GST cushion
Wednesday 24th September 2008, 3:00PM BST.
PLANS to offset the impact of GST on low- and middle-income earners through increased benefits or reduced tax bills were approved by the States yesterday.
Members voted by 36-4 to back a proposal from Assistant Treasury Minister John Le Fondré to raise tax thresholds and increase levels of income support to ease the burden of the new 3% goods and services tax.
The Deputy (pictured) came up with the scheme as an alternative following the rejection earlier this month of a proposal from Grouville Deputy Carolyn Labey to exempt food from the 3% sales tax. The move will cost about £4.3 million and will also include an amount for rising fuel prices.
In presenting his proposals, the St Lawrence Deputy said that proportionately the changes would be of most benefit to the less well-off and the vulnerable in Jersey. It will now fall to Treasury Minister Terry Le Sueur and Social Security Minister Paul Routier to make it happen. Senator Le Sueur said he would work to include the new tax thresholds and benefit levels in his December budget to help people this winter.
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Hurrah, finally some thought has been given to the struggling many ! I will be interested to see how much this ‘allowance’ will amount to !
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The whole thing was a set up.
See Senator Shenton’s recent letter.
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What are the limits for low and middle income earners?
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This suucessful proposition might, at first sight, seem to be a move for the people.
It should, however, be remembered that Deputy Le Fondre’s belated action was a broadside attack on the move to remove GST from food. In that respect, it was spectacularly successful.
At best, the Le Fondre proposition showed contempt for the ordinary, working people of this Island. At worst, it was a barely disguised and cynical ploy designed to scupper the removal of GST from food.
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So let me get this right. The States ignored almost 20,000 islanders to push GST upon us. Then earlier this month they took a vote giving themselves the chance to partially rectify that utterly immoral and undemocratic decision, and again voted to keep GST in place.
Now we are just weeks away from the elections, politicians are scrabbling around to offer minor concessions to those who shouldn’t be having to pay GST in the first place?
I’m getting a little tired of being taken for an idiot by this government – but the election results will reveal the true fools.
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As an employed person I pay my taxes, my social, and full whack on my rent and now GST with no income support or any help from Jersey as I earn £10 a month over the “threshold” Is it fair to give unemployed people all of these benefits and not give a thing back to the people paying for them to live (as well as paying the governments wages?) If i’m off work sick for a week I get less money than a teenager who has never worked a day in their life and never contributed to Jersey. I can’t afford to be ill as then my rent doesn’t get paid.
By todays standards I’d be better off not working – heck i’ll get pregnant and whe hay i get my own flat and an income and i’d be better off than i am now scrounging off the state! The problem is now there are more people doing that than working!
Jersey listen up – give the unemployed an ultimatem. Work doing community service for their benefits – you’ll soon see that they’re not as incapable as they make out. Heck organise some social childcare to get those single mothers working!
Note: I’m not slagging off people who genuinly can’t work due to disability or illness – just those teenage mothers/people who are claiming that they’re depressed (yet they go out on the piss most weekends with my hard earned money!)and general lowlives who can’t be bothered to get a job that pays less than £7.00 an hour.
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How does this help anyone going shopping today with too little money in their pocket?
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Thank you Lucy !!! It is about time the facts were put in black and white !! There are too many people on this island happy to scrounge off benefits rather than earn an honest living. Unfortunately your plan of getting pregnant wont work !! I am currently 6 months pregnant, not planned and also have twin daughters. I have always worked hard, studied to improve my prospects and paid all my socsec and taxes without any help. I am Jersey born (not that it means anything anymore) and ‘earn too much’ to get any help despite being severely in debt and struggling to feed my family from month to month !
By putting this allowance on taxes at least it wont benefit those who dont even pay them ! but then if the benefits go up, what incentive is there for the bone idle dregs of this society to get off their backsides and contribute to the island !!? I know of several people who claim disability through depression or injury but then happily go out to clubs and pubs every weekend – a night out…. I wish I could afford it once in a while !!!
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How’s this for unfair then… my grandparents get taxed a further 3% on their £35.00 a week combined disposable income. I can assure you they waste as little as possible (food, water, electricity etc). My brother is a takeaway delivery driver, and he tells me that on a weekday night his busiest destination is Le Squez. So uneccecary takeway food to the unemployed gets 3% back, but they dont afford this luxury to pensioners. I also think this shows a higher level of disposable income than my Grandparents.
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Well said Lucy-but I’m afraid it all comes down to pride.Sadly a lot of people in Jersey-like certain areas in the UK-have no pride at all and are happy to take everything going and put nothing back so that the hard-working like you and many others are now in the position of being worse off and getting slightly bitter about the whole situation.But unless you throw your pride away and join the scroungers you just have to accept that this is the way things happen nowadays.It would be nice if everyone was honest and didn’t take benefits and allowances unless they were truly in need-as some genuinely are-but sadly society today supports the lazy and selfish and not the honest and hardworking.Very sad indeed.
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Come on Jersey – it’s time to get tough on those people scrounging from our hard earned taxes. Get the people with the boats and 4x4s out of states housing (they can obviously afford to rent privately) – help out those willing to put something back into the island. Get strict on those claiming disability and if they could work – stop their benefits. It is time to help the elderly and young families who genuinely need the help. If theses lazy scroungers don’t care about the island why should the island care about them ???! You should get out what you put in – no more free rides !!
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This ploy by Deputy Le Fondre was actually a “quick win” for those States Members who are currently up for election. When they are confronted with having voted in GST they placate the attendees by proudly stating that they voted for this amendment. Never mind that they were the perpetrators of this dreadful tax or that they voted against removing it from food and fuel – no, now they are the good guys because they have voted for this last minute sop to the electorate. Do not be taken in by this. The result of this amendment is that now if the new States Members want to remove GST entirely there will be a loud outcry from those on low incomes as these latest benefits will be taken away from them so it’s going to be really difficult to rectify this mess. The losers of course are the longsuffering taxpayers who still have to pay GST on everything despite the escalating food and fuel prices.If you really want to get rid of GST you know what you have to do.
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well said Lucy good on you for saying what many wont say and thank you Jeremy we know what to do and yes I know who I am voting for but I would say to any one who is voting please use you vote wisely and if you sont want to vote for 6 people then DONT as it may be your vote that will let someone back in that you dont want back !
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As one of those young mums who don’t work i don’t for a reason. My partner works full time to provide for us. If i was to go out to work, we would have to pay for childcare. childcare is alot more than wages.
But you are right that alot of younger people to take benefits and claim for depression and illneses they dont have. I DO have depression and it is a very debilitating illness.
As for jobs that pay less than £7 an hour, at the moment that isnt enough to live on.
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