How about we scrap all benefits and replace it with Citizens Income?

[chem1st 10]

According to that UKIP radio presenter on LBC (can't remember his name) the county even now in ac deep recession could easily afford £200 a week per person just from benefit expenditure alone.

 

I'm currently on JSA and becuase of the system there is no financial incentive for me to take part time work which I've beenoffered, so therefore stay on JSA.

 

Interestingly in the great depression, weekly unemployment benefit after the CUTS of the time fell to 15s3d from 18s. (They even had a form of housing benefit back then too - which you could claim on top!).

 

What is 15s3d in todays money? Inflation adjusted it is around £240/week!

 

Inflation adjusted form 1931, the unemployment benefit of the depression era is the same as the minimum wage in 2012 for a full weeks (full time) work.

 

Interestingly they also touted minimum wage back then. How the powers that be would rub their hands today if they though they could reduce the minimum wage for full time workers to £56.25 a week in 2012 £ currency from the ~ £240 t is for ADULTs!

[Happ Hazzard 10]

It'd send inflation through the roof for one thing. £200 wouldn't buy much for very long.

 

What would you do with people who are on benefits totalling far more than £200 a week?

[chem1st 10]

It'd send inflation through the roof for one thing. £200 wouldn't buy much for very long.

 

Not if people's benefits were reduced.

 

What would you do with people who are on benefits totalling far more than £200 a week?

 

Their benefits would be cut.

 

Tory minister Richard Benyon could wave goodbye to his £200 000 a year benefits for owning land. (We could look at his £65k + expenses [considerable] for being an MP in due course).

[Teddybare 10]

What if all benefit payments ended. Completely. And people hit back against the government and the rich and rioted and actually attempted to bring about real change in society in stead of accepting 70£ or 200£ or whatever it is a week as 'cop out and be quiet' payment whilst smoking copious amounts of weed and posting on Sheffield forum.

Giving everyone enough to survive on would kill desire to do anything so less people would work and less tax revenue would be collected so paying people enough to survive on wouldn't be affordable anymore.

Some full time workers earn close to 200£ a week so in order to attract these workers you'd have to increase lower wages accordingly which would make high wages even higher, therefore prices would rise and 200£ would be the new 70£. The poor will never be better off under this kind of handout system as the more they get, the more will be squeezed out of them.

[Jag82 10]

So a 30 year old couple with 8 kids would get £400 a week and no housing benefit?

[chem1st 10]

What if all benefit payments ended. Completely. And people hit back against the government and the rich and rioted and actually attempted to bring about real change in society in stead of accepting 70£ or 200£ or whatever it is a week as 'cop out and be quiet' payment whilst smoking copious amounts of weed and posting on Sheffield forum.

Giving everyone enough to survive on would kill desire to do anything so less people would work and less tax revenue would be collected so paying people enough to survive on wouldn't be affordable anymore.

Some full time workers earn close to 200£ a week so in order to attract these workers you'd have to increase lower wages accordingly which would make high wages even higher, therefore prices would rise and 200£ would be the new 70£. The poor will never be better off under this kind of handout system as the more they get, the more will be squeezed out of them.

With monetary reform you also need land reform.

 

In the form of LVT.

 

If owned all the land, and you owned all the money, how much would I charge you for the first night's rent?

[Teddybare 10]

With monetary reform you also need land reform.

 

In the form of LVT.

 

If owned all the land, and you owned all the money, how much would I charge you for the first night's rent?

 

Less than the going rate I'd hope. In return I'd happily sit through your land monopoly slide shows.

[barleycorn 10]

So a 30 year old couple with 8 kids would get £400 a week and no housing benefit?

 

You're forgetting the £30/wk child benefit so add on an extra £240/wk.

 

jb

[Jim Graham 10]

What if all benefit payments ended. Completely. And people hit back against the government and the rich and rioted and actually attempted to bring about real change in society in stead of accepting 70£ or 200£ or whatever it is a week as 'cop out and be quiet' payment whilst smoking copious amounts of weed and posting on Sheffield forum.

Giving everyone enough to survive on would kill desire to do anything so less people would work and less tax revenue would be collected so paying people enough to survive on wouldn't be affordable anymore.

Some full time workers earn close to 200£ a week so in order to attract these workers you'd have to increase lower wages accordingly which would make high wages even higher, therefore prices would rise and 200£ would be the new 70£. The poor will never be better off under this kind of handout system as the more they get, the more will be squeezed out of them.

 

 

If this is the only benefit people get a lot of those on housing benefit and other top ups will be worse off so overall inflation may not be affected that much. But, the point about losing incentive to do £200 a week jobs doesn't make sense because that will be on top of the £200 benefit. This system seems to do away with the problem of people being better off on benefits. On the face of it it seems like a good idea. The point about folks on high incomes getting it when they don't need it could be sorted by raising taxes for higher earners.

 

Anything that gets rid of the army of bureauprats mismanaging an unbelievably expensive system so complicated even they can't understand it can only be a good thing. I think the unions might have something to say about it though.

[Jag82 10]

You're forgetting the £30/wk child benefit so add on an extra £240/wk.

 

jb

 

I thought the idea was to quash the other benefits ?

[cardoor 10]

Anything that gets rid of the army of bureauprats mismanaging an unbelievably expensive system so complicated even they can't understand it can only be a good thing. I think the unions might have something to say about it though.

 

Actually CI is something the far right - UKIP and the far left - Green Party are both very supportive of.

[cardoor 10]

I thought the idea was to quash the other benefits ?

 

The figure suggested is £200 then an extra £30 a child.