Rogue trader rogues

[treequip]

well they caught Jimmy Carr, didnt they !!!

 

For benefit fraud?

[firewoodman]

HMRC, alleged tax evasion, same family of offices !!!

[Pedroski]

If someone with as relatively high a profile as this goon can get away with it then it indicates to me that the benefit system in this country is not really fit for purpose - it is far too easy to cheat the system and claim what you are not entitled to.

 

Why does everyone assume that 'cheating the system' is a huge problem? There is a small minority who cheat the system. Across all benefits, the percentage of total benefit expenditure overpaid in 2008/9 was estimated at 2.2%, with a percentage of total benefit expenditure underpaid of 0.9%. Benefit fraud is a pi55 in the ocean which is made out by the likes of Cameron to be a cause of the downfall of our country. He uses it to turn people against each other. In any other situation, an organisation would be patted on the back for getting something 98% right!

 

Sure, cheating the system is something that shouldn't happen, but that doesn't mean the system isn't fit-for-purpose. The majority of people are honest and have no intention or desire to cheat the system. It's just the that the country's leaders would like everyone to believe that those who are in receipt of benefits are low life scumbags - it's just not the case at all.

[Peter]

Indeed.

 

What proportion of income tax is spent on unemployment benefits?

 

9%.

 

What is the single largest proportion of the benefits budget spent on?

 

State pension.

 

The entire benefits budget including pension is a drop in the ocean compared to the national deficit.

[likeitorlumpit]

Thats rogue traders lost face!!

Trouble with all this is like I heard said

The difference between Jimmy Carr and Joe public is simply opportunity.

[skyhuck]

well they caught Jimmy Carr, didnt they !!!

 

HMRC, alleged tax evasion, same family of offices !!!

 

Jimmy Carr did nothing wrong, he just got a good accountant who made use of loopholes in the tax system, loopholes that the government could close if it wanted, but it knows that many of its donors use them, so it leaves them in place.

 

Jimmys only crime was hypocrisy, he should not have slagged of the bankers when he was also playing the game himself.

[gensetsteve]

Indeed.

 

What proportion of income tax is spent on unemployment benefits?

 

9%.

 

What is the single largest proportion of the benefits budget spent on?

 

State pension.

 

The entire benefits budget including pension is a drop in the ocean compared to the national deficit.

 

Depends where you get your figures I read recently that the benefits bill is no longer covered by income tax. There is a huge number of able bodied people claiming huge amounts of money on the disability. They are not causing benefit fraud because they have no intention of working even for cash in hand. Fat blobs parking their new mobility cars right outside tesco's so they can go and buy their pizzas. We have one at our kids school had so many kids now has a new minibus sits their smoking cigars the 13 year old kid comes out sits in the front and lights up. I dont like any of the politicians around at the moment but if cameron sorts the scum out in this country good on him. Some people just wont work unless they are starving.

[PeteB]

As Pete says, benefit fraud, while annoying, is a drop in the ocean of lost funds.....

 

Who was responsible for the that NHS department loosing about a £million per week when we have to chop up another national employer, The Armed Forces?

 

Why isn't the organisation who set up that PFI with the south London NHS repaying that loss to the state for their screw up!

 

Why isn't the state clamping down on the ambulance chasing society that we are turning into?

 

Why isn't the state reinstating the competitive spirit at schools so that winners and losers exist which in turn creates a "want to win" attitude in life, which in turn creates business people and workers?

 

Why doesn't punishment fit the crime?

 

I could rant on forever......

[WorcsWuss]

A valid point has been made here, benefit fraud and benefit fraud are two entirely different things. My daughter has been diagnosed with Aspergers and it would not be too difficult for me to get a new car out of the system. I wouldn't be comitting a crime as such but I sure as hell would be defrauding the state in my eyes.

 

Unfortunately there are more people than you could possibly imagine who are 'entitled' to benefits but who don't share my repulsion at claiming when you're not in genuine dire need of state support. There is no 'right' to a nice big flat, new cars, sky TV, mobile phones etc, but millions of people who, if benefits were awarded following a face to face interview with someone with a modicum of common sense and ordinary decency would not stand a chance of getting them, are getting all these things funded by the state, perfectly 'legally'.

 

The TV bloke comitted fraud. But as rightly pointed out, his crime is not the biggest problem. It's the things which aren't actually crimes committed by people like Jimmy Carr who stretch the limits of what is right who are the biggest drain on the economy.

 

I would dispute that any MP's are in the same tax scheme thought, or even type of tax scheme, as Jimmy Carr, if they were we sure as hell would have heard about it A LONG time ago, probably through the News of The World. I was not however at all surprised to find that those who came out in defence of Jimmy Carr were other 'socialist heros', Labour MP's and 'ordinary working class people'..... are they setting themselves up to take advantage of the system again if Labour manage to get back in? I suspect that to be exactly the case. Keep taxing the middle classes more and more heavily so that Napoleon the pig and his friends can have their cake, and everyone else's, and eat it.

 

Snouts in the trough boys, especially the ones you would least imagine.... be wary. The funniest humour is based on your own experiences. How did it take us so long to find that Jimmy loved money so much...?

Edited June 28, 2012 by WorcsWuss

[WorcsWuss]

As Pete says, benefit fraud, while annoying, is a drop in the ocean of lost funds.....

 

Who was responsible for the that NHS department loosing about a £million per week when we have to chop up another national employer, The Armed Forces?

 

Why isn't the organisation who set up that PFI with the south London NHS repaying that loss to the state for their screw up!

 

Why isn't the state clamping down on the ambulance chasing society that we are turning into?

 

Why isn't the state reinstating the competitive spirit at schools so that winners and losers exist which in turn creates a "want to win" attitude in life, which in turn creates business people and workers?

 

Why doesn't punishment fit the crime?

 

I could rant on forever......

 

Quite right Pete.

 

On the subject of competitiveness in schools, my son is at a small rural school and a few years ago they started giving out 'well done' stickers to everyone at sports day and no prizes for the winners...

This didn't go down at all well with the parents and I'm pleased to say that this year there were 1st & 2nd stickers as well. And my boy finally won a race. I was proud as punch and he was chuffed to bits.

Pete's absolutely right that encouraging our kids to try harder to be the best in things will build a better country.

The socialist ideal of everyone being equal and the liberal touchy feely 'don't upset anyone' attitude has just created a malaise where people are happy to sit back with their hands out....

 

What we need is some good old fashioned short trousers, laps of the rugby pitch and ice cold showers.... Tally bloody ho!