citizenJA wrote:State Pension expenditure isn't part of the ("welfare") social security budget? Please clarify because that's not my understanding.Tubby Isaacs wrote:The state pension is separated out. Benefits to pensioners aren't.
The chart had pensions separately, but not (as I understand it) benefits paid to pensioners.citizenJA wrote:State Pension expenditure isn't part of the ("welfare") social security budget? Please clarify because that's not my understanding.Tubby Isaacs wrote:The state pension is separated out. Benefits to pensioners aren't.
From the Notes section of the report posted above:More detailed expenditure and caseload breakdowns by benefit - 1948/49 to 2018/19
Bereavement benefits
Carer’s Allowance
Council Tax Benefit
Disability benefits
Housing Benefit
Incapacity benefits
Income Support
Industrial injuries benefits
New Deal and Employment programme allowances
Pension Credit
Social Fund
State Pension
Unemployment benefits
(my bold)The Government has introduced a cap on certain items of welfare spending, excluding state pensions and the most cyclical elements of welfare. The cap has been formally defined and initially set by the Government in Budget 2014, and will apply to spending from 2015/16 to the end of the forecast period. This has been included in the 2014 publications, but these tables only cover the elements of welfare spending covered by DWP and HMRC. Other spending within the Welfare Cap is detailed in the OBR’s EFO.
Birmingham City Council are strong supporters of HS2. Birmingham based scrutiny?seeingclearly wrote:The city itself needs huge inward investment, and support from government. It's not been getting that, HS2 will take some time, in the meantime nothing will happen, and frankly not hearing how difficult things are here doesn't help. We've got young people in desperate straits here, being told to lose their skills and ambitions. Many of them have excellent creative skills and knocking the heart out of our creative districts will not help that at all. Investment from the EU is what has held us together for a long time, thanks to this terrible government that is likely to slow down, and God help us if the Tories return. I just don't know how you can argue a rail link will help, it's not even coming directly into the city. It will only be useful if huge amounts of other things happen, and no one is even talking about that.
We've talked about this before. Your ideas on this do not stand up to any kind of Birmingham based scrutiny. People here do not need an influx from the south.
Oddly enough, I've just found myself in exactly the same situation (although I've been driving the bugger round untaxed (and unbeknownst to me!) since late October. It's been appallingly badly notified to the public - plenty of rich pickings in fines, methinks. What's more the refundee get the refund from the start of the month following the sale; the new owner has to pay from the start of the current month. Another nice little earner for Osborne.Willow904 wrote:What people really need to know about are government policy changes that effect them, yet on these matters communication has been inadequate or entirely missing. I'm a bit huffy about this because the first thing I knew that the tax disc on my husbands car wouldn't be transferred with it when we moved it into my name (he'd just bought a new one) was when he got a refund for the remaining tax. Luckily this alerted me to the fact the car I was now driving was no longer taxed. If I'd bought it from someone else I'd still be driving around in an untaxed car none the wiser because I'd failed to read the tiny piece of paper hiding inside the new log book I'd glanced at and then filed away. I then tried to tax my car online, only to be informed that I couldn't (not sure if it was just me or if the site wasn't working for anyone). I then had to borrow my husband's car and drive to the post office to do it. I now love the local independent co-op which recently refurbished its in-store post office and extended its Saturday opening hours (thank you!) and the lovely lady in the post office (double thank you!) and hate this penny pinching, poorly thought through and rushed policy making government with a vengeance.PaulfromYorkshire wrote:It's bound to all unravel isn't it?Willow904 wrote: I'm confused about the street lights. I thought they were provided by local government via council tax.
At least I hope so!
And yes, I did know they were getting rid of tax discs, but the non-transferable bit didn't really come across in the press and seriously, since when did knowing how to comply with a new tax law depend on people happening to read an article about it in the paper?!
So now I've got that off my chest, my point is, if the government is going to write to every household in the country about things they don't particularly need to know, perhaps they could do the same for things they do need to know about.
I wonder what other little realised changes have taken place we don't know about?I wonder how many people have been caught out because of this little realised change?
Ouch.AngryAsWell wrote:Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 3m3 minutes ago
The LDs will be delighted to jump 3% to 10% in today's @LordAshcroft phone poll. LAB down on 29%
I just don't trust these polls, they are so out of step with people I speak to, I don't understand.
Robert Peston retweeted
Caitlin Moran @caitlinmoran · 8h 8 hours ago
Man takes over struggling feminist movement - The Onion: http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-fi ... st-m,2338/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Labour has a 13 point lead over Conservatives in Oliver Colvile's Plymouth seat, says major new poll
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Labour- ... story.html
But the "minimalists" in the Labour ranks have brought this upon themselves, by not letting Ed propose anything bold and memorable.Tubby Isaacs wrote:Ouch.AngryAsWell wrote:Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 3m3 minutes ago
The LDs will be delighted to jump 3% to 10% in today's @LordAshcroft phone poll. LAB down on 29%
I just don't trust these polls, they are so out of step with people I speak to, I don't understand.
I am very pessimistic now. Going to be very hard to come back.
People just don't want to know. A good policy on buses (not exactly revolutionary, just helping cities move to the more efficient regulation system that operates under hard leftist, Boris Johnson). Should get margins of private companies down. I'd say that was worthwhile, but the Greens have reached critical mass where more and more people will be saying "Why not nationalize the whole lot?" A fair question, but the impression that the Tories and Labour are the same is unfair.
It is a face that was born to be slapped innit?rebeccariots2 wrote:I know we really really shouldn't judge people on appearance - but I'd like to plead a special case for this. There's something about that expression and posture that makes me want to ....
https://www.facebook.com/stop.the.cull
He is the latest in an ongoing rogues gallery of Tory (& Lib Dem) MPs in marginal seats being targeted by those who care about badgers and foxes in particular, wildlife and our environment generally.
Labour has a 13 point lead over Conservatives in Oliver Colvile's Plymouth seat, says major new poll
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Labour- ... story.html
The Scaled Composite ships are very different beasts from the X-15 and the Shuttle, proper controllable spaceplanes as opposed to stylish and barely aerodynamic bricks; one was in which that difference manifests itself is the approach to re-entry. Parts of the X-15 were made of heat resistant alloys, and we all know that the Shuttles were covered in an insulating heat shield consisting of tiles; those of us who are old enough will remember the tension of Apollo re-entries with James Burke constantly reminding us of how easily heat shields could fail!!!RobertSnozers wrote:I don't understand why they need the manoeuvring 'tail feathers' anyway. The X-15 was capable of orienting the whole craft at high alpha to maintain high drag on re-entry, and that was the plan with Max Faget's straight wing Shuttle designs. The tail booms swinging like that strikes me as one more complication that can potentially fail.
Just seen the great Avatar - PCL, one of my favourite albums back in the dayletsskiptotheleft wrote:It is a face that was born to be slapped innit?rebeccariots2 wrote:I know we really really shouldn't judge people on appearance - but I'd like to plead a special case for this. There's something about that expression and posture that makes me want to ....
https://www.facebook.com/stop.the.cull
He is the latest in an ongoing rogues gallery of Tory (& Lib Dem) MPs in marginal seats being targeted by those who care about badgers and foxes in particular, wildlife and our environment generally.
Labour has a 13 point lead over Conservatives in Oliver Colvile's Plymouth seat, says major new poll
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Labour- ... story.html
Aye..howsillyofme1 wrote:letsskiptotheleft wrote:It is a face that was born to be slapped innit?rebeccariots2 wrote:I know we really really shouldn't judge people on appearance - but I'd like to plead a special case for this. There's something about that expression and posture that makes me want to ....
https://www.facebook.com/stop.the.cull
He is the latest in an ongoing rogues gallery of Tory (& Lib Dem) MPs in marginal seats being targeted by those who care about badgers and foxes in particular, wildlife and our environment generally.
Just seen the great Avatar - PCL, one of my favourite albums back in the day
Kids these days, wouldn't know a good LP if it hit them in the chops. 
Obviously I don't condone violence, but I did enjoy a phrase I once heard in Liverpool:letsskiptotheleft wrote: It is a face that was born to be slapped innit?
I don't trust myself to say anything sensible about this - it makes me so furious. So I'll just restrict myself to .... it surely can't be legal under employment law?DWP orders man to work without pay for company that let him go
John McArthur is sanctioned by jobcentre after refusing ‘forced labour’ at firm where he was previously paid minimum wage
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... ent-labour
No, never ... you don't say.House prices outside London still 16% below 2007 peak
London Central Portfolio finds once capital’s numbers removed, figures only just recovering to same level as 10 years ago
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/n ... a-analysis
I'm surprised at that, given the pitiful rate of housebuilding since.rebeccariots2 wrote:No, never ... you don't say.House prices outside London still 16% below 2007 peak
London Central Portfolio finds once capital’s numbers removed, figures only just recovering to same level as 10 years ago
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/n ... a-analysis
So do I. Especially the biogs of the volunteer drivers on the L sidebar.ohn Prescott @johnprescott · 31m 31 minutes ago
When Phil Collins & others said they'd leave if Labour won, I offered to drive them to the airport. So I love this http://www.wewilldrivethemtotheairport.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Sproutlore99
//sproutlore99
Lincolnshire
Left leaning drivers, silence (As neither me nor my wife have any wish t speak to them), wet bottoms from the lard we shall smear on their seats and most importantly a swift run to the airport (After all, we wouldn't want the fuckers missing their flights would we???).
Volunteer driver Threeamp
Location: Greater Manchester
Transport: Van
Special features:
not only will i collect them from any location but they will be treated to the full kidnap experience. As an extra special treat they will be given a bastardtrade tattoo free of charge (courtesy of my mate who has a bottle of ink, a soldering iron and a shit load of those wipes you get in KFC)
Volunteered: Friday 25 April 2014
And it's a white Transit van. HindleA wrote:http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/rev ... 912?lskjdf
I wish I could say unfuckingbelievable - but I can't - sadly it's alltoofuckingbelievable.Ampp3d has found that they've mislead the public by counting public sector pensions under welfare instead of under pensions...That means nurses, teachers and fire-fighters' pensions are being counted as "benefits" by being put in the welfare bill rather than the "state pensions" bill. David Cameron's pension will come under the "welfare" bill too...
I can volunteer too, I'll even ram a few wankers in the boot.rebeccariots2 wrote:Is it just me - or do there seem to be a disproportionately large number of drivers from Wales volunteering to take the ........ers to the airport?
Is it connected to the old place then? Scuse my ignorance ...tinyclanger2 wrote:wewilldrivethemtotheairport.co.uk is the sort of thing that makes me continue to become dewy-eyed about the old place, even though in many respects it is rapidly becoming a rabid rightwing hellhole.
sorry I just mean england, "britain", uk (choose scale and terminology to suit political disposition).rebeccariots2 wrote:Is it connected to the old place then? Scuse my ignorance ...tinyclanger2 wrote:wewilldrivethemtotheairport.co.uk is the sort of thing that makes me continue to become dewy-eyed about the old place, even though in many respects it is rapidly becoming a rabid rightwing hellhole.
We have loads of incomers to our colleges and workplaces from all over the Midlands. It's not London though. It's got a largely uninhabited city centre and narrow,for these times, arterial roads. It's also one of the areas of highest unemployment and our LHAs are way below those of London and the South. Local people would not be able to compete for housing, they can't compete against students now. We've got massive problems with HGVs on our roads and some serious issues that didn't really exist to any great degre prior to the Trojan horse nonsense. Your opinion that the housing problem won't be like London is only partly true, it won't be as visible but it will be every bit as real. I know people that Birmingham has had to house in Stratford, Kidderminster, and Warwick because they can find none here. Private landlords want what are for here massive deposits, for people from London and the South these are small, they can find them, we've got thousands who can't.Tubby Isaacs wrote:Birmingham City Council are strong supporters of HS2. Birmingham based scrutiny?seeingclearly wrote:The city itself needs huge inward investment, and support from government. It's not been getting that, HS2 will take some time, in the meantime nothing will happen, and frankly not hearing how difficult things are here doesn't help. We've got young people in desperate straits here, being told to lose their skills and ambitions. Many of them have excellent creative skills and knocking the heart out of our creative districts will not help that at all. Investment from the EU is what has held us together for a long time, thanks to this terrible government that is likely to slow down, and God help us if the Tories return. I just don't know how you can argue a rail link will help, it's not even coming directly into the city. It will only be useful if huge amounts of other things happen, and no one is even talking about that.
We've talked about this before. Your ideas on this do not stand up to any kind of Birmingham based scrutiny. People here do not need an influx from the south.
It's all but directly into the centre of the city, surely.
You get (commercial) inward investment as a result of things like good transport links. And in terms of public investment, once a big project is going to happen, the case is easier to make for other investment to get done to get full value out of it. See for instance Crossrail, where temptation was resisted to chop off one branch to get the headline figure down, because once you've done the central tunnel, you might as well run trains through it. And the temptation to terminate HS2 at Birmingham has been resisted.
What are we from "the South"? For a start loads of us come from outside London in the first place and moved to London for work reasons- including more than a few from the West Midlands. You wouldn't suddenly be taken over by Essex Boys- they can live in Essex anyway. You'd get people for various reasons making Birmingham their home, and people with roots there already would be more likely than others to do it. And at the same time firms think they might as well set up in Birmingham rather than London. So you have people living and working in Birmingham.
Lots of what's happened in London has been healthier than you probably think. Housing is the biggest problem, and it won't be anything like that for Birmingham.
Oh the plus side we can now officially say that David Cameron et al are welfare scroungers.rebeccariots2 wrote:HindleA wrote:http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/rev ... 912?lskjdfI wish I could say unfuckingbelievable - but I can't - sadly it's alltoofuckingbelievable.Ampp3d has found that they've mislead the public by counting public sector pensions under welfare instead of under pensions...That means nurses, teachers and fire-fighters' pensions are being counted as "benefits" by being put in the welfare bill rather than the "state pensions" bill. David Cameron's pension will come under the "welfare" bill too...
They do seem to have been awfully quiet in the last 4 year don't they? It's almost as if their protestations about civil liberties were made for party political reasons and not out of any kind of principles.letsskiptotheleft wrote:Wait's patiently for those fighters of freedom and liberty to kick up a fuss, or does that only happen under Labour?
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014 ... t-hannigan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I agree that poll is clearly bollocks, no reason for that Lib Dem surge.AnatolyKasparov wrote:But the "minimalists" in the Labour ranks have brought this upon themselves, by not letting Ed propose anything bold and memorable.Tubby Isaacs wrote:Ouch.AngryAsWell wrote:Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 3m3 minutes ago
The LDs will be delighted to jump 3% to 10% in today's @LordAshcroft phone poll. LAB down on 29%
I just don't trust these polls, they are so out of step with people I speak to, I don't understand.
I am very pessimistic now. Going to be very hard to come back.
People just don't want to know. A good policy on buses (not exactly revolutionary, just helping cities move to the more efficient regulation system that operates under hard leftist, Boris Johnson). Should get margins of private companies down. I'd say that was worthwhile, but the Greens have reached critical mass where more and more people will be saying "Why not nationalize the whole lot?" A fair question, but the impression that the Tories and Labour are the same is unfair.
In the resulting vacuum, trivial personality and "process" politics will fill the gap - and the right will always have the edge then.
(having said that, the idea the LibDems have jumped from 7% to 10% in a week is scarcely credible)
As you say, the railway is a long way off- though Higgins has proposed bringing the section to Crewe forward, which will help a lot. But you can't have it both ways- if it's a long way off, it isn't prioritising commuters.seeingclearly wrote:Tubby Isaacs wrote:
We have loads of incomers to our colleges and workplaces from all over the Midlands. It's not London though. It's got a largely uninhabited city centre and narrow,for these times, arterial roads. It's also one of the areas of highest unemployment and our LHAs are way below those of London and the South. Local people would not be able to compete for housing, they can't compete against students now. We've got massive problems with HGVs on our roads and some serious issues that didn't really exist to any great degre prior to the Trojan horse nonsense. Your opinion that the housing problem won't be like London is only partly true, it won't be as visible but it will be every bit as real. I know people that Birmingham has had to house in Stratford, Kidderminster, and Warwick because they can find none here. Private landlords want what are for here massive deposits, for people from London and the South these are small, they can find them, we've got thousands who can't.
People say we are 'lucky', but we aren't, everyone I know is supporting adult children, some are well into their thirties. There's no signs of recovery, and I already explained why it will not help. We've already got commuters. I'm not being insular about this there really are other things to prioritise, we've got eleven year olds right now facing crossing some of our most dangerous roads with no wardens, having just crossed the city centre.
Like many other cities we are under pressure, but we have unique problems like Sheffield does, or Hull. These unique conditions, wherever they are don't get addressed, instead a railway link is seen as an answer. It isn't. It's a small part of a potential answer that is dependent on many other factors.
I can't see HS2 causing problems because of people commuting to London. It takes 1.30 from New Street today and I know people who do it. Of course they may move out closer to London, HS2 might keep them in Birmingham.Tubby Isaacs wrote:As you say, the railway is a long way off- though Higgins has proposed bringing the section to Crewe forward, which will help a lot. But you can't have it both ways- if it's a long way off, it isn't prioritising commuters.seeingclearly wrote:Tubby Isaacs wrote:
We have loads of incomers to our colleges and workplaces from all over the Midlands. It's not London though. It's got a largely uninhabited city centre and narrow,for these times, arterial roads. It's also one of the areas of highest unemployment and our LHAs are way below those of London and the South. Local people would not be able to compete for housing, they can't compete against students now. We've got massive problems with HGVs on our roads and some serious issues that didn't really exist to any great degre prior to the Trojan horse nonsense. Your opinion that the housing problem won't be like London is only partly true, it won't be as visible but it will be every bit as real. I know people that Birmingham has had to house in Stratford, Kidderminster, and Warwick because they can find none here. Private landlords want what are for here massive deposits, for people from London and the South these are small, they can find them, we've got thousands who can't.
People say we are 'lucky', but we aren't, everyone I know is supporting adult children, some are well into their thirties. There's no signs of recovery, and I already explained why it will not help. We've already got commuters. I'm not being insular about this there really are other things to prioritise, we've got eleven year olds right now facing crossing some of our most dangerous roads with no wardens, having just crossed the city centre.
Like many other cities we are under pressure, but we have unique problems like Sheffield does, or Hull. These unique conditions, wherever they are don't get addressed, instead a railway link is seen as an answer. It isn't. It's a small part of a potential answer that is dependent on many other factors.
With HS2, far more freight can run on the existing line. I would imagine that would help reduce HGVs round Birmingham.
As you say, much else has to happen, but HS2 makes that easier in the longer term. It's not a zero sum game. And I don't see why you think HS2 is bad because the city has other problems.
Fair play to Birmingham Council for raising council tax as much as it can.
TechnicalEphemera wrote:I can't see HS2 causing problems because of people commuting to London. It takes 1.30 from New Street today and I know people who do it. Of course they may move out closer to London, HS2 might keep them in Birmingham.Tubby Isaacs wrote:As you say, the railway is a long way off- though Higgins has proposed bringing the section to Crewe forward, which will help a lot. But you can't have it both ways- if it's a long way off, it isn't prioritising commuters.seeingclearly wrote:
With HS2, far more freight can run on the existing line. I would imagine that would help reduce HGVs round Birmingham.
As you say, much else has to happen, but HS2 makes that easier in the longer term. It's not a zero sum game. And I don't see why you think HS2 is bad because the city has other problems.
Fair play to Birmingham Council for raising council tax as much as it can.
Coventry and Rugby are both in the London commuter zone (54 and 45 mins) but I don't see radical change because of it.
Wow, that last paragraph in the link is quite a let out, and all because of whistle blowers, damn their little cotton socks.Spacedone wrote:They do seem to have been awfully quiet in the last 4 year don't they? It's almost as if their protestations about civil liberties were made for party political reasons and not out of any kind of principles.letsskiptotheleft wrote:Wait's patiently for those fighters of freedom and liberty to kick up a fuss, or does that only happen under Labour?
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014 ... t-hannigan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Number 8... Mmmmmmmm. Delicious doesn't even begin to describe chips in gravy. I'm feeling hungry just thinking about it. And they've got some Hendos at Number 9 too. Perfect.AngryAsWell wrote:A bit of fun
18 things only Northerners living down south will understand
http://usvsth3m.com/post/65623530326/18 ... south-will" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
