So who's going to pick our fruit?

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So who's going to pick our fruit?
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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 2:06 pm Post subject:

toggle wrote:

yes, there is, but that isn't going to be solved by demanding that people take short term work as fruit pickers 200 miles from where they live to benefit people who want to keep prices on strawberries low while the people being forced to take these jobs get even poorer

Agree. I don't think that Tiptree jams (as an example) are going to be able to fill their picking requirements from local labour regardless of how much they pay or any coercion on the part of the authorities.

At the lower end of the pay scale it's very hard to actually to make the move from benefits to waged. We've been thinking about running a small chicken operation here, this would mean hiring someone. We know someone in the village who would love to do this, unfortunately she'd need us to pay her over ï¿½400 p.w. in order to offset her lost benefits (single parent).

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 2:46 pm Post subject:
cheer me up some more tahir....

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 3:31 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

unfortunately she'd need us to pay her over ï¿½400 p.w. in order to offset her lost benefits (single parent).

Which is a crazy situation for two reasons.

1, That she is better off on benifits than a over ï¿½20k per year job

2, That benifits need to be so high to pay for a reasonable standard of living.

If living costs were lower then so could benifits.

Surely she could claim working tax & family tax credits to top up the lower wage you could offer her & she would then be better off than purely on benifits?

Justme

PS yes the time it takes to go on & off benifits needs looking at.

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 3:33 pm Post subject:

toggle wrote:

I certainly agree that is not the solution - propping up an industry that seemingly is no longer viable in the UK (regrettably). However we seem to have a tax and benefits regime that encourages non-employment, or makes it difficult for people to enter employment.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 3:52 pm Post subject:

Justme wrote:

tahir wrote:

unfortunately she'd need us to pay her over ï¿½400 p.w. in order to offset her lost benefits (single parent).

Which is a crazy situation for two reasons.

the biggest problem is usually childcare.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 4:09 pm Post subject:

toggle wrote:

Justme wrote:

tahir wrote:

unfortunately she'd need us to pay her over ï¿½400 p.w. in order to offset her lost benefits (single parent).

Which is a crazy situation for two reasons.

the biggest problem is usually childcare.

I can understand that as when the OH wanted to go back to work after the third child (other two dint need child care as they were older) it would hgave take BOTH our wages to pay the bill.

Justme

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 5:49 pm Post subject:

Are benefits really that much these days?
Gosh, I'm stunned that the figure can be as much as ï¿½400 a week!
How is that figure calculated ...
Not surprising that some people chose it in preference to working.

It's a long time since I claimed unemployment benefit.
The last time it was imminent, the amount I would have received was so meagre, I got a job the very same day, not a job I wanted at all but it meant I could make ends meet.

EV

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 6:09 pm Post subject:

FFS.

of course they aren't getting that much in benefits. for a start, you need to take tax/NI off that.

then they have to consider the extra costs that having to get childcare would bring, before and after school care, plus full time care in holidays, plus inset days and election days etc. plus time off when the kid is ill and can't go to school/nursery/childminder. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7214704.stm

that might give you an idea.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 7:27 pm Post subject:
I think the ï¿½400 per week is when you totaly come of benifits with one child. Its not always the direct benifit but what else you get because you are on a benifit even if its only a penny. Like free school meals Free perscriptions Council tax reduction Council rent reductions Free dental treatment (if you can get it) Help with glasses & free eye tests I am sure there are more too Justme

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 7:29 pm Post subject:

Justme wrote:

I think the ï¿½400 per week is when you totaly come of benifits with one child. Its not always the direct benifit but what else you get because you are on a benifit even if its only a penny.

Like
free school meals
Free perscriptions
Council tax reduction
Council rent reductions
Free dental treatment (if you can get it)
Help with glasses & free eye tests
I am sure there are more too

Justme

milk tokens and the maternity grant are what i've found so far, if you discover anymore, let me know.....

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 7:36 pm Post subject:
Oh forgot all about milk tokens. Mind you registered alcoholics get paid extra to buy booze (or is that a myth?). Justme

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 7:39 pm Post subject:
Myth.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun May 18, 08 7:43 pm Post subject:
probably. although I have been told that it's the addiction where badly managed withdrawal is most likely to be fatal. i can now spend my milk tokens on fruit and veg as well as milk though. hopefully the boobies work so i won't need powdered stuff.

Andy B

Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum

Posted: Mon May 19, 08 7:40 am Post subject:

Back to the fruit picking, you didnt need to be Mystic meg to see this one comming. Some time soon the laws will be relaxed / ignored for immigration from outside the EU as a way of ofsetting the fact that this is a very expensive place to be. The value of the pound needs to drop, devaluing just about everything in this country as it does so, but that will allow us to quietly adopt the euro as our currency and fall neatly into line with Europe. Fruit growers are just an early casualty.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Mon May 19, 08 7:48 am Post subject:
Benefit rates are clearly displayed on the govt site for anyone who's labouring under the misapprehension that people claiming welfare support are rolling in it.

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