Rayner Will Not Rule Out Abolishing Council Tax Single Occupier Discount

crazyH

^Although bunging a ready meal in the microwave does use less energy.^
And that’s what I’m going to do now 😂

Fish - 8 minutes with my quick parsley sauce

Leftover mashed potatoes
Frozen peas
Both in the microwave. If I can be bothered to move.

That's cooking from scratch

Although bunging a ready meal in the microwave does use less energy.
And that’s what I’m going to do now 😂

It does indeed.

MissAdventure

Luckily, a lot are fabulous at budgeting and cooking from scratch.

Although bunging a ready meal in the microwave does use less energy.

Luckily, a lot are fabulous at budgeting and cooking from scratch.

A a single mum, with two SEN children in a three bedroomed house ( third bedroom tiny), she gets the single person discount for council tax. It won’t just affect single pensioners.

An interesting report on pensioner incomes from the IFS.
ifs.org.uk/publications/how-have-pensioner-incomes-and-poverty-changed-recent-years

In 2017 Labour warned the WFA cut, proposed by Tories, but abandoned, could cause 4000 deaths. Seven years later, that would possibly be increased. Hope those who say pensioners should bear the brunt of these cuts, because they voted Tory, hang their heads in shame.
Who is saying that? People are saying that there is no reason why all pensioners should get money towards fuel when people in other age groups on less money do not. I haven't heard or read anyone saying that pensioners should bear the brunt of anything, or that this should happen because many of them voted Tory. I feel more strongly each day that people who misrepresent things in this way should be the ones who hang their heads in shame.

IMO the cut off should have come at a lot higher than the amount at which pension credit can be claimed, but nobody should be paid hundreds of pounds just for being over 66, when there are poorer people of all ages. I would prefer there to be cuts to the profits of privatised energy companies so bills are lower, but until then, everyone (of any age) on less than say, £30k could be given a subsidy. Of course, that would also result in a situation where some would lose out - means-testing always does that - but I don't want to see children going cold whilst better-off pensioners get money for nothing.

Doodledog

Why do you think that pensioners should be exempt from the crippling costs that the last government has landed us with? Statistics suggest that pensioners voted them in,

Oh it’s every government that does the pot in, no money from the last labour government, & so it goes on

4allweknow

David49 I worked shifts - early, late and night. My DH worked same style of shifts as well as being expected to work until issues resolved. Catering support was provided during day time shifts but had to be paid for with no contribution from employers. Outwith the normal daytime hours we had to take our own meals with us.

I suppose we could tell MPs to bring their own sandwiches and meet in the canteen, personally I think that’s going a bit too far, others may disagree.

David49 I worked shifts - early, late and night. My DH worked same style of shifts as well as being expected to work until issues resolved. Catering support was provided during day time shifts but had to be paid for with no contribution from employers. Outwith the normal daytime hours we had to take our own meals with us.

In 2017 Labour warned the WFA cut, proposed by Tories, but abandoned, could cause 4000 deaths. Seven years later, that would possibly be increased. Hope those who say pensioners should bear the brunt of these cuts,because they voted Tory, hang their heads in shame.

In 2017 Labour warned the WFA cuts could cause 4000 deaths

In 2023 Starmer challenged Sunak about the wrongness of the same issue.

Once in power, Starmer is very gung ho about any potential deaths because of withdrawing WFA.

He can blame the previous government for whatever he likes. I blame them for a lot myself, but saying something is a bad idea, until he wants to do it reflects badly on him.
The support and endless excuses he gets for doing something he said was a bad idea under the Tories but suits him to do now says a lot about his supporters too.

WelwynWitch3

Perhaps the Government could save some money by stopping huge foreign aid to the likes of India who have a their own space and nuclear programs also to those corrupt African countries. There are in this country some multi billionaires an I have heard it said that if I think it. Was the top 3% of these people paid 1% tax on all their wealth the countries debt would be cleared in one go. The House of Lords must go asap, I have always considered it retirement home for old PM’s and MP’s!

11.6 billion payment to foreign countries for "green energy " 😂 that won't stop the sun shining hotter.
300 billion for burger boy milliband "green energy" that will ensure we all pay more to foreign countries for energy, instead of utilising what is under our own feet, just think how much carbon is produced for making the wind turbines and solar panels that blight our landscape, never mind the potential to be held to ransome by some gas and oil despots. We already pay the highest energy bills in Europe and including America.
Have heard the term used today, Labours miners, as most in the energycompanies will lose their jobs after closure of the oil business.
Let alone the billions paid out each day to people who have not paid one iota into the system.
The robbing of Pensioners will net the tax man 1.4billion, a tiny fraction of the cost of those things above.
In 2017 Labour warned the WFA cut, proposed by Tories, but abandoned, could cause 4000 deaths. Seven years later, that would possibly be increased. Hope those who say pensioners should bear the brunt of these cuts,because they voted Tory, hang their heads in shame.

Perhaps the Government could save some money by stopping huge foreign aid to the likes of India who have a their own space and nuclear programs also to those corrupt African countries. There are in this country some multi billionaires an I have heard it said that if I think it. Was the top 3% of these people paid 1% tax on all their wealth the countries debt would be cleared in one go. The House of Lords must go asap, I have always considered it retirement home for old PM’s and MP’s!

Starmer has said that the burden of fixing the so called black hole will fall on those with the broadest shoulders. There has been no evidence of this so far! And as for VAT on school fees it is not the wealthy who will suffer (they can afford it anyway) but those who are struggling and making sacrifices to provide an education for their children which isn’t available in state schools.

Mollygo

*We all have different priorities for change though.*
🤣🤣🤣
Could have been written by Starmer himself. I’m working on what will be to the detriment of many people before I look at what I could do that would affect me.

Which is what I said… but if you want to worry about the minutiae of MP expenses too, that’s up to you of course.

We all have different priorities for change though.
🤣🤣🤣
Could have been written by Starmer himself. I’m working on what will be to the detriment of many people before I look at what I could do that would affect me.

Targeting pensioners who are by and large the people living alone is another money grab. Remember all the riots on the poll tax where it was per head? Labour are now no better!

Beckett

Seems this government are targeting the poorest and most vulnerable in society. If they want to tackle the so called "black hole" they could start by stopping the £300+ PER DAY paid to those who turn up at the unelected House of Lords - if they all turned up that would be equal to approx. £250,000 per day.

I find it hard to accept that while taking the WFA from pensioners MPs are keeping their "energy" allowance for their second homes, also why do both HoC and HoL require subsidised restaurants and bars?

Seems the MPs don't have the "broad shoulders" that Starmer mentioned

Totally agree!
MP's are reasonably well paid so why do they have subsidised restaurants and bars , PM should get his own house in order first - after all 'tough decisions' need to be made.
As for the HOL members several of whom we're told turn up to sign the register and then don't take any part in the business, just another drain on resources.

Bus passes are also on the agenda. If they are taken away, that + no fuel allowance and council tax single person reduction would put me on the breadline.

My monet saving idea for Kier is to abolish free prescriptions for anyone over 60. Instead offer to those at state pension age and claiming pension credit. Could make provision for those on certain life long meds such as for cancer and others.
It is ridiculous that a working 60 year old automatically qualifies for a free prescription. And probably at the same time doesn't need now to pay NI depending on length of contribution history.

Personally I’d rather the government concentrated on the big issues that affect the whole country than faff around with pay and expenses for MPs at the moment, when there’s a system in place for expenses that works and so much else that affects millions doesn’t. We all have different priorities for change though.

David
The hours they work also warrants some catering support, I’m sure their after hours socializing is discussing with others relevant political issues

By that measure, the hours teachers work outside school would also warrant some catering support.

Myth busting -

MP’s pay and expenses are controlled by IPSA -the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority set up by the last government in 2010 in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.The current government does not control it any more than previous ones since that date.

Which is just a convenient excuse, as any government with the will to do it could engage in negotiations to reduce the allowances, but the will is not there, as it would be to the detriment of MPs.

At the election it was all about billionaires and private schools, soak the rich. It is never enough, to collect enough the tax the burden has to be taken by ALL those who have even modest wealth or income.

It’s not about the wealthy wriggling out of tax, there is not enough of them and the cash is mostly tied up in business assets.

All people on benefits renting have money deducted from their benefit if they have extra bedrooms. I see no reason why Housing Authority rents should be any different especially as those renting privately are paying much higher rents so lose more money. It is an awful system which means that people have to pay rent out of their food money. Whilst I don't think people with 1 child should be able to rent a 4 bedroom house at the tax payers' expense, I do think that people who started renting with more bedroom requirements should not be penalised when their children leave home. There should also be some incentive for them to give up their homes for smaller housing in order to save the tax payer money.
We have deliberately set our rents at LHA rates but with the increasing costs for Landlords we might have to review that policy. With high care costs for Mum, I'm not sure we have the means to be as generous.