Comments on: The government tries to tackle fuel and child poverty by creating tax poverty http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/ Incisive and topical campaigns and commentary on today's issues and tomorrow's problems Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:05:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: tRISHA http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2761 tRISHA Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:53:00 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2761 I do hope that something comes out of this for single and childless couples. We seem to have to bear the brunt of everything. The government says that it taking care of hard working families. When I cared for my mother whilst I was working full time (I am single) and filling in for a mother who was always taking time off I did not get any pre or post carers leave like mothers and fathers do I just got on with and did not complain. But parents today just complain that they do not get enough, well it's about time the government put their footdown with them and told them they are not getting any more. Our poor soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq are getting killed - some say that it is because they do not have adequate equipment, I am not surprised, the governement cannot afford it as they are giving all the money to parents with children. Disgruntled I do hope that something comes out of this for single and childless couples. We seem to have to bear the brunt of everything. The government says that it taking care of hard working families. When I cared for my mother whilst I was working full time (I am single) and filling in for a mother who was always taking time off I did not get any pre or post carers leave like mothers and fathers do I just got on with and did not complain. But parents today just complain that they do not get enough, well it's about time the government put their footdown with them and told them they are not getting any more. Our poor soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq are getting killed – some say that it is because they do not have adequate equipment, I am not surprised, the governement cannot afford it as they are giving all the money to parents with children.

Disgruntled

]]> By: UK Voter http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2760 UK Voter Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:17:38 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2760 Unusually for me, I could not find anything I disagreed with in your article. Let us hope that even if this government can't listen, they can at least read. Unusually for me, I could not find anything I disagreed with in your article. Let us hope that even if this government can't listen, they can at least read.

]]> By: tRISHA http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2759 tRISHA Mon, 05 May 2008 15:34:09 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2759 I am glad that he mentions single people, I think this labour government think we are all extinct except when it comes to paying taxes" I am glad that he mentions single people, I think this labour government think we are all extinct except when it comes to paying taxes"

]]> By: Bazman http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2758 Bazman Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:21:35 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2758 It's more, shall we say 'financially advantageous' to have five children and not work and always has been under any government for 'working' people. Any sane answers? It's more, shall we say 'financially advantageous' to have five children and not work and always has been under any government for 'working' people. Any sane answers?

]]> By: Pam Cadman http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2757 Pam Cadman Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:31:58 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2757 Dear John I have never been so angry about the tax system as I am now! We are a married couple without children (not by choice) and after briefly studying the working tax credit benefit and family tax credit benefit, I cannot believe the difference in the entry criteria for claiming. Unless I am misinterpreting it, it seems as though a couple with children can still claim when on £66,000 approx. but a working childless couple cannot claim if they are earning more than £16,000 approx. We are not only penalised here but the same applies to council tax for which we have to pay the full amount even though the majority of the tax seems to be allocated to education - again favouring families. I have always admired your courage in speaking out when others court popularity by only saying what they think the majority electorate want to hear. Reply: I agree that the present system attacks single people and couples without children. The problem is too much wasteful spendign resulting in taxes that are too high. Dear John
I have never been so angry about the tax system as I am now! We are a married couple without children (not by choice) and after briefly studying the working tax credit benefit and family tax credit benefit, I cannot believe the difference in the entry criteria for claiming. Unless I am misinterpreting it, it seems as though a couple with children can still claim when on £66,000 approx. but a working childless couple cannot claim if they are earning more than £16,000 approx.
We are not only penalised here but the same applies to council tax for which we have to pay the full amount even though the majority of the tax seems to be allocated to education – again favouring families.
I have always admired your courage in speaking out when others court popularity by only saying what they think the majority electorate want to hear.

Reply: I agree that the present system attacks single people and couples without children. The problem is too much wasteful spendign resulting in taxes that are too high.

]]> By: Donitz http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2756 Donitz Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:30:13 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2756 Stuart F's view on the prevention of mass breeding by those who are inclined to the benefit culture, although alarming, made excellent reading. A very original proposal. I would also add to this proposal a total ban on the ownership of gigantic plasma screens, sovereign rings and chicken McNuggets. Stuart F's view on the prevention of mass breeding by those who are inclined to the benefit culture, although alarming, made excellent reading.

A very original proposal.

I would also add to this proposal a total ban on the ownership of gigantic plasma screens, sovereign rings and chicken McNuggets.

]]> By: John, wrexham http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2755 John, wrexham Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:45:39 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2755 dear john, i hope the next conservative government will reform the tax system to remove the new paternalism of gordon brown ie he taxes the poor and gets them to ask for it back by filling in lots of forms and then they are supposed to feel grateful. it is ridiculous that the minimum wage adds up to an income of around £11,500 a year, but the govt. start taxing people's income at £5,200 a year. i can't think of a greater disincentive to go out and work than a tax system that does that to people. surely the minimum wage is the minimum wage a worker can survive on. low earners shouldn't be paying 10% income tax they should be paying 0%, as is well known poorer people already pay plenty of tax on their expenditure, probably more than the rich as a percentage of their income. as for the public sector pensions, the worshippers of the private sector are living in a daily mail fantasy land if they think every town hall paper pusher is going to retire with a gold plated pension. i work in the public sector in a museum, and have just had my annual statement for my pension, it will be just under £3,000 a year. naturally the chief execs are doing fine, but they are a tiny minority. our local councillors can always limit the chief execs' pay bill if they want, so why don't they? meanwhile keep the blogs coming as it is usually thought provoking. dear john,

i hope the next conservative government will reform the tax system to remove the new paternalism of gordon brown ie he taxes the poor and gets them to ask for it back by filling in lots of forms and then they are supposed to feel grateful.

it is ridiculous that the minimum wage adds up to an income of around £11,500 a year, but the govt. start taxing people's income at £5,200 a year. i can't think of a greater disincentive to go out and work than a tax system that does that to people. surely the minimum wage is the minimum wage a worker can survive on. low earners shouldn't be paying 10% income tax they should be paying 0%, as is well known poorer people already pay plenty of tax on their expenditure, probably more than the rich as a percentage of their income.

as for the public sector pensions, the worshippers of the private sector are living in a daily mail fantasy land if they think every town hall paper pusher is going to retire with a gold plated pension. i work in the public sector in a museum, and have just had my annual statement for my pension, it will be just under £3,000 a year. naturally the chief execs are doing fine, but they are a tiny minority. our local councillors can always limit the chief execs' pay bill if they want, so why don't they?

meanwhile keep the blogs coming as it is usually thought provoking.

]]> By: Nick http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2754 Nick Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:36:34 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2754 Where are the tax cuts going to come from? At the current rate of overspending, you need to cut 122 billion a year (10.2 x 12) from spending before you get anywhere near a tax cut. Nick Where are the tax cuts going to come from?

At the current rate of overspending, you need to cut 122 billion a year (10.2 x 12) from spending before you get anywhere near a tax cut.

Nick

]]> By: David Hannah http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2753 David Hannah Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:37:35 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2753 What we are witnessing here is truly astonishing. Socialism has successfully transformed some 3 million people of working age into clients of the state, through various benefits and other alternatives to working for their incomes. Today, the next phase of this project is to build on that achievement, and to ensure that even the employed are also dependent on the State to attain a living wage. That's why the recent tax changes hit people on the lowest incomes hardest. We have yet to see the “compensation package” that the government will offer, but one can be fairly certain that it will involve additional handouts or tax credits; thus bringing formerly independent members of society into the sphere of the state benefits system. Why must those on low incomes plead to have some of their own money returned to them, instead of removing them from the burden of taxation completely? How can one justify the imposition of Income Tax on those earning the minimum wage? Quite simply; the government wants to have as many people beholden to the state for their income as is possible—ensuring that they have a vested interest in the continuation of Labour's statism. I'm sure you will agree that this is an unacceptable state of affairs, and a dangerous one for the future of the country. The question is, what are the Conservatives going to do about this intolerable situation? I've long been an admirer of the 'flat tax' proposal that aims to stop pilfering the incomes of the poor by setting a personal tax allowance at a reasonable level (circa £12K). Not only does this proposal take the poorest out of the taxation system, it brings the richest into it. Tax avoidance is an expensive endeavour in itself—worthwhile only when the alternative is the confiscation of 40% of their incomes (a sizeable amount of money in their case). A uniform 20% rate would surely be preferable to the constant hassle of offshore accounts, expensive accountants and elaborate trust schemes engineered to hide their incomes from the taxman. Why have the Conservatives dismissed this proposal? Reply: George Osborne spoke in favour of flat tax originally, and now is a strong advocate of lower and flatter taxes.You are right - we need to leave people more of their own money to spend instead of creating an expensive money go round between tax and benefits. What we are witnessing here is truly astonishing. Socialism has successfully transformed some 3 million people of working age into clients of the state, through various benefits and other alternatives to working for their incomes.

Today, the next phase of this project is to build on that achievement, and to ensure that even the employed are also dependent on the State to attain a living wage. That's why the recent tax changes hit people on the lowest incomes hardest. We have yet to see the “compensation package” that the government will offer, but one can be fairly certain that it will involve additional handouts or tax credits; thus bringing formerly independent members of society into the sphere of the state benefits system.

Why must those on low incomes plead to have some of their own money returned to them, instead of removing them from the burden of taxation completely? How can one justify the imposition of Income Tax on those earning the minimum wage? Quite simply; the government wants to have as many people beholden to the state for their income as is possible—ensuring that they have a vested interest in the continuation of Labour's statism. I'm sure you will agree that this is an unacceptable state of affairs, and a dangerous one for the future of the country. The question is, what are the Conservatives going to do about this intolerable situation?

I've long been an admirer of the 'flat tax' proposal that aims to stop pilfering the incomes of the poor by setting a personal tax allowance at a reasonable level (circa £12K). Not only does this proposal take the poorest out of the taxation system, it brings the richest into it.

Tax avoidance is an expensive endeavour in itself—worthwhile only when the alternative is the confiscation of 40% of their incomes (a sizeable amount of money in their case). A uniform 20% rate would surely be preferable to the constant hassle of offshore accounts, expensive accountants and elaborate trust schemes engineered to hide their incomes from the taxman. Why have the Conservatives dismissed this proposal?

Reply: George Osborne spoke in favour of flat tax originally, and now is a strong advocate of lower and flatter taxes.You are right – we need to leave people more of their own money to spend instead of creating an expensive money go round between tax and benefits.

]]> By: mikestallard http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2752 mikestallard Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:36:07 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/23/the-government-tries-to-tackle-fuel-and-child-poverty-by-creating-tax-poverty/#comment-2752 I want to look at the big picture. Taxation, according to the Adam Smith Institute, is now the highest it has been for 22 years (since 1986). It is rapidly approaching 50% of people's pay. On the other hand, the government is paying out enormous sums of money to people whom it wants to buy into its clientele. I suppose you could say that it buys votes. Power for this government, therefore, depends on handing out money, and governments are all about power. Power, for some, is used to milk the system. Power, for others, perhaps like Mr Brown, means to "do good" to poor and disadvantaged people throughout the world. But politicians will not give up their power: they have to have it taken from them. Even Mrs Thatcher wept as she was driven away from No10. The government therefore needs as much money as possible but even it is beginning to realise that the source - taxation and borrowing from abroad - is now drying up. Hence the crisis over raising new taxes. I really think that you believe that this government is going to change. It is not going to change. The only hope for people like me is that there will soon be an election where they are routed. I am still going to vote Conservative - just. I want to look at the big picture.
Taxation, according to the Adam Smith Institute, is now the highest it has been for 22 years (since 1986). It is rapidly approaching 50% of people's pay.
On the other hand, the government is paying out enormous sums of money to people whom it wants to buy into its clientele. I suppose you could say that it buys votes. Power for this government, therefore, depends on handing out money, and governments are all about power. Power, for some, is used to milk the system. Power, for others, perhaps like Mr Brown, means to "do good" to poor and disadvantaged people throughout the world.
But politicians will not give up their power: they have to have it taken from them. Even Mrs Thatcher wept as she was driven away from No10.
The government therefore needs as much money as possible but even it is beginning to realise that the source – taxation and borrowing from abroad – is now drying up. Hence the crisis over raising new taxes.
I really think that you believe that this government is going to change. It is not going to change.
The only hope for people like me is that there will soon be an election where they are routed. I am still going to vote Conservative – just.

]]>