Meanwhile here are ten myths or lies about the benefit cuts that you might care to read about.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/02/ten-lies-told-about-welfare
It is hard to know where to start with this. For a start, it is written by an actor best known for playing a poor person on TV. Second, it sets up a number of straw man arguments that I've not heard people make in most cases and then argues against them.
Here goes:
1. Benefits are too generous - the article cites the £53 challenge made to IDS. It now turns out that the person who claimed they only get £53 actually gets £232 per month housing and £200 per month working tax credit plus the earnings from his market stall.
2. This one bemoans the 1% increase - It complains that inflation is higher yet fails to point out that private sector wage increases this year are less than 1% on average. Further to that, two years ago benefits were increased by 5.2%, significantly above private sector increases. The point made makes the assumption that benefits should keep pace with the cost of living to maintain a lifestyle. That is the source of the current problem not the solution.
3. Says there are no jobs - There are currently 600,000 vacancies.
4. On the spare room subsidy for foster carers - I have no idea about this.
5. Complaining about social tenants having to downsize - personally I don't see the problem. You have to live within your means and it is an opportunity to find work if there is nothing available locally.
6. Apparently it is a problem that housing benefit goes to landlords - I'm not sure what the point is. Is he arguing for the confiscation of property?
7. About fraud - I have not heard a single person advance the argument that welfare changes are necessary because of fraud.
8. Apparently people say it is all the fault of teenage mothers - has anyone heard this claim? I haven't.
9. Another argument that I've never heard used.
10. He ran out of points so moved on to the NHS.
All in all it is one of the most ill considered and weak articles I've read in a national paper. The final paragraph is a giveaway as it refers to the Unite campaign. It was clearly written by them and the actor agreed to put his name to it. Is that really what political discourse has come to?
Here is one fact that the article doesn't mention: This year 29% of all government spending will be on welfare. That is £207.6bn. The total income tax and National Insurance paid was £252bn. Put another way, for every £1 that the government takes off your payslip 83p goes to people in the form of welfare.
Alternatively, every penny raised in income tax, Corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax, inheritence tax and stamp duties is entirely spent on welfare.
