Re: Labour's Benefit Cuts
For me this is a very difficult one. As it's very very complex, it affects many in very different ways depending on the specific details of their situation and there is very little statistical data available.
When a lot of people are involved there will always be a %age who claim without warranting receiving money (some fraud, some stretching things). That's part of any system and provided that %age is low enough has to be accepted on the basis of life of big systems.
But UK does seem a massive outlier with regard to comparable countries. But then there are maybe other factors eg horrendous NHS waiting lists meaning people with debilitating conditions are having to wait for treatments that would enable them to return to work.
I can see that from what those proposing the changes have said we are on an unsustainable path but easy for such politicians to make unsubstantiated claims without providing supporting evidence.
So if one accepts something needs to be done it comes more to what needs to be done which is where my mistrust in politicians starts. How so many senior politicians with no experience of a sector, no experience of management (or with terrible track records) suddenly find themselves responsible for a sector they've had nothing to do with before and suddenly are coming up with massive changes based on "their abilities" to see solutions without experience.
Trouble is anecdotal instances often take prominence eg I am disabled but claim and have never even tried to claim anything and in the last few days TV has interviewed some individuals and "Explain why you need PIP" and from their account of their situation I find myself thinking how much worse the impacts of my own condition have been yet I cope without any help. But my situation is meaningless in the scope of such a big system but then so is every individuals.
If it's about saving money then it's pretty bad that those in desperate need are paying the price for the daft Reeves/Starmer "red lines" about tax, particularly after Ms Reeves has just has just failed to use the opportunity to break those read lines.
Hence I'm totally confused, unsure, etc. and really don't know what to think.
Ian
