I so agree with this:
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Many thanks for this excellent reminder. More proof as if any were needed, of just how deep is the economic morass we are wading through. I thought the UK figure was even lower (more like 7%) from official government statistics that I have seen. Nevertheless, what is absolutely clear is that we a not investing anywhere near the amount that we should be in welfare, and have not been doing so for 20 years or more. Which means that the relative gap between the UK and the EU is widening and accelerating.
I looked at a breakdown of Danish spending. They seem to do the politics of care.
Much better than we do. Free educti9n to PhD level as well.
Not only that, but isn’t there a surplus in the UK?
Sorry, but surplus of what? Certainly not in government finances.
Well you will have greater knowledge of this than me, but I had read that welfare is under claimed, in terms that the monies allocated by the government to welfare, whatever that figure is, is higher than what is actually claimed by recipients?
So, say 20 million is put aside for welfare in a calendar year, only 17 million is paid out in that year. So what do you call the 3 million not used?
Quite possibly I am understanding this completely wrong, which is fine as I will learn something with your response. 🙂
OK, that is correct, but I could not have gessed what you meant. Around £20 billion a year is unclaimed.
More informative is the “Purchasing power standard (PPS) per inhabitant” published by the EU. They included UK data to 2018. Showing that most northern European countries spent at least 50% more than the UK. The UK has never been a caring society.
Annual Purchasing power standard (PPS) per inhabitant:
2018 2023
Belgium 9.872,17 12.359,67
Denmark 11.651,88 12.769,85
Germany 11.367,32 13.900,49
Ireland 6.977,88 8.811,13
Spain 6.298,36 8.662,13
France 10.660,71 12.811,55
Italy 8.169,28 10.615,60
Luxembourg 14.968,98 18.396,24
Netherlands 10.878,61 13.381,40
Austria 10.806,44 13.577,03
Poland 4.578,08 7.060,93
Portugal 5.548,15 7.061,26
Finland 10.048,65 12.122,54
Sweden 9.810,38 11.578,24
Iceland 8.451,59 11.473,41
Norway 12.067,37 14.974,69
Switzerland 11.570,28 14.479,30
United Kingdom 7.656,02 :
Sorry, but tables do not reproduce here.
While I agree wholeheartedly that our social security spend is not a problem, please don’t call it welfare. That appalling US term is not what is offered in the UK. We offer social security.
I usually use that term.