Iraq and Tax credits? Various government plans, ha!

Catching up on some Daily Show videos yesterday I caught 12 billion lost in Iraq which Paul Brenner seemed to ascribe to the fact that Iraq had a very poor payroll system. So on GMTV this morning we have a lady who was receiving £170 a month in tax credits before they informed her that she'd be wrongly assessed and was reduced to £12 a month to reclaim the difference. The link? My gods our tax service and Iraq must be using the same computer system.

All joking aside apparently yet another fubar situation for the combined Revenue and Customs department. So according to GMTV did this women provide false information - no. Did her circumstances change and she failed to inform the department - no. It appears they assessed her incorrectly and now want their money back. Now this isn't a similar case of the bank accidentally crediting your account with an overpayment, you've got a chance to spot that. How does anybody find out the criteria by which they're being assessed? It's a black box, forms go in decisions come out; if you make an error then sorry, but you've got to swallow it.

The best laid plans. The BBC report that the government will remove unemployment benefits from people who can't speak English unless they can show they're learning the language. What, you can't do that! Next thing you know you'll be expecting them to assimilate into English culture and abide by our laws and customs rather then try to force their old countries mores onto us. Isn't that a breach of their Human Rights?

What's even better is that for those who've managed to find work despite their poor English are now going to have to pay, at least in part, for their lessons. So stay unemployed and get taught English for free, or find a job and have to pay for lessons... I'll think I'll stay unemployed thanks.

It seems to be the week for schemes, now we've got a twist on the old Thacherite own your council home scheme. Buy as little as 10% of your home and then buy some more throughout your lifetime - brilliant. So your flat is worth say £80k you plump down a 10% of £8k - only £72k to go, but wait next year house prices have increased (an apparent constant at the moment) and your flat is now worth £82k.

£80,000 - £8,000
£82,000 - £8,200
£84,000 - £8,400
£86,000 - £8,600
£88,000 - £8,800
£90,000 - £9,000
£92,000 - £9,200
£94,000 - £9,400
£96,000 - £9,600
£98,000 - £9,800

After 10 years you'd have paid £89k for a flat that's estimated to be worth £98k, hmm that sounds too good to be true. For those who don't know there's also a first-time buyers scheme called Shared Ownership as you can see you buy a share in the property, normally on a mortgage, and then pay rent. So instead of just having to pay off your mortgage you've also got to pay the rent too, what a clever idea. Nearby Brindley Court has this offer in place, the apartment is valued at a snip under £123k so shared ownership means just getting a mortgage for £61k, for the average annual wage of £23.5 that could mean a 2x mortgage rather then a 5x mortgage, which is much better except for one tiny detail - how much is the rent and service charges? Once again it's a case of not asking the basic question - why are house prices so expensive in this country?

To end on a high note the building costs for the Olympics in 2012 is set to increase from the original £2.4bn estimate to between £8bn and £10bn. Wow a government estimate that's not going to stay within budget, you could knock me down with a feather. Originally the break-down was as follows:

£1.50bn from the National Lottery,
£0.63bn from London council taxpayers
£0.25bn from the London Development Agency.
£1.04bn to be funded by taxpayers, to develop the Lower Lea Valley area.

Okay a bit of a sting on London council tax payers, but why is the rest of the nation paying to develop the Lower Lea Valley. What does the London Development Agency say about it.

"The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will leave behind great sporting facilities, including swimming pools, cycling facilities and new tennis courts. These will be open for all Londoners to enjoy, and could help to foster the Olympic champions of the future."

So is it just Londoners who can use these facilities or can anyone drop in? Ah but it'll benefit the entire country by promoting such diverse jobs as

"tourism and hospitality; food and media - and the construction industry."

Or as I'll put it 5-star hotels, fast-food vending, and selling copies of the big issue. As for construction that's a no-brainer, they'll be building the bloody lot.

"The Games will focus attention on London and draw visitors from around the globe."

Who, no doubt, will stay in London and won't venture outside the M25. Why are the words Wembley Stadium forming so prominently in my mind?