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UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

bbc.co.uk

121–130 of 183 posts

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#121

Has anyone calculated the value of life that we are saving here? The Imperial College report had 510,000 dying in the UK under a no-action scenario. Average age lets say 79 as the virus progresses. 510,000 * (82.5-79) * GBP 30,000 (QALY for the NHS) = 53.5 billion pounds based on the funding methodology used for the NHS. Instead the Uk seems to be willing to throw its entire GDP at this problem, 3 trillion pounds. Th…

> How can we justify this sort of effort for Coronavirus, but not Climate Change, Obesity, Air Pollution I do think we would react the same way to any of the other issues if you only the side effects were more 'immediate'. Things like climate change do not impact day to day life currently and especially not in western world. It's just too easy to ignore them right now.

The irony of course that land use change drives both increasing zoonotic epidemics and climate change.

http://m.nautil.us/issue/83/intelligence/the-man-who-saw-the...

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#122

This makes more sense for me than sending $1000 checks to people who still have a job.

if you're referring to the US initiative, isn't it just an early tax "refund"?

as in - no one's giving anyone anything. It's all just shell games.

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#123

I will happily pay 45% tax on my salary knowing the Gov has my back in difficult times like these. I'm fortunate enough to still have a job, but I'm happy I live in Europe.

Why would you prefer the government to manage your money instead of investing and saving it yourself?

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#124
post #7

I do wonder if it would be easier and cheaper to bite the bullet and move to a universal basic income. This situation cold be going on for years.

They want to keep the businesses going ready for when we come out of the other side of this.

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of the tens of millions of people under 40 who will have to cover all that debt over the next decades might beg to differ.

You are already covering debt for a lot stupider reasons at least you can console yourself that the money was worth spending.

The point is precisely that views differ on whether the money is worth spending ;)

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#126
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is about helping people in need and not a gift from government.

Whether you call it a gift or not doesn't change that it's functionally a penalty on working.

I would rather not get $1000 and not have to fight a large portion of the population for new jobs once this is over.

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#127
post #88
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What penalty? it's the other way around, you take a 20% penalty if you stop working, and note that it's not for people who voluntarily stop working.

When you stop working, you also get a lot of time back.

Yes of course, that's exactly what's happening at the minute. Everybody who can't work is having the most terrific fun on this unplanned holiday time they've suddenly been handed where they don't have to pay bills or buy food or support dependents./s

You're surely just being deliberately naïve here, playing the naif? I just don't really see the point I guess

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#128

I will happily pay 45% tax on my salary knowing the Gov has my back in difficult times like these. I'm fortunate enough to still have a job, but I'm happy I live in Europe.

I'd be shocked is most people on this page who are fully employed devs/techs/etc in the US do not already donate roughly 45% to the government. SS and Federal, plus state (3% for me, and almost 4% for local), now that's just on income, not anything you spend. Again, here we go. 9% sales tax in my municipality, plus individualized taxes on a variety of goods the government deems bad. This includes markups on booze, to…

For reference in France.

There is a first layer on companies having to pay 25% of salaries to taxes, then a second layer of 25%, then a third layer of income tax 0 to 30% depending on total sum and how many dependents.

So all employees are already above 44% taxes before income tax :D

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#129
post #16

And people keep saying that basic income is impossible. This is an astonishing U-turn, and a very welcome one. I just hope the social distancing isn't too late.

> This is an astonishing U-turn A u-turn from what previous position and by whom? Universal basic income hasn't really been debated seriously in the UK, so nobody had a previous position to u-turn against.

The previous policy has always centered around increasingly aggressive eligibility testing, to the point that the DWP spends more on appeals in an effort to prevent disabled people being able to eat than it would on just paying them the benefits they are entitled to. Then there's the nightmares of "universal" credit.

Re: UK government to pay up to 80% of wages for employees not working

#130
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is about helping people in need and not a gift from government.

Whether you call it a gift or not doesn't change that it's functionally a penalty on working.

As someone who can and does work from home, I do not perceive it as punishment and I am fine with people in worst situation then I am getting supper.
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