{"id":7261,"date":"2022-12-04T23:18:15","date_gmt":"2022-12-04T23:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=7261"},"modified":"2023-03-14T07:05:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T07:05:57","slug":"health-wellbeing-taxed-for-being-ill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=7261","title":{"rendered":"HEALTH & WELLBEiNG: Taxed For Being Ill."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I have chronic conditions – psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis – that require ongoing medication. And to pay for this – in addition to the taxes we all pay* – I pay a monthly direct-debit towards a prescription pre-payment scheme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Or ought to, and by and large do. I my view it\u2019s those wealthy enough to dodge such joint responsibilities that are our biggest problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my last visit to the chemist, to pick up my regular prescription meds, after 5 or 6 years of never being asked for any proof, I was<\/em> asked. I told them I had none, as I\u2019d never been asked before. They told me I\u2019d have to bring some proof next time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not sure what constitutes proof? There\u2019s no physical document or card anymore. There used to be a card. But that\u2019s been scrapped. Toryism shaving off another small fraction from the public purse, to give the fat cats further scope to skim off more cream. So I guess I\u2019ll just have to print out an appropriate email, if I can find one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tories have always disliked the NHS, and for decades they have been systematically butchering it. Tragically the Blair\/Brown Labour govt. colluded in the expansion of rapine capitalism within the NHS, making an already dodgy situation even worse. In many ways New Labour was Tory Lite. Tragic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are so many layers and levels to all the ramifications of the Tory \u2018only money matters\u2019 attitude (I won\u2019t dignify it with the term philosophy!). One of these is to make parking at NHS facilities another opportunity for parasites to drain money from NHS workers and patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So not only am I taxed \u2018at source\u2019, to fund all our public services, including the wonderful institution that is the NHS. But, as an ill person – something that at its rotten core (I can\u2019t say heart, Toryism has no heart) the right equates with \u2018sin\u2019* – I have to pay two more times: once more for my prescriptions, and again, to park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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