Why doesn't this govt target he REAL cheats?

[10ClarionSt]

The measures that the govt intend to take to tackle welfare are an absolute disgrace. Why don't they go after all the incompetent finacial institutions who've taken our money and are now making obscene profits? Why not chase all the tax evaders and others who owe the govt money? They won't because the Tories always go after those that are most vulnerable. That's what they do. Thats what theyll do in the future. It's the easy option and won't be any bother to all the people who are the Tories' friends. People should oppose these measures on a big scale.

[askyourgran]

Clarion, I seem to remember that the no-so-glorious Noo Labour were the worst offenders.

[askyourgran]

Lol 10Clariin I used to write them to appease the tw*ts like you.

[boxtops]

Well I have to agree with gran here - Labour MPs turned out to be the biggest money-grabbing crooks, making hay with our money for their own benefit with tax-payers' money.

[rov1200]

On balance the financial institutions have put lots of money into the government coffers whether personal taxation or financial tax.

When it comes to welfare its always take,take and more take putting a burden on all taxpayers.

Even though the bankers are getting enormous bonuses they are taxed at 50% on this. The banks profits are liable to corporation tax. If they were to move abroad we would lose all of this but some say its a form of blackmail. No party Labour or tory have managed to get the better of rich institutions or individuals. You need a communist state to achieve that.

[VHG]

Do you think we can keep paying out welfare at the current rate?

While we have huge personal tax bills in this country, and pay people to sit on their backside and do nothing, all our jobs are going Poland or China or other countries.

Welfare money does not come out of thin air, it has to be earned. And as a country we dont earn enough.

Anyway who are all these tax evaders? Could they be people who say they are on the dole but then fix your car for cash in hand, or work on your garden for cash in hand.

Finding all the people who DONT pay tax is much harder than finding all the people who GET benefits but should not.

Housing benefit costs BILLIONS a year, and much of it fiddled. Immigrants here in Birmingham BUY houses and then RENT them out to each other and claim housing benefit.

This country is a benefit fraudsters paradise.

[flip_flop]

The questioner has got it completely arse about face. Welfare cheats should most definitely be targeted as they are not contributing to society - they are a drain - whereas the banks and the bank employees are all subject to tax.

[jake-the-peg]

Really BoxTops

Just the Labour MPs

With their Duck Houses and their moats?

Clarion street has a good point but it is unfortunately being somewhat marred by passion

Tax evasion costs the Country 15 times as much as benefit fraud

http://citywire.co.uk...benefit-fraud/a378274

We need more stringent efforts to stop this - don't you think?

[jno]

it was Thatcher who deregulated the banks, so it isn't a Labour thing, it's an every-government thing, as was fiddling expenses.

[bentaxle]

VHG you're so right the trouble is the fraudsters are smarter than the people that should stop it, or their hands are so tide its impossible to do anything about it so its allowed to carry on
In most goverment jobs you must leave any common sense at home don't let it interfere with the job

[anotheoldgit]

Lets just wait until these measures are implemented before we start ranting on.

No one knows yet what groups are to be targeted.

[rov1200]

Jake has got a point about tax evasion and when the point is mentioned immediately we think of the high fliers and companies who seem to stash their cash abroad.

But isn't the real problem the trader who supplies services using cash in hand techniques. If so we are all guilty of keeping this going by getting our jobs done at a cheaper price because it is undeclared to the taxman?

Hands up those innocent of this fraud.

[youngmafbog]

Obviously BOTH should be tackled.

101, do you know something I dont? Have the measures been announced and I missed them. Perhaps someone could post a link to some factual evidence about the vunerable being hit.

Do you class the workshy scroungers as vulnerable by any chance ?

[ludwig]

//Lets just wait until these measures are implemented before we start ranting on. //
AOG, as always the voice of reason and sanity, appealing for calm and pouring oil on troubled waters.

The sad fact is that the country's finances are so dependant upon these institutions, that they're pretty much in a position to hold the country to ransom in the same way that the trade unions used to. The government had no choice but to bail them out when it did, and I suspect that any attempt to punish them too hard for being so greedy and useless will probably be counter productive. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try though.

I don't see why there's a distinction between benefit thieves and tax evaders by the way - benefit thieves ARE tax evaders. They evade tax in the first place by refusing to work, and then compound the problem by sucking up a chunk of the precious revenue provided by the ever dwindling workforce. They're the worst kind of tax evaders - at least the people working for cash in hand are providing some kind of useful service.