Rant alert 😡

The pension increase will be a percentage so us older "oldies" on the lower rate pension will get less so the gap between the new rate and old rate will continue to increase.

The current governement cannot define a "woman"

And this.

This government do not even know what a working person is. The definition that was given this week was as full of holes as fishnet stocking.

For some reason this is bothering me a whole heap. And I cant quite quantify why.

Yet, on another thread this morning I was bemoaning people being put into groups.

WelwynWitch3 There are hundreds if not thousands of people who,whilst being a one man band operate as a limited company. Sometimes for tax reasons but also for the limited liability aspect.

M0nica

This government do not even know what a working person is. The definition that was given this week was as full of holes as fishnet stocking.

In an interview this week KS did not seem to know the difference between tax avoidance (legal - having an ISA is tax avoidance) and tax evasion (illegal - payments in cash, that go straight in the pocket)

It was the same over the WFA, they did not think it through and how it would affect those whose income is on the margin just above PC.

One of the reasons I have never voted labour is because they are economically incompetent, and always have been, but at least Gordon Brown did manage to hold it all together while he was chancellor, once he became PM it all went to hell in a hand basket.

This time we have a PM with a senior legal career behind him, including, managing a major legal entity, yet no sooner does he become PM than he starts taking pot shots at his feet. i doubt he has any toes left - all gone in 4 months.

I think I will spend tomorrow in bed with a blanket over my head.

How many GNers pay cash in hand for window cleaners or gardeners or even someone to clean their homes?

I remember when my DH was working occasionally an antique dealer would want to pay the bill for restoration at a reduced price for cash. They just didn't understand that the full amount went into the bank to help pay the mortgage.

Please stop and think how far we've come in the 100 years or so since "Love on the Dole" was published. people then were really poor and without the safety net that we have today

His dad was the only one in the company.
In other words, he was a one man, self employed, working man.

Sasta

This is a rant. I’m not trying to start yet another thread particularly, but just to off load really. I’m so sick and tired of hearing how the government are going to help and do everything they can ‘for working people’. Therefore they imply the rest of us can just sod off as far as they’re concerned. My husband and I (like millions of others) worked full time for over 75 years between us. When I stopped work to look after our children my husband paid my full NI stamps as we called it then, so I would receive the full pension. Like all other PAYE workers, we paid all the requisite taxes and NI whilst doing what we could as regards saving and paying into our pensions to prepare for old age. I’m heartily sick of this government’s attitude that it’s only ‘the working people’ who matter. I’m sure this will rub people up the wrong way but they couldn’t make it more obvious they don’t give a toss about anybody not paying high taxes. Rant over. Thank you for reading.

Between us my husband and me worked 90 years, I work 3yrs over then retirement age for women so retired at same time as husband. Some years ago I read an article where Labour advisor told minister ‘old people cost too much’! Also Starmer going on about working people, anyone who works and pays NI and tax is a working person. What he means but can’t say now is working class people. The same way he kept saying his father was a toolmaker, what he didn’t say was his father owned the company.

Mick Lynch is not a train driver.
He used to be an electrician on the railways.
He is now the head of the RMT union and his salary is paid from members contributions.
The RMT is not the train drivers union.
That is ASLEF.

BlueBelle

Shouldnt this be in then politics forum

A bit pedantic BlueBelle. 🤔

Hmm......after 48% tax...no benefits....let's see if he has good suggestions....

Goes with the territory - but don't know a thing about him, or what he will oversee.

"If you want to get specific, the situation is (of course) complex. Day rates, in the UK, can range between £500 and £5,000, averaging £1,500-£2,000."

medium.com/positive-momentum-partners/how-much-to-charge-as-an-independent-consultant-benchmarking-consultancy-fees-based-on-sector-and-4ed2959df8f2#:~:text=Well%2C%20the%20answer%20is%20“%20it,averaging%20£1%2C500%2D£2%2C000.

The newly appointed Value For Money Tsar (eh?) David Goldstone is widely reported as being paid £950 per day.

Is this isn't an example of just how far out-of-touch this arrogant goverment already is, then I don't know what is......

Credit where its due - the rapid doctors settlement was essential, imagine a winter of strikes has we continued.

its not just the UK or NZ - looked up doctors in Europe.

www.euronews.com/health/2024/09/12/doctor-shortages-low-pay-and-overtime-europes-hospitals-are-under-the-weather

montymops

I agree so much with many posts. The quality of our MP’s seems so poor. May I just mention the doctors- I do vote conservative but think that the way they allowed the doctors to fall so far behind - salary wise - their peers in other jobs, was very unfair, foolish and wrong. The government relied on their good nature for years. Two of my children are doctors. One is a consultant surgeon. He has trained for 20 years to reach his present position. He earns less than Mick Lynch and some train drivers. He could learn to drive a train - could Mick Lynch learn to operate?

Excellent post montymops.

I am the parent of a doctor too. She’s no longer in the UK. She lives in New Zealand at present. She wishes she’d taken a different career, because the situation in NZ is not any better than here.

But surely the general idea is that the government will TRY to do their best for everyone - “working people” or not?
The bottom line is that if we want public services to work we have to pay for them. If “working people” don’t earn enough to contribute then where is the money going to come from to pay pensions/NHS for example?
I work part time and would have been happy to pay an extra penny in income tax to support the country but they ruled that out. A mistake I think.
I’m a lifelong Labour supporter but that doesn’t mean I agree carte blanche with everything they do by any means, but I think that they have the good of the country in mind rather than the good of their bank balances.

WoodLane7

AGAA4

This new Labour government has certainly riled a lot of people. If we go on like this we will have the Tories back in 5 years.

If we go on like this we could well end up with Nigel Farage's Reform in power......................

If the Conservatives are back in 5 years the Labour party will have only themselves to blame.

AGAA4

This new Labour government has certainly riled a lot of people. If we go on like this we will have the Tories back in 5 years.

If we go on like this we could well end up with Nigel Farage's Reform in power......................

I agree so much with many posts. The quality of our MP’s seems so poor. May I just mention the doctors- I do vote conservative but think that the way they allowed the doctors to fall so far behind - salary wise - their peers in other jobs, was very unfair, foolish and wrong. The government relied on their good nature for years. Two of my children are doctors. One is a consultant surgeon. He has trained for 20 years to reach his present position. He earns less than Mick Lynch and some train drivers. He could learn to drive a train - could Mick Lynch learn to operate?

I am also sick of the phrase "working people". It's like playing people off against each other. Why don't they just say families and young people? At least old people get included in the term "families".

It's all grim stuff from the Gov isn't it?

M0nica

I think very few people are not aware of how things have been and not want a return to it. Similarly most people realise that change cannot be effected in a few months.

What is of concern about this government is that so far they have proved to be so cloth eared and heavy footed on a host of minor issues that there must be serious concerns about their ability to effect the changes needed on bigger issues efficiently and effectively.

They have been in power for just over 3 months during which they have been found to be as enthusiastic about accepting freebys and getting their snouts int he trough as any Conservative back bencher. The speed with which they announced the withdrawal of WFP and the totally cack handed way they did it, showed them making policies and announcing them without thinking them through and the way that, over the past week, they have got themselves drawn into this ludicrous dscussion about who 'ordinary working people' are, must lead any reasonable person to have concerns about their capacity to deal with the problems of the NHS, education system, housing and all the major issues that so desperately need dealing with.

At the moment it looks as if we have just swapped one lot of venal imcompetents for another set of venal incompetents.

☝🏻 what M0nica says above.

Starmer should at least do something about the lack of trains running on a Sunday every week They got the bumper deal but don't want to work Sundays I can't see how all thep problems getting a train on Sunday are helping the economy

Agree and they never have! Hence why they have been out of power for 14 years! Appeased the unions as per... Train Drivers and Doctors. They will need the doctors this winter for elderly patients with hypothermia!!!!

Tizliz

What makes me mad is the government think the raise in the pension rate will offset the loss of winter fuel allowance - they are different things!

....and our next April rise was already in place from the existing Triple Lock and has nothing to do with the new, same old, Labour government.

MiniMoon

I paid taxes all my working life. I worked nearly 2 years past my pension age for a little higher pension.
What did I get in the post on Saturday?
You guessed, a tax bill for £200.
To say I'm disgusted doesn't do my feelings justice!

Me too! When I saw the envelope I thought it must be a rebate- but no, I owe them oer £200 for the last tax year in which I worked. I retired in 2023.

On the positive side my son has been given a rebate, so swings and roundabouts!

What many pensioners fail to realise is that many working people are worse off than they are That's not a debating point it's a FACT