Look North - Our economy.

[miss_boss]

I might have missed it but did this couple say they were on £26K benefits?

 

Or are you referring to the 26K cap on benefits which actually affect very few people, mostly those in London who have excessively high rents.

 

 

 

The fact is the man took the option to not work, as he did feel he had better things to do with his time, and his wife dropped to part time as she did feel she had better things to do, other than go to work.

 

That shows that benefits are set way to high, people can choose to not work.

 

And people complain about tax evasion from wealth creating people?

 

As far as I can see, if people can choose not to bother working, then other people can choose not to bother paying their full tax. That tax could be the difference between an extra holiday of luxury for their nearest and dearest - which is better than giving it to people who think work is a pain in the backside

[Anna B]

Individual cases differ. Some are and some aren't justified.

 

But I do object to this '26K cap on benefits' taking hold in popular culture as if it is somehow the norm. This is of course what the government / media want the public to believe in its campaign to vilify the unemployed or those on benefits in order to divide and conquer.

 

I repeat that 99.9% of benefit claimants get nothing like that amount and many seriously struggle to make ends meet, as do many working people on scandalously low (and getting lower) wages.

 

We should stick together, not be fighting amongst ourselves for the scraps.

[grafikhaus74]

The boss of the stone cleaning company got me. For a start, he looked well into his 60s, so how much longer will he be able to climb scaffolding etc?

 

Then he said he employed 8 people but said he wanted to 'borrow £5k for just a few days to tide him over.' Naturally he blamed the banks for not lending him the money.

 

This business is simply not viable. £5k wouldn't cover the wages for 8 people for even a month.

 

While certainly no friend of the banks, I suspect there's a lot of people who have lost their job recently, given up on finding another and are coming up with ludicrous ideas for a 'business'.

 

I'm seeing lots of vans for dog walking/grooming, all with puke-making names such as 'Critter Sitters', 'Paws for Thought' etc.

 

These dingbat schemes don't deserve to be lent money. If the banks did lend them money, they'd be carrying on with what caused all the trouble - giving loans which will probably never get paid back.

[L00b]

<a neat post likely to attract highly polarised replies>

Now this thread is getting interesting

[Anna B]

The boss of the stone cleaning company got me. For a start, he looked well into his 60s, so how much longer will he be able to climb scaffolding etc?

 

Then he said he employed 8 people but said he wanted to 'borrow £5k for just a few days to tide him over.' Naturally he blamed the banks for not lending him the money.

 

This business is simply not viable. £5k wouldn't cover the wages for 8 people for even a month.

 

While certainly no friend of the banks, I suspect there's a lot of people who have lost their job recently, given up on finding another and are coming up with ludicrous ideas for a 'business'.

 

I'm seeing lots of vans for dog walking/grooming, all with puke-making names such as 'Critter Sitters', 'Paws for Thought' etc.

 

These dingbat schemes don't deserve to be lent money. If the banks did lend them money, they'd be carrying on with what caused all the trouble - giving loans which will probably never get paid back.

 

I think the abundance of these new 'no hope' businesses reflect people's desperation to work. They are being encouraged by the government when they really don't have much chance of succeeding. It gets them temporarily off the unemployment register.

 

I get tired of hearing about all these people starting up new businesses. You never hear the figures for those that have failed, often with big debts, leaving them worse off than before.

[andyofborg]

The boss of the stone cleaning company got me. For a start, he looked well into his 60s, so how much longer will he be able to climb scaffolding etc?

 

Then he said he employed 8 people but said he wanted to 'borrow £5k for just a few days to tide him over.' Naturally he blamed the banks for not lending him the money.

 

This business is simply not viable. £5k wouldn't cover the wages for 8 people for even a month.

 

 

why do you think his business is not viable?

 

one of the many sage things my first boss taught me was that cashflow kills more businesses than making a loss.

 

this bloke could be waiting for umpteen thousand pounds from customers but have an immediate need for a bit of cash just to help him meet his payroll, buy materials etc. once his customers have paid him then he can repay the loan and carry on in business.

[harvey19]

I consider we are all very well off being able to afford a television and pay the licence fee.

Many even have the luxury of having numerous channels available to view at an extra cost.

And some moan about how badly off we are.

[andyofborg]

I consider we are all very well off being able to afford a television and pay the licence fee.

Many even have the luxury of having numerous channels available to view at an extra cost.

And some moan about how badly off we are.

 

indeed, we have an abundance which would be counted luxury beyond imagination to anyone born before about 1950

[harvey19]

indeed, we have an abundance which would be counted luxury beyond imagination to anyone born before about 1950

And don't forget the computer and internet fees we pay to play on here.

Badly off, it's all relative.

We live in luxury compared to our grandparents, parents or even in my childhood days.

[andyofborg]

And don't forget the computer and internet fees we pay to play on here.

Badly off, it's all relative.

We live in luxury compared to our grandparents, parents or even in my childhood days.

 

i live in luxury compared to my childhood days