UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
If only!
Feb 16th 2011, 8:59 am
#33
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
Just wondering if we moved to Australia or Canada and have a UK part time internet based business of autopilot paid in a UK bank will we receive child benefit as will be paying national insurance contributions.
Feb 16th 2011, 1:13 pm
#34
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
If you're going abroad permanently, or expect to be away for more than 52 weeks, you won't qualify for Child Benefit unless both of the following apply:
- you are moving to an EEA country or Switzerland
- you are paying UK NICs or receiving a UK National Insurance-related benefit
You'll stop qualifying on the Sunday following the day you leave the UK or on the day itself if that's a Sunday.
If your child is staying in the UK and is being looked after by someone else, that person might want to claim Child Benefit.
You must let us know if you plan to move abroad permanently or if you're likely to be away for more than a year.
Feb 16th 2011, 1:23 pm
#35
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
Thanks Sue for that answer. Makes a lot of sense.
Feb 18th 2011, 12:59 pm
#36
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
I'm sorry, but i have never heard a bigger load of crap for a long time. Conservative politicians are by far and away the biggest liars of all politicians in the UK, stemming from the time that pig Thatcher was in power. Labour are liars too, but in my experience conservative politicians were worse.
I don't believe a word that comes out of any politicians mouth and fully expect them to completely ignore everything they said during the elections and do what they need to to serve their own needs. Period. It has nothing to do with winning with a majority or having to be in a coalition. All that means is that they have a scape goat in the other party for not allowing them to follow through with their campaign promises.
You're right that the tax payers money is ending up in the wrong hands. The rich get richer, the poor poorer. You only have to look at the plan for ceding control to local councils and the resultant budget changes. Typically the Labour held poorer Northern bouroughs get upto a 38% CUT in funding while predominately conservative bouroughs in the south are actually getting a budget increase.
Yeah, that's real fair.
FACING 25 TO 29 PER CENT REDUCTIONS
Burnley Borough Council - Lib Dem Bolsover District Council - Labour South Tyneside Council - Labour Hartlepool Borough Council - Labour Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council - Labour Copeland Borough Council - Labour Liverpool City Council - Labour Sefton Council - No overall control Doncaster Council - Labour NE Lincs Council - No overall control Sunderland City Council - Labour Hull City Council - Lib Dem Blackpool Borough Council - Conservative Wolverhampton City Council - No overall control
FACING 30 TO 38 PER CENT REDUCTIONS
Barrow-in-Furness - No overall control Lancaster City Council - No overall control Hastings Borough Council - Labour Great Yarmouth Borough Council - Conservative Pendle Borough Council - No overall control Hyndburn Borough Council - No overall control
GAINING 30 TO 38 PER CENT INCREASES
South Cambridgeshire District Council - Conservative West Oxfordshire District Council - Conservative Tunbridge Wells District Council - Conservative Uttlesford District Council - Conservative Reigate and Banstead District Council - Conservative Dartford Borough Council - Conservative Harborough District Council - Conservative
I don't believe a word that comes out of any politicians mouth and fully expect them to completely ignore everything they said during the elections and do what they need to to serve their own needs. Period. It has nothing to do with winning with a majority or having to be in a coalition. All that means is that they have a scape goat in the other party for not allowing them to follow through with their campaign promises.
You're right that the tax payers money is ending up in the wrong hands. The rich get richer, the poor poorer. You only have to look at the plan for ceding control to local councils and the resultant budget changes. Typically the Labour held poorer Northern bouroughs get upto a 38% CUT in funding while predominately conservative bouroughs in the south are actually getting a budget increase.
Yeah, that's real fair.
FACING 25 TO 29 PER CENT REDUCTIONS
Burnley Borough Council - Lib Dem Bolsover District Council - Labour South Tyneside Council - Labour Hartlepool Borough Council - Labour Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council - Labour Copeland Borough Council - Labour Liverpool City Council - Labour Sefton Council - No overall control Doncaster Council - Labour NE Lincs Council - No overall control Sunderland City Council - Labour Hull City Council - Lib Dem Blackpool Borough Council - Conservative Wolverhampton City Council - No overall control
FACING 30 TO 38 PER CENT REDUCTIONS
Barrow-in-Furness - No overall control Lancaster City Council - No overall control Hastings Borough Council - Labour Great Yarmouth Borough Council - Conservative Pendle Borough Council - No overall control Hyndburn Borough Council - No overall control
GAINING 30 TO 38 PER CENT INCREASES
South Cambridgeshire District Council - Conservative West Oxfordshire District Council - Conservative Tunbridge Wells District Council - Conservative Uttlesford District Council - Conservative Reigate and Banstead District Council - Conservative Dartford Borough Council - Conservative Harborough District Council - Conservative
) but I think this time they are doing the right thing to make these necessary cuts in the public sector. I used to Internal Audit the public sector (schools, councils, uni's, hospitals) and the depts were poorly organized (there were one or two exceptions....) and wasted money and resources. Staff taking 30 min coffee breaks at 11 after turning up for work at 9, taking a whole lunch hour, then another 30 min coffee break and then just downing "tools" at 4.30/5pm to go home - who the hell does that in the private sector!
Public sector pay used to be lower and that kind of made sense when they worked a lot less hours, but the pay is comparable now and even more in many circumstances. Let the barrage from ex coal miners, ex steel workers, ex car production workers and NHS managers commence............oh, and I used to live in Tunbridge Wells and paid a packet in Council Tax and income tax as well so I'm all for the increase down South!
Last edited by NSBlake; Feb 18th 2011 at 2:51 pm. Reason: Spelling....
Feb 18th 2011, 2:05 pm
#37
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
AT LONG LAST we have a Government with the balls to tackle the massive problem of social welfare abuse in this country, including deliberately fraudulent claims on public money. If all the benefits paid out to fraudulent and/or non deserving individuals over recent years, especially during the last Labour Government, then the current UK financial deficit would be cut hugely, and maybe wiped out altogether.
Feb 19th 2011, 12:50 am
#38
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
All politicians are liars - fact, All politicians line there own pockets in any way they can - fact. It's shear blind stupid luck if the common man actually gets any benefits along the way.
What an asinine comment.
Feb 19th 2011, 12:23 pm
#39
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
The first may be broadly true. I listen to the BBC Radio 4 PM Programme most days, and it is a depressing fact that Government ministers and spokespeople are indeed forced into a position where they have to lie or be sparing with the truth. Fortunately in the UK we have people like Eddie Mair who are pretty good at speaking truth to power, in the US the press (print & broadcast) are so incompetent and/or in the pocket of vested interests that they are obsequious to politicians .. the populace are treated like sheep to be fleeced.
The second statement, that all politicians line their own pockets, is simply not true. I believe there are many who have achieved high office and have eventually retired with no more than their legitimate salary & pension to their name.
Feb 19th 2011, 3:53 pm
#40
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
You state two opinions here followed by the word "fact."
The first may be broadly true. I listen to the BBC Radio 4 PM Programme most days, and it is a depressing fact that Government ministers and spokespeople are indeed forced into a position where they have to lie or be sparing with the truth. Fortunately in the UK we have people like Eddie Mair who are pretty good at speaking truth to power, in the US the press (print & broadcast) are so incompetent and/or in the pocket of vested interests that they are obsequious to politicians .. the populace are treated like sheep to be fleeced.
The second statement, that all politicians line their own pockets, is simply not true. I believe there are many who have achieved high office and have eventually retired with no more than their legitimate salary & pension to their name.
The first may be broadly true. I listen to the BBC Radio 4 PM Programme most days, and it is a depressing fact that Government ministers and spokespeople are indeed forced into a position where they have to lie or be sparing with the truth. Fortunately in the UK we have people like Eddie Mair who are pretty good at speaking truth to power, in the US the press (print & broadcast) are so incompetent and/or in the pocket of vested interests that they are obsequious to politicians .. the populace are treated like sheep to be fleeced.
The second statement, that all politicians line their own pockets, is simply not true. I believe there are many who have achieved high office and have eventually retired with no more than their legitimate salary & pension to their name.
No politician ever left office with less or the same wealth they went into it with. After serving in office, they then go on to collect ridiculous amounts as "consultants and board members for doing next to nothing other than having there well know name associated with a particular institution. The recent rash of headlines and convictions for politicians abusing the second home allowance etc is evidence enough that politicians are crooked. (I am aware it is a generalisation, but I think a valid one)
Feb 19th 2011, 4:38 pm
#41
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
Works both ways. You state that my second statement is "simply not true" and follow it up with "I believe" Where's your evidence?
No politician ever left office with less or the same wealth they went into it with. After serving in office, they then go on to collect ridiculous amounts as "consultants and board members for doing next to nothing other than having there well know name associated with a particular institution. The recent rash of headlines and convictions for politicians abusing the second home allowance etc is evidence enough that politicians are crooked. (I am aware it is a generalisation, but I think a valid one)
No politician ever left office with less or the same wealth they went into it with. After serving in office, they then go on to collect ridiculous amounts as "consultants and board members for doing next to nothing other than having there well know name associated with a particular institution. The recent rash of headlines and convictions for politicians abusing the second home allowance etc is evidence enough that politicians are crooked. (I am aware it is a generalisation, but I think a valid one)
You are assuming that, when they leave office, they are just trading on their big name to make money as consultants etc., and don't actually have any skills/insights/intellectual powers that might be worth the fees or salary. What about Shirley Williams, for instance; one of the greatest Labour and progressive British politicians of the post-war era. I could name dozens of others, the Conservative Prime Minister Ted Heath for one, just to be even-handed politically. Were they crooked? Shirley Williams served as a Professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Was she just trading (in a crooked way) on her fame & power? I would say not (Just my opinion.. I'm not going to say "fact.")
Feb 19th 2011, 5:04 pm
#42
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
What about Dennis Skinner?
Feb 19th 2011, 6:33 pm
#43
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
Anyway, the new Government confirms that it has no intention of withdrawing free bus passes, annual Christmas bonus payments (which incredibly has been a measly £10 for decades now and is probably now worth about 25p in real terms vis a vis the original value). Also on the preservation list are the annual pensioner's Winter Fuel Payments, but whether that will be honoured, or the actual amounts involved retained at present levels, remains to be seen. I may well have been a Conservative supporter at last year's General Election (in the Lib Dem stronghold of Edinburgh West in which the Conservatives, as in many Scottish seats, saw a decline in their % vote there - I now live in a different Edinburgh constituency - Labour held Edinburgh North and Leith) and still am up to a point by and large, a fairly rare creature in Scotland compared with the mass of Tory blue which covers much of the electoral map of England, but I am now old enough to realise that any promise my by any politocos of any colour can only be taken at face value, so wait and see is the thing to do.
Bus passes issued in England can only be used on routes within England itself (not valid in Wales) and likewise Welsh issued passes are only accepted for journeys within Wales.
Feb 19th 2011, 6:36 pm
#44
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
Yes Dennis Skinner is a good man. I admire George Galloway and I play that video of his contemptuous lecture to the contemptible US Senate Committee Hearing just to cheer myself up. But, he may be a charlatan and I crook, I'm not sure.
I happen to think that a high proportion of politicians are honorable women and men.. Dennis Skinner is a great example.
Boris Johnson and his predecessor as Mayor of London are both admirable politicians. I could think of many others.
I happen to think that a high proportion of politicians are honorable women and men.. Dennis Skinner is a great example.
Boris Johnson and his predecessor as Mayor of London are both admirable politicians. I could think of many others.
Feb 19th 2011, 6:40 pm
#45
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Re: UK to crack down on benefit fraud from abroad (incl US)
I did not know that.. seems a bit parochial. In general though, I think that is a good benefit and a good way to subsidise bus services, thus benefiting people of all ageas, not just pensioners.