Haldaman

Because of my COPD I have been doing a pulmonary rehabilitation course of exercises at Carteret general Hospital in Morehead City NC. I knew it would not be cheap, I did one in England and it involves around 25 hours spread over weeks and lots of equipment. Free of course in Bristol NHS. Got the bill for the NC course, $1200. Called the hospital finance lady and surprise surprise due to my low income as an OAP, and wife only a LPN carer, I only have to pay 10% as a federal charity foots 90%!

As the finance lady said, "This government does do some things good!"

Pretty good as a visit to the doctor costs $75 just to cross the threshold, less 10% for cash or card though we only found that out after complaining about a $30 bill for sticking my finger in a SATS tester for 10 seconds.

And my wife's nursing union gives her a card to discount all our prescriptions, eye and tooth care by a significant amount.It's there if you look for it!

Mar'in and Car'lyn

Pulaski

Oh yes, and money grows on trees in the the UK! .... It's not "free", it is paid for very handsomely in the UK by taxes - income tax, NI, and sales taxes.

In the UK, by the time you have taken pay net of income tax and NI (on £30,000, including allowing for the personal allowance £5k approx), and then deducted VAT, you have an effective tax rate of 40%. Then there is non-deductible mortgage interest, high property taxes, tax on petrol, etc, etc..

elfman

Total tax wedge - Single worker

The percentage of gross earnings given up in tax, including any social security contributions. Calculated for a single worker without children, earning 100 % of the average wage. Data for 2001, and only for selected OECD countries.

USA 30.0%
UK 29.7%

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/...ax_wed_sin_wor

ScotsmanInTexas

I've been a single man with no kids in the UK earning a lot less than married men in the very same job! It's a complete rip-off when you suddenly realise you are subsidising the other man's family and kids.

I remember being asked by a guy in the same job as myself, just back from his recent holiday in Spain, did I do this, did I do that can I afford this, etc. Needless to say he was a bit of a backside about what he owned or did. I told him straight no I don't earn enough, the taxman screws me and other single men like me and collectively we are paying for your luxuries and family health care.

Dispute it if you must but it's the truth and I've seen it with my own eyes. That guy was less qualified, less experienced and generally a nitwit yet took home more wages than I did. He had a better Tax threshold, Family allowance, umpteen other benefits and allowances. It's slightly better these days (or so I'm told anyway) but it is very very unfair on the single man. The single man bears the brunt of the British economy more than anyone else, he actively subsidises everyone else, which is ironic since many find it hard to get the money together to change their marital status and get back some of what they've been dishing out to others. British Government can't kid me with their facts and figures.

p.s. Meant to add that the other guy had less chance of being sacked than I did, and had more chance of promotion simply because he was married with kids. I on the other hand would have been sacked without a care, since I supported only myself. There is this attitude that a single man with little responsibility will get a job easier? How is it any easier for him? When you think about it a single man in the British workplace has many disadvantages. I'm married today, but no less angry at the way myself and others have been treated in the past. Is it too much to ask for fairness?

Manc

I think you were probably more crap at negotiating a decent salary for yourself than him.

ScotsmanInTexas

Negotiate a salary? In the UK? Are you serious?

Big D

Why not? Used to do it all the time...

ScotsmanInTexas

To clarify. No we earned the same wages and did the same job. Rates for the job are not generally 'negotiated' in any Government job. I don't know where you ever experienced wage negotiating going on in the UK, but I have certainly never come across anything like that. Sounds to me like you are probably not British or have no real experience of the British workplace. Odd though why it is those that benefited the most from a bad situation are always quick to attack when the facts are stated to them. It's the truth and it completely sucks.

ScotsmanInTexas

I find that hard to believe and can't imagine who your employer was. The USA is one of the few places in the world where you have to negotiate your take home pay. In the UK the rate for the job is agreed on when you take the job, the vast majority of jobs pay everyone the same rate. What you take home though is a different matter, thanks to the taxman and your marital status.

Manc

anyone?

anotherlimey

I negotiated mine in the UK and the USA without problems.

Also, I don't mind subsidising healthcare, i.e. the NHS, for families because when I start a family, I'll be needing it too.

Manc

me too, if I could justify why I deserved one, then generally I got a raise.

And my justification was never "Well Mr X. is on £20,000 a year, so I should be too."

I didn't give a toss what other people was earning.

Dimsie

That's really good to hear, Mar'in. It must be due to your location though.

A few years ago my US husband was surprised to find at a regular check-up that he had a blockage in a main artery to his heart and needed a stent to be inserted. At the time he had given up his job to care for his mother who suffered from Parkinson's, and his ex-wife had stopped any health insurance under her employment. He was therefore not insured, and was not quite old enough to qualify for Medicare at that time, nor could he find any private health insurance due to his age. He had to mortgage his home, borrow on credit cards , and negotiate a small deduction, in order to be able to pay $30,000. For a USC who had worked his whole life, and was uninsured only due to sad family circumstances, I find that absolutely disgusting ! No wonder I struggle to find respect for The Land of the Free.

dbj1000

It's nice to see that you're not bitter about it!

Personally, I agree with Manc (whose Britishness you question, no less!) that I have always been able to negotiate my salary in the UK based on my skill and results achieved in my job. Comparing my salary to my colleagues would have made me potentially very bitter person.

But you say you worked in Government, so it makes sense that they don't negotiate salary based on performance!

millymoose

[QUOTE=ScotsmanInTexas]. the vast majority of jobs pay everyone the same rate. QUOTE]

Complete crap. In the private sector if they want you they will pay and it is up to you to negotiate. No-one in my company of 600 earns the same for same or similar jobs