Andy Collins

suitable for tree surgeons

Thats too easy.... T Rex

Nothing new here, I was a supervisor in the 80's of such a scheme, where the "incentive" to get back to work was an extra tenner on top of the dole. Most of them couldnt be bothered to turn up on time, or at all, and if they didnt, they got kicked off the scheme. In other words things went back t the way they were. Only a small percentage took advantage of the system and made things better for themselves, in fact many of those who did gain now run their own businesses. Labour tried to do something similar to this, and made a huge balls-up, those who really needed the help genuinely were treated as scroungers, and those who cheated the system successfully....well things stayed the same.

Blimey, 15 pages to get to the bottom of the whole saga, almost an epic. The thing is, many of the honest decent folk that claim what is available are not fiddling the system, or abusing it. Its there to help those who do really need the money. Of course, there are those who will always try and make a fast buck, or an easy one, and they will fiddle, defraud and rob to get ahead and many of them will always seem to get away with it. When times are hard, the "cushion" is there to protect the vulnerable, whatever the reason they have become vulnerable, and thankfully we live in a country where this is possible, and long may it continue. But the fraudsters, poncers, scammers and thieves must be removed from the equation, for all our sakes. I applaud those who stick by their guns, and their morals, and refuse to accept state help, but I also respect those who genuinely need the help, and take it rather than make their lives a misery.

Ah at last, I see where we're going.... all fraud is theft, and benefit fraud, tax fraud, and expenses fraud at any level is theft, regardless of your social standing.

My friend bought an ARS polesaw from the APF, I hadnt use one for several years, (think the last one was STeves?) and still a good product:thumbup1:

Well have you seen the price of petrol these days, of course we moan about everything, its our turn to:001_smile:

Do you know what, i just cant be bothered anymore. You dont want to claim something, fair enough.

So cos you didnt have it, no one else else should? Come on, times have moved on, I'm the same generation as you, I had (by the sounds of things) pretty much the same background as you, though I wasnt so aware of it at the time, my mother has told me a lot since my dad passed on. I've fought tooth and nail to give my kids an upbringing I wish I'd had, and was glad of the Credits when I was on a low income to help me do that for them. We mustnt dwell in the past, but move on to a better future. I'll have another Guiness now, thanks, happy days:thumbup:

Its your right to be disagreeable:biggrin:

You dont get Working Tax Credits if you sitting at home on your arse, Mick was attacking the Tax Credits, I have already said I agree on the lazy beggars doing f all should get f all. Anyway its Friday night, and I'm done for the week, feet up and beer oclock, happy days.

[quote=martyn1;375009 you must be a 10st little weed if you don't understand. why the personal attack? Totally unnecessary IMO.

[quote=Mick Stockbridge;374990 Why should I contribute to your or anyone elses kids ? You choose to have em so you pay for em. Why is that so hard for some people to comprehend ? Mick it seems to me that its you who isnt understanding. You started this thread on Tax Credits, its you that accused those receiving Tax Credits as "poncing". If you had attacked benefit scroungers, the long term unemployed, or illegal immigrants getting treated better than hard-working British guys, I would have been 100% behind you. I, for one, have always grafted, sometimes the wages have been so low that I didnt have enough money to pay the bills, and I would have been better off on the dole, but I stuck at it. Later on, they brought out the Working Tax Credits, and it eased the pressure on the ordinary working guy. I am now in a far better position financially, I dont receive anything back from the state, but I'm glad the system was finally there when I most needed it. Sometimes circumstances deal a very tough hand to play, you are fortunate that you are not in the situation where you rely on someone else for a 'hand-out".

This thread is starting to get silly. There is a world of difference between working tax credits, and spongers milking the benefit system an getting everything paid for by the state. As for the old "council house" argument, well thats just rubbish these days, most have been sold off, repo'ed and now owned by landlords who milk the system themselves, forcing tenants into near bankruptcy. Too many people feel they have and know all the answers, but know sod all in reality, just what they see from behind their net curtains, which they twitch nervously in case the tattoeed chav next door sees them, or read in yesterdays Sun which happens to be blowing down their street. Get a life!

I suppose you could employ a groundie on a part time basis, just to give the appearance of a large successful arb business.

Is it to work with you Steve, if so I may just know someone

Now that would be interesting:lol:

I'm not, I no longer qualify, tbh it was a cow to keep sending in proof of earnings to see how much they'd allow me. I think you were wrong in your wording re tax credits, they are "working tax credits" to help those who work, unlike benefits for sitting at home watching daytime tv with some fake illness. As i stated earlier, if a sensible living wage was paid to everyone in work, there would be no need to top up with tax credits.

I believe Mr Bullman has a Knaack strong box

Take take take...... how selfish, and btw that money you always paid in, its gone gone gone, nowt left for you when you get old mate:lol:

I take it you'll be going private for all your medical needs then Mick, after all NHS is for scroungers too! Collect your state pension, best not, thats for the old buggers who cant work any more, idle sods.

The tax credits, pension credits etc are in a separate "pot", its already allocated by the govt for all those who qualify. If its not used, it sits there, simples. I qualified for credits when the kids were in education, and I used them to give mine a better quality of life, guilty as charged! I had several poorly paid jobs when they were young, b4 credits, and I have never struggled so much to make ends meet, it was hard work. There was no chance of overtime to improve my lot, i was stuck for a while in a rut, and I was bloody miserable, working and getting nowhere. I didnt fritter the money away on booze or fags, I couldnt afford them, but used the money to support my family. Low income is a bane for many people, not slackers, good honest, hard-working Englishmen, dont dismiss them as idle useless spongers

When they did away with the married persons tax allowance, did they not bring ini tax credits to make a "fairer" system, so that unmarried couples, same sex couples and so on got their share? Tax credits should help those on low incomes to encourage them to keep a low paid job, and therefore topping up their income. what would be fairer if all were paid a realistic living wage for a weeks work, but companies know they can get away with min wage as the govt will top it up

Woo-hoo, up and running on the BB again

Just remembered Tapatalk, but it wasn't working when I tried it, updated now so should work ok again