Benefits Cap

[Peoplesoft bloke]

This seems perfectly fair to me - what are the counter arguments I'm missing?

[Churchill]

This seems perfectly fair to me - what are the counter arguments I'm missing?

The initial back-lash when the great unwashed finally understand that they're expected to work for a living.

[Arturo Bassick]

I think it would be unfair to large families who fall on hard times. It would also have a much greater impact on those who were well off before coming on to benefits.

I am for some sort of capping mechanism, but a blanket cap is not what I would like to see.

My solution would be a reducing level of support the longer a person is on benefits. The benefits should also take account of the persons situation when they come to benefits.
I would support a 3 month salary replacement scheme, plus up to 12 months (including first 3) of full benefits support but with a review to cost cutting, then after 12 months the emphasis should be on cost cutting. Cost cutting should include moving to cheaper accommodation.

There seems to be an expectation of those on benefits that they should be able to live in the same place they always have even though it is above their means. This expectation has to change.
They also have an expectation that they can carry on as normal and benefits will cover all costs. Having children to increase your benefits should not be an option.

[The Spartan]

Cap it straight away and let them understand how it is to live for everyone else, if you have a large family then you should be able to support it and not rely on anyone else to do it.

[MarillionFan]

The initial back-lash when the great unwashed finally understand that they're expected to work for a living.

Some people are just not cut out to work. For those who don't want to work they should be supported by those who do work. It's only fair.

Now where's the sarcasm format style.

[TheFaQQer]

This seems perfectly fair to me - what are the counter arguments I'm missing?

- Child benefit is an entitlement to all (up to the threshold when that gets introduced), so shouldn't be included in the benefits cap.

- For a party which prides itself on being the party of the family (to the extent that they want to bring in tax breaks for married couples), introducing a benefits cap will encourage poorer families to split up.

[The Spartan]

Makes me laugh that the benefit cap is going to be 26k, that's 26k without paying tax or NI are you kidding me. I know families with TWO working parents who don't earn that after Tax and NI. People need to get real

[Arturo Bassick]

Cap it straight away and let them understand how it is to live for everyone else, if you have a large family then you should be able to support it and not rely on anyone else to do it.

So only the independently wealthy should risk having a family?

There are lots of people with large families who, through no fault of their own, fall on hard times and have to rely on state benefits. I see no reason why they should suffer because of a cap.
Employees lose their jobs because the business they work for folds, business owners are forced to fold because banks will not extend a line of credit. There are numerous reasons....
If they are willing to work and making an effort then they should be supported. When it becomes obvious that their efforts will be fruitless or they stop putting in the effort then the state and they need to consider how they can be supported at minimum cost to the tax payer.

[The Spartan]

You make a good point but I think we all know why they're capping benefits, to get it into the heads of the Jeremy Kyle generation that it's not acceptable to get pregnant at 13 and have the state pay for everything when you've contributed zero and those that have already done this and are living in 3/4 bed houses paid for by the taxpayer just because they keep having child after child to get more money.

Families that fall on hard times fair enough they've contributed what say you to those that haven't and don't intend to? the ones that see it as a free ride and plead poverty but still manage to smoke and drink with the money the STATE supplies

[DimPrawn]

I'm all in favour of a benefits cap.

The cap should be bright orange, must be worn at all times, and it should say in big letters "I am a no good scrounging git".