The Comprehensive Spending Review Thread - Page 4

Ignitionnet · 20-10-2010, 22:34

mertle.

Just for you.

You evidently missed the 900mn that's going towards combating tax evasion I guess.

peanut · 21-10-2010, 00:17

I'm not sure about this but those that are on incapacity benefit at the moment will be put onto ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) sometime soon and those will only be able to claim that for 12 months then automatically put onto Jobseekers allowance. If you are still sick and can't find employment after 12 months you would also lose some housing benefit as you move into a different type of JSA.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-benefit.html (sorry it's a Daily Mail link, but there are others stating the same).

frogstamper · 21-10-2010, 02:31

I imagine the 37% increase to the Overseas Aid budget will rankle at the Mail and Telegraph, this increase actually makes the UK the first country to meet the 0.7% of GDP obligation agreed upon forty years ago.
Whatever the motives behind this, this is good news for some of the poorest people on the planet.

Woolly One · 21-10-2010, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogstamper

I imagine the 37% increase to the Overseas Aid budget will rankle at the Mail and Telegraph, this increase actually makes the UK the first country to meet the 0.7% of GDP obligation agreed upon forty years ago.
Whatever the motives behind this, this is good news for some of the poorest people on the planet.

That is of course if the money actually reaches them. And isn't just syphoned off by the govenments of the countries the money is sent to.

**Maggy** · 21-10-2010, 11:34

What I'm trying to work out is how people whom are permanently incapacitated/disabled through illness or injury are to be funded..Or are they to be retested every 12 months as well?

Taf · 21-10-2010, 14:32

I think they may get a crisis loan to buy a begging bowl.

---------- Post added at 15:32 ---------- Previous post was at 14:31 ----------

Quote:

Reductions in spending on welfare will affect different groups in different ways. Where possible, mitigating actions have been taken to protect the most vulnerable, consistent with meeting the policy aims of encouraging work and reducing the deficit. For example, time limiting of the Employment and Support Allowance does not apply to the most severely disabled or those claiming it on an income related basis, and the cap limiting the total amount of benefits that can be paid to a household does not apply to people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_191696.pdf

Derek · 21-10-2010, 15:11

Nick Robinson doesn't like people protesting behind him when he is doing a bit to camera.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/...d=644049937001

Still professional to the end he waited till the cameras stopped before loosing his temper.

**Chris** · 21-10-2010, 15:17

Good on him.

Ignitionnet · 21-10-2010, 15:17

How's the reaction from Scotland / Wales / Northern Ireland?

colin25 · 21-10-2010, 15:19

Still in shock and denial in Scotland...they want their cake, and eat it

But Scottish Budget details are not released until 18 November..will know details then

**Hugh** · 21-10-2010, 15:20

To be fair, Wee Alex has a twofer - blaming the Sassenachs and the Tories....

colin25 · 21-10-2010, 15:21

Threesome...and labour for the sins of the past

peanut · 21-10-2010, 16:19

A couple of things I don't like the sound of..

From the BBC

Quote:

Changes to housing benefit mean people up the age of 35 will not be able to claim as much as before from April 2012. They will be able to claim housing benefit only for a room in a shared house rather than their own flat

It seems that parents will be stuck with the kids for a lot longer than they thought.

And

Quote:

Housing costs could spiral. The average rent for a three-bedroom social home is around Â£85 a week - and the National Housing Federation warns that this could treble to a "staggering" Â£250 a week.

That sounds scary if that's the case. What will really be the point now of social housing? This won't affect those already in social housing, but what if you want to move, does it mean you go onto this new contract?

As for the new sickness benefit, I thought that they said they wanted to make it easier and fairer for all. The new system sounds a whole lot more complicated and much more unfair for a lot of people (I know they have to do something), but until they come up with fairer way of doing it I can't see how it's going to work, but I'm sure that doesn't really matter as it's not designed to help anyone.

Sorry rant over.

Gary L · 21-10-2010, 21:40

Will any of this lot be reversed when the country is back in the black again?

would civil unrest or even riots have any bearing on the decisions being made?

Ignitionnet · 21-10-2010, 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

Will any of this lot be reversed when the country is back in the black again?

would civil unrest or even riots have any bearing on the decisions being made?

I hope the answer to both of those is a big no. The point of these are to get the country in the black and keep it there so that the government can support the economy effectively when it needs to again. This means not throwing 49% of GDP at public spending while taxing less than 40%.

This is purely rolling back the growth of the state between 2006-7 and now, not stripping to the bone to the point where the country can't operate anymore.

Not that scary public spending going back to 2006-7 levels despite Comrade Crow's calls for civil disobedience and mass action.