tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451096.post4757493296535748376..comments2024-03-28T07:14:01.343+00:00Comments on donpaskini: Going the wrong way on welfaredonpaskinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05963534291677598324noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451096.post-60893431596665302262008-05-17T09:35:00.000+00:002008-05-17T09:35:00.000+00:00Following on from what anonymous said, I think the...Following on from what anonymous said, I think the big question for those who don't want to see money going to the 'undeserving' poor is are we prepared to have them starve? Because if you want to cut payments to these people, that's what they are facing. <BR/><BR/>Except they probably won't all starve. Some might scratch a living. Some will survive as homeless. Some will thieve and steal. Some will find themselves in hoc to people considerably less benevolent than the state. Dickensian poverty, minus the smoking chimneys. <BR/><BR/>And this will be fine because the rest of us can explain away the fate of the poor as being completely down to a lack of personal responsibility, absolving us entirely and soothing our consciences of any collective responsibility as a society. Now there's something to stir the heart with pride for one'e country.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451096.post-76830158329982460502008-05-17T02:32:00.000+00:002008-05-17T02:32:00.000+00:00There are essentially two kinds of welfare recipie...There are essentially two kinds of welfare recipients (no, I'm not getting into deserving and undeserving here).<BR/><BR/>The first kind are normal functional people who need welfare because they haven't got a job but have a child, or because they're disabled but can't find suitable work, or just don't have a job, or whatever. These people are best served by giving them money, and letting them choose how to spend it. <BR/><BR/>The second kind have no money (and probably no job) because either due to mental illness or just general crapness, they have the organizational and management skills of a blancmange. Giving them money and expecting them to take responsibility is the worst thing you can do for them, because they'll just spend the money, not really have any idea of how or anything to show for it, and still not be able to pay the gas bill.<BR/><BR/>The second group is smaller than the first. You can't serve bot groups with a one-size-fits-all benefit system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451096.post-1926440309008525572008-05-16T10:35:00.000+00:002008-05-16T10:35:00.000+00:00Money week, a fairly widely read publication, has ...Money week, a fairly widely read publication, has a wonderful feature each issue 'Tax dodge of the Week'.<BR/><BR/>This week it advises top rate tax payers to pay their wife a salary of £4,800 - immediately saving £1,920.<BR/><BR/>Even better she can then pay that into a pension and claim tax relief. In all you end up with £6,000 for a real just of 'just £2,832'.<BR/><BR/>They have one every week. Great read. Or maybe not.<BR/><BR/>Search 'tax dodge of the week' on their website for other great ruses such as 'how to avoid paying tax on rental income', 'cut your tax bill like a private equity boss' or ' a neat way to avoid inheritance tax'.<BR/><BR/>DuncanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com