The only way to make work pay is to remove the financial crutch that supports the non-worker

 We recently had a tentative approach by a young lady who was interested in working for us.

Unfortanately, before we even go into serious discussions, the question was asked - will I be better off?

I replied something like this.

'Yes, because you will have the satisfaction that comes from working hard to achieve something, and knowing you are not adding to the weighty cost of supporting people out of work, who actually could work'

In actual fact, this young lady would have been better off, even on a reduced, training based salary for 6 months. But not by much, in fairness.

My view? She had an opportunity to earn a living, and was able to do so. She should now have ALL state benefits stopped. Permanently.

Paul Norman
OrangeTree Development
SoleHeaven

According to the Government, there are around 5.5 million people of working age who don't work. Out of a total working population of around 25 million, that's 22% - which is a hugh figure.

I accept there are many good reasons why someone may not be working - looking after children being a prime example.

But there is still a funding gap the Government has to get from taxation - on a semi permanent basis. In a downturn like now - this means the Government has to borrow hugh amounts of money or put up taxes.

Also £100 received on benefits is worth more to someone than £100 for work - because the former requires no effort.

You can see this is a hugh financial burden for all taxpayers - and I can't see why more people will want to become taxpayers (rather then purely benefits claimers) until the incentives to work become much greater.

George Sells

Marketing Services * Sales Development * Customer Support

GBS Group - Sell Your Services

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If you can afford to live on state benefits and bring up a family and maintain a household, holidays, car and fag money as well as down the pub drinking money then something is VERY wrong with the system.

 Agreed.

I am happy for people who hit a bad patch to be supported. But the fact is, that everyone knows, but governments get vilified for saying, is that many of those people could work if they chose to do so.

Plus here is another gem. Because last year, for totally selfish reasons, I chose to pull only a modest amount of money out of my businesses, technically I qualify for benefits.

I refuse to claim them. It is patently silly that I qualify.

Paul Norman
OrangeTree Development
SoleHeaven

My gut feeling is that the Government will be forced to cut back on these benefits big time - otherwise the UK will decline rapidly in the world economic leagues - and this will happen quite soon.

I also think they should deploy a roadshow or something to go around the country and explain directly why they have to make these changes - and how they plan to get to a better situation.
They need to sell it to the voters - perhaps even use some bribery

George Sells

Marketing Services * Sales Development * Customer Support

GBS Group - Sell Your Services

Register for our next FREE Marketing Review Sessions on 14th September in London

I was unemployed a couple of times in my early working life, did not claim anything on both occasions, I just tried harder to get a job and guess what, I got a job.

The only thing I claim (will be claiming) is child benefits, purely so that this cash can go straight into a bank account set-up for the kids. I phoned the line this morning as I had no idea what form I needed and after a couple of minutes the women asked me If I was also able to claim some kind of tax credits (?), having been out the country, I have no idea what she is talking about, but it seems to me that they are actually trying to give money away even if you don't want it.

Credit-Manager.Net

I heard on the radio recently a bizarre situation for some pensioners who moved to Spain for the winter still receiving their £350 winter fuel allowance and when they tried to 'not' receive it they were told there was no mechanism in place to not get it if they received a UK pension.

Denise McCallum
Detective Denise

I know I am old and all that but when I was younger amongst the things people were proud of were   1. Supporting themselves financially and    2.  No debt.   That doesn't exist in the psyche of young people now and that isn't all their fault (although they do have their share of the blame), but we now have students routinely forced into debt as well as banks hurling credit cards and loans at 18 year olds and we have benefits that are a 'right'.  I don't like either of those scenarios.

I am not at all critical of anyone claiming child benefits (honestly Sean!) but I seriously do not know why they exist.  Why the state should pay for you to have a child is beyond me.  It isn't means tested at all so J K Rowling and David Cameron could both be claiming them, ridiculous.  And, if there is to be an acknowledgment of the financial burden on parents wouldn't it be better to do so in an increase in tax allowance so that only parents that work would get it?

Karen OrangeTree
OrangeTree Development

If the State did not provide a tax benefit for you to have children the population would fall at an alarming rate and the British people would need to increase immigration by a large amount fo compensate and keep the wheels of industry turning. Is the welfare state responsible for our industiral decline?