Is The Public Expecting Too Much Financially From The State In Benefits And Services?

[dave50]

Is the level of spending on everything from welfare and public services unsustainable? It seems everyone now expects the state to cough up whenever any kind of misfortune comes knocking their their door. 

[Untitled]

ok that did make me laugh. 🤣

[ToraToraTora]

untitled: " the cost of pensions are so high that they are crippling this country." - FGS the NHS, the WSS budget, the debt interest bill is twice the defence budget and you are talking about £220 a week that most have paid for by their own contributions. Now cut pension credit by all means and all other WSS benefits and a 1000 other things that we innexplicably pay for. 5 star hotels for invading enemies for example! Perlease you are on another planet me old china.

[newmodarmy]

Has untitled said yet how many wealthy pensioners there are under his definition. How much would it save?

Should untitled suggestion of state pension based for those with expensive houses also apply to pension credit and disability benefits, and free education and health care, for those living in such a property?

[Untitled]

we spend about £150 billion on pensions. by comparison the UK spends £3 billion a year on asylum seekers in hotels (which i agree is a problem). according to the OBR we're due to spend 37.5 billion on defence and 88 billion on all universal credit. the entire budget for disability benefits is something like £21 billion.

https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/brief-guides-and-explainers/public-finances/

about 1 in 4 pensioners are millionaires. this does not necessarily mean they are splendidly wealthy but it does definitely mean they don't need the state pension. if one quarter of the annual pensions budget goes to such people then that is £37.5 billion that is being given to people who do not need it. i struggle to think of anywhere in the welfare system where there is an imbalance or misuse on anything like this scale.

[ToraToraTora]

16:11 ....so the cash poor ones should be forced to sell their houses and live in a shoebox to make ends meet? I'm not talking about me, you are correct I could manage without the state pension, I'm talking about those the judge refers to asset rich cash poor. 

[Untitled]

why should the taxpayer subsidise somebody's desire to live in a £1 million house?

[newmodarmy]

//About 1 in 4 pensioners are millionaires//

If a pensioner couple share a 1 million pound House would you class them both as millionaires and atop their state pension?

And would you stop any disability benefits and free NHS treatment too for them?

 

[Untitled]

no newmodarmy i would not be in favour of removing disability benefits or free NHS treatment.

[newmodarmy]

Untitled, are you forgetting that most 'wealthy ' pensioners pay tax on their state pension at 20%  or maybe 40% in my case...so the actual savings for the treasury will be a lot less than you state.

[newmodarmy]

Thanks untitled. Why not ?...why should other taxpayers fund a wealth person's treatment or disability support? 

[THECORBYLOON]

If you believe a house is being subsidized, why not all other assistance from the state?

[Untitled]

because being disabled is expensive. 

[Untitled]

regarding healthcare... i think it's better for everyone if good quality healthcare is available indiscriminately. otherwise you end up with a system that is effectively two tier--good for people who can pay fees and crap for everyone else. so i don't support withdrawing access to the nhs because i think it has undesirable outcomes. 

[ToraToraTora]

16:18 you are radio rental me old china. No one is subsidising anything. They bought their house for a fraction of the cost, worked hard all their l;ife to pay for it but in the twighlight of their years when they have finally paid for it you want to steal it away out of some idiological clap trap? So they should now be penalised because of the property price? They paid into the NI on the clear understanding that if nothing else they'd have that to live on. Gawd that's fascism right there me old china.

[Khandro]

nma, //why should other taxpayers fund a wealth person's treatment or disability support? //

Wealthy taxpayers pay tax also, it's what happens within a Democracy -  it's an incentive for the poorer taxpayers to work hard and become wealthy taxpayers too

[ToraToraTora]

I can only assume untitled has rented all his life and wants to punish those that have scrimped and saved to buy their own place. I've never heard such fascism.

[dave50]

This has become a discussion on the state pension.  Not my original intention. I meant in general. 

[Untitled]

it's nothing to do with ideology. people in houses worth £1 million+ do not need the state pension. if they need to sell their extremely valuable properties in order to look after themselves then why is this a problem? why is this something the taxpayer should spend tens of billions trying to prevent? a person in this situation is fine, they are not going to go destitute without financial help. that is what the state pension is there for.

it does not make any sense to dole out £12,000 a year to huge numbers of people who are millionaires (or more) so that they can luxuriate. it's an absurd and colossal waste.

[Untitled]

it's become a discussion on the state pension because people disagree with me dave. if you'd like we can move on to some other part of the welfare system.

[ToraToraTora]

untitled: One can't reason with your religious fervour and cherry picked stats to suit your warped view. Like any fanatic you just spout your beliefs and ignore anything that doesn't fit.