100,000 of the region's poorest residents due to receive first council tax bill (From The Northern Echo)

100,000 have to cancel Sky box subscription and/or give up smoking?

My ESA goes into my bank today. £142 for 2 weeks. I'll be able to take £9 out to live on for the next fortnight as the rest has to stay in to cover Direct Debits for bills. Gas and Electric bill is the killer, mines just gone up another 10% so now £88 a month.
And before anyone claims I can afford the internet to post on here, it's my brothers.
I wish the Council every success in getting money out of me that I simply don't have.

Traser wrote:
100,000 have to cancel Sky box subscription and/or give up smoking?

Do you have statistics to prove your claims?

Traser wrote:
100,000 have to cancel Sky box subscription and/or give up smoking?

I don't drink, don't smoke don't even have a TV let alone Sky, so what else do I give up?

So the millionaires government that fights for bankers to keep their obscene bonuses and doesn't believe that they should pay tax, is cutting money to those who have little to start with.
The nasty party up to it's nasty tricks and their fellow travelers come on here to blame the victims.
Fight this government not your neighbours.

People need to write to the Prime Minister and their local MP and go out and vote at the elections for the person that most closely represents what they want the Govt to do.

Auldgadgey wrote:
So the millionaires government that fights for bankers to keep their obscene bonuses and doesn't believe that they should pay tax, is cutting money to those who have little to start with. The nasty party up to it's nasty tricks and their fellow travelers come on here to blame the victims. Fight this government not your neighbours.

OK cut the bankers bonuses. When you factor in NI for every million paid to a banker, the banker gets £480,000 and the government trousers £658,000, most of which goes to pay for the welfare state. Cut the bonuses and you cut income for the government and so there is less to spend on welfare. You can't have it both ways.

The Grim North wrote:

Auldgadgey wrote:
So the millionaires government that fights for bankers to keep their obscene bonuses and doesn't believe that they should pay tax, is cutting money to those who have little to start with. The nasty party up to it's nasty tricks and their fellow travelers come on here to blame the victims. Fight this government not your neighbours.

OK cut the bankers bonuses. When you factor in NI for every million paid to a banker, the banker gets £480,000 and the government trousers £658,000, most of which goes to pay for the welfare state. Cut the bonuses and you cut income for the government and so there is less to spend on welfare. You can't have it both ways.

Are these the same bankers who's corrupt practices caused the 2008 crisis? Who then went on to receive over 1 trillion to 'save' them, causing our UK Debt to double and leaving the rest of us to suffer years of austerity.
Do you seriously believe these bankers pay the contributions you claim??
They should all be in jail or paying back every single penny they owe us before any bonus is given out. If they don't like it, go. Go and ruin some other countries economy.

Jonn wrote:

The Grim North wrote:

Auldgadgey wrote: So the millionaires government that fights for bankers to keep their obscene bonuses and doesn't believe that they should pay tax, is cutting money to those who have little to start with. The nasty party up to it's nasty tricks and their fellow travelers come on here to blame the victims. Fight this government not your neighbours.

OK cut the bankers bonuses. When you factor in NI for every million paid to a banker, the banker gets £480,000 and the government trousers £658,000, most of which goes to pay for the welfare state. Cut the bonuses and you cut income for the government and so there is less to spend on welfare. You can't have it both ways.

Are these the same bankers who's corrupt practices caused the 2008 crisis? Who then went on to receive over 1 trillion to 'save' them, causing our UK Debt to double and leaving the rest of us to suffer years of austerity. Do you seriously believe these bankers pay the contributions you claim?? They should all be in jail or paying back every single penny they owe us before any bonus is given out. If they don't like it, go. Go and ruin some other countries economy.

Thats fine, just put them on minimum wage if it makes you feel better, shut them all down or let them relocate to Singapore but I don't want to be saddled with additional income tax to make up the shortfall.

The Grim North wrote:

Jonn wrote:

The Grim North wrote:

Auldgadgey wrote: So the millionaires government that fights for bankers to keep their obscene bonuses and doesn't believe that they should pay tax, is cutting money to those who have little to start with. The nasty party up to it's nasty tricks and their fellow travelers come on here to blame the victims. Fight this government not your neighbours.

OK cut the bankers bonuses. When you factor in NI for every million paid to a banker, the banker gets £480,000 and the government trousers £658,000, most of which goes to pay for the welfare state. Cut the bonuses and you cut income for the government and so there is less to spend on welfare. You can't have it both ways.

Are these the same bankers who's corrupt practices caused the 2008 crisis? Who then went on to receive over 1 trillion to 'save' them, causing our UK Debt to double and leaving the rest of us to suffer years of austerity. Do you seriously believe these bankers pay the contributions you claim?? They should all be in jail or paying back every single penny they owe us before any bonus is given out. If they don't like it, go. Go and ruin some other countries economy.

Thats fine, just put them on minimum wage if it makes you feel better, shut them all down or let them relocate to Singapore but I don't want to be saddled with additional income tax to make up the shortfall.

Just paying back what they owe the British people before rewarding themselves with huge bonuses will be sufficient thanks.

"Grimnorth"
So the answer to the problems caused to the world economy by banker's three card tricks, will be solved by paying those same bankers big bonuses?
Which planet do you live on??

And, some Banks have recently been fined for dragging their feet over PPI payouts! How much p.i.s.s are they going to take before we react??
If we don't bring the whole lot down we will suffer again and again.

The reference to bankers whilst amusing is a distraction. This issue is about people who by any measure are at the bottom end of the income range being asked to pay for something they have never had to fund. I accept that it will cause additional hardship for many. Some will refuse to pay and will have to take the consequences, whatever they may be. But frankly the way to sort this out properly is to reduce council tax to the levels we had 20 years ago. That would mean cutting it in half - it doubled with no improvement in services. No Labour controlled council is ever going to let that happen. The answer is obvious.

Auldgadgey wrote:
"Grimnorth" So the answer to the problems caused to the world economy by banker's three card tricks, will be solved by paying those same bankers big bonuses? Which planet do you live on??

The government has underwritten the banking sector generally and in the case of a handfull of banks taken direct ownership. In these cases, as a majority shareholder the government should determine the rate of pay for those bankers. As for the rest they are private companies with shareholders. What they pay their employees is up to them. The governments clawback from income tax is greater than that from corporation tax so if you take say 100 million off you wage bill and add it to the bottom line by curbing the bankers wages then overall the government's tax take will be less. Whether the bankers deserve their bonuses is a different question of course.

The Grim North wrote:

Auldgadgey wrote:
So the millionaires government that fights for bankers to keep their obscene bonuses and doesn't believe that they should pay tax, is cutting money to those who have little to start with. The nasty party up to it's nasty tricks and their fellow travelers come on here to blame the victims. Fight this government not your neighbours.

OK cut the bankers bonuses. When you factor in NI for every million paid to a banker, the banker gets £480,000 and the government trousers £658,000, most of which goes to pay for the welfare state. Cut the bonuses and you cut income for the government and so there is less to spend on welfare. You can't have it both ways.

Better still tax the bonuses then you will not have to batter the vunerable

15 comments in and no one has blamed the EU or immigration there are other easy targets to blame than just bankers. Seriously though the country is so in the red its untrue, and unless we want to end up in an even worse mess, we all have to pay more in and that includes those at the bottom for once. Yes you are worse off than those at the top but everyone is worse off you cannot just blame those at the top, everyone is benefiting from the shiny new schools, hospitals etc that were built in the boom years we now all have to pay the bill.

The hard-up Labour heartlands in the news once again … self-inflicted maybe and it all started going downhill about 1997 with the growth of Bingo, Gambling, Cheap Booze, Smokers, Pasty eaters, and benefit-dependency and these people thrived, many in poor health !
Now we’re getting more Casino style slot machines making £1 billion a year, picking pockets of the so called poor, the out of work and benefit-dependent people … something Blair and his Government started and whose voters suffer the most.
Time for the Mps and councillors got off their backsides in my view and went walk-a-bout to see the damage they have done !

PS …Time also to campaign to STOP the debt-ridden taxpayer-owned BANKS from giving £multi-million sponsoring deals to sport … its fraudulent, breeds corruption and out of line with public expectation and could be much better used to help the REAL needy people !

What planet are you living on st george vices like gambling alcohol and smoking only started in 1997? Give your head a shake. What's cheap about beer and smoking either they've been taxed to the hilt and smokers kicked outside the pub.

Plus, you think a few million would help the needy? Really? Plus sponsorship deals raise profile, raising sales and therefore the value of a company so we can then sell that asset can be sold on for more. You really are sorry sighted aren't you?

Nobody mentioned greedy councillors with their snouts in the council tax trough. Darlington snouts get between 8000 and 30000 a year.

Thats a lot of trough

I'm sorry there seems to be a lot ''of we're not to blame'', they are going on here.

I sympathise with those who genuinely cannot work (whether they are incapacitated or are currently looking) but why don't you take a shot at those who have been milking the system for years.

Maybe, just maybe those people are part of the reason for these cuts as well. Bankers gambled with money but nobody complains when they're winning, only when they're losing.

Half the people affected racked up their own personal debts, buying items/ cars/ houses they knew they couldn't afford but didn't listen. What a shame it all came crashing down.

As I say, I know some people are genuinely in need of help and this is a blow to them. I do sympathise and I do think it's unfair that because of the small minority, the majority have to suffer, but please remember, it's not just those on benefits who are being milked for everything, it's the working class people too (and probably more so).

People who have been penalised by this change in the Benefit rules should have the right to cancel any monthly payments for Sky, Virgin or Wonga contracts etc. that they now cannot afford to pay, without any penalty. Force Majeur is I think the phrase.

A massive transfer of wealth from Western economies to Eastern economies is already underway and will continue and may actually accelerate over the next 10 years or so. Just look at the current trade gap or "balance of payments deficit".
The only industry which supplies significant tax revenues is the UK's financial sector, so, be very wary of the consequences when demanding the heads of bankers.
The UK, now seems on a trajectory of terminal decline where we will be unable to generate sufficent taxes to cover the status quo social demands of the Nation.
The ludicrous PFI contracts for new hospitals are already starting to consume a vast amount of the NHS budget and there is a strong possibility
many more health trusts will become effectively bankrupt as falling "tax take" will limit future NHS spending.
Similarly, other social benefits across the whole spectrum will decline with more and more charities trying to fill the gap whilst appealing for aid from the richer Eastern economies.
The living standards we have enjoyed in the past will never be seen again and the only thing the politicians of any party will be able to do, is to try and manage the decline in as humane a way as possible.
Brutally gloomy but very possible.

st-george1 wrote:
The hard-up Labour heartlands in the news once again … self-inflicted maybe and it all started going downhill about 1997 with the growth of Bingo, Gambling, Cheap Booze, Smokers, Pasty eaters, and benefit-dependency and these people thrived, many in poor health !
Now we’re getting more Casino style slot machines making £1 billion a year, picking pockets of the so called poor, the out of work and benefit-dependent people … something Blair and his Government started and whose voters suffer the most.
Time for the Mps and councillors got off their backsides in my view and went walk-a-bout to see the damage they have done !

PS …Time also to campaign to STOP the debt-ridden taxpayer-owned BANKS from giving £multi-million sponsoring deals to sport … its fraudulent, breeds corruption and out of line with public expectation and could be much better used to help the REAL needy people !

Where were you before 1997, in a coma?

Withnail Lefty wrote:
A massive transfer of wealth from Western economies to Eastern economies is already underway and will continue and may actually accelerate over the next 10 years or so. Just look at the current trade gap or "balance of payments deficit".
The only industry which supplies significant tax revenues is the UK's financial sector, so, be very wary of the consequences when demanding the heads of bankers.
The UK, now seems on a trajectory of terminal decline where we will be unable to generate sufficent taxes to cover the status quo social demands of the Nation.
The ludicrous PFI contracts for new hospitals are already starting to consume a vast amount of the NHS budget and there is a strong possibility
many more health trusts will become effectively bankrupt as falling "tax take" will limit future NHS spending.
Similarly, other social benefits across the whole spectrum will decline with more and more charities trying to fill the gap whilst appealing for aid from the richer Eastern economies.
The living standards we have enjoyed in the past will never be seen again and the only thing the politicians of any party will be able to do, is to try and manage the decline in as humane a way as possible.
Brutally gloomy but very possible.

Sensible comment as well as 'locallad'. We can all go round in circles blaming who is responsible but we are where we are and have to deal with it which I think this government is actually trying to do like it or not. Things are going to get worse for several more years before they (hopefully) start to get better assuming the current policies remain. Returning to the original story, those on benefits obviously will deny this and dont want to hear it but the welfare state has been spiralling unchecked out of control for the last 2 decades with spending consuming over 20% of the entire UK budget (as opposed to only 10% 30 years ago) which is unaffordable and unsustainable, there are less taxpayers paying in to the system trying to support more taking from the system year on year which means something has to give as there is only a certain viable amount of taxation acceptable to those paying tax. The welfare state in the 1990's & noughty's will be viewed in 50 years time as being extremely generous compared with whats coming so make the most of what your getting now and stop complaining, taxpayers can only fund so much and the tipping point has been reached.

Withnail Lefty:
“The living standards we have enjoyed in the past will never be seen again and the only thing the politicians of any party will be able to do, is to try and manage the decline in as humane a way as possible.”

This is true. You had the chance in 1940 to make the best decision for Britain. But you bit the hand of friendship and refused a partnership that would have secured economic prosperity for our countries for centuries to come.

You now reap what you sow. You now have nothing to offer, but if the British poodle remains loyal to its American master then you may not starve.

GunnerB wrote:
People who have been penalised by this change in the Benefit rules should have the right to cancel any monthly payments for Sky, Virgin or Wonga contracts etc. that they now cannot afford to pay, without any penalty. Force Majeur is I think the phrase.

Can you provide evidence, such as a link, to show the amount of benefit claimants receiving sky or virgin? Also, can you provide evidence of how many benefit claimants have Wonga contracts?
Thanks.

Fuhrer , You think we should have been partners with Germany during the war,what like Russia, silly little boy.

and they thought they had selected a lifestyle that anyone else would pay for them.

Yes there will be some howls
But its fair ..

spragger wrote:
and they thought they had selected a lifestyle that anyone else would pay for them.

Yes there will be some howls
But its fair ..

Who selects to be born disabled, or become ill or made unemployed or work part time or work for minimum wage?

Jonn wrote:

spragger wrote:
and they thought they had selected a lifestyle that anyone else would pay for them.

Yes there will be some howls
But its fair ..

Who selects to be born disabled, or become ill or made unemployed or work part time or work for minimum wage?

Personal pride in doing something for their money should be enough for someone to take a minimum wage job. All this "I wouldnt get out of bed for less than £500 a week" stuff gets right on my nerves. My first job paid me £27 a week on a YTS. Now I run my own business. If you dont have the gumption to get on in life why should you expect others to look after you.

Some people will have to pay £300 a year in council tax? I pay more than that in two months so hopefully when they start paying their way mine might come down a bit. I really couldnt care less if someone has £9 per week to live on im sick to the back teeth of paying for them. Sell a kidney if you are that desperate but do us poor long suffering tax payers a favour and stop moaning about not getting money for doing bugger all.

loan_star wrote:

Jonn wrote:

spragger wrote:
and they thought they had selected a lifestyle that anyone else would pay for them.

Yes there will be some howls
But its fair ..

Who selects to be born disabled, or become ill or made unemployed or work part time or work for minimum wage?

Personal pride in doing something for their money should be enough for someone to take a minimum wage job. All this "I wouldnt get out of bed for less than £500 a week" stuff gets right on my nerves. My first job paid me £27 a week on a YTS. Now I run my own business. If you dont have the gumption to get on in life why should you expect others to look after you.

I really wish people would read up on the facts instead of taking the default view that everyone claiming a benefit has done so since birth and never contributed. It's very blinkered.
The minimum wage is no longer a living wage, it hasn't been for 5 or 6 years so this is why people are having to claim Housing and Council Tax benefits. 90% of all new HB claims in the last 2 years were made by people IN WORK (Govt own stats).
I didn't say people won't work for minimum wage but people wouldn't SELECT to, so please read things properly. Personal pride is fine but if it don't pay the bills, there aint no pride.
I've never heard anyone saying they wouldn't get out of bed for less than £500. You must hang out with Supermodels.
I worked on a YTS too, £29 a week, when I was 16. I was then released after 1 year to be replaced by another mug who was probably promised a job at the end too. I then went on another YTS and released again after 1 year.
There's plenty of people with gumption but there are NO PROPER JOBS!!

outragedofmiltonkeyn
es wrote:
Some people will have to pay £300 a year in council tax? I pay more than that in two months so hopefully when they start paying their way mine might come down a bit. I really couldnt care less if someone has £9 per week to live on im sick to the back teeth of paying for them. Sell a kidney if you are that desperate but do us poor long suffering tax payers a favour and stop moaning about not getting money for doing bugger all.

Maybe you should move to a property with a lower council tax band if you don't like paying £150 a month.
I'm 41 and worked for 22 years but now find myself ill. I can't help being ill. I've paid enough dues to claim something until I'm well again but this Government are just hammering me into the ground, the further they push me makes the way back even harder.
All you 'poor long suffering tax payers' need to research where most of your money really goes. Those stupid enough to believe the benefit propaganda hate campaign need to open their eyes.

oo mk is moaning about people only paying £300, these are people who haven't enough to live on to start with. If you having trouble paying your council tax try going out to work instead of contributing to this blog all the time!!.

argo2013 wrote:
Fuhrer , You think we should have been partners with Germany during the war,what like Russia, silly little boy.

It was clear in Mein Kampf the hatred the Fuhrer had for the evil of Marxism and Communism in Russia. This did not change. There is a big difference between a 'non-aggression pact' between two enemies, and a proposed partnership of the kind the Fuhrer wished for with Britain.

But I forgive your ignorance.

I forgive all your problems as well this is 2013 not 1940.

Jonn wrote:

outragedofmiltonkeyn

es wrote:
Some people will have to pay £300 a year in council tax? I pay more than that in two months so hopefully when they start paying their way mine might come down a bit. I really couldnt care less if someone has £9 per week to live on im sick to the back teeth of paying for them. Sell a kidney if you are that desperate but do us poor long suffering tax payers a favour and stop moaning about not getting money for doing bugger all.

Maybe you should move to a property with a lower council tax band if you don't like paying £150 a month.
I'm 41 and worked for 22 years but now find myself ill. I can't help being ill. I've paid enough dues to claim something until I'm well again but this Government are just hammering me into the ground, the further they push me makes the way back even harder.
All you 'poor long suffering tax payers' need to research where most of your money really goes. Those stupid enough to believe the benefit propaganda hate campaign need to open their eyes.

Maths obviously isnt a strong point with you then? I really dont care if you die from the illness with which you are afflicted, maybe if you and a few more claimants popped their cork we would be better off as a scociety.

argo2013 wrote:
oo mk is moaning about people only paying £300, these are people who haven't enough to live on to start with. If you having trouble paying your council tax try going out to work instead of contributing to this blog all the time!!.

You, clearly, are an ars e. At what point did i say i was having trouble paying anything? I could buy you and everything you have out of my back pocket but thats not the point, the point is i work for every penny in my rather large bank account(s) and resent, in fact am reviled by, workshy morons. Stop smoking and paying mobile phone subscriptions, sky tv, all the latest tracksuit styles and cut down on the lambrini and frosty jacks. Easy.

outragedofmiltonkeyn
es wrote:

Jonn wrote:

outragedofmiltonkeyn


es wrote:
Some people will have to pay £300 a year in council tax? I pay more than that in two months so hopefully when they start paying their way mine might come down a bit. I really couldnt care less if someone has £9 per week to live on im sick to the back teeth of paying for them. Sell a kidney if you are that desperate but do us poor long suffering tax payers a favour and stop moaning about not getting money for doing bugger all.

Maybe you should move to a property with a lower council tax band if you don't like paying £150 a month.
I'm 41 and worked for 22 years but now find myself ill. I can't help being ill. I've paid enough dues to claim something until I'm well again but this Government are just hammering me into the ground, the further they push me makes the way back even harder.
All you 'poor long suffering tax payers' need to research where most of your money really goes. Those stupid enough to believe the benefit propaganda hate campaign need to open their eyes.

Maths obviously isnt a strong point with you then? I really dont care if you die from the illness with which you are afflicted, maybe if you and a few more claimants popped their cork we would be better off as a scociety.

You said you pay more than £300 in 2 months, so that is roughly £150 a month. £150 a month is what I said. No calculator needed on that one.
As for you commenting that you don't really care if I die from my illness, well, I think you have perfectly echoed exactly with this Government thinks too. Such hate filled thinking will be yours and their downfall.

More than £300 in two months is more than £150 per month, not roughly £150. Maybe you do need a calculator. As for hate filled thinking, you are using this statement completely out of context but have no doubt read it on here from some other illiterate luddite and feel it is a sign of a well read and educated individual capapable of lengthy and sustained debate. The fact is i dont hate anyone, i just couldnt give a toss about giro chasers like you. As for having an illness it doesnt stop you writing a big pile of toss on here so why is stopping you getting a job? There is a bloke working at Orange who is little more than a head in a wheelchair and he manages to go to work so why cant you?

outragedofmiltonkeyn
es wrote:
More than £300 in two months is more than £150 per month, not roughly £150. Maybe you do need a calculator. As for hate filled thinking, you are using this statement completely out of context but have no doubt read it on here from some other illiterate luddite and feel it is a sign of a well read and educated individual capapable of lengthy and sustained debate. The fact is i dont hate anyone, i just couldnt give a toss about giro chasers like you. As for having an illness it doesnt stop you writing a big pile of toss on here so why is stopping you getting a job? There is a bloke working at Orange who is little more than a head in a wheelchair and he manages to go to work so why cant you?

Please accept my sincerest apologies for completely taking out of context your comment that you don't care if I die from my illness and that if a few more died then society would be better off. I don't know what I was thinking!
Maybe one day, if you find yourself too ill to work you will do the decent thing for society and carryout your eugenics philosophy.