NOW CLOSED: Survey on universal benefits - tell us what you think

Mind you Ariadne he is not the only one , ME,ME ME, there are others . hmmm

Then he won't want them rescinded - at least not for people with a "London" pension!

Done x

Andie will be able to have the finest fillet steak , finely chopped of course as we don"t want him choking .

Just think though frank , when you get your State pension , all the freebies you are going to get .

bet your mouth is watering !!!

Me, me, me. As ever.

SallyC

A lot of pensioners pay a lot of income tax. I pay over £500 per month and I am not being paid my state pension yet.
They could reduce pension credits and state pensions for people who have not paid NI for 30 years.
They could do away with bus passes as I hardly ever use a bus.
Free pet food would be more useful. Pensioners would then get dogs who would encourage them to walk and keep fit.
Dogs are great company. Andie is watching me type this. I am sure he agrees. He has just wagged his tail.

Frank

Agree wholeheartedly SallyC .

I don't agree at all that pensioners should pay for prescriptions, eye tests or any other aspect of NHS. They have paid into the system all their working lives. Painful as it may be, I feel that income tax and N.I contributions should be raised to pay for the services, as they always have done.
I also believe that the free bus pass should be left alone! Those who own their own cars hardly ever use buses anyway and so by making cutbacks in this area, the less wealthy pensioners - those who can least afford it - would be hit the hardest.
I know that cutbacks have to be made but NOT at the expense of the elderly.

I think that some benefits for pensioners should be universal such as:
Basic state pension
TV licence
Frre public transport outside of rush hour (it should be extended include trains as well as buses).
Council Tax (what is the point giving money with one hand and taking it back with the other)

However, other benefits should be dependent on circumstances. For example, if the winter fuel payment is to cover the additional cost of heating homes in colder weather then it should be used for that and therefore pensioners living places such as Spain do not need it.

All done

Done

Survey done. Private pension pots have been adversely affected by low interest rates etc. This is often forgotten by politicians and the media alike when considering cuts to pensioner benefits.

* Galen* I couldn't agree more, and it is surprising how difficult it is to really analyse all one's problems for oneself. DD seriously injured her right arm in a road accident. When dealing with her compensation claim we both thought we could really think round the injury and its long-term affects on her life but both her solicitor and the medical expert came up with a list of long-term and current problems that far exceeded anything we had thought of. They ranged from the effect on her promotion prospects because she is now a homeworker and not in the office and isn't keen to return to commuting, to needing to drive an automatic car because as she has lost strength in her right arm it is safer for her not to need to take her left hand off the steering wheel to change gear.

Couldn't agree more!
As you know, I have quite a good acquaintance with AA DLA ESA and in the future will have with PIP.
Most of the problem with refusals appears to be poorly completed forms!

Moggsy I am coming to this discussion rather late as I have been away for a few days. If you are as disabled as it is clear you must be from the help and special equipment you need you should qualify for Attendance Allowance.

This benefit is not means tested and will enable you to tick qualifying boxes when seeking further help. When you get the forms or go on line to complete them do NOT complete them yourself. Seek help, either from the Benefits Agency who have trained staff who do home visits, and who are, in my experience kind and helpful (there will be the odd exception) or speak to Age UK.

I was a Home Visitor with what is now Age UK for ten years and most of my work was filling in AA and other benefit forms. There is an art to filling in these forms, the right vocabulary and also analysing all the effects of the disability that the applicant has that they hadn't fully realised. I often got AA for people who had been turned down when they had completed the form for themselves.

Completed

I was going to suggest SSAFA too, Peter. They are truly there to help and they will!

moggsy Saffa will help you with a stair lift they helped my mum x

When I click on answers in the survey they do not register. Is there a fault ?

Can't find the survey

Hi Cagsy
Have waited patiently for you to receive a reply as to how best to bring about a recovery without consuming the earths natural resources.
My suggestions may be simplistic but how about
a) Change the unwritten to a written Constitution that quite simply does not mention Mrs Windsor and her son from having the right to veto legislation that would affect their private wealth
b) All of the Vestys, Berkley brothers Googles, Amazon, ad nausium argue they are within the law to limit or pay no tax. Er, change the law?, were theirs a will there's a way. Demand, and change the law that individuals and Company's taxable incomes are public not private matters, we are one of the few countries who allow our lawmakers etc to hide behind a cloak of secrecy. Introduce a one off levy, Cyprus style that takes a modest 10% of the fabulously wealthys stashed away cash, after all people who earn a modest income have a substantial part of their income deducted via PAYE, Council Tax, Water Rates etc. The cutting of Corporation Tax to bring multinationals to this country to increase tax income hasn't worked, increase it to the same level headteachers, matrons etc have to pay. Forbid the government employing experts with a vested interest to be special advisers to ministers, see today's article in The Independent re fracking to see how corrupt it is.
Only a start, bankers etc are an obvious target.
Cheers
Peter

Ive entered thank you!