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Why are we treated like this?

Queenofdisabilities
Queenofdisabilities Community member Posts: 91 Connected
Why does it feel like every year when the budget comes out our benefits barely go up?
Yet constantly the government's fat cats are always given massive pay rises.
Its not just me thinking this is it?
The rich get richer & the poor get poorer.

Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    I agree in part bit my thoughts are with people like nurses who dont get enough in first place 

    There are lots of employees out there who sont get any annual increase and haven't done for years 

    Those on benefits do get a annual increase which isnt much but reflective 

    Myself personally would give my benefit increase to the hard working nurses gladly 

    But agree rich get richer and gov leaders and mps get far too much 
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    Many public sector workers have had pay freezes year after year, whilst some benefits have increased, I remember in the early days of claiming benefits (early 2000's) when we would get 5% increases.
    I agree that nurses should be looked after but a newly qualified nurse gets £25,000 a year and the average pay for a nurse is over £33,000
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    edited March 2021

    All weekly PIP rates. 

    The standard sum daily living is £59.70 at present, but will increase to £60.00, a rise of 30p.

    The enhanced rate of the daily living component will also increase, from £89.15 to £89.60, a rise of 45p.

    standard mobility part is £23.60 which increases to £23.70 an increase of 10p.

    enhanced mobility part is rising from £62.25 to £62.55, an increase of 30p.

    These increased rates are payable from April 6th 2021.

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
    ― Dalai Lama XIV

  • NotReally
    NotReally Community member Posts: 59 Pioneering
    Why does it feel like every year when the budget comes out our benefits barely go up?
    Yet constantly the government's fat cats are always given massive pay rises.
    Its not just me thinking this is it?
    The rich get richer & the poor get poorer.
    The UK has serious issues with systemic corruption; so ingrained as to be invisible to the people perpetrating it.  Combine this with the very worrying fact that those who administer the country's finances (both present and historic) seem to lack the most basic understanding of how financial affairs of nation states actually work, and ... well, it looks like we're going down the austerity path again, despite announcements to the contrary.  If this is the case, then on top of the last 10-ish years, the idiocy of brexit, we're looking at potentially crippling our economy for a generation or more.

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    @NotReally nobody could have planned for the pandemic but credit where it's due the government has poured hundreds of billions into doing its best to protecting the economy and jobs, unemployment was forecast by the OBR to be 11.1% this year the forecast is now 6% or 1.5 million fewer jobs lost.
    The even better news is that the very poorest won't be forced to foot this bill, whilst large profitable corporations will see their tax bills increase 25%
    I would question your assertion that we have systemic corruption, I have no idea where you get that idea from.
    As for brexit that's done and dusted and no one has starved to death due to lack of imports have they?
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • NotReally
    NotReally Community member Posts: 59 Pioneering
    edited March 2021
    woodbine said:
    @NotReally nobody could have planned for the pandemic
    That's ... not really (heh) the case.  Predicting this pandemic, at this time - no, of course not, that's not how probability works, but how probability does work is that, yes, something like this was (almost certainly) going to happen at some point.  And we were actively not prepared, due to multiple issues ... to say nothing of the initial "response".
    woodbine said:
    but credit where it's due the government has poured hundreds of billions into doing its best to protecting the economy and jobs, unemployment was forecast by the OBR to be 11.1% this year the forecast is now 6% or 1.5 million fewer jobs lost.
    Yes, it could have been worse, but that's pretty bloody bad.  The real issue is how bad it will be going forward, which I initially had some hope about, until after the budget, and especially with having started to be shaken out ... and I'm not so positive at this point.
    woodbine said:
    The even better news is that the very poorest won't be forced to foot this bill, whilst large profitable corporations will see their tax bills increase 25%
    Unfortunately, most all of us will foot the bill, and it'll be the poorest that it hits the most. The changes in PIP quoted above are a good example, along with the public sector pay freeze, which represents both an astonishingly poor understanding of basic economics, and that all of us are going to suffer because of it.

    To clarify - the PIP increases and the public sector pay represent a reduction in income.
    I would question your assertion that we have systemic corruption, I have no idea where you get that idea from.
    This is ... well, it's not complex, but it's difficult (for me at least) to communicate, as it takes a change in reference frame to see. While I am happy to talk about this stuff, it's mentally costly and I need to focus that energy on dealing with other difficult communication tasks, which are, I hope you will understand, far more important to me, the main of which is trying to resolve the situation around visitation with my son.
    However, as some examples, I will point to: the expenses scandal, the cash for access scandal, the PPE contracts last year, recent ("attempted"?) contact from a former prime minister and government departments. That this stuff is in the public domain is a pretty large red flag as to what else is not generally in the public domain ... ok ... other stuff to put here, but I'm losing the ability to do so. And it's advisabile to be somewhat circumspect, especially about smaller (but more worrying) examples.
    woodbine said:
    As for brexit that's done and dusted and no one has starved to death due to lack of imports have they?
    Again, not really (heh) the point; the point is what the long term economic impact will be.  Long term, as in multigenerational impact, most concerningly on the least well off of us.  Partially, the issue here is with what we won't see, rather than what we will see.  To help get a grasp of this it's worth taking a look at the disparity between countries that engaged with the industrial revolution and those that didn't ... in some cases the difference is still pretty noticable.

    For what it's worth ... I desperately hope that I am wrong about all any of this.
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    i suppose that might be difference between us, I'm a glass half full type of person, always looking for the best in situations, and always believe that those we elect to govern us usually do their very best.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    @vikingqueen 100% agree the system is far from perfect but at least we do have a safety net here in the UK 
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    Politics as ever is about a point of view, no one is ever all right no one is ever all wrong.
    The 1% for the NHS isn't finalised yet, its a recommendation to the pay review body, who might have other ideas.
    I'm sure in the near future there will be inquiry after inquiry into how well the govt.performed during the pandemic but what will it matter? 99.999% of us by then will probably just be glad its all over and done with.
    The impacts of brexit will not be what they might once have been, what with EU nations being slow to vaccinate and going back into a 3rd wave, the UK economy may well end up as a shining beacon that the other 27 will be jealous of.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    I agree with Mike we haven't felt the impact yet with brevit and corona virus on top in my opinion I think the UK will be on its knees untill the UK can be built back up again it is going to get worse before it gets better the impact hasn't been felt yet 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @janer1967 I agree with you about nurses but I think its carers that need a pay rise most are on low pay not many carers get a liveing wage  and they  work long hours and work hard when I was foing care up until last year I started work at 7am and I working until 11.00pm 6 days a week and sometimes seven days if I was covering other people's shifts 

    Many of my friends have gone above and beyond being carers in the pandemic some have lost their lives  
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    I agree with Mike we haven't felt the impact yet with brevit and corona virus on top in my opinion I think the UK will be on its knees untill the UK can be built back up again it is going to get worse before it gets better the impact hasn't been felt yet 
    According to the OBR the Uk economy will grow by 7% next year as we see an unprecedented bounce back, in fact growth is expected from Q3 this year as people rush out to spend the exceptional amounts of money that has been saved in the last year.
    Growth is also forecast for every year over the next 5.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @woodbine we will see lots of people lost their jobs and lots of business closed down only time will tell alot of people have spent savings 
  • Queenofdisabilities
    Queenofdisabilities Community member Posts: 91 Connected
    Janer1967,
    I would give the 
    Heroines &  Heroes of the NHS a very big pay rise if I could.
    I used to be 1 of them.
  • Quinty
    Quinty Community member Posts: 47 Courageous
    And they are the most unhelpful unsympathetic people. 

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