a low-wage economy, and many people top up their wages with Universal Credit and/or Housing Benefit. My argument is that these benefits are not really for the claimant. They are corporate welfare for employers and landlords.

I read today that the average person is only 7% better off in real terms than in 1970. Where the (really rich) elite are up by thousands of a per cent. While I haven't checked the source, I find it easy to believe.

The 1% are laughing at us. The sad thing is they have the support of millions on middling incomes who imagine they are rich.

I absolutely agree on the Corporate welfare point though not so much on the 1% laughing at us. The expansion of in work benefits was Blair and more so Brown in yet another example of a well meaning Labour policy not surviving contact with human nature.Whilst topping up low wages they also (at huge expense) managed to disincentivise hard work and aspiration and trap those they sought to help in relative hardship and limiting their life chances. Employers of course could put their feet up as good old Gordon took the pressure off to pay a fair wage and everyone wonders why wages don't seem to be going up. To perpetuate the UK as a low wage economy both Labour and Conservatives have ensured a plentiful supply of low skilled immigrant workers all to happy to accept the low wages on offer plus benefits .
Housing Benefit is more problematic and has been since Beveridge, there aren't any easy answers but you are right that the rentier class are effectively subsidised by the taxpayer via Housing benefit.
So yes plenty for the 1% to laugh at but not schemes of their making, handed to them in the main by the Labour Party.

 

[west didsblue]

She imo is an absolute disgrace. I can't decide who is the worst between her Rachel ' Richard 111 lookylikey' Reeves or the mad woman Kendall. Those 3 together resemble the opening scene from MacBeth.

I actively dislike them all, and add Lisa Nandy into the cauldron for good measure....

Just the women you dislike then.

Are you Andrew Tate?

 

[BigJoe#1]

She imo is an absolute disgrace. I can't decide who is the worst between her Rachel ' Richard 111 lookylikey' Reeves or the mad woman Kendall. Those 3 together resemble the opening scene from MacBeth.

I actively dislike them all, and add Lisa Nandy into the cauldron for good measure....

When you say you actively dislike them all do you include Starmer, Lammy, Streeting et al? or just the witches?

 

[stonerblue]

As someone said to me recently there is a sub economy making money out of offering PIP claim guidance!

Have you seen the paperwork involved?
For the genuinely ill, filling out these forms is a nightmare. Writing down all your illness' and their effects does nothing for the mental health of those already struggling.
A woman i hardly knew came and went through the re-assesment forms with my mrs (who btw cannot physically write). She asked for nothing and even took the paperwork and posted it (summat else the mrs can't do).