Tell Me About the European Welfare State.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Marginal tax rates for the poor, and not so poor, in the UK are very high due to the progressive removal of benefits as income rises. This paper has a nice little chart that shows the effect rather well :

http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/downloads/CSJ%20Dynamic%20Benefits%20exec%20WEB%20NEW.pdf

Bear in mind that the average wage is £22k, I reckon that over half the population are in that high marginal rate trap and effectively work for peanuts. What stands out for me is not the large number of scroungers but the fact that, despite such poor returns, most people still work hard and do their best.

[Martinus]

What we have is socialised healthcare, free access to education and a host of situational benefits for people with the income below certain level (whether you are unemployed or not) such as the disabled person carer benefit, parental benefit etc.

[Martinus]

Marginal tax rates for the poor, and not so poor, in the UK are very high due to the progressive removal of benefits as income rises. This paper has a nice little chart that shows the effect rather well :

http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/downloads/CSJ%20Dynamic%20Benefits%20exec%20WEB%20NEW.pdf

Bear in mind that the average wage is £22k, I reckon that over half the population are in that high marginal rate trap and effectively work for peanuts. What stands out for me is not the large number of scroungers but the fact that, despite such poor returns, most people still work hard and do their best.

Yeah, that's a problem in Poland too, as the benefits are often a lump sum and not, e.g. an amount that brings your income up to a certain fixed threshold. As a result, if your income raises to the level where you lose a benefit, you may actually be getting less money per month.

[Tamas]

Marginal tax rates for the poor, and not so poor, in the UK are very high due to the progressive removal of benefits as income rises. This paper has a nice little chart that shows the effect rather well :

http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/downloads/CSJ%20Dynamic%20Benefits%20exec%20WEB%20NEW.pdf

Bear in mind that the average wage is £22k, I reckon that over half the population are in that high marginal rate trap and effectively work for peanuts. What stands out for me is not the large number of scroungers but the fact that, despite such poor returns, most people still work hard and do their best.

Yeah, that's a problem in Poland too, as the benefits are often a lump sum and not, e.g. an amount that brings your income up to a certain fixed threshold. As a result, if your income raises to the level where you lose a benefit, you may actually be getting less money per month.

which of course means that the system is just one big fail, unless it's intention is to keep masses at a level poor enough to be dependent on the state.

[Josquius]

This thread turned quick. Seems we're on about unemployment benefits, not the welfare state as a whole.

Edit:  And it's not a real benefit but when I claimed JSA I was told by the Job Centre that each claimant has up to £200 available at the discretion of the Job Centre.  It's normally not given (and very rarely will the whole £200 be given) but can be in certain circumstances - to pay for childcare during an interview, or for a cheap suit for an interview.  Any use of that money needs to be verified with receipts etc.

Really? Shit...Those bastards were cheating me.
I heard there was money for suits going and money to fund travelling to interviews but when I asked about it they demanded all sorts of proof that I was absolutely flat broke. Which is just ridiculous. Punishes people for being financially sensible.


Overall the British system sucks. You get very little, they regularly blow large amounts of money on private firms which 'teach' useless courses (basically for 2 weeks you have to sit in a room and use the computers to spam your CV to at least 20 jobs or lose your benefit).
I remember I was able to get some work labouring with my dad's company. Only 2 days a week though....it turned out I was only £10 better off since they took away most of my benefit for doing that. Really not worth while.

[Razgovory]

Sheilbh--that doesn't sound all that generous to me. 71 pounds a week...

I'm pretty sure the homeless in SF get a bigger check than that.

No shit.  That's sofa change. 

How much is the income support.

BTW, exactly what if was looking for Shelf.

That's pretty close to what I get for disability.

[Iormlund]

I've never received unemployment benefits so I don't know much about that area. Much like previous examples you need to have worked and show your willingness to do so by showing up at interviews and such. What you get depends on your contributions while employed. After some time - again depending on your history - you lose the right to this aid (IIRC max was a couple years but got cut recently to 18 months).

There's another scheme that gives €400/month to families whose members make, on average, less than 75% of minimum wage (€481/month). This didn't exist before the crisis. I'm guessing this is largely aimed at preventing starvation and crime.

There are some fiscal benefits for disabled (increasing the untaxed portion of their income and decreasing payroll taxes for businesses that employ them).

The last socialist government enacted a law to help those who depend on others, but since there are no funds ...

We do get good quality healthcare, regardless of employment.

[Brazen]

I got a total of £81 for four week's unemployment, which arrived after I secured a job, and no prospect of getting help to pay my mortgage. Surely it would save a fortune to help people stay in homes they own? I've no idea where the Daily Mail digs up these immigrants lording it up in six bedroom properties at the expense of the taxpayer.

The Government plans to introduce a new household income threshold of £60,000 above which social tenants (those in housing association or council properties) must pay full market rent. £60,000? Why aren't they buying a house?

From the Grauniad:
"Government research shows that as many as 6,000 social rented homes in England are lived in by people who earn a combined income of more than £100,000, including Bob Crow, leader of the RMT union. At the proposed £60,000 threshold, ministers estimate as many as 34,000 social rented homes in England alone would be affected."

[The Larch]

I've never received unemployment benefits so I don't know much about that area. Much like previous examples you need to have worked and show your willingness to do so by showing up at interviews and such. What you get depends on your contributions while employed. After some time - again depending on your history - you lose the right to this aid (IIRC max was a couple years but got cut recently to 18 months).

It's like that, you need to have worked at least 12 months during the previous year and a half to qualify, and you'll get a fraction of what you made while you were employed, capped at around 1000 €/month. During the last few months the amount of money you receive will diminish gradually.

Theoretically they can force you to go to job interviews and training, but I've never had that experience, although it can happen.

[Iormlund]

How are you doing, by the way? Did you manage to find something close to home?

[The Larch]

How are you doing, by the way? Did you manage to find something close to home?

I'm freelancing now, if you know about anything let me know. :p

[Gups]

The Government plans to introduce a new household income threshold of £60,000 above which social tenants (those in housing association or council properties) must pay full market rent. £60,000? Why aren't they buying a house?

If you have a family of four, in London or the south-east, you have no chance of buying a semi-decent house on £60K. Good question why they don't utilise right to buy though.

[The Brain]

I've only picked up bits and pieces.  In particular I'm interested to know how much money a person can get from the state when they're not working, and what, if anything, the recipient needs to do.

The day I learn the details about poors you can shoot me.

[Zanza]

Germany distinguishes between welfare and social security.

Welfare: Everybody who doesn't have the necessary means is entitled to the former. The regular rate for an adult right now is 374 € per month for an adult single (less per person in bigger households) plus a housing allowance which is up to 378€ for a single adult  and 705€ for a family of five in Berlin.
This can and will be cut for people in working age if they are not trying to get work.

Social security: This consists of mandatory insurance for all employed (not self-employed) persons and has five pillars (unemployment, health, long-term care, pension and accident insurance). It's about 20% of your gross payroll and the employer pays another 20% or so. This entitles you to e.g. unemployment money. You get that based on how long you paid it, but at most for 12 months. The amount is about 60% of your previous net income.

[Iormlund]

I'm freelancing now, if you know about anything let me know. :p

I don't even know what is exactly that you do.