So the Government says Social Security payments are being capped at £500 pw -good or bad thing?

Good thing but £500 is way too much. It should be capped at the same rate as the old age pension. If the government reckons a pensioner can live on the pension, taking into account other benefits such as help with council tax and the winter fuel allowance, then why should anyone else need more?

Just like the NHS, the Welfare system has been abused for so long that everyone feels they have a right and an entitlement to something for nothing. Rich families claiming child benefit is an insult to struggling families on the breadline. I know several people who are millionaires who do not need any kind of benefit, yet they claim all they can. Senior citizens travel passes, cold weather payments and many other benefits, that they do not need. I know other people who claim disability allowance that they are not entitled to, and there is nothing wrong with them, and their spouse is claiming carers allowance and doing nothing all day long. To cap it all, they have a brand new car, paid for from tax payers to transport them about, and they pay no tax or insurance or maintenance on it. All they have to do is pay for the petrol. How can that be fair?

The welfare state was set up just after the war to ensure that the poorest in society are looked after. That is very commendable, but there are too many people taking advantage and creaming the system for all it is worth. Add to that the tax avoidance that is going on from some of the richest in the land, and you can see where the money is going.

Unemployment benefit or Job Seekers allowance is paid for from National Insurance contributions and not from Tax payers money, therefore it is an entitlement that has been paid for by the individual. Most other benefits are means tested and a lot of people know how to work the system. It is right that the government are looking at ways of reducing the tax burden whilst capping benefits to make work pay. What I object to is the fact that many people claim that benefit scroungers should be working, when clearly there are not enough jobs to go around. If every vacancy in the land were to be filled, there would still be massive unemployment in the country. Find jobs for them and force them into work if you want to, but you can't blame people for being unemployed if there is no work available for them to do.

I have a mixed opinion on this my view is for a start the disabled and sick should not be included that's penalising a innocent group if you are born disabled and can't work you will will face a life on the bottom that's just disgusting. I believe there are restricting it so the most severe disabled will be kept out but there track record has been appalling so don't trust them.Also those who recently worked with a large families are being penalised ok they might have some savings and redundancy but after that if you can't find work you income drops outrageous they have paid into the system its called tax so yet again wrong. The only group which you could argue needs dealing with are the life time unemployed who are fit for work who have kids from there teens and make no effort to find work when there is plenty of vacancies.You can only sort this out by helping growth creating the jobs and focus on this group pushing penalties and more intervention this group fits the model for a cap i am not saying its fair on the kids but something needs to be done about teen mums and there workshy boyfriends because its bad for there families and the taxpayer and also unfair on the disabled and recently made redundant they are being punished for there sins.

It's about time too.

People who have never worked and do not support themselves should have a cap on their income.

They should be moved out of Central London where most working people could not afford to live and put into much cheaper accommodation in a part of the country where there is not as much pressure on housing. These houses could then be rented out to the teachers, nurses, policemen etc who need to be in the area.

We should not assume that because someone can't keep their knickers on and has 6 kids from 5 different fathers that they are automatically entitled to thousands a month on the taxpayer. They should take some responsibility for their actions and not have kids they can't afford.

I agree with a lot Alan says, except for

1

It is a myth that NI somehow "pays " for welfare payments. All tax, whatever its name goes into the same bucket and is not allocate in the way that is suggested by the name, eg, NI, Road Fund License, etc. The name of the tax is a sugar coating to make it easier to swallow!

2

The idea that the number of jobs available is limited by the number of "vacancies" is false. Many more jobs can be created by the demand for services. Just think of the thousands of east Europeans who now make a living valeting and washing cars. Were there andy jobs advertised for "Car Washers" at the job centre?

The cap should be around half that. Even when child benefit is excluded, many working people do not earn£26000 pa.

Look at ALL cases on their individual merits, but as a guide:

Start with the profligate private landlords charging a fortune in rent for properties that are paid for with housing benefit.

No benefits AT ALL for the first child and no payment after three.. If you can't afford them yourself, don't have them. Why should I be expected to feed them for you ?

Where is there ANY incentive to even look for work while us mugs are paying for some people not to work ???

Yes very good ,, Agree with you . Thousand a month raised a family of 3 kids , All did OK .

A very good thing. I wish I had had that sort of money tax free while bringing up my kids

I think it's a good thing and not before time. Every news broadcast I have watched it's immigrants who are complaining about it, makes you think.

Good thing! It's fair even parents who work on min wage wouldn't get that!