Work Tax Credit
Sound good? Tax credits for poor people, right? Nope. Work Tax Credit is counted as “income” when calculating your Housing Benefit. So you actually get nothing. If you work less than 16 hours a week you won’t be entitled to Work Tax credit but that’s not so bad because you’ll actually pay the same amount of rent.
Did I say you get nothing? That was wrong. If you don’t need Housing Benefit then you get to keep the Work Tax Credit.
Housing Benefit
If you rent a property then the Housing Benefit goes to your landlord. But if you’ve got a mortgage then the Housing Benefit drops into your pocket. This is clearly unfair as it’s helping the more affluent or less poor get more affluent. But the poorest don’t get a penny.
Child Tax Credit
This is also counted as income while calculating Housing Benefit, as was Child Benefit. So the poorest don’t receive anything while those who own their own houses take it all.
The cuts/NHS/tuition fees
Pretty self explanatory. Those with lots of money needn’t worry about tuition fees. If you can afford private healthcare then the NHS isn’t really important to you. If you have lots of resources, time and the educational background to invest in your kids’ education, cuts to public services won’t really affect you.
The bedroom tax
Again, an obvious one. Only those who don’t own their own properties are targeted while those who own their properties could have ten spare rooms and not pay a penny in tax – even though it’d be much easier for them to afford the tax. It is common tax policy in most countries to tax proportionally accotrding to earnings, which was why the Thatcher Poll Tax recieved widespread opposition. The bedroom tax is worse than the Poll Tax because it only targets the poor.
The Jobcentre
Affluent people and their family, boyfriends/girlfriends and close friends won’t ever step into a Jobcentre. They can be as shiftless as they want. But the less fortunate have to be subjected to constant surveillance, forced travel and attendance to the Jobcentre and various companies and workfares. Worst of all (in my experience) is the constant harassment and erosion of self esteem and confidence. It’s this last thing which has led me to include the Jobcentre in this list. Because writing great CVs and covering letters – not to mention performing well in interviews- is heavily dependent on self esteem and confidence. The Jobcentre, A4e, Ingeus, Atos, Working Links and the rest are making the poor poorer by (unintentionally) making them do badly in interviews and keeping them out of work for longer.
Slutocracy 
I also felt the need to comment here:
If you have a mortgage you are not entitled to any Housing Benefit at all. This should be common sense, but in a nutshell: the more money you have the less entitlement/eligibility you will have to claim most benefits as they are either time-limited if based on National Insurance Contributions, or means-tested.
Rather than alter the post I would suggest deleting it as the premise is wrong
Hope this helped
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You do realise that people who own houses don’t get any housing benefit don’t you (evidently not!!!) it isn’t just “dropped into the pockets” of people with mortgages!??!!!
Housing benefit is purely for people who can’t afford rent – anyone who owns a house and has a job doesn’t get a penny extra – aside from maybe a bit of child benefit, which everyone gets!
Child and Working Tax Credits go to people who are working but on low earnings – certainly not affluent people.
This “article” is trying to condemn people who are hard working and carving a living by not claiming on the government – and complaining that affluent people are somehow harming the benefits nation – you do know where your benefits come from……right???
So get a grip (and a job!)
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I do have a job.
It was my understanding that those with mortgages can claim Housing benefit but I will research this since you’ve posited a contradictory view. If I find you’re right I will change the post.
Thanks for your calmly worded and reasonably argued comment. I think mature discussion of issues is so important.
And no, I didn’t know where my benefits (when I was claiming benefits) came from. I’m actually an incredibly ignorant person. That’s why my dog is the true author of this blog.
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It’s the Tory way ever since Thatcher came to power. They just don’t have any empathy with the unemployed, ill, unions (do they hate them!), and the working class in general. They are there for one thing and, one thing only-fodder for their Tory friends,to enable them to provide profits. Then, when the workers become a burden in any way ie. sick,old and generally “not fit for purpose” well, we know how they’re cast aside so the Tory bosses can then employ cheaper substitutes. They’re wishing (hoping) for a return to Victorian practises of management.
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