[Politics] Sunak's benefits shake up

[Algernon]

Given that there are supposedly millions of people claiming falsely to be unable to work, I expect this won't be the election winning "pledge/soundbite " Rishi thinks it might be.
It should convince millions who've never seen the inside of a polling station to at least try it once in their lifetime to preserve their lifestyle.

 

[Justice]

At £9.50 an hour who could afford to pay rent?

Exactly yet is fair the tax payer to pay rent for millions of people?

 

[Zeberdi]

This is the thing where they're taking the decision on people's wellbeing out of the hands of medical professionals and putting it into the hands of some Government contractor to make the decision, isn't it? Or is that a different story kicking around today?

With PIP, people still get seen by a healthcare professional if they have a face to face and have application assessed by healthcare providers anyway if over the phone - but yet, the process of assessment is contracted out to the private sector- however anyone suggesting millions of people are claiming PIP ’falsely’ have clearly never been through a PIP application and assessment - the whole process is horrendous and the hoops to go through are excessively demanding, especially if you are unwell.

Not sure the quango superstate created under New Labour and successive governments was much better though - not only were they very costly to run but like outsourcing services to the private sector, they devolved responsibility to quasi-government agencies paid for by the taxpayer and insulated government ministers from accountability when they performed badly.

 

[A1X]

 

[Iggle Piggle]

This. The question is actually a fairly simple one I believe.

Who do you trust to tell you you’re ill and what’s wrong with you?
A. The NHS
B. Serco / Fujitsu / G4S / A.N.Other (delete as applicable)

The NHS is the answer but then Fujitsu are an IT service provider and G4S do security (Serco will bid for anything so you might have a point there). Where I am coming from is that the inference is always that the NHS are brilliant and that the massive corporates are money grabbing bastards where the reality is slightly nuanced. The NHS can be hugely inefficient (and brilliant at times as well, they saved my life) but the big corporations do have thier uses.

During COVID a huge amount of the vaccine centres, test kits and what not were all down to Deloitte something the NHS couldn't have organised without help. It wasn't free of course but there was an awful lot of effort put it to make something work during a time when a huge number of people were collecting wages for doing nowt under furlough. Of course, the narrative now was that was part of the 37 billion spunked up the wall. Nobody other than a big corporate could have spun that organisation up in a short space of time (I've worked corporate for 30 odd years, I don't work for Deloitte).

I'd caveat all this by saying the idea today is totally barking but the big players I've worked for all have their good and bad like any big organisation. For every Thames Water seemingly leaching the system there are a lot of people out there sticking in long hours for rewards that aren't pop star wages.

 

[A1X]

 

[Algernon]

Exactly yet is fair the tax payer to pay rent for millions of people?

I agree with your point but I can't believe that if the Govt eradicated all tax evasion/avoidance/fraud that they'd give it all back to us.
It's just lip service politics to keep us at each other's throats.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Exactly yet is fair the tax payer to pay rent for millions of people?

No, there should be rent controls. I couldn’t afford to rent my own house nowadays.

 

[Seagull58]

I sit on a university panel that decides whether students can be given extensions for coursework, or defer an exam, due to mitigating circumstances. The request should be specified (i.e., 'can I have an extra week'). Often the student leaves this part blank and lets the committee decide.

If the request is based on a medical issue (less than half are), the committee needs to see a medical certificate. When we see it we have to decided whether it covers the relevant period. For example we may have a student asking for a 2 week extension because they had documented gastroenteritis during the last three days of a 2 month period during which they were supposed to be working on a dissertation. We then have to exercise our judgement. Not about the medical condition but about the response to it, the 'benefit' if you like. In the present example we could say 'the student should of got the work done earlier rather than finish it off on the last 3 days'. What we would actually do would be to give them an extra week, because they were sick when they were expected t be working. Facts about health win here, not moral judgements about the student's lifestyle or work-planning strategem.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Tremendous spot, to be fair.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Tremendous spot, to be fair.

Oh dear. Did you misunderstand my bit of comedy?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

You should of remembered I only use that for a reason. If you look again you'll see it's in quotes.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I may update on our MCF process at some point. Today's cockwomblery is beyond sanity.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

New homes are bought by:
Investors
Young people, usually couples, who've saved and saved for years, making a hell of lot of sacrifices.
The descendents of well off parents and grandparents, I suspect many here have gifted a colossal helping hand.
Teachers, nurse, police, lone parents who get a foot in the door with affordable homes/shared ownership.

I'll be doing that soon. My pension pot up in smoke. Luckily I'm now too frail to enjoy ski trips. Enjoy them while you can

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Society/nimbies can't have it both ways. Make it incredibly hard and expensive for literally anyone to build new homes (including housing associations), then be angry that people in the age 25 to 40 group are light years away from buying a home. A basis lesson in supply and demand would be a starter,

I am embracing the new builds here in Fav. Apart from the idiotic ones, proposed by an Isle of Man investment company (which won't succeed, thankfully).

But....what is being built is big rabbit hutches with an insufficiency of carrot growing space...

 

[amexer]

Interesting subject but just like discussions on immigration impossible subject to discuss on here. Majority seem to think there is no problem and revert to aggressive speak. This government has gone beyond gaining public confidence in anything but hope Labour have the balls to look into it.
Whilst I do not have the info to give an accurate opinion on national situation I have over years come across several cases in family friends and work environment. I know 2 who have not worked for years, lack confidence in social situations outside family. I am no doctor but I know both of there health would have improved a lot if they felt needed by society and had a job however small even for a few hours a week. For example collecting trolleys for supermarkets collecting rubbish on seafront /parks. Just to do this type of thing and then be told that they have done well and look forward to seeing them again would do them wonders. The one that is a relative I have always got him to Albion a couple of times a season and can only continue this because I have purchased him a membership and people in our crowd have been good and paid out for sharing scheme . He could not cope with a ST but when he attends it is a big thing and plans for days how he will get there.
Unfortunaley work situation has produced over the years many poor situations. In the past many when they had got fed up with job and way company may be going or didnt like new manager etc would just leave . Now see some saying they have been signed off with stress/anxiety etc through job, and for some are off for months.. I see one poster said they realised they were suffering from anxiety. I am in senior management and many times over years when our turnover had fallen to worrying levels had many anxiety and depressive times including poor sleep. Always coped and made big decisions needed. I didnt have a health issue and if I could not cope was in wrong job which was problem of some of our leavers that signed on with health problems.
I dont know how to deal with abusers of system because important not to affect genuine cases many of who need more help but as I said hope next government tackles this

 

[Giraffe]

Sunak is attempting to appeal to the right wing of the party by appearing to be more Tory. Problem is he is picking the wrong battles and also none of the Tories wanted him in the first place. Just give it up man.

 

[Weststander]

I am embracing the new builds here in Fav. Apart from the idiotic ones, proposed by an Isle of Man investment company (which won't succeed, thankfully).

But....what is being built is big rabbit hutches with an insufficiency of carrot growing space...

I love the environment and UK countryside, it is painful to see huge trees and old field systems bulldozed outside the likes of Horsham. But Bliar (joking) literally opened the immigration doors in 1997, our population is 9m greater after previously decades of steady, manageable growth. Something has to give.

The nimby arguments that solely railway/factory land to site new flats and a few empty homes can accommodate the unprecedented population, is bollocks.

 

[Weststander]

Sunak is attempting to appeal to the right wing of the party by appearing to be more Tory. Problem is he is picking the wrong battles and also none of the Tories wanted him on the first place. Just give it up man.

Impossible job.

The pandemic and its huge cost spelt the end of every significant elected government in the world. Macron the outlier because only 40% vote for the neo-fascist, but he still lost control of parliament.

 

[Seagull58]

You should of remembered I only use that for a reason. If you look again you'll see it's in quotes.

Well, I did suspect it was deliberate knowing your history but I confess to have missed the quotes.