Fuel & VAT increase

Stonedofmoo · 31 Dec 2009 at 08:24

Yeah I've been paying for that medical treatment my whole life and have been lucky enough to never have to call on it.

I wish the NHS has a no claims system

As for fuel prices it takes the **** but it was always going to happen. What ammuses me are these people who say it's only a few extra pence and it won't matter. They say it every single time it goes up a few pence and being that is now 2 or 3 times a year, not including the fact fuel seems to go up on it's own anyhow... at what point will it matter to them?

I remember when people were concerned fuel was going above 80p a litre, we're a long way past that now and it will go up yet again shortly. Eventually cars will be priced out of the way of low earners, and yet there is no feasible cheap public transport to replace it except cycling.
My partner takes the bus to work each day and despite being a short journey it costs her twice as much as it would to drive every day. Unfortunately as theres no parking she has no choice.

LoadsaMoney · 31 Dec 2009 at 12:00

Im sure i heard somewhere that it was going to rocket to about £1.30 in the next few days or so, may have been on the Tv.

I don't see the sense in moaning about it, as has been said above, do something about it, as yer just moaning about something you want to do, madness that

Danm54 · 31 Dec 2009 at 12:01

Eriedor said:
Personally I'm like InvaderGIR, I've just accepted the fact it costs a lot to run a car and that fuel will always increase. For me it is a known quantity, if it becomes prohibitively expensive I'll simply down size to a less powerful car.

How is fuel prices ever a known quantity?

It increases by more every year, every year see's bigger tax increases.

Its all tax, you get taxed on what you earn, you gat taxed when you buy a car, you get taxed on the fuel you put in it, you get taxed on parts for your car, you get taxed to drive your car on the road, it never ends!

I dont see why i should get raped on tax on everything i buy and earn, and because they take so much off me i have to buy another car (which ill get taxed on) so i can get cheaper running costs.

I also have another tax rant, my GF has a Peugeot 107, for that she pays £30 a year road tax, how many new cars are paying so little? I have to pay £185 a year, most likely because they're not earning as much on most of the new cars as they've got low CO2 emmisions so have to subsidise it by charging owners of older cars more every year!
I dont care how low your CO2 emmisions are, you still contribute to the wear and tear of the road!!!

Rant over

I get around · 31 Dec 2009 at 13:38

Bear said:
Can I remind you that medical treatment ISNT FREE !!!!!

It is free though, you don't get billed by the NHS for medical treatment?
Thats our tax money at work, brilliant, doesn't just favour those in a position where they can afford healthcare.

Parents should look after their children, not the state. And the state shouldn't pay so much for those behind bars.

Benefits should incentivise work, not discourage it.

I'm not saying it's a perfect system, but I am saying it's a required system, it needs work, no doubt, everyone knows that. But the trouble is finding where to start.

If we didn't pay tax we'd have a **** country, simple as.

Cyanide · 31 Dec 2009 at 13:41

I get around said:
It is free though, you don't get billed by the NHS for medical treatment?

You do if it's optical or dental. And for prescriptions. And if you need treatment straight away (eg physio) you'll need to go private to avoid the 6-8 week waiting list.

I'm not against the NHS, I've made the most of it over the last year but it most certainly isn't "free".

OpenToSuggestions · 31 Dec 2009 at 13:50

I get around said:
If we didn't pay tax we'd have a **** country, simple as.

Not for people who work.

People who work pay, via tax, for their own healthcare and healthcare for all the scummers in council flats who don't work.

Personally I would rather pay for healthcare myself and be taxed less as I (IE the working man) would be better off.

Bear · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:06

I get around said:
It is free though, you don't get billed by the NHS for medical treatment?
Thats our tax money at work, brilliant, doesn't just favour those in a position where they can afford healthcare.

I'm not saying it's a perfect system, but I am saying it's a required system, it needs work, no doubt, everyone knows that. But the trouble is finding where to start.

If we didn't pay tax we'd have a **** country, simple as.

It is free at the point of use but it is not free, there is a distiction between the two. I just get billed before I use it and because I have private health care with my job, I get billed for potentially not using it aswell.

I get around · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:22

So people on low incomes don't deserve medical treatment?
That bloke who works in your local chipshop? Or the guys who collect your bins? Or students, our future scientists and doctors?
They don't deserve medical treatment, because they won't be able to afford insurance?

I'd rather pay for an equal system and not leave those less fortunate than I am in the lurch.

If you had to pay for healthcare yourself you'd probably be worse off. If you had insurance and never used it, your premiums would be low that is correct, but if something bad should happen, or when you get older your premium will be very high. If you have no insurance and something serious happens, maybe you need major surgery, you'll more than likely be bankrupt.
A lot of working people would be worse off with privatised healthcare, in America, a prime example of this, they spend more per person on healthcare than any other country in the world.

clv101 · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:28

I get around said:
America, a prime example of this, they spend more per person on healthcare than any other country in the world.

Any only rank something like 34th on the WHO's quality of health scale.

Private health care is a catastrophe, European style public health is way better.

OpenToSuggestions · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:30

I get around said:
So people on low incomes don't deserve medical treatment?
That bloke who works in your local chipshop? Or the guys who collect your bins? Or students, our future scientists and doctors?
They don't deserve medical treatment, because they won't be able to afford insurance?

I'd rather pay for an equal system and not leave those less fortunate than I am in the lurch.

If you had to pay for healthcare yourself you'd probably be worse off. If you had insurance and never used it, your premiums would be low that is correct, but if something bad should happen, or when you get older your premium will be very high. If you have no insurance and something serious happens, maybe you need major surgery, you'll more than likely be bankrupt.
A lot of working people would be worse off with privatised healthcare, in America, a prime example of this, they spend more per person on healthcare than any other country in the world.

Our healthcare system is so underfunded and slow that many people go private.
Pay NHS via tax only to find waiting lists are so long you pay private. SO overall you pay for healthcare twice.

I get around · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:31

mglover070588 said:
Our healthcare system is so underfunded and slow that many people go private.
Pay NHS via tax only to find waiting lists are so long you pay private. SO overall you pay for healthcare twice.

Thats your choice to go private, some peoples standards are just too high.
Most people can't afford private unless it's paid for by their employer as a benefit of the job.

Bear · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:37

I get around said:
So people on low incomes don't deserve medical treatment?
That bloke who works in your local chipshop? Or the guys who collect your bins? Or students, our future scientists and doctors?
They don't deserve medical treatment, because they won't be able to afford insurance?

I'd rather pay for an equal system and not leave those less fortunate than I am in the lurch.

If you had to pay for healthcare yourself you'd probably be worse off. If you had insurance and never used it, your premiums would be low that is correct, but if something bad should happen, or when you get older your premium will be very high. If you have no insurance and something serious happens, maybe you need major surgery, you'll more than likely be bankrupt.
A lot of working people would be worse off with privatised healthcare, in America, a prime example of this, they spend more per person on healthcare than any other country in the world.

Where on earth did you get to the point of poor people not deserving of medical treatment from my post saying medical treatment is not free ?? Because I didnt say anything of the sort, I was just making it perfectly clear that it isnt free end of story.

I get around · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:39

Bear said:
Where on earth did you get to the point of poor people not deserving of medical treatment from my post saying medical treatment is not free ?? Because I didnt say anything of the sort, I was just making it perfectly clear that it isnt free end of story.

I was refering to the people saying they'd rather have privatised healthcare.

Repta · 31 Dec 2009 at 14:48

clv101 said:
Any only rank something like 34th on the WHO's quality of health scale.

Private health care is a catastrophe, European style public health is way better.

The NHS isnt european style health care though, there is a reason i think only 1 other country uses a NHS like system....

Stonedofmoo · 31 Dec 2009 at 15:08

I would personally like either a no claims system on the NHS which is unlikely, or to be given the option of going private and not paying towards the NHS

Why should we have the option to go private but then continue paying for the NHS healthcare. It's the main reason I won't get private healthcare although sometimes I think it's worth getting anyhow. The NHS is pretty useless imo as it's a reactive system that only looks at once you're already ill. You get dental checksups but no physical checkups throughout your life.

Edit: How OT has this thread got

PMKeates · 31 Dec 2009 at 15:13

mglover070588 said:
Personally I would rather pay for healthcare myself and be taxed less as I (IE the working man) would be better off.

This works under the presumption that the money that goes in to healthcare stays in healthcare. However, it doesn't. A private company makes a profit. I'd hazard a guess that the profits in the private medical industry in say, the USA, far outweigh the cost of supporting the unemployed with healthcare. VERY simplistic and in numbers:

Real medical costs for 95 workers are £950
Real medical costs for 5 scroungers are £50

Social system costs £1000, workers pay £10.52 each.

Private medical costs for 95 workers are £950
+ 6% profit = £1007

Private system costs £1007, workers pay £10.60 each.

The result is that 1 worker buys a bigger boat, yet the 5 scroungers are unhealthy. The "working man" such as yourself would almost certainly not be better off in a private medical system. With our current social system the richer in society (the very much richer - maybe the top 10%) contribute to the majority of costs. The people on average salaries are taking a lot more than they are giving.

clv101 · 31 Dec 2009 at 16:16

Nicely put PMKeates.

86JR · 31 Dec 2009 at 17:14

Matt82 said:
i have a tweaked audi s4, this thing more than highlights how expensive fuel is getting

Is your name actually Steve and not Matt ?

SB118 · 31 Dec 2009 at 17:24

All the local filling stations have put the fuel up early to catch all the mugs going out for a full tank "before the tax goes up".

Then again, knowing the fuel companies they'll go up again tomorrow as well

BigglesPiP · 31 Dec 2009 at 19:11

Eriedor said:
Personally I'm like InvaderGIR, I've just accepted the fact it costs a lot to run a car and that fuel will always increase. For me it is a known quantity, if it becomes prohibitively expensive I'll simply down size to a less powerful car.

I still aspire to get thirstier and thirstier cars.

I think I'll get an old Range Rover V8 next.