Could this be the year of major problems
 

I cannot find a link to to this thread and l have tried finind one.

Christmas has proved one thing for all the major stores Jessops, M&S and announced Morrisons have been effected by one thing - money, people simply don't have any.

The roll on effect from all the cuts been brought on by this coalition government is now taking effect across the country and everything is now being effected, as people simply cannot afford to buy the things that they see in the .

Even tonight, l have been told that within six months l could be without a job, due to cutbacks.

Its about time this government got there act together and stop this from happening. Sky news was saying that they are waiting for Tesco to announce there xmas results.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

it is because they are targeting the wrong groups trying to claw back off the poorer first instead of hitting big business for the tax they should be paying. Its a far way off getting better this is going to last years

In the news also only 1% benefit rise so yet again the poorest get poorer

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also some unemployed in Brum will have to pay upto £200 a year council tax now when you live on £65 a week thats quite a chunk

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

People have had enough of the main supermarkets charging a fortune, It's good to see that the budget supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl have had an increase in sales in the run-up to Christmas.

As for Jessops, I can see a lot more well known high street businesses going bust before the year is out. Many people these days prefer to shop online from the comfort of their own home without having to fight their way through the crowds and traffic not to mention the cold weather. This must have had a massive affect on stores everywhere.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

HMV will go under this year and I'd be surprised if OpCapita don't screw GAME up like they did with Comet.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

At least benefit claimants are getting a rise ,they get a pay rise year in year out ,they are the only section of society guaranteed more money ,they can think themselves lucky in that respect .

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Jessops are struggling because the market has changed .People don't buy cameras like they used to ,just about every phone in existence has a camera on it now and most people are quite satisfied with that because it is easier .Don't forget that Kodak had the same problem it's nothing to do with cutbacks or less money ,the market has disappeared it is as simple as that

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

minimum wage also goes up every year ;)

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

It's not guaranteed though and there have been years where the lower tiers have not gone up .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

1% of a little is not the same as 1% of a lot more. Especially when many of those on Benefits will see outgoings increase as the replacement for the Poll Tax arrives causing many to pay a percentage when they have paid nothing before, and the Bedroom Tax charged on families who cannot find a smaller Council home to move to, or a private rental they can afford.

Add to that the REAL rate of inflation (and not that magic figure HMG comes up with all the time) and that will hit ALL of us harder and harder.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/taf.parsons/food.jpg

High St shops are going to flounder as they cannot compete with Internet shopping in many cases. High rents and business taxes will turn many High St's into ghost towns... and not even the charity shops will survive.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Oh, benefits might go up - slightly - but so do prices, and not so slightly. That "increase" will mean nothing.

It certainly won't do anything to offset water, gas and electricity bills - none of which, I might add, the unemployed get any help with, but we need these services as much as workers do. Public transport hasn't gotten any cheaper - the reverse, in fact. Yesterday, going for an interview, I paid £10.80 just to go from Bolton to Southport. The day before, setting off early in the morning, I paid £6.10...just to go from Bolton to Manchester! If I'd been buying the ticket from an office rather than a machine, Id likely have said, "Jesus, dude, I'm buying a ticket, not bloody shares in First North Western!"

For once, Arthur's right. Something must be done.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I have been told if i get a pay rise i will be lucky ?. Why can't i have a guaranteed pay rise every bloody year. :rolleyes:

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Well 0% of a little is even less and that's what i've had over the last few years .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

£200.00 year = a 6% cut in their benefits.
bedroom tax will be another £10 a week from what I last heard.
so that's a 15% cut in their benefits.
a total of a 21% cut.
but don't worry. they're not going to get upset and smash the streets up.
honest.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

For anybody to moan about getting a pay rise however small in the current climate is beyond the pale to me

---------- Post added at 15:32 ---------- Previous post was at 15:27 ----------

The "bedroom tax" has been used in private housing for years nothing new about that

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

But anyone with a brain can see that we're gradually taking away all the money off a benefit claimant in one form or another. and we use the excuse that we're all in this together. or they're all lower class anyway.

Dave has made us despise poor people, disabled people, and people who haven't got a job.

does he want a mini War in Britain?
to prove he does I'll give him a week or two to see him come up with another thing where he takes more money off the same people.

we're not all in it together when you do it with percentages.
we're only all in it together for thinking the same way as Dave does.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

speak for yourself Gary ,if your dumb enough to fall for that then that's your look out .I for one don't hate benefit claimants ,i hate SOME benefit claimants ,i hate the way SOME benefit claimants think they have a right to live off the state and i especially hate SOME benefit claimants that whinge when they get a pay rise .Life is not easy for benefit claimants ,it's not meant to be, but for some of us workers (that's the class of people below benefit claimants)life can be even harder and even more unjust

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

You never know. we might shake the hand of all the people who took the biggest cuts and fixing the country.

if we do get around to fixing the country and we're not at war with them.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I read before that the figure of abuse is something like 3%. This is quite a small problem elevated into a big problem by some in government and in the press because they don't want to talk about the areas which do need reform. Pensions and Health Care are massive expenses....

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

As i have said before the abuse figures are just guesswork ,i suspect/hope they are getting lower but still suspect they are higher than currently being guessed .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Well yes but policy should be made on the basis of actual data or knowledge, or at least informed estimates. It shouldn't be based on a alternative reality asserted by the media or by those in government who think such a reality would strengthen their case. The thing is we can make a case for anything otherwise.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

While prices are rising don't forget that as a percentage of earnings food dropped a heck of a lot in recent times. (I don't have figures but vaguely remember something like 50% to 10%.) Food prices plummeted for a while now they are on the way up. This is partly due to fuel prices but also there are effects such as weather, using "food" for fuel, population growth. We have got used to very cheap, almost below cost food. We also got used to lots of spare cash for extras. Now we still want the extras so really notice food prices.

I do acknowledge that there are some who are severely affected. Maybe benefits need to be better targeted and paid in food (vouchers) or the like so recipients can't waste it as easily.

Separately was thinking today that we need a "back to work" benefit so that when people sign off to start work they aren't left starving until pay day. Maybe some form of interest free loan that can be taken back from wages (before tax??) over some extended period of time.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Alternatively the government could be looking at the figures for exposed benefit fraud and finally realised that in fact benefit fraud is endemic to the system and has been for years .For every 1 person caught there may be(and probably is) 4 or 5 that have not and that is just those that are comitting outright fraud eg working and claiming.The figures for people using the system legally but immorally are certainly far greater ,by that i mean people claiming they have an illness that stops them looking for work when they can actually work .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Again though I would want to see evidence that supports this rather than speculation if we're going to hit people on benefits. We can't hit people on benefits, make such statements that a lot of them are using it fraudulently or immorally, and then never back it up. Where is the substance to these claims? How do we know this isn't just a ruse to cut benefits to those that need them and make the conversation about us vs them?

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Here are the Governments figures that back up that 3% claim I made earlier:

http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd...12_revised.pdf

2% overall including fraud, error of the part of the claimant and/or the official.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I would say that the evidence is staring us in the face ,maybe not in the form of figures and numbers of people jailed but the fact that benefit fraud is ongoing and persistent which in itself says that people have the perception that the system is there as an alternative lifestyle rather than a safety net .I and probably others here know teenage girls who have babies to get benefits and housing because they can't get jobs either because they don't want to or because of poor education ,it's a crackers system that invites fraud and misuse.

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It's still a lot of money but that isn't the only purpose of the welfare reforms .We have to get back to the idea that benefits are a last resort not a first call .I do however think that the government have not gone about a much needed change in the best way and in some respects have used a heavy handed approach .A change of perception in the system is what is needed not necessarily an enemy made of everyone on benefits

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I.D.S. has already said that families on benefits should not receive more than a working family, and therefore a cap is to be imposed.

He has already moved the goalposts to include families with handicapped adults under the cap.

Next, I expect an announcement that families on benefits should also have to pay the same bills as working families, and therefore will have to pay rent and community charge (or it's replacement) at 100%. That might spark a bigger reaction....

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

What i can't understand is why they can't just have JS claimants having the 1% cap .While i am very vocal about benefits and sometimes come across as unsympathetic i do appreciate that in some cases living on benefits is a forced lifestyle for some and should not be subject to a cap ,some benefits must rise with inflation

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

yeah the poorest people struggling as it is has a rise under inflation meaning the minimum amount they need to live actually goes less far? really lucky aint they? Those who are really poor get poorer those that are not poor shop at Asda instead of Waitrose.

Some of you workers seem to think everyone on the dole is flush the reality really is quite different

---------- Post added at 19:05 ---------- Previous post was at 19:03 ----------

yeah man lets keep on doing what el gov want lets focus on the poor and sick and leave the rich tax avoiders alone its sweet that the spin works for them.

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some cases? did you not see the figures posted somewhere recently?


I will refresh. End of last year 2.52 million unemployed 476000 ( or similar figure its less than 500 000 ) ope jobs . 2 million people without a cat in hells chance of getting a job and you say a few are forced to live on JS. Please step into the real world because seriously you do not have clue about the reality of the situation. Also the figures are getting worse due to pretty much everyone moving from incap to esa having to end up signing on

Wake up and smell the coffee or please feel free to find 2 million jobs out of nowhere then your statement may be correct

---------- Post added at 19:10 ---------- Previous post was at 19:09 ----------


One council in Birmingham have already said the unemployed have to pay £200 towards CT

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

For "us workers" having a guaranteed source of income that is guaranteed to rise is considered flush ,as opposed to working 12 hrs a day with no pay rise for years and the risk of losing your job and security at a moments notice

no idea what that is meant to mean :confused:



some cases? did you not see the figures posted somewhere recently?


There is no justification for JS levels to rise faster than wages ,none whatsoever

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Plus, today I heard on the news that Members of Parliament have decided they need a pay rise. They have been ripping into our society telling us how we have to cut back and we are all in this together, except them. They are saying they need £80000 a year. We must get rid of these clowns as soon as possible.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Here in Cardiff they have mentioned AT LEAST 10% of the annual bill for unemployed, disabled or those on ESA. One group may not have to pay though, war pensioners.

They even had to recall the Welsh assembly (spit) from their Xmas break to get it voted in. If they had not voted it in, EVERYONE would have been liable to 100% of the bill.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

If you mean rise in line with inflation rather than faster yes there is. The government say that such and such an amount is the minimum to live on. Inflation rises 3% and the minimum does not grow the same then they are actually on less than they need to live on.

You workers on a decent wage ( I think the minimum wage is to low) or a living wage will be able to soak up a few quid a week a lot easier than someone with less money.

If you were to lose your job and struggle your views will most likely change

---------- Post added at 20:57 ---------- Previous post was at 20:55 ----------

there would have been a hell of a lot of court cases if that would have happen. Might become a bailiff

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

What's with the "you workers" attitude, got a chip on your shoulder ?

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I am pointing at you workers who have been brainwashed into thinking the unemployed are all scroungers and being Cameron's little sheep. You appear to fall into that group imo

I mean no offense but I have faced real hardship and poverty in my life and you just do not have a clue as to how hard it is. Some think the unemployed live the life of Riley but they do not it frustrates me and El Gov have the blame for the economy and the hardest hit by cutbacks as the poorest in the country and its wrong

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYkl3XlEneA < some very scary stats in there. I know this is based around the current US economy, but bear in mind that the UK is currently further down the line in terms of the recessions than the US. it's a long video, but well worth watching.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I am fully aware that not all unemployed are like that but there are enough to be of major concern ,you assume too much ,you have no idea what i have done in the past to ensure i have supported my family and you have no idea what i am doing now to support my family.

I have been unemployed and i have struggled ,i have also worked for years seeing people who have never worked and have no intention of working bragging about how easy their life is on the welfare with everything paid for them including the windows i was fitting for them ,basically calling me a mug because i don't get to watch a 40" telly or go on the drink every weekend .I don't need the government to brainwash me i have seen it for years with my own eyes .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

The fact you use a term such as "you workers", tells me all I need to know about you and your attitude.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

that would make you ignorant then would it not as you are making assumptions not based on any facts

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

It's not staring in the face though is it? Maybe the perception is wrong, it's certainly not backed up by the data that we have. Maybe we're focusing on these minor issues so we don't have to face up to the bigger issues: pensions, health care, and elderly care.

It's a drop in the ocean really. Small potatoes.

Also it cannot be justified to slam benefit claimants because of perception. Why don't we correct the inaccurate perception instead of pandering to it? (Obviously pretending that politicians care about another other than perception).

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I'm making an assumption based on your rhetoric.

It would appear that you hold contempt for the working population of this country? either that or you are just very poor at expressing yourself via the written word.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I made a full explanation as to who I mean't The root cause of the countries problems are mismanagement but the government use spin to distract the attention from them and put the blame on the weaker members of society. I hold in contempt those who will watch the poor get poorer and be pleased parliament is getting back a few quid of their hard earned tax when really if all tax loopholes were closed and immigration dealt with in a much much stronger way ( and leaving the EU removing the right for members to just work here)as well as expenses of the overpaid MPs the country would not be in as bad a mess as it is

While the focus is kept on clawing back pennies off the poor the rich are left alone and thats what those in power want because its the rich businesses who fund the political parties.

No one yet has said anything about the figures. 2.52 million unemployed less than 500000 jobs available tell me how can they all be workshy when there is only a few jobs to go around and the unemployment figures are going up with the ATOS interviews

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

http://skwalker1964.wordpress.com/20...essed-by-them/

Interesting article..

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Brilliant article I hope those who are constantly deriding the unemployed and using El Govs terms as skivers all read that and digest it. I fear though most will not want to see beyond the trees to find the wood

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Doesn't help when MPs are demanding more money, as they say they deserve it.

Thats a kick in the nuts if l have ever heard it.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

"demanding" - you should be a leader writer for the Sun, Arthur....

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Nobody I know thinks all the unemployed are scroungers and I don't think I've heard anyone else say that either. There are skivers in all walks of life and the unemployed are no different.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

What he said

---------- Post added at 20:18 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------

You making stuff up again arthur ,MP's are not demanding more money at all

---------- Post added at 20:22 ---------- Previous post was at 20:18 ----------

What's to say ,i think the last time we had 100% employment was during the war and even then we had lazy scroungers .I cannot ever see a time when we will have enough jobs for everyone

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

When you see headlines such as 'All in the trough together: Greedy MPs slammed for insisting they deserve £20,000 pay rise - Lib Dems thought they should be paid £78,361 on average, Labour MPs £77,322 while the Tories want £96,740 – a 48% rise'

It is quite easy to think they are 'demanding it' don't you think.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

No ,because if you read it you will see that it was a survey carried out to find out what MP's thought their jobs where worth .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I didn't say that, I was on about the headline themselves. With words such as 'insist' and 'want', it's easy to see how it can be construed. Besides, I'm sure they'll get what they want in the end.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I'm sure it will all be very democratic and put to the vote.... ;)

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Virgin Media normally only give out pay rises in accordance with an employees performance.

You need to ask yourself if you have done anything, in or out of work, to help or hinder the company in the last year or so, with regards to profitability, customer care, customer retention etc ;)

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Rich?

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

More like "comfortable", but thanks for asking....

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

thats what happens when your robbed of your union rights -all you get is the crumbs from the masters table unless they go to the dogs of course , lowly workers don't need money to survive they should just be great-full they have a job -just doff your cap and tug on your forelock and step back on the treadmill;)

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Well they can't be so bad if they provide free gym facilities to their employees... :D

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

If you know our system then you will know what a 5 is, i know that end of year appraisal very well indeed and have done for a good few years now need i say more. other than you are entitled to your view, even if it is incorrect. ;)

---------- Post added at 10:25 ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 ----------

:LOL:

---------- Post added at 10:27 ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 ----------

Nail and head seems to fit this post nicely

---------- Post added at 10:29 ---------- Previous post was at 10:27 ----------

Never got off it i have far to much work to do.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

What is so annoying is that IF MPs think they are worth all that money, to argue the toss over government policies, then police officers are worth double.

MPs cannot justify that sort of wage, we have young coppers going on the streets of London risking there lives for £19.000 - £20.000 per year for us, and they have been told that they won't get a pay rise for two years.

I know of three great mates of mine in the job, who get injured, abused, and get fully stressed, and are now planning on leaving due to the cutbacks in there money and the risk of losing there jobs due to the cutbacks, and yet you have overpaid puppets in Parliament, who do nothing but cut this country to bits - saying they deserve more money - l dont so.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

And MP's have suggested to the commons expenses watchdog that they deserve a 32% increases in their pay to £86,250 a year!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20978487

---------- Post added at 15:48 ---------- Previous post was at 15:42 ----------

A 5 won't pay for the ever increasing cost of living ie food, fuel etc.

Discretionary pay increases take allsorts of things into account, many of which aren't transparent or documented.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

This just enforces peoples view that it really is about them against us.

and the way it works is we'll say 32% is way too much (they know we will object) and they'll say you can have 25% instead. and we'll say Victory! power to the people! and they thought they'd get away with it but we told them otherwise.

they'll just smirk and wink at each other.

---------- Post added at 16:11 ---------- Previous post was at 16:00 ----------

Dave would normally say to this kind of thing where people want money that the country hasn't got. this is preposterous! and get a little bit angry.

but surprise surprise. he's not.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

No they didn't ,they filled out an anonymous online yougov poll on behalf of the expenses watchdog ,to find out what mp's thought the job was worth ,probably in comparison to head teachers and other high paid civil servants .

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Good point Damien. Also, in my view, disabled people are currently being demonised. By the Governments own admission, the fraud/error rate for Disability Living Allowance is 0.005%, yet cuts are to be made by redefining the definition of disability. Another measure is to use the same tactic to push disabled people onto the lower rate JSA, with the Government knowing full well that there aren't enough jobs to go round and that it is likely that employers will prefer to take on non disabled people first.

The Government said that any council that did not create a local scheme, with a 10% cut in funding, would have a central Govt. default scheme imposed on them.

It is important to note that the money now available for council tax reduction schemes will be fixed. If, for example, an area is subject to flooding or mass redundancies resulting in a increase in people applying for help, people will probably received revised bills with less relief and more to pay!

I totally agree. Means tested benefits are worked out to provide for the bare minimum essentials in life. For example, an allowance is only made for one bath/shower a week. Not increasing means tested benefits will push people below the poverty line. This is even before cuts to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit etc are taken into account.

I also know quite a few people who held those on benefits with contempt. When their businesses failed or they were made redundant, their attitude suddenly changed!

My defense of the benefits system is not wholly selfless, any one of us can have our life changed in the blink of an eyelid.

All it can take is a relationship breakdown, diagnosis of a terminal illness, the loss of an order in a factory etc.

---------- Post added at 18:53 ---------- Previous post was at 18:41 ----------

There will always be lazy "scroungers", but successive Governments of all persuasions have put in place policies to prevent this. It's no longer enough to turn up once a fortnight and sign to say that you were available for work in the last fortnight (and rightly so).

When I was young, some people were referred to as "work shy" (This was used in a derogatory fashion), because they couldn't face work or simply couldn't fit in and/or their face didn't fit. This was assumed to be their own fault and probably done to get the sack and go back on benefits.

With hindsight, I wonder how many were actually suffering from social phobia, autism, aspergers syndrome, OCD, ADHD etc?

These conditions weren't known about and/or appreciated then, even children with dyslexia were assumed to be lazy or stupid in those days!

I took my information from the BBC link that I quoted.

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

I take it you have no idea what a 5 is from your answer ;)

Got told today we should all be in line for a pay rise as long as we hit our targets, might not be a big one but at least its something :)

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

So did i. The press have sensationalised it ,if the same poll was put in front of any one of us we would probably say our wage should me 20-30% more as well

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

But that wouldn't make such a nice story for the media to peddle would it...

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Does it ever, the daily rants would be out of a job :)

Re: Could this be the year of major problems
 

Exactly ,i will be concerned when a formal claim is put in for 20-30% rise .

Of course we may be missing the whole point of why there was a survey in the first place .Maybe there is some big shakeup on the horizon in how mp's get paid .Maybe IPSA are looking at paying more but allowing less expenses,there will be a reason for the survey and it wasn't just for fun ,the current pay freeze is ending soon isn't it ?