David Cameron open to idea of workers saving up to fund own sick pay

PM’s spokeswoman says he is prepared to consider making people pay into savings accounts to cover periods of illness or unemployment

David Cameron is prepared to look at making workers pay into flexible saving accounts to fund their own sick pay or unemployment benefits, Downing Street has confirmed.

The idea was first floated by Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, who said he was “very keen” to have a debate about encouraging people to use personal accounts to save for unemployment or illness, even though it is not official government policy.

“We need to support the kind of products that allow people through their lives to dip in and out when they need the money for sickness or care or unemployment,” Duncan Smith told the Sunday Telegraph.

“We need to encourage people to save from day one but they need to know that they can get some of the money out when their circumstances change. This is not government policy but I am very keen to look at it, as a long-term way forward for the 21st century.”

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/13/david-cameron-open-to-workers-saving-up-fund-own-sick-pay

We already have you fucking numpty, it's called National Insurance.

But not all companies pay sick pay.
At best statuary sick pay, which is next to nothing.

thats not the point didge

we pay NI....in order to cover things like sickness and unemployment

there should be NO NEED for "worker drones" to pay extra" (which many dont have in any case, the most likely to need this sort of cover are the poorly paid...and thats a proven fact)

one has to ask if this is just the "thin end of a nasty wedge"

victorismyhero wrote:thats not the point didge

we pay NI....in order to cover things like sickness and unemployment

there should be NO NEED for "worker drones" to pay extra" (which many dont have in any case, the most likely to need this sort of cover are the poorly paid...and thats a proven fact)

one has to ask if this is just the "thin end of a nasty wedge"

But Victor how do you force companies to pay full sick pay?
Its not going to happen and many cannot afford todo so espcially the smaller companies.
So is it not best to provide something that can help here?

yep and its easy

make the tax doging gits that rob th UK of billions pay their fair and proper share...

then we will have enough to properly fund social welfare.AND pay off the national debt...and probably have a bit left over for a party too......

Seriously didge...how do you expect anyone on minimum wage to save anything, let alone sufficient to make a significant difference if they are ill or unemolyed...
and yes, we all know someone who has found a house to rent for 2/- a week and can feed themselves for 1/- a week so they are rolling in it.....

thios idea is simply looking at the problem from the wrong end....

victorismyhero wrote:yep and its easy

make the tax doging gits that rob th UK of billions pay their fair and proper share...

then we will have enough to properly fund social welfare.AND pay off the national debt...and probably have a bit left over for a party too......

Seriously didge...how do you expect anyone on minimum wage to save anything, let alone sufficient to make a significant difference if they are ill or unemolyed...
and yes, we all know someone who has found a house to rent for 2/- a week and can feed themselves for 1/- a week so they are rolling in it.....

thios idea is simply looking at the problem from the wrong end....

You are offering nothing that they do not have.
At present many of these workers do not have sick pay, just stat sick pay.
So when they are ill they get next to nothing already.
At least this might offer them a better alternative.
Not saying it is ideal but I am open to suggestions here

I am all for companies to have to pay full sick pay, but its not going to happen is it?
The smaller companies would have to down size their employees to accomdate sick pay..
From what I read in the article it is only an idea, not policy.


Also here is what a paper on this before said:


The proposal of fortune accounts for the UK was examined in depth in a paper by the free market libertarian Adam Smith Institute thinktank in 1995, which looked at how people could go to a single private provider for an account that gave them long-term care insurance, disability cover, health insurance, savings fund management and unemployment insurance.

This paper suggested: “Many other things that we often regard as ‘welfare’ today are also insurable and will be part of the fortune account package. Cover against incapacity to work, long-term care services, and disability, will all be in the package.

“For those who are never able to work through disability or other problems, the state will step in. As a welfare function, the government will simply pay that person’s fortune account provider to ensure that the right level of cash benefits or care services are provided.

“For those in low-paid work who are unable to make adequate payments into their fortune account, the state will step in. It will simply top up the contributions of those people as a welfare obligation.”

Anyway Victor, have things to do, be interested to know you ideas on a practical way forward here.

All the best

yeah right didge....

doubless provided by some disgusting insurer like I had, who did EVERYTHING in their power NOT to pay out...in the end I had to engage a £200 per hour solicitor to shift em....fortunately my wife was working so we could manage....

It took 3 YEARS to resolve during which I had no income...

literlly they were aiming to starve me into submission.....

they got a shock......and a big solicitors bill to go with it....

but if I had been on minmum wage and my wife also....what then, we couldnt have afforded the fight....

no such payments Should and MUST be the responsibility of the state..as part of its obligations to its citizens

otherwise why should the citizen have any loyalty to that state?

Agree with sassy comment in op... we already do pay in through Nat insurance and all the other taxes.

My Other half is self-employed.
Guess who pays his sick pay when his back goes into spasm?

He does!

We put a little away every week/month just for those occasions which can happen at any given moment.

A lot of people though, can't even afford a pension!!! How does he expect people to put some away for when they're off sick???
Some families struggle at Christmas and spend half the year paying that off.
What planet is he on?

Plant elite who never have to worry about money:

David Cameron's father left assets in tax haven http://www.channel4.com/news/cameron-david-ian-jersey-tax-haven-conservatives

David Cameron is as shifty as they come with his backhanders.
He is ruining London even through its Boris Gump's territory

Boris Gump!

Mass immigration has ruined London...

If you say so tommy
pats tommy on head.....

I have lived here all my life so I think I might be in a better position to know than others...

I dont see how you can say that ..london has always been shithole

Its only the fact that its a capital shit hole that gives it the financial center, lets face it theres f**k all else there of any import...

A labour legacy...


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/246192/Half-council-homes-given-to-migrants

Jeez, I lived with my Nan and Grandad in old council flats in Wandsworth while I worked in London, they were only one up from a slum. We had Greeks, Polish, West Indians, Jewish, Irish etc etc etc, hundreds of people in those flats and we all helped each other and had parties in the squares. My uncle and aunt still live in Southall, surrounded by every race under the sun. They won't leave, they have too many friends there.

And all are increasingly suffering from more and more immigration... pushing up costs of living, reducing available housing, clogging up the transport systems, increased pollution etc etc while driving down wages...


Causing increasing drain on public finances etc...

eddie wrote:My Other half is self-employed.
Guess who pays his sick pay when his back goes into spasm?

He does!

We put a little away every week/month just for those occasions which can happen at any given moment.

A lot of people though, can't even afford a pension!!! How does he expect people to put some away for when they're off sick???
Some families struggle at Christmas and spend half the year paying that off.
What planet is he on?

What does Christmas have to do with it eddie? Some people choose to spend loads of money at Christmas, which is entirely their own fault.

Can he not get ESA instead?