Back to the 80s?

Remember the warning from the 80s?
don`t get old
Duncan Smith ...said he wanted to deal with "under-occupation" of council homes, that there were "tons of elderly people living in houses that they cannot run" and that he wanted councils to encourage people in this position to move into smaller properties.
don`t get sick
Ministers are to signal a tougher approach to incapacity benefit this week as the next stage of its welfare reforms, by reducing the benefit levels of those tested if they are found capable of doing some work.
Early pilots suggest half of those assessed are being taken off the higher rate benefit on the basis that tests reveal they are fit to do some work, government sources say.
Previous attempts to cut back on the cost of funding incapacity benefit, now claimed by around 2.6 million people, met with major criticism. A new system introduced by the last government to assess whether or not the sick and disabled were capable of working wrongly found seriously ill people ready to work, according to a report in March by the Citizens Advice Bureau. People with advanced Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis, with severe mental illness, or awaiting open heart surgery were registered as fit to work, it said.
don`t get poor
On Sunday, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said he wanted unemployed council tenants to be given incentives to move to areas where there are jobs.
In the Budget Mr Osborne announced there would be new caps on the amount people could claim in housing benefit, tax credits were reduced, child benefit was frozen and medical tests introduced for the disability living allowance from 2013.

Maybe those of us who have never needed to be on benefits, or never had to calm a disabled relative, terrified that they were being forced back into work when they couldn`t cope will cheer.
To me it is a nasty bit of victimisation. Don`t go for the Corporations, the Banks, the Tax-dodgers. Hit the `scroungers`, with the help of the Daily Mail, drip-feeding poison about all those in need.

Re: Back to the 80s?

Well we are OK then. We are both 56,Jenny is far from recovered from her illness and today she went to get an appointment at the job centre.

Hey ho-how the mighty have fallen. We still have some savings but they are not going to last forever.

Re: Back to the 80s?

Well it doesn't affect me but it did feel awfy like that de ja vu feeling when I heard what was said - same old thing!! Nothing new in anything!

Re: Back to the 80s?

I fear it may well be "back to the 80''s" but I worry it may well be a whole lot more painful this time round. I do not remember that in the 80's we had as much debt to deal with (both national and personal). Call me a pessimist but I don't think we will climb out of it without a lot of sacrifice, quite possibly a lot more than in the 80's.

Re: Back to the 80s?

I moved about all over the place since 1975 to better myself and my partner has travelled with me. That's why a Brummie and native of Wales are living in Suffolk

Re: Back to the 80s?

I dont know what you would suggest but is'nt it time the scroungers were found out and their benefits stopped?

They are claiming our money so that they can sit on there backsides whilst others do the work. Would'nt it be far better that they contributed to the country's output and save the country paying out money for no reason?

They are targeting the Banks and corporations but not as hard as they could but at least the Banks and Corporations are paying Taxes unlike the scroungers.

Personally I do not think they have gone far enough, I would have increased tax by 2p to start with.
Then VAT, Benefits, bonuses and profits.

People have had it far to easy in the last decade with Credit, you have to pay at some point in tie. Cheaper not to use credit.

Re: Back to the 80s?

I wholeheartedly agree with you about the scroungers, AB. I see it all the time around me! People on "Social" having their rent & council tax paid, and they have live in partners! One young woman got a 3 bedroom flat - she is single, no children, not working either, now she has moved back to her Mum's and is sub letting her flat but still getting it paid! Then the alcoholics get extra money for being an alcoholic, which I think is ridiculous as all they do is go out and buy more drink!! Druggies get methadone and end up getting hooked on that!! This all costs the country money!

I pay enough in tax from my works pension so I don't want any more from it! Stop all the hand outs, especially the extra money to alcoholics and giving free methadone to druggies, after all that is self inflicted, no one held a gun to their heads!

Re: Back to the 80s?

I liked some of the 80's music

Re: Back to the 80s?

I sincerely hope you never fall on hard times.

Re: Back to the 80s?

Successive Governments have tried by selling all our industry off, the last one sold Cadbury's off to the Americans and we don't know what else. then there was the expense scandal, how can you expect people out of work to react when they see all this going on.
I was out of work for two years before I retired and they sent me to the job centre and I had to go for interviews or else. I also had to go on two courses to show me how to find a jobs and sat with 18 year olds reading the Sun and picking Horses and drinking Coke, that nightmare ended when 12 months before I retired they said I needn't sign again.
Don't they do this anymore.

I have 4 young Son's ages 26,24,21 & 17 and they have never not wanted to work, they worked on the local Farm picking potatoes when they were 16, they worked in the kitchens at a local restaurants 2 still do work in the trade 24 is a Second chef the 21 is in charge of the Carvery the 26 year old is a Transport manager in Nottingham.
What about the 17 year old? he is now going out looking for jobs every other day and none of this was prompted by myself.
What did it? well I think it was the fact that when the eldest got his first mobile phone they all wanted one and realised that they had to work for it.. So its gone on, Computers, Play stations the latest is the 21 year old has a 32" Digital TV in his Bedroom.
He brought me a new Desk Top PC last year and his mother a Mobile phone.
We have helped from time to time but they have always paid every penny back.

my age 74 next birthday.