The Taxi Tax Credits debate

 

 The debate below is taken from TDO, where it has been suggested that Tax Credits are simply a subsidy being used to keep low skilled workers from unemployment figures<

 

The state of the trade in many areas of the UK is so oversubscribed that earning a living, even working ridiculously long hours of 12-16 hours daily for 6-7 days most week is almost impossible. That's for the genuine cabbie or scabbie who wants to work.

But now there is a huge, enormous army of cabbies and scabbies all around the country, for whom this oversubscribed situation is 'Manna from heaven'. These are the unscrupulous benefit scroungers who knowing that a living cannot be earned, don't even bother to work a full week and are happy to do just 16-20 hours a week and some weeks not even working at all, because they know that Working Tax Credits and other benefits will more than see them through.

The job in many areas is now meaningless, but there will always be many that will exploit these situation, because the benefits system allows such practices.

But if the trade was not as oversubscribed as it is, there would be little scope for these Working Tax Credit, because questions would be asked if others in the trade were constantly posting good earnings that prevented such benefit claims.

And I would guess that benefit claims from cabbies and scabbies run into a £billion or two every year.

This is a sad reflection of the Trade today, However this is happening in the Cities of Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. I fully expect it is happening in many other places. How did it get to this state?

(low entry criteria) is one suggestion, what do you think?

How self-employed are Addison Lee's 2,400 cab drivers?

Order a taxi anywhere in the country and the odds are, the driver who picks you up will be "self-employed".
But how self-employed are they really?

In areas where the pplates for black cabs are regulated - If you don't have ££££s for a plate, you will no doubt be renting a cab. Rents can vary in Greater Manchester from £200 to £350 a week, add in £100 - £150 fuel, and you soon begin to wonder what your hourly rate is for a 35 - 40 hour week.

CLICK HERE  To read the rest of the story (which has a video clip) and below, another tale:

London-based Lancaster Private Hire has lucrative contracts with a string of big firms, including the BBC.
Most of its drivers are eastern Europeans who were told they could earn £400 or more a week in take-home pay.
However, we've heard that the reality for some is very different.

Alin Condrutz, from Romania, worked for Lancaster for two months last year and averaged £99 a week, after deductions for car hire, insurance and a security "bond".