Lets Make the Poor Even Poorer

[truthsayer]

This is the plan of Gordon Brown. NI, Scotland, Wales & NE England minimum wage 'may be reduced'

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is considering plans which could see the minimum wage reduced in Northern Ireland, it is believed.

The minimum wage is set at £5.35 across the UK, however, if the plans go ahead it will be reduced in NI, Scotland, Wales and the north east of England.

Northern Ireland Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey said he was disappointed with the idea.

"We have difficulty in getting people to leave benefit and go to work, this would make matters worse," he said.

"I think for that reason we have got to remember that the people who are receiving the minimum wage tend to be those people who are doing very basic jobs and I honestly don't think penalising them will improve our economic prosperity."

A government spokesperson would not comment on the issue

[truthseeker1980]

What a wanker, is all i can say.

I have a brain, actually an IQ of 137, i passed all my GCSE's, i tried to go to Uni to get a better paid job, but couldn't afford to be in £30K debt when finishing so left after a year.

I am on what THEY term as an average wage, but for London, that means I can't save or even actually get out of my overdraft, if unfortunate things such as cars breaking down happen.

I have no money left after paying my rent £425pm (split £850pm with flat mate), council tax £171pm (£242pm split with flatemate), bills and cost of living (food). I haven't bought clothes for ages, i have no chance of getting out of just the first year of uni debt and can't save any money as i need it to survive ie. eat and get to work somehow. How can they expect us to contribute to a pension when we can hardly survive on the wages we are on.

They have given subsidies to Nurses, Policeman and fireman for buying houses, but they are all on more money than me, £30000pa, there is no help for people in my situation, i spoke to the council tax benefits people and I earn too much for any credits on council tax, apprently you have to earn under £16000 to qualify, in london you wouldn't be able to rent a flat on that salary, so its ludicrous.

If i lived up north i probably could start to save, as the north south divide has reversed.

Something needs to be done, how the hell can he lower the minimum wage, when the cost of living goes up every year?

WANKER WANKER WANKER!!!!!!!

[truthsayer]

What a wanker, is all i can say.

I have a brain, actually an IQ of 137, i passed all my GCSE's, i tried to go to Uni to get a better paid job, but couldn't afford to be in £30K debt when finishing so left after a year.

I am on what THEY term as an average wage, but for London, that means I can't save or even actually get out of my overdraft, if unfortunate things such as cars breaking down happen.

I have no money left after paying my rent £425pm (split £850pm with flat mate), council tax £171pm (£242pm split with flatemate), bills and cost of living (food). I haven't bought clothes for ages, i have no chance of getting out of just the first year of uni debt and can't save any money as i need it to survive ie. eat and get to work somehow. How can they expect us to contribute to a pension when we can hardly survive on the wages we are on.

They have given subsidies to Nurses, Policeman and fireman for buying houses, but they are all on more money than me, £30000pa, there is no help for people in my situation, i spoke to the council tax benefits people and I earn too much for any credits on council tax, apprently you have to earn under £16000 to qualify, in london you wouldn't be able to rent a flat on that salary, so its ludicrous.

If i lived up north i probably could start to save, as the north south divide has reversed.

Something needs to be done, how the hell can he lower the minimum wage, when the cost of living goes up every year?

WANKER WANKER WANKER!!!!!!!

Its the system that's been put in place for decades that he is continuing on with these policies. Its also clear that his mindset is still as a chancellor not as a PM.

If it wasn't for the EU we wouldn't even have a minimum wage and even that is still a far cry from the wages (and working conditions) the rest of Europe get to enjoy.

I have to rent because I don't earn enough to buy as a single person (I know I looked into it).

You wanna hear the irony? I did go to uni and get a degree and all the debts of someone with my social background (i.e. poor not privileged)

I am no better off then yourself for the trouble and have student debts to boot. I even had to take a pay cut recently, because I was in the payment threshold of SLC by a fiver (they work on gross income not net) and if I had to start paying back the 100's a month they wanted me to I wouldn't have been able to afford to keep a roof over my head... so I took a paycut (it meant a difference between £20 less a month as opposed to £200+ less a month)

Its obvious to me, that people with our social backgrounds, regardless of potential and intelligence have a predetermined future as far as people like Gordon Brown are concerned.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

[lottie]

What a wanker, is all i can say.

I have a brain, actually an IQ of 137, i passed all my GCSE's, i tried to go to Uni to get a better paid job, but couldn't afford to be in £30K debt when finishing so left after a year.

I am on what THEY term as an average wage, but for London, that means I can't save or even actually get out of my overdraft, if unfortunate things such as cars breaking down happen.

I have no money left after paying my rent £425pm (split £850pm with flat mate), council tax £171pm (£242pm split with flatemate), bills and cost of living (food). I haven't bought clothes for ages, i have no chance of getting out of just the first year of uni debt and can't save any money as i need it to survive ie. eat and get to work somehow. How can they expect us to contribute to a pension when we can hardly survive on the wages we are on.

They have given subsidies to Nurses, Policeman and fireman for buying houses, but they are all on more money than me, £30000pa, there is no help for people in my situation, i spoke to the council tax benefits people and I earn too much for any credits on council tax, apprently you have to earn under £16000 to qualify, in london you wouldn't be able to rent a flat on that salary, so its ludicrous.

If i lived up north i probably could start to save, as the north south divide has reversed.

Something needs to be done, how the hell can he lower the minimum wage, when the cost of living goes up every year?

WANKER WANKER WANKER!!!!!!!

jesus...£171 c/tax a month? £850 rent? where you living buckingham palace? the perils of living in London huh? i thought my rates were a lot...crikey rent and c/tax is way less down here on the iow- round about £100 pcm and generally a 1 bed flat is about £360pcm!! you need to move dude! :D

[truthseeker1980]

The average price for a bedsit in the London area is £450pm, so yes you are right Lottie i need to move, but then again there are less jobs elsewhere and why should i be forced out of an area my family have lived since it was built?

You would have thought i would be in Buckingham Palace with those rates yes, but that's the average council tax for London, apparently it's going up again to pay for the bloody olympics, even though i live in West London which will benefit from the olympics as much as someone from Manchester would.

The people of east london wont benefit from the olympics either though, as when the olympics are finished, where will they work, what willl happen to the stadiums they are supposed to be building? They will be left derilect like all the old buildings in Wembley, from the 1930's World fair.

But then again, it looks remarkably like they wont even start building anything as they haven't yet, it took 8 years to build just one Wembley stadium so how are they going to build this olympic park? I reckon they have no intention, as it's 2012 isn't it, perhaps we will be all under water by then.

[cruise4]

The kicker is Council tax payments go to pay the National debt interest! Its laughable if not for so many suffering.

Save??? What on earth for? How can anyone think saving can get them anywhere except backwards.

Pension funds? Are you mad. You will be robbed of everything you pay in.

Of course you have a pre-determined future. How many examples of geneology/nepotism/cash for honours and pardons do you need? Either play the game their way or don't play and the former means selling your soul.

They have got to go and this system has to be dismantled. there may be short term pain but get over it, its livable through. What they have planned isn't.

[truthsayer]

The kicker is Council tax payments go to pay the National debt interest! Its laughable if not for so many suffering.

Save??? What on earth for? How can anyone think saving can get them anywhere except backwards.

Pension funds? Are you mad. You will be robbed of everything you pay in.

Of course you have a pre-determined future. How many examples of geneology/nepotism/cash for honours and pardons do you need? Either play the game their way or don't play and the former means selling your soul.

They have got to go and this system has to be dismantled. there may be short term pain but get over it, its livable through. What they have planned isn't.

I live in the west country and a flat is £500-£600 pcm, a bedsit is around £380-£400, a house is £700plus and council tax just keeps going up.

Wages are the lowest here regionally and the cost of living is one of the highest outside of London as are house prices. You'd be lucky to buy a dingy flat for £100,000 here.

There's a major shortfall between the cost of living and take home wages for many working class in the UK.

I am pratically out of a job now myself because I didn't fall in line and dared to challenge the status quo to the degree they have resorted to attacking my character. I say nearly I pretty much found out today they don't want me there and made it clear if I do return I need to fall inline to be tolerated (i.e. sell my soul). Sounds like a no brainer to me.

[kooo]

I live in the west country and a flat is £500-£600 pcm, a bedsit is around £380-£400, a house is £700plus and council tax just keeps going up.

Wages are the lowest here regionally and the cost of living is one of the highest outside of London as are house prices. You'd be lucky to buy a dingy flat for £100,000 here.

There's a major shortfall between the cost of living and take home wages for many working class in the UK.

I am pratically out of a job now myself because I didn't fall in line and dared to challenge the status quo to the degree they have resorted to attacking my character. I say nearly I pretty much found out today they don't want me there and made it clear if I do return I need to fall inline to be tolerated (i.e. sell my soul). Sounds like a no brainer to me.

Life is tough, is it possible for you to travel out for a weeks work here and there or not? This is my plan if I move out of London and I need some money, if this is not possible then I can't see myself surviving long term.

What's happening to you on your degree course? What do you have to do to fall into line?

[cruise4]

If you think you can walk out into the country and get jobs etc. you will have a shock... many are poorer than the town dwellers. Farmers aren't growing food because of the stupid EU regs and subsidies. This country is one disaster short of total anarchy, but as most people don't understand the ins and outs of the situation they will likely target the wrong people. Hence the critical nature of educating them now.

We are going to have to march on London... its the timing thats in doubt.

Anyone got any recipes for grass?

This weather is being induced by HAARP or something. Seen the temps in Central Europe? People are starting to die in quantity now, as they want. Unfortuanetly they are dying in ignorance.

[kooo]

If you think you can walk out into the country and get jobs etc. you will have a shock... many are poorer than the town dwellers. Farmers aren't growing food because of the stupid EU regs and subsidies. This country is one disaster short of total anarchy, but as most people don't understand the ins and outs of the situation they will likely target the wrong people. Hence the critical nature of educating them now.

We are going to have to march on London... its the timing thats in doubt.

Anyone got any recipes for grass?

This weather is being induced by HAARP or something. Seen the temps in Central Europe? People are starting to die in quantity now, as they want. Unfortuanetly they are dying in ignorance.

Where do you live Cruise4? I've heard people say there aren't many jobs in the country, how do people survive? Not even any casual cash in hand jobs?

I want to move out of London but if I can't earn any money for emergencies then I'll be better off where I am. My dream is fading fast :(

[truthsayer]

Life is tough, is it possible for you to travel out for a weeks work here and there or not? This is my plan if I move out of London and I need some money, if this is not possible then I can't see myself surviving long term.

What's happening to you on your degree course? What do you have to do to fall into line?

I filed a grievance after years of bullying and now they're attacking me because I dared to challenge wrongful conduct and a corrupt system.

I'm no longer a student, was referring to my current place of work.

[cruise4]

Hi Kooo I live near Presteigne, which is rural wales, although I'm English.
There is work about... but you have to carve a niche out within the community. This only works when there aren't too many newcomers. Even going on the dole is tricky as they force you to travel, when there's no Public transport and whilst they may pay a travelling cost it doesn't cover buying running and taxing a car.

Take Fruit Picking for example in Leominster... its done by mostly Polish people over here working for peanuts. Hop Picking in Hereford... you get the influx of Gypsies.

There are farms that sell home grown produce, there are small greengrocers, there's the odd Small supermarket, a few butchers, mower sales and repair, agricultural supplies, electricians... but no-one's making a fortune I assure you. Small communities can only support small numbers. But if you have a skill you can do something.

Now having said that I am very very lucky... I bought a dilapidated house with a garden full of mature trees and live in a mobile home on same. There's fields, hills and a river when I look out the windows and I'm in a small village with hardly anyone in sight. And I love it, the peace, although be nice to share with someone. Remaining poor on purpose does not endear you to the uninitiated. But I'm a very independant sort and really have got away from it all... bar bloody Council taxes, TV license (which I want just now to keep an eye on the opposition), and a few other stupid laws and costs. And I'm temporarily without a car, hence me on these boards... because I want to get back out there spreading the word.

It can be done, so don't give up your dream. House prices went through the roof just after I bought my place... but it's all relative. If you had enough to get some land you could keep a few cows, chickens etc.

My original comments were more related to if everyone streams out the cities thinking the countryside could support them because it couldn't. Not the way the system is set up now anyway

[hawk]

I'm sorry to read about your troubles, but over here in the US we don't have it any better really. The minmum wage here is still $5.15 an hour, but Congress is "somehow " supposed to increase that to $7.50 per over the next few years. It's hard to find a decent job over here that will pay for everything, the trick is you have to go to school and really get that education in order to be qualified for any good jobs out there. Everyday I look in the Classifieds of the Rocky Mount Telegram where I live and they need nurses, home health care persons, people with BA degreees and about 5 yrs experience in millwright jobs.They're hiring all the time for car salesmen, restaurant workers, etc... but the thing is the higher you go on the job ladder, the more federal and state taxes you pay as well as SS and Medicare. The people who work the lower paying jobs such as the burger joints, work the hardest of all and they get no benefits what so ever. I just got myself a job with the West Corporation, they contract with Prescription Solutions and I am training to work in the Mail Service incoming call center. I still am not comfortable with doing this because even with three weeks of training being out on the floor is a whole different expereince than being in a classroom. I am scared to death because we all go out on the floor for the first time Next Monday by ourselves and I feel as though I have forgotten everything. They cannot keep help because people find the job too daunting for them and they get cursed out byt the customers and it's really hard to keep people there. But @ $8.00/hour to start, I'm gonna do my darndest to learn this job because after 90 days I'm elegible for benefits and a 401-k plan. Now who wouldn't want that?
I wish you guys over there could find something good and secure to help you in your later years.
I feel bad for myself because when retirement comes there won't be any retirement for people like me, and I'm only 41. It will all be gone. I'll have to work myself to death.Somebody will find me propped up against the wall with a broom in my hand and I'll be covered in dust and cobwebs. LOL!

[cruise4]

Hi Hawk, now a mail call centre is what I do call hard times! I'd rather camp beside a Cactus in the desert somewhere and eat beetles!