Loosing winter fuel allowance

Legs55 Some people on extremely low incomes can't claim Pension Credit (or working tax credit) through all kinds of anomalies in the system.

My total income must be lower than yours if you claim ESA and PIP, but I'm not eligible for anything - not a penny.

I'm about to get a new MP - I bet she didn't realise that she's about to be bombarded with emails from an extremely disgruntled constituent.

You'll be making her feel important, daphne. Better than feeling ignored. Will you give her a couple of days to find a desk in the house?

Are you going to be voting Green, daphne?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/20/green-party-proposes-scrapping-all-existing-student-debt

You say your vote is wasted anyway because it's a Tory constituency. Vote Green for your kids future.

We don't even have a Green candidate. They stepped aside to give the LibDems a better chance. Anyway, as a paid up LibDem member, I think it wouldn't be very loyal.

This constituency has a 25,000 Conservative majority. It might fall a bit, because the local Cons are put out at having a Theresa May groupie imposed on them by CCHQ, but it will still be Conservative.

She's a Londoner (an outsider) and has a job for life. She's about to find out that not all her constituents are country bumpkins (apart from the ones who live in massive houses,of course).

Are they not worried about having to hand over most of the value of their houses to May if they end up in care?

ished. They're a benefit used mainly by those who are already privileged. I am more concerned about the abolition of means-tested grants, which were scrapped in 2016, and the abolition of the EMA from the beginning of the coalition government.

Higher earners would benefit from the abolition of student fees more than those on average or below average earnings, who will never pay back their loans.

By the time pupils reach 18, inequality of opportunity has already set in.

With the elections coming up, here's a quick reminder of some of the Tory policies that have already been out in place since coming back into power. Never forget this when going to cast your vote....

Benefits cap affecting over 100k homes resulting in £60 loss of income on average.

Bedroom tax

Legal aid cut by 320m per yr from 2014 and shaving off a further 200m per yr by 2018

Jeremy hunt imposed new longer hours contracts​ resulting in more work for less wages and he was still kept in office even tho 300k strong petition of no confidence

Increased tuition fee cap from 3k to 9k and ended labours education maintenance allowance for sixth form students in 2010 and later scrapped the uni maintenance grant for struggling students in 2016

Under 21s excluded from housing benefits

Excluded under 25s from living wage

Cuts to education mean schools across the country losing up to as many as 6 teachers in some cases but there is a magical 320m found to build a raft of grammar schools even though there is no evidence to prove this will increase results or help to close gap between rich and poor

Cuts to pip, disability benefit, nearly 200k people losing 3k per yr and 400k people losing 1400 per yr

What else will they bring in if re elected.....

They're probably worried, although I suspect many of them have made alternative plans. Maybe they care more about the poor than I think.

After all, by the time they die, their children are already quite old themselves and have made their own way in life. They have had the benefit of living in a comfy home and, in some cases, private education and networks. They're doing OK.

I still can't believe that Labour supporters, who allegedly support the poor, are criticising an initiative which is better for the poor. Maybe they should look at some of the figures, before they jump to conclusions.

Maybe they just can't admit that a Conservative party is doing something which has needed to be done for decades.

You're right paddyann. All of those are more important than Winter Fuel Allowance, the abolition of the triple lock or preservation of inheritances.

Unfortunately, GNers only seem to be bothered when suggestions hit them. Most of them don't seem to be aware or don't give a stuff about initiatives hitting working age people.

For goodness sake. The WFA is worth £100 a year to an individual. Add £2 per week to pensions and tax it. Simples!

The amount working age people and families are losing is far greater.

Excuse me, daphne. There are 162 posts on here about WFA.
Look at the other threads where we show we care for people on benefits, excluding younsters from the living wage, even disagreeing with the term national living wage.
I think you need to calm down. It won't be long before you are a pensioner, and can see things from the other side.

Even you must see the iniquity of taking £200 away from pensioners and giving £1000 to those earning over £50,000. There's a big group of pensioners in between those getting pension credit and those on £20,000 pension.
That £200 WFA would have meant me getting less than £400 increase this year. Most of it has already gone in council tax and water rates rises. Not forgetting insurance premium tax which went up last October to 10%, so every insurance you buy from now on has to pay double the tax from when the coalition government came in.

If you don't want to read about GNs whingeing on about losing £200, go and read another thread.

Andrew Marr trying to pin down at what level the WFA will be taken away. Not doing well. Apparently there will be a 'consultation' to decide the income level and we will be invited to contribute. Forgive me but if Labour had proposed this wouldn't it be referred to as 'shilly-shallying' or some other derogatory term. As it's the Tories it's OK apparently.

AM did try very hard but he did not succeed.

Yes, I would far rather read about genuine hardship. I'm off.

What exactly is "affordable housing"? Affordable to youngsters? Affordable to people working? Affordable to only the rich? Most houses these days are out of the reach of the ordinary man in the street because he cannot afford the deposit never mind the mortgage. Build more council houses I say, but of course they cannot tax those can they?

The thing about the conservatives is that you have to read between the lines to see what they really mean. 'You will not have to give up your house as long as you live' means that 'You will have to give up your house after you die'. Mr Cameron 'I will not pay this fine on the 1st of the month' No, he didn't, he paid it on the 2nd of the month! See where I am going with this? Watch out for the double speak.

Exactly rosesarered! If you need an example of broken promises in a manifesto look at Mr Clegg. 'We will not raise tuition fees'! They tripled them! Mr mealymouth said later 'What you can promise when out of office is not what you can do when in office'! Manifesto are not worth the paper they are printed on. All change as soon as the winner comes to power. Watch this space to see if I am right.

durhamjen I am for one. My house is paid for because we slogged ourselves to death to make sure it was before we both retired. I took early retirement and I am so pleased I did when it was offered. Now if May gets in they could just steal the house we worked hard for all our working lives and we cannot do a thing about it. Let's hope neither of us needs care in old age.

You are so right daphnedill! We already pay for education in our taxes even if we do not have children. This Government is trying to create a two tier country where the rich get richer and the poorer are kept down where they belong. By making English students pay the full whack for university tuition fees they are stopping children in their tracks. Reach their full potential? Don't make me laugh. Who wants a £50 thousand debt when they start work? They will be paying this until they retire and will have to chose whether to buy a house, get married and have a family, or go to university and be in debt for almost the rest of their lives. DISGUSTING! Also illegal because this is racial discrimination!

durhamjen what are you talking to pensioners and giving £1000 to those earning over £50,000? A huge group of pensioners between those getting pension credit and those on £20,000 pension - recipients of pension credit do need extra helps.

I don't understand, Norah. Surely those on pension credit are getting the help. That's what pension credit is.
Those who don't get pension credit do not.

What is it you are saying about giving £1000 to those earning over £50,000? I have not read anyone say that. Of course we all want to help those who need help. I did not deny wanting to help.

If the Tories get back in they will change the tax thresholds, so that the change from 20-40% is at £50,000, not the present £45,000.
This means that those who earn over £50,000 will get a rebate of 20% on the £5000, which is an extra £1000.
At the moment they pay 40% of that £5000 between £45,000 and £50,000, which is £2000.

Apart from in Scotland where Holyrood froze the threshold at 40% so the wealthier elements will be paying more income tax.