Hardly a week ever goes by without Labour failing to label a reform to welfare handouts as “a tax”. This week everyone has fallen in line behind the phrase “bedroom tax”:
Bedroom tax is another cruel example of Tories mugging the poor. @thesundaypeople have a petition up to support victims http://t.co/GTK3ffnx
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) January 31, 2013
The Bedroom Tax will hit the poor and vulnerable hardest. I urge people to sign the petition and show your support. http://t.co/IxwMahgP
— Jon Cruddas (@JonCruddas_1) February 1, 2013
Just asked minister to give clear assurance that brave men & women in forces won't be hit by bedroom tax. Guess what? He wouldn't give it.
— Ian Austin (@IanAustinMP) January 28, 2013
Wrexham MP Ian Lucas links bedroom tax(with eg of disabled man) to income tax for richest. Cameron's got a double problem here
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) January 30, 2013
With Andrew Dilnot clearing up the debt and deficit confusion earlier, in the interests of accuracy and Guido’s sanity, he’s sending these confused souls back to school. Here is the dictionary definition of a ‘tax’:
“a compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by the government on workers’ income and business profits, or added to the cost of some goods, services, and transactions.”
The so-called “bedroom tax” will see tenants in social housing who are deemed to be under-occupying their homes lose part of their housing benefit. See the difference?
The “bedroom tax” is not a tax at all, but actually a welfare transfer. If you are under-occupying your social housing you do not have to pay the state any money, you will simply receive a smaller handout from the taxpayer. But then Owen, and Kevin and Ian and Ed and Rachel all knew this already.
The same applies to the nanny ‘tax’, the mummy ‘tax’, and all the other fake ‘taxes’ Labour types are inventing, a long with that imaginary “cheque” Cameron “wrote” to all those millionaires. This sort of misinformation is exactly why people hate politicians. They know what they are doing: being deliberately stupid to scare voters…
