Peace of Mind

BlueBelle wrote, and I endorse:

"I m not very well off but I am a bit above the thresh hold so will lose my winter payment and who knows what else BUT I m willing to go along with all that because I believe it will improve the country on the whole eventually
I feel much safer under a grown up prime minister than the last government
I hate the right wing press for the fear it whips up amongst all the country but particularly elderly folks and a lot of it is totally untrue and with A1 I wonder how much is even written by a non human "

I agree with you, Marg75. I have been shocked and alarmed by the way this new Labour government is behaving, Starmer, Reeves and Rayner in particular. The cut to the winter fuel allowance may not damage many pensioners it but will harm some, and seems to be a foretaste of things to come. Very little advance warning and a point-blank removal, rather than attaching to income and need. A complete lack of understanding that many pensioners, having worked all their lives and saved for their old age, do not wish to claim pension credit; it is to do with pride, of which people like Rayner and Reeves (who have claimed £5,000 and £3,700 respectively in energy allowances )have no concept.
Starmer has proved to have feet of clay, dull and un-inspirational, offering no argument other than blaming everything on the Tories. He claims to be improving things for 'working people' but not those who have worked, and is clearly in thrall to the Unions, witness the unnecessary payments to the train drivers and junior doctors. Look to them for some of the problems within the NHS.
I think that there is a deliberate and concerted effort from the Tory press to demonise Starmer and try to bring Labour down.
Nonsense. Considering the relentless onslaught from labour activists ever since 2019 it is no surprise that Tories, and others, are criticising Labour's woeful government. The Labour activists on here really cannot tolerate any criticism.Because of tactical voting we are saddled with a Parliament full of MPs who have no idea of the feelings of their constituents, and I think in the months to come, many will be shocked.

Cabbie21

To all who are worried about bills this coming winter.
Check Pension Credit eligibility.
Ask your energy supplier for support, better tariffs- maybe they have a fund for more vulnerable clients?
Check with your Local Authority. They have access to Hardship Funds- under various names- which are not always well publicised. Often they are not generally accessible except through advice agencies etc. but money is there for those who need it.

👏👏👏

Using that logic no Government can be held responsible for its actions/decisions as all the ills of the Country are the other sides/previous cohorts fault.

How do you arrive at that conclusion? All I’m saying is that no new administration can simultaneously correct the mistakes of the previous one and pursue its own agenda within weeks of taking office. I didn’t say they can’t be held responsible- just that we should give them time.

Doodledog

Can someone please explain to me how the connection between train drivers and winter fuel payment works? I thought they came from entirely separate budgets, but maybe I've misunderstood. I know it's not as simple as saying that money being spent from one budget could be given to another -or have I got that wrong?

There is a closer link when it comes to doctors, as older people are far more likely to need healthcare than younger ones, so the more doctors we have in the system the better, but train drivers? The way I see it we need them to get people to work, in order for the economy to work better and leave money spare to give people in extra payments - am I wrong?

I think you’re right. All budgets are completely separate, and surely those lines which are currently franchised will pay their own drivers?

We do need trains, we do need nurses and doctors. We need teachers. We need to value our public sectors workers who’ve had a terrible deal for the last 14 years.

But, I’m having a real “wobble” with my support for Labour at the moment

Doodledog

Again, I am not supporting the way the WFP was withdrawn. What I am saying is that 14 years is a long time and two months is not.

If your house had been neglected for 14 years, would you be moaning at the builders/decorators for not having it back to beautiful immediately after starting, or would you give them time to do repairs instead of painting over the cracks?

Using that logic no Government can be held responsible for its actions/decisions as all the ills of the Country are the other sides/previous cohorts fault.

Ali23

Sorry you feel so vulnerable, Marg75.

Personally I feel the opposite because I think that the last government were dishonest and created an illusion that things were improving whilst our social institutions were crumbling and the gap between rich and poor was growing.

So I actually felt more insecure before this government gained control. Now I know things are tight but there is an honesty that had been missing since before the pandemic.

I’m hoping that we are heading for solvency as a nation.

I voted for Labour, and I’m now so torn!

I’m trying my best to be positive, but frankly it’s hard!

I don’t think it’s right that winter fuel allowance is a universal benefit BUT I also think the Labour Party have got things wrong with stopping this so abruptly and and the cut off levels being so low.

It’s hard to be optimistic at the moment.

Doodledog

Again, I am not supporting the way the WFP was withdrawn. What I am saying is that 14 years is a long time and two months is not.

If your house had been neglected for 14 years, would you be moaning at the builders/decorators for not having it back to beautiful immediately after starting, or would you give them time to do repairs instead of painting over the cracks?

Most people who will be affected by all these cuts do not own their own homes.

Again, I am not supporting the way the WFP was withdrawn. What I am saying is that 14 years is a long time and two months is not.

If your house had been neglected for 14 years, would you be moaning at the builders/decorators for not having it back to beautiful immediately after starting, or would you give them time to do repairs instead of painting over the cracks?

karmalady I am with you all the way. To others that are backing Starmer & Reeves, we are above the limit for pension credit, I have just fixed our electricity tariff, we've spent a fair bit of money insulating the roof space. The WFA was a great help last winter to counteract the rising electricity costs. That's what this is all about, we shouldn't have to dip into savings except for unexpected large expenditure.

Marg75
If the outlook is so dire please tell why Amazo, Microsoft, Google investing 10s of billions in this country.
And yes, I do know that the business was done before the election. But they havnt pulled out, have they 🤷‍♀️

It is the Labour party doing this NOW! No good faking stories about the Conservatives scaremongering. You can’t go on blaming them for everything when LP are in power.

It was mentioned briefly on the news last night about the LP not ruling out stopping bus passes. Time for people to get their heads out of the sand and accept that everyone is going to have to tighten their belts and as usual its the most vulnerable who will be affected.

It is no comfort at the end of the month when you are trying to balance your housekeeping bills and scraping around for every penny to be told “don’t worry it’s just scaremongering.”

It is very sad that so much scaremongering is going on since the Labour Party took office. Regarding prescriptions, I think they may take away free prescriptions between 60 and retirement age, this seems just. If they take them away completely you can buy yearly passes and I don’t think they would stop free prescriptions for cancer patients. Regarding bus passes these are issued by local authorities and possibly those who are struggling may have to make changes. What local authorities offer pensioners varies anyway, my sister-in-law who lives in the West Midlands gets free bus travel in England and train travel in the West Midlands, in Telford and Wrekin we get free bus travel in England. It is a matter of wait and see rather than worry about what might happen.

"Can I add that there are grants for upping your home’s insulation and in some cases more efficient CH boilers."

Some of us are not quite poor enough yet! I tried for this and was given an interest free loan for £5,000
About half of the actual bill which I'll be paying off for the next 5 years.
I had to fill in reams of forms and do everything on-line which at my age is really hard. I am pleased with my new gas boiler but the help didnt extend to double glazing, solar
panels or airsource heat pumps because, like me, my house is too old.

Can someone please explain to me how the connection between train drivers and winter fuel payment works? I thought they came from entirely separate budgets, but maybe I've misunderstood. I know it's not as simple as saying that money being spent from one budget could be given to another -or have I got that wrong?

There is a closer link when it comes to doctors, as older people are far more likely to need healthcare than younger ones, so the more doctors we have in the system the better, but train drivers? The way I see it we need them to get people to work, in order for the economy to work better and leave money spare to give people in extra payments - am I wrong?

Cabbie21

To all who are worried about bills this coming winter.
Check Pension Credit eligibility.
Ask your energy supplier for support, better tariffs- maybe they have a fund for more vulnerable clients?
Check with your Local Authority. They have access to Hardship Funds- under various names- which are not always well publicised. Often they are not generally accessible except through advice agencies etc. but money is there for those who need it.

Good suggestions. Can I add that there are grants for upping your home’s insulation and in some cases more efficient CH boilers.
There are scammers in this area, so only go through the Government’s official websites.

There has been no growth in the economy for 2 months in a row now and the £22bn black hole which Reeves and Starmer blame for all their decisions has not been helped by their rush to pay the junior doctors and train workers their wage demands. I reluctantly stuck with the Tories at the last election because I couldn't bring myself to vote for Labour. As a pensioner born in 1948 I get the lower State pension only and I am concerned what is next for people like me. Reeves needs to insist that the likes of Amazon pay their full tax bill and not be patting herself on the back because they have given £8b for apprenticeships. A sop to Cerberus if ever I saw one.

Thanks for the reassurance everyone. I must say I too am quite frightened for the future. It may be part of getting older and being on my own. I miss DH more than ever.
My meagre savings are dwindling away and water is still dripping through the ceiling every time it rains.
I fear that politicians of every colour, cannot imagine what its like to be old.
We have no way of increasing our income and the prices of everything have rocketed.
Surely the bus passes will stay. There would be a riot, starting with me, if they are touched!

What has happened with this Labour government is easy to understand. They have to make up for years of corruption and incompetence, and this will not be easy for anyone.

I agree that there will be some older people who will struggle with the WFP withdrawal, and the timing and delivery were atrocious, but KS is governing the whole country - not just pensioners - and it is not just pensioners who are poor. Money that would have gone to older people who can afford cruises and champagne can (and should) be diverted to children who are going to school hungry. I don’t understand how anyone can argue otherwise.

Means-testing is always iniquitous. Always. But there may be announcements of measures in the budget that will help those who needed the payment but won’t get it - I hope so.

Personally I felt far more vulnerable under the previous government who had stripped the country's coffers to line their own pockets.
I think we now have to face up to the reality of what happened when people ignored project 'fear' and voted for Brexit. Most of the voters who said they didn't mind the bit of hardship that Brexit would bring are now beginning to experience that hardship.
All I can say is this is what people voted for and it is now going to be a very bumpy ride indeed.
When you are feeling sorry for yourself think about the young people who cannot afford to leave home due to ridiculous rents, poor wages and working conditions, and even if they move out they cannot afford to save for a mortgage deposit or even dream of owning their own home. The idea that they might ever be able to retire with a state pension is laughable.
Yes, we are all feeling vulnerable but at least we can say as David Cameron did before he gave into the pressure of holding a referendum; 'we're all in it together.'

I don't know what has happened with this labour government. They should have had some much higher cap when it came to the winter fuel cap. I do understand that people with very good incomes may not need it and this will be reflected in the amount of income tax they pay. If people do pay a good amount of income tax, then I do understand them not being eligible. But why target the middle and lower income pensioners.?

Marg, I’m pleased you are feeling a bit happier (or were until the doom mongers arrived to take away your peace of mind . Whilst getting financial ducks in a row is always good advice, take heart from this little ditty, think about who is feeding the dark thoughts and don’t let idle speculation bring you down:

Never trouble trouble 

until trouble troubles you,

for you only make your trouble

‘double trouble’ when you do.
And the trouble like a bubble 

that you’re troubling about
may be nothing but a zero

with its rim rubbed out.

To all who are worried about bills this coming winter.
Check Pension Credit eligibility.
Ask your energy supplier for support, better tariffs- maybe they have a fund for more vulnerable clients?
Check with your Local Authority. They have access to Hardship Funds- under various names- which are not always well publicised. Often they are not generally accessible except through advice agencies etc. but money is there for those who need it.

Marg, I understand how you feel. It’s nothing to do with unnecessary scare mongering by the Tories, its happened, hitting finances and letting people out of prison without a plan, just leave them to it. Its very scary esoecually when ekderly abd for the vulnerable,
Im afraid it’s what weve got and we have to live with it. Unfair as it is. Have you found out if you can claim any benefits, if you ring Age Concern its a free phone number and they can advise, if you get into difficulties ring your energy supplier. Now is the time if you were careful and have saving, you have to use them, if its really hard and there's always equity release if you own your home but again take advice. We all want to pass what we struggled for to our children but it may not be possible, we don't know. Remember everything passes and this will too. The most they have is five years.

Marg75

Thanks for your replies, I understand where you are all coming from. Nevertheless I still have serious doubts about our political future. Only time will tell obviously. Meanwhile it is going to be a very cold miserable winter for a lot of pensioners which takes me back to what I said originally about piece of mind financially which all of us deserve at this time of life.

I agree totally, my peace of mind went as soon as RR opened her mouth and as soon as Starmer started to act like a dictator. I too was doing fine financially, keeping my head above water, albeit drawing on savings from time to time as a widow

I get peace of mind if I remain in my bubble of hobbies, exercise and so on. I hardly ever listen to the news now and certainly take no notice of the everyday people on GN who think the sun shines out of labours a**e and starmers backside.