30 year old non smoking male with no pre-existing conditions - $400 a month
By the time that's converted to GBP, I'd wager that most workers NI is about that level. That's before we consider how else we're taxed to fund the ineffective, wasteful, broken, non functioning NHS.
On a salary of lets say £25,000 (which is probably about average) you'd pay £166 a month NI, which converts to $219 a month. I'd bet that the guy in my example was struggling to make $25,000.
Absolutely no excuse not to earn more in the US... The whole place is built upon the individual freedom to achieve. Or not. People there are expected to support themselves, but not to the total detriment of those that can't. Here we pay directly or otherwise to support all the lazy arsed shite at the expense of those with genuine need.
It's a completely different mindset to the quasi socialist cluster opps we have to live by, but people don't understand or appreciate that.
As an example, Tennessee has no State Income Tax, yet has one of the better free schooling systems in the country.
I for one, would rather have a pay to use health system than pay the state to feed, house, clothe and fix all those who expect everything on a plate.
Everything would be cheaper here if it wasn't handed out willy nilly.
Sorry, bit of a rant, but scroungy wastrels really grip my shit...