Why does the Royal family need so much money?

This is the essence of royalty to me just gently giving graciously Barbara Deane
But how do you know that they do not give graciously ,
The British monarchy has a motto “Never explain never complain”

Is that a fact Carol.
That is nice.

One way to show support for the royals:

i worked for NHS s a nurse, my wife was a amanger for a large shop. my next door neighbours were both on benefits.

he drove a 1 year old bmw from new. They went on 5 holidays oversees in 1 year. she smoked like a trouper, always was having deliveries of nice things like tv’s and all sorts. their son rode round on a petrol quad bike.

I asked them once how much rent they would pay and and council tax and benefits. turned out they were earning on benefits and having rent paid over 600 quid more a month than me and my wife,

That is the benefits system and that is whats sucking the country dry, not rich people. Forget targeting the rich, get rid of all the scum getting benefits, make them get off their fat arsses and earn like the rest of the people. She said to me once she would not work for less than 15 quid an hour and she had zero qulifications and had never worked… this is a very very common story.

Nonsense mate.

Tory nonsense.

Well I began the conversation/thread to find out the answer to my question.
It is a very complex topic and we have moved beyond centre stage and now
are behind the scenes.
Nothing is clearer now than it was at the beginning.
What is certain is that we all come from different places and have such
different views on life.
Most of us are here because of the composition of France and how she
flirts with us with her beauty. Some of us came just because it was a financial
equation in favour of cheaper properties.
What we have left behind is a country which struggles to find balance and does not
know how to seek out the “manipulators” who manage to destroy all chances of the truly
helpless and poor find a reasonable and secure life.
And, perhaps I ask can the rich do more?
Should they do more?
Or should they look away?

The original idea of the benefits system was to provide a safety net for those who were genuinely struggling (for whatever reason). Over time it has mushroomed into a monster that now encompasses over 40 separate benefits. At the same time the culture and attitude has changed so that things that used to be seen as luxuries or would be given up if you had little money are now seen as essentails - cigarettes, mobile phones, satellite tv contracts, holidays etc. Throw in expensive housing and you have a massive problem that is going to take decades to fix.

I don’t buy the idea that most people on benefits are scroungers, most work and get top-up’s to maintain a normal life. Of course there are those that milk the system but the majority don’t.

Asking the rich to hand over more of their wealth to help the poor sounds great but in reality the only way to do that is to tax them heavily and is that fair?

Do the rich all pay their taxes fairly and squarely?
Luxeries are luxuries and should not be paid for
by the gov.
No wonder why people think twice before coming here.

Just like a minority who abuse the benfits system there is undoubtedly a proportion of the wealthy that don’t pay all the tax they should (morally anyway, think tax havens).

What should be highlighted and dealt with is the tax lost to avoidance schemes, fraud and the ridiculously low amount of tax paid by the likes of Amazon, Google and Apple.

And will they get away with blue murder?

Getting one thing wrong here is disaster…even if it is not your fault.
I paid my tax de sejour and with it you send a summary which is simple
and organised by the collectors.
My cheque had been cleared but the collectors could not find the summary…
“you will be prosecuted for not supply the info on the forms”
I eventually was told that they had found the paperwork…did they actually make an
apology …? No.
But in UK I experienced all sorts.
One of the many reasons why I left.

They call it “the age of entitlement” don’t they? There are many who know how to fully play the system to maximize their income, many are scroungers who have no intention of ever finding employment but can we really blame them when they are entitled to so much? I’ve known some who live like that and whilst it’s an alien concept to me unfortunately there just isn’t the stigma attached like there once was. I was unemployed for 6 months years ago and found it demoralizing and embarrassing.
Of course there are those who genuinely want to work and I wish them luck but in an age of automation where many industries have a far smaller workforce than they used to it won’t be easy. I worked in the printing industry which has changed beyond recognition in the last 30 years.
What would happen if there was no benefits system I wonder? Many would say that attempts to reduce benefits have not gone anywhere near far enough. There are no simple answers and I don’t believe that simply taxing the rich is going to make the difference some expect.

But that will help…asking the rich to put their hands in their
pockets and getting the gov administration do their job better…
much better.
Way back when I was running my restaurant I was informed
by a person that she was getting housing benefit and working…
not paying the tax. She then went on to teach Yoga in a very
well known prision in London and smoked hash with the inmates.
She was caught out …re the housing benefit claim and ordered to
make a pay back.
She then moved on to become a social worker.
Does it make sense?

Barbara… what did you do about the lady who was working and not paying tax?

I am not the police or the tax office Stella.
To my mind it was totally wrong.
Stella what would you have done!
I have stories Stella which would turn your hair grey…I
lived in West London and some of the time in an area where
the police feared to venture.
Many if not most of the cleaners in London are working
in London houses and the employer or the employee do not
pay tax. Possibly some of the employed are not legal.
The obvious is not always obvious.

@barbara_deane1

In the early years of my marriage, I threatened to expose my brother-in-law when he boasted so merrily about working for cash while receiving the dole.

(I’m no saint… but I cannot stand by and do nothing in this sort of situation.)

My outburst caused uproar at the time… in-laws were furious… both with him and with me…and we didn’t speak for some weeks. But my threat had the desired effect. He came off the dole and went to work officially.

Incidentally, my in-laws and I came to an understanding and ended up loving one another very much… and OH and I looked after both of them for the rest of their lives.

oh you threatened!
But you did not go to the police or the tax office.
I do believe that most of us get punished for doing bad…
but I am not the executionist,
Apart from any thing else it is not my place to relate the
sins of others without proof or detail.
In the case of the drug related situations the police
were in observation…if I opened my mouth i could have
ended up as history.

@Barbara… My upbringing was strict but fair… with no place in it for dishonesty.

I gave brother-in-law 2 weeks to get his act together…I saw that as strict but fair…very wisely, he took me at my word as I would have exposed him…he was stealing!

A couple of years after that incident, I gained a super job where my honesty and strict code of conduct…was greatly appreciated.

I reckon that millions might possibly be saved if folk were more honest.

Knowing something is illegal and doing nothing … for me that would be impossible.

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I am sorry Stella your situation was very different to mine.
Have you lived in London?
Do you know how it works there.?
You know of a person…not their actual address…
and where their tax office is and you search out where it may be and you
report something which you have no clear detail of.
I am glad that you have been appreciated but are you not over
embracing your own qualities!
I have pointed out various areas of loop whole where millions can be saved.
Admin …admin and Admin and cleaners in posh houses…all houses…in fact.

Hi Barbara… perhaps I did give you too much of my personal information… sorry about that… but the point I was trying to make remains the same:

Knowing someone is doing something dishonest/illegal… and doing nothing about it is something I cannot subscribe to.

Many folk are loathe to speak out… yet if only they would do so… it would/could make a great difference.

(and I was pointing out that speaking-out does not make that person (me) an “executioner”…but someone who is simply prepared to uphold the Law… a trait to be applauded .)

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I will repeat…you addressed your relative and become involved in a family disagreement.
It was solved between you.
You really do not wish to accept that my situation was totally different.
And I did exactly what most people would have done in my situation.
For all I know this woman could have been spinning a story for entertainment
purposes.
So did you have first hand experience in London in years gone by?
i am sure that you are a great lady but I see green lights flashing
and I you have just no idea of how life was in London…what you do,
when you do it.
i am no angel …but I am not a sinner!!!