Uni Health Care

[dry land fish]

Tell me what they can do or what the government can do to avoid them claiming benefit? And please don't say they can all start their own businesses.

Why don't they do what a lot of students are doing and get a degree? Once the recession has blown over, they will have skills for jobs that will be available. I agree with you, they probably couldn't create businesses for themselves; we aren't living in a Libertarian society (yet). There is too much regulation and control over business; it needs to be lifted so that the people with ideas get the encouragement and support when setting up their own company.

Simply getting a degree is no answer. Nowadays a degree= debt. Worse, there simply aren't the jobs around for youngsters either with or without a degree.
My main point is that it isn't the unemployed's fault that they are jobless ( I accept a minority might welcome it ) and a civilised society looks after them through the benefit system.

Depends on the type of degree you get. Something like Hotel Management or Floral design aren't even worth the time, effort, and money. Engineering, chemistry, computer tech, law enforcement, psychology, sociology, biology, geology, physics....are all good fields of study and a person can work anywhere in the world with those jobs. A geologist with a BS can start making 40 grand to 100 grand depending on what type of job they get. A doctorate or masters in Geology can land someone a 150+ per year job. I don't know about the others but I'm sure they are close. With a masters or a doctorate you can work for a university as a professor or can work on research jobs. Those people make a TON of money and they get awesome benefits.

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The rich already pay more in actual amounts. If a person earns £5000 a year, a 10% tax rate takes £500 from them. If they earn £50,000 a year, a 10% tax rate takes £5000 (the entire amount of the first person).

If you earn 10 times more, you pay 10 times more. "Progressive" tax rates only punish the rich until the point where nobody is classed as "rich" anymore, and then because of the same progressive tax, the government gets hardly any money at all.

I don't know what you understand by progressive taxation. I understand it as being where the more you get( not earn, note ) the more tax you pay. In that way, the wealthier help the poorer out. Have you a problem with that? That's probably rhetorical.

I don't know about what Adrian thinks about that but I have a problem with it. Those poor people didn't earn that money. What makes them so special? Because they are poor? Just because they are poor doesn't mean we need to take money from people who EARNED it and give it to them. That's basically theft!!!!

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I completely agree Adrian. I am thankful such programs exist for those that use them for the intended purpose and not as a longterm paycheck. I truly believe the government needs to create more 'workfare' type programs which would be a better long term solution then handing out paychecks.

No. The government doesn't need to start trying to find jobs for welfare people. How hard is it for someone to get in their car and drive to the local unemployment office? We already have those people working to provide people with jobs. There is always a job for someone who wants to do it. Digging ditches, roofing, mowing lawns...I mean if someone is desperate for a job I guarantee they will find one. Whether it can support their ten kids I don't know....but there are jobs for people to do.