Annual tax summary

[Dembe]

You understand that pensions, pension credit, winter fuel payments etc come under welfare? Pensions alone come to nearly half of all welfare payments.

I wouldn't know random figures like that off the top of my head no, well done on your google search.

This is still money that I would, personally, rather control and use how I see fit. I am capable of investing or saving my own pension money. Perhaps if people weren't taxed so much they could afford their own winter fuel and wouldn't need handouts
So off the top of my head Welfare takes 6% 0f my pay, would that be correct? I was good at mental maths at one time in school but that was a long time ago...the figure I earn that seems quite an amount to pay out weekly, and if I could invest that myself over the next 30 years id get a decent little number back by just doing the s+p 500...

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I wouldn't know random figures like that off the top of my head no, well done on your google search.

This is still money that I would, personally, rather control and use how I see fit. I am capable of investing or saving my own pension money. Perhaps if people weren't taxed so much they could afford their own winter fuel and wouldn't need handouts
So off the top of my head Welfare takes 6% 0f my pay, would that be correct? I was good at mental maths at one time in school but that was a long time ago...the figure I earn that seems quite an amount to pay out weekly, and if I could invest that myself over the next 30 years id get a decent little number back by just doing the s+p 500...

I remember noticing how much of the UK's budget was spent on welfare a few years ago. Rather than just make up where that money was spent, I decided to look it up. Quite often, when someone quotes something they regard as "fact", I'll check it out. Usually they're wrong. Immigration numbers was another. When that is broken down, the number of "illegals" (as some incorrectly call them) is pretty low, but people believe there are loads of them coming over.

People should try and be a bit more educated in their opinions. It doesn't help that all political parties don't give you the full picture, just what suits their agenda. Divide and conquer.

As for your bit about being in control of your money as you see fit, that's basically you saying that you hate the thought of feckless wasters having any of it. Now, we could destroy that argument in moments, but when you're opinions are as ingrained as they are, there's little point.

[Dembe]

I remember noticing how much of the UK's budget was spent on welfare a few years ago. Rather than just make up where that money was spent, I decided to look it up. Quite often, when someone quotes something they regard as "fact", I'll check it out. Usually they're wrong. Immigration numbers was another. When that is broken down, the number of "illegals" (as some incorrectly call them) is pretty low, but people believe there are loads of them coming over.

People should try and be a bit more educated in their opinions. It doesn't help that all political parties don't give you the full picture, just what suits their agenda. Divide and conquer.

As for your bit about being in control of your money as you see fit, that's basically you saying that you hate the thought of feckless wasters having any of it. Now, we could destroy that argument in moments, but when you're opinions are as ingrained as they are, there's little point.

Not one to shy away from admitting when they're wrong, I had breakfast with my cousin Friday and mentioned this very subject and he absolutely schooled me and set me right on a load of figures and a bit more detail about what falls under the Welfare umbrella.
One thing he did agree with me on though, was wanting to have more control on where/how your money is spent.