Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Chris T
Hence the use of inverted commas ... I agree with you, it's not sponging when you pay in more than you get out. I was trying to illustrate that some of what we decry as sponging is nothing of the sort. IMO, there are plenty of cases in which people may get more from the welfare state than they ever pay in, and yet are still not sponging.
|
On the same basis you are sponging off an insurance company if your house burns down and they have to rebuild it. After all it is not likely that you have paid in more than the rebuild cost in premiums.
Or... If you get expensive medical treatment on Bupa, it only takes one big claim (hip replacement / heart bypass) to cover the premiums paid in.
Perhaps we are all sponging off the NHS by letting them deliver our babies, those maternity wards are expensive places to run, you can't schedule effectivly nature does not seem to have an exact plan over deliveries.
The Right come up with a good idea, that probably will not cost much and will probably help business as they can plan maternity absence with a greater degree of certainty as more women are likely to want a 6-9-12 month absence and a temp can be brought in and trained properly, one of the biggest problems for eers in the UK is the fact that women can come back at any time from 6 weeks to 12 months and have their old job (or an equivilant) back and they only need to give 4 weeks notice of their intention to return. Makes resource planning a nightmare. This must be a good idea as Tone took time to offer more post partum care before he jumped on BlairForce One to the US.