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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Access to justice and advice sector issues  →  Thread

MH Treasury Spending Challenge website

neilbateman
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Welfare Rights Author, Trainer & Consultant

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If you can stomach it, please have a look at the various comments about cutting benefits on the HM Treasury website:  http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/  The scale of bigotry and ignorance is breathtaking but also depressingly widespread.

Please try and respond to some of the lies, half truths and scapegoating being promoted and which appear to be uncontrolled by HM Government.

John Birks
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Welfare Rights and Debt Advice - Stockport Council

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Is there any pointin replying? fter a quick look it seems people read what they want to read and understand far less.

No point talking when no one is listening and clearly the website owner isn’t.

I for one am fed up already of hearing the response of ‘we can’t afford it’ to any suggestion.

Maybe spin is dead long live austerity?

neilbateman
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Welfare Rights Author, Trainer & Consultant

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I sympathise completely with your position, but there are huge threats to the welfare state and few signs of opposition, so we all need to challenge the myths and scaremongering as much as we can and to keep doing so.  They are clearly going to cut HB, reduce the scope of DLA and tax credits and will doubtless go for more if there is insufficient opposition.

You can be sure that civil servants will report back to Osborne and Co how many pro and anti comments there were on the website, so it does matter.  We can’t give up before the battle has even started.

Tracey D
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Welfare benefits advisor - Peterborough City Council

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Following your post I had a look at the benefit page of this site and was shocked at the level of abusive and offensive language I found. I have reported 2 posts to the morderator to see what happens, but I could have easily reported numerous posts.

I have also sent an email to the site to suggest that they need to take an active role in moderating the site and not just rely on people reporting it them.

I am appalled that The Treasury is giving free reign to such a stream of extremist and bigoted comments and would urge others to make comments to The Treasury about this site as well.

John Birks
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Welfare Rights and Debt Advice - Stockport Council

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I’ve alerted a local MP to the issues and the response is encouraging as they are clearly concerned about what’s being said in the name of HM Treasury.

It may be helpful if others do the same?

trishc
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System Support Officer, West Lindsey DC, Lincs

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well, its down for repair at the moment….... is this significant?

Kevin D
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Independent HB/CTB administrator, consultant & trainer (Essex)

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I prevously dipped my toes into another “debating” website and got well and truly roasted.  I didn’t bother to continue posting.  Unless a debate is effectively moderated, most threads will simply end up in “flames”.

So, I won’t be adding to any government website - I truly believe it will make not one jot of difference.  (Sorry Neil :( ).

nevip
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Welfare rights adviser - Sefton Council, Liverpool

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“If you can’t convince a fascist, punch him in the face”.  Leon Trostky

Tracey D
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Welfare benefits advisor - Peterborough City Council

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The home page now has a message stating:

“As you may have noticed, the site has been the subject to a small number of malicious attacks so we have unfortunately had to pause on the interactive features for now, but we’re still keen to hear any further ideas you have, which we may publish at a later date”.

Nice to see someone has been listening to the complaints…