Benefits Again

[BoldonLad]

Would you shop a friend who didn’t pay VAT on an extension. Or someone renting a room on Airbnb without informing HMRC.
I know plenty of self employed people who are skimming off the top.

The customer does not pay VAT, as such, the trader does, or should.

Just because there are “plenty of people doing it”, doesn’t make it acceptable. No doubt there are “plenty of people” doing all kinds of things, which they shouldn’t, and, which you may disapprove of.

 

[Deleted member 28]

There's no point grassing up Dave the plasterer for a few grand if the state is pissing away billions.

Stinks of 'whataboutery' to me.

Say for example Labour get in next time round and they're squeaky clean, will 'Dave the plasterer' be fair game then?

 

[Deleted member 28]

DLA should be helping to bring your lifestyle up to the level you'd have if it wasn't for your disability, not simply providing some meagre minimal existence.

And it's often things people might not think about. For example we need to buy a zillion brands of expensive and different flavoured toothpaste. It's not always as simple as it might seem.

What level is that though, minimum job wage level living in Hull or our very own Surrey dwelling, kids at private school new EV driving level?

 

[Bromptonaut]

What level is that though, minimum job wage level living in Hull or our very own Surrey dwelling, kids at private school new EV driving level?

DLA was about care needs. PIP is much more focussed on what you cannot do - prepare and eat food, wash, dress etc.

It's simply about giving the claimant some cash every 4 weeks to help, so far as it can, make those things easier to deal with.

Living costs are a whole other ball game.

 

[winjim]

Stinks of 'whataboutery' to me.

Say for example Labour get in next time round and they're squeaky clean, will 'Dave the plasterer' be fair game then?

I think you've missed what I'm saying. I mean there's literally no point because there's no actual financial benefit to anybody.

 

[winjim]

What level is that though, minimum job wage level living in Hull or our very own Surrey dwelling, kids at private school new EV driving level?

The level you would be at if, all else being equal, you did not have a disability.

For example, if I only had to buy one tube of modestly priced toothpaste.

 

[Pale Rider]

I think you've missed what I'm saying. I mean there's literally no point because there's no actual financial benefit to anybody.

There's little direct financial benefit to anybody in prosecuting most crime, but that doesn't mean the exercise is not worthwhile and important.

Benefits thieves are routinely ordered to repay the amount they stole, but being potless that can only be done via a deduction from, you've guessed it, benefits.

Five pounds a week is the usual sum ordered, which means most of the fraudsters will be 'repaying' what they stole for years, if not decades.

 

[Bromptonaut]

There's little direct financial benefit to anybody in prosecuting most crime, but that doesn't mean the exercise is not worthwhile and important.

Benefits thieves are routinely ordered to repay the amount they stole, but being potless that can only be done via a deduction from, you've guessed it, benefits.

Five pounds a week is the usual sum ordered, which means most of the fraudsters will be 'repaying' what they stole for years, if not decades.

If DWP are recovering there's a limit as to the proprtion of your Standard Allowance they can take.

Bearing in mind, for a single person over 25, that's less than £400 to keep you fed, warm and watered for a month, and pay 20% + towards Council Tax even £5 a week is a big ask.

 

[icowden]

Benefits thieves are routinely ordered to repay the amount they stole, but being potless that can only be done via a deduction from, you've guessed it, benefits.

But Benefits thieves get the modern equivalent of being put in the stocks. Called scum by newspapers, paraded in TV programmes as examples of broken Britain. No questions are asked as to why they are on benefits, why they are trying to cheat benefits and what can be put in place to help them turn their lives around.

Benefit fraud is a drop in the ocean compared to the costs of investigating it and the cost of high level fraud such as giving your mates mult-million pound contracts to provide dodgy PPE.

 

[BoldonLad]

But Benefits thieves get the modern equivalent of being put in the stocks. Called scum by newspapers, paraded in TV programmes as examples of broken Britain. No questions are asked as to why they are on benefits, why they are trying to cheat benefits and what can be put in place to help them turn their lives around.

Benefit fraud is a drop in the ocean compared to the costs of investigating it and the cost of high level fraud such as giving your mates mult-million pound contracts to provide dodgy PPE.

Back to Whataboutery

 

[Bromptonaut]

Back to Whataboutery

Well up to a point Lord Copper;

Far more resource is focussed on supposed benefit cheats than on tax evasion. Is that a good return for the taxpayer?

 

[BoldonLad]

Well up to a point Lord Copper;

Far more resource is focussed on supposed benefit cheats than on tax evasion. Is that a good return for the taxpayer?

No: but, that wasn't the question. It is possible to be averse to BOTH unsavoury behaviours

 

[icowden]

Back to Whataboutery

As @Bromptonaut said.

Here we have a group of 100 people. 10 of them are benefit cheats who have defrauded the tax payer of £100,000 between the 10 of them. At the other end we have 2 billionaires guilty of tax evasion in the sum of £200 million each.

If I have to spend money investigating the benefits cheats or the tax evaders, which is going to be more worthwhile?

 

[BoldonLad]

As @Bromptonaut said.

Here we have a group of 100 people. 10 of them are benefit cheats who have defrauded the tax payer of £100,000 between the 10 of them. At the other end we have 2 billionaires guilty of tax evasion in the sum of £200 million each.

If I have to spend money investigating the benefits cheats or the tax evaders, which is going to be more worthwhile?

See my response above

 

[icowden]

See my response above

Yes it is possible to be averse to both, but only one is worth pursuing to any degree. The other is better dealt with through education, mental health outreach and support.