We speak a lot about ‘standing on your own two feet’ and ‘taking responsibility for your own life’ but too often treat this as if it applies to everyone else but us
There will be a reform of the welfare state, I fear however that this will happen as a result of a terrible crisis rather than any multi-year period of reform.
Ironic given that the recent election was won on a story of poor fiscal planning leading to economic crisis, and a vow to not let that happen again.
So it's as bad as here across the pond, where both political parties consider Americans making over 3x the median annual income part of "The Struggling Middle Class".
Perhaps, given that the system defies all reform, a bottom-up campaign is needed?
"We (the undersigned) pledge to return all social benefits that we do not need (or want), and to voluntarily pay any additional tax that we believe we owe the public. We will publish the receipts from HMRC for the money we have returned, and hope that many others will follow our example."
The extent and depth of the problem of middle class entitlement can be seen by reading the reader comments under articles in the Daily Telegraph which relate to the winter fuel benefit withdrawal.
A forum which one would expect to be largely populated by the relatively affluent older population of a generally conservative disposition and supportive of the concept of State free self support would one might expect support the withdrawal of this benefit. But no, they are almost 100% vociferous supporters of it, claiming they have “paid in” all their lives and “earned” it, and treat me to a generous dollop of downticks and opprobrium when I say that it is the one ambiguously good thing that Reeves has done.
There will be a reform of the welfare state, I fear however that this will happen as a result of a terrible crisis rather than any multi-year period of reform.
Ironic given that the recent election was won on a story of poor fiscal planning leading to economic crisis, and a vow to not let that happen again.
So it's as bad as here across the pond, where both political parties consider Americans making over 3x the median annual income part of "The Struggling Middle Class".
Perhaps, given that the system defies all reform, a bottom-up campaign is needed?
"We (the undersigned) pledge to return all social benefits that we do not need (or want), and to voluntarily pay any additional tax that we believe we owe the public. We will publish the receipts from HMRC for the money we have returned, and hope that many others will follow our example."
The extent and depth of the problem of middle class entitlement can be seen by reading the reader comments under articles in the Daily Telegraph which relate to the winter fuel benefit withdrawal.
A forum which one would expect to be largely populated by the relatively affluent older population of a generally conservative disposition and supportive of the concept of State free self support would one might expect support the withdrawal of this benefit. But no, they are almost 100% vociferous supporters of it, claiming they have “paid in” all their lives and “earned” it, and treat me to a generous dollop of downticks and opprobrium when I say that it is the one ambiguously good thing that Reeves has done.