The Budget: Anyone Feeling Better Off?

[AB Editor]

Hi! Did you enjoy George's 62 minute speech?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35811775

A few bits:

* The annual Isa limit for regular Isas for all age groups is to rise from £15,000 to £20,000.

* The higher rate threshold will increase to £43,000 in April, and now Mr Osborne has said it will go up to £45,000 in April next year.

* A sugar levy was announced by the chancellor that may change the sugar content of fizzy drinks. This is applied to businesses, not on the consumer directly.

* Excise duties on tobacco will rise by 2% above inflation.

* A rise in Insurance Premium Tax. This was last raised from 6% of an insurance premium to 9.5% in November - a move that the Association of British Insurers (ABI) says added nearly £13 to the average comprehensive motor insurance policy. Now Mr Osborne has announced that this will rise again to 10%.

Anyone feeling better off?

[Svejk]

I thought 3 was a sweetener.

[Gromit]

Brilliant answer Svejk. BA to you.

[Gromit]

Budgets early in the term of a Government are rarely intended to have a feel good effect. The next 3 budgets will be squeeze, the 2020 budget will be the ease.

[New Judge]

No I don’t feel any better off, but I haven’t felt better off following a budget for 30 years (and probably longer if I care to think about it).

Budgets merely tinker around with pennies and halfpennies at the edge of the pot. The usual scenario is a few bob more income tax allowance (without the concomitant increase in NI thresholds) followed by a penny on this, tuppence on that and a largish hike in one or other of the indirect taxes (in this case Insurance Premium Tax – a more iniquitous and unjustified tax it is hard to imagine). The net result is the same: the Exchequer is still taking far too much money off taxpayers to squander and waste. To take considerably more than a third of the nation’s income is an absolute disgrace.

I should like to see a Chancellor produce a budget that reduces the tax take to about 25% (still far too much, but a start) with a radical overhaul (meaning a reduction) of the income tax and NI system. This would be accompanied by a large reduction in the numbers of people employed by the State who simply collect money and dish it out (often to the same people who paid it in). I should also like to see a reduction in overseas aid to nil (with just a fund to help with emergencies such as earthquakes etc) and a reduction in the UK’s contribution to the EU to nil (by means of “Brexit”).
There are far too many people employed by the government to no particular end. They don’t provide any goods or services and produce nothing of any benefit to anybody. All they do is keep a bloated government machine running. “Small government” is what is needed, then we can have a small budget and hopefully begin to live within our means.

[Copacetic]

I'm pretty certain the disabled wont be feeling better off..

[shoota]

Well the fee for crossing the Severn bridge will be halved, in two years time....

I have been over it (and back) at least, oooh lemme think..., once in my life. If I go again that will save me £3.30.

Enough to buy a bottle of pop perhaps?

[New Judge]

Not with the new sugar tax, it won't be.

No similar reduction for the Dartford Crossing you notice (which was going to be free when the crossing was paid for in about 2006). But er.. that's in South East England, of course.

[mikey4444]

The Severn Bridge Toll has been scandalously high for years...its about time it was reduced or even free.

After all, if the Scots can do this with the Skye Bridge, why can't we ?

[nailit]

//I'm pretty certain the disabled wont be feeling better off..//
Dont know the ins and outs but a good friend of mine was claiming PIP. He is really ill with CFS but hes just (pre budget) had it taken of him. Inccidently, this is a guy who is ex army, a special constable, and has a law degree. No benefit scrounger.

[Islay]

Hubby and I will be better off by £13 a month (using the BBC calculator)

[fbg40]

New Judge - love your sentiments posted at 1620 - brilliant !
FBG40

[nailit]

//Hubby and I will be better off by £13 a month//
Glad to hear that Islay, not like my mate who is ill and has had his money taken off him.

[Islay]

nailitt am I supposed to feel guilty?

[nailit]

Sorry Islay, not at all.
Just trying to highlight the point that people who really NEED the money (ie, sick people) are having it taking away from them.

[Cloverjo]

Nailit, I agree. Taking money from sick and disabled people to balance the books is disgusting.

[EDDIE51]

As a non smoking, sugar hating pensioner on basic pension with a motability car and no prospect of ever saving anything I can say 'No'.

[Islay]

Can I also point out the other side that there are a lot of people out there getting the disabled benefits that are not that sick.

I am disabled but I hold down a fulltime job and some days it takes me hours to get out of the house!

[nailit]

clover, this happened a month ago...'pre' budget as well. Sick people are been had over without the public even been aware of it.

[Islay]

Nailit - it did come across like that you were trying to make feel guilty. Sorry if I took it in the wrong manner.

[nailit]

//I am disabled but I hold down a fulltime job and some days it takes me hours to get out of the house//

Then get my friend a job where his employers also allow for days when he litterally cant get out of his flat (sometimes weeks) because not only is he incappacitated he is also in a lot of pain (if you dont understand cfs do a google search)