The reform party has agreed to continue the triple lock

How is the tax burden at a high when most of us are taxed so low

ifs.org.uk/articles/how-tax-burden-high-when-most-us-are-taxed-so-low

Brexit must have been very powerful seeing as most of the rest of Europe are in the same situation.

Technically Labour has kept its tax promises as rates have not been raised but frozen tax thresholds have resulted in a higher tax burden for millions.
AI

Uk tax burden as share of GDP / percentage point change 2024 to 2031 4.5 percent the highest. Canada will be minus 0.5 percent… for example.
The Telegraph…????

ronib

My relative is retired and very relieved to be living away from the UK.
My news channels seem to be saying that the UK has the highest increase in income tax …. Casdon

Which news channel is this? And what is meant by increase? From what to what? And when?

Casdon

Again, you haven’t checked out the facts ronib
Germans generally pay a higher overall rate of tax and social security contributions than residents of the UK. While top income tax rates are similar (around 45%), Germany’s comprehensive social security system—covering healthcare, pension, unemployment, and long-term care—results in a higher overall charge.
Unless your relative is not paying tax at the level he/she should be, or is retired, therefore what you say cannot be the case. If in doubt, google it for yourself to confirm.

Correct! Germans pay more for health and social care. What they receive is usually better, but not always. The crucial issue is that they pay more.

ronib

Yes Cossy a relative has used German healthcare and she is well treated - better than when she lived here.

I should hope so. Germans pay more for healthcare than in the UK - and, yes, I used and paid for the German healthcare system for many years. I don't need to rely on something a relative tells me. Even so, the system isn't perfect. People in some areas (particularly cities) can wait ages to be seen by a GP and social care/rehab for the elderly is struggling, just as it is in the UK.

Casdon

Again, you haven’t checked out the facts ronib
Germans generally pay a higher overall rate of tax and social security contributions than residents of the UK. While top income tax rates are similar (around 45%), Germany’s comprehensive social security system—covering healthcare, pension, unemployment, and long-term care—results in a higher overall charge.
Unless your relative is not paying tax at the level he/she should be, or is retired, therefore what you say cannot be the case. If in doubt, google it for yourself to confirm.

Someone in the UK earning 30,000 a year would pay tax of £3,486. The tax rate is 20%.

www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/salary.php

Someone in Germany earning the Euro equivalent would pay tax of £9,345. The tax free allowance is lower and the graduated tax rate 31.1%.

salaryaftertax.com/de/salary-calculator

Here the NIC rate is 8%.

According to accountants Price Waterhouse Cooper:

In Germany, Pension Insurance is 18.6%, Unemployment Insurance 2.6%, Health Insurance 14.6%.

taxsummaries.pwc.com/germany/individual/other-taxes#:~:text=Social%20security%20contributions%20in%20Germany%20are%20levied,an%20income%20ceiling%20of%20EUR%20101%2C400%20annually

I read too in the PWC document that Real estate transfer tax is levied at 3.5% to 6.5% of the consideration on ALL conveyances of German property.

People insist that the UK is a high tax country. It isn’t.

Highest increase is not the same as highest tax rate. UK comes way down the list of highest tax rates.

Cost of living is 20 percent lower in Germany than in UK.

My relative is retired and very relieved to be living away from the UK.
My news channels seem to be saying that the UK has the highest increase in income tax …. Casdon

Again, you haven’t checked out the facts ronib
Germans generally pay a higher overall rate of tax and social security contributions than residents of the UK. While top income tax rates are similar (around 45%), Germany’s comprehensive social security system—covering healthcare, pension, unemployment, and long-term care—results in a higher overall charge.
Unless your relative is not paying tax at the level he/she should be, or is retired, therefore what you say cannot be the case. If in doubt, google it for yourself to confirm.

Can anyone enlighten me regarding health care provision, in countries using the private model, for those born with long term needs?
I understand that in the USA that any child born with significant needs is uninsurable, so the parent must seek funding from charities, churches etc for any operations, pharmaceuticals or therapies required.
We on gransnet might have GC or other family / friends for whom this might be important. I have some experience of Special Education ( a school for children with severe and complex needs) and many of our children were supported heavily by the NHS .
I don't know the current situation, but I was aware of a Turkish boy brought to England for medical treatment and special schooling, as this was not available where they lived.
It was a win- win for us , as he was a delightful child, and his parents were medical professionals, who were quickly appointed to the local hospital.

If there was ever a time NOT to vote for Reform, it must be now.

Graphite

Published Reform policy.

Reform will abolish Indefinite Leave Remain, rescind existing awards and introduce a 5 year renewable visa for migrants with higher salary thresholds.

How will that affect nurses and other health care workers?

We will have even less than we have now!

ronib

Yes of course my relative pays a monthly amount for health care in Germany but I have an inkling that she was paying a substantial amount in UK taxes when working here. She is probably better off in Germany? *Cossy *

Thank you

Published Reform policy.

Reform will abolish Indefinite Leave Remain, rescind existing awards and introduce a 5 year renewable visa for migrants with higher salary thresholds.

How will that affect nurses and other health care workers?

Yes of course my relative pays a monthly amount for health care in Germany but I have an inkling that she was paying a substantial amount in UK taxes when working here. She is probably better off in Germany? Cossy

I believe that there’s a shortage of some 30,000 nurses across the UK and a need for approx 50,000 doctors, however for doctors there’s also a massive shortage of training contracts.

For nurses alone, the bill for agency nurses is around £2b a year.

How to fix this? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Btw, we will never get better NHS care when we have shortages of new hospitals (promised by BJ I believe), not that the new buildings alone would suffice as we have a huge shortage of staff across all levels, especially Nurses.

ronib

Yes Cossy a relative has used German healthcare and she is well treated - better than when she lived here.

Thank you.

Amazingly, I have friends living in Turkey and they’ve (had to) us Turkish healthcare, and without exception found it to be very good.

Just out of interest, did your relative pay?

I have a close friend who lives in Spain, she’s paying £60 per month into a fund that will allow her to qualify for the Spain’s equivalent of our NHS, whilst also paying £130 a month for excellent private healthcare, she’s early sixties.

However, even with both she still had to pay for both her knee replacements.

Her Mum lives next door to her and has lived there for 45 years and also receives excellent healthcare.

I did read it but reading doesn’t constitute blind acceptance. DAR

ronib

You have not changed my mind. Your comments on each country are not very accurate but a convenient way of saying what you want to prove…. DAR

Why would you think I was attempting to change your mind ronib? I was simply adding facts to balance a prejudice. More for others than for you as I doubt you actually read it

Yes Cossy a relative has used German healthcare and she is well treated - better than when she lived here.

MaggsMcG

Dont believe anything word they say. What they say and what they do are two different things. They already said they will make the NHS work like the US Insurance Model that will mean most ordinary pensioners will end up bankrupt, poor heakth care or dead. I wouldn't vote Reform if they were one of only two choices.

Ordinary people, not just pensioners.