Osborne's Budget - looks like pensioners will lose out the most

Great idea, Jeni!

And no gatecrashers please - we know who we are!

New thread anybody? Do we have an 'under the table ' party? A special gransnet one, as opposed to all the others? It would make a change to start a party under the table!

The country has to pay its way. At the moment, we're having to pay more than 'our way' because of previous financial mis-management and a global recession. I'm not sure we can justify being exempt from the effects of this. Budge up....think I'll get under the table too.

Why do you need to hide jeni?

Now big is this table? Is there still room for me?
In VERY small letters ( did anybody bring any vodka jellies?)

Hurrah ninnynanny.

What would the 2 Ed,s have come up with if they were in power, handing out benefits like there is no tomorrow just so people would vote for them. The Tories are trying to sort the economy out and get us out of debt for future generations.

Ref Granny Tax: We tried Labour, The Tories, The Coalition, [Whos Next]To make a point?

Who do we vote for ???

Sorry Carol, how do you work that one out !

Unlike all of the other leaked announcements it was the cowardly way in which The Chancellor announced his negative 'Granny Tax' that hurt.

I am a pensioner aged 66. Probably, like my fellow pensioners, after saving for my retirement since a young man I was shocked to see my private pension annuity forecasts reduce drastically and I am now struggling to survive on meagre annuities and the state pension.

I therefore looked forward to the weekly £5.30 rise although I knew it would immediately disappear with ever increasing utility, fuel and most importantly food bills.

I trusted each government, investment professionals and bankers to handle my savings with due care and attention, and feel totally let down. Knowing those who have been irresponsible, have probably been given several lucrative bonuses and in addition, can also look forward to enormous pension pots when they retire very wealthy indeed, my own total pension pot looks ridiculously tiny, so why shouldn’t we pensioners be able to seek compensation for their misdemeanours, incredible incompetence and greed?

Of course, Osborne is not the only culprit. Lamont's mini-raid on pensions left the door guarding pension funds slightly ajar only for Brown to come charging through four years later like a 'bull in a china shop' destroying what was once the world's best pension system with his huge raid. To sell off our gold reserves at the bottom of the market also cost the British taxpayer billions of pounds. What Brown & Co, the capitalists of New Labour, then implemented was nothing short of highway robbery. It betrayed the retirement dreams of millions of ordinary British people, not forgetting that, Brown and Balls sucking-up to the banks on an epic scale then oversaw the crash which has left this once wonderful country in recession, a financial crisis and deep in debt.

Pensioners are taxed based on their pension, and salary if they choose to work, I don't choose, I have to, to survive!

How can a tax rise on pensioners with low and middle income whilst giving £10,000 to the richest people with an income of over £150,000 be fair?

A budget for millionaires Mr Osborne - we are not amused!

crikeybobs is clearly under the table with us too. Well said.

Me, too - it's getting mighty crowded under here!

I'm under the table with Petallus and the others..... What's all the fuss about?

Couldn't agree more!
What are you lot grumping about.
Go back and read the budget statements and make some sense instead of winging.
Some people do women an injustice by grouching about things , and it seems to me they grump for the sake of it.
I don't think you are missing something I think it is most definitely the others that don't get the logic.

I will be better off - working class and all!!

What is Cameron's problem. In the last few months we have been told by him that we should get back to work to subsidize our incomes (when there are no jobs anyway), we should downsize our houses because they are too big for us (when no one can get mortgages anyway) & now he has had a go at the tax allowance - and make no mistake he was in on it, as was Clegg. I would say this is his BIGGEST own goal. Older people vote - its a fact. A lot of them vote Tory or should I say did. I think he has just managed to allienate a lot of the people who put him where he is!!

I have listened to George Osborne say that next month our pensions will rise by £5.30 per week. Thank you Mr Osborne. You have also said that this will be frozen under the new legislation. Have you also frozen inflation, increases in utility bills, petrol costs etc. When will the pension rise again Mr Osborne? When the rest of the working population reach our threshold? You had better hurry up Mr Osborne there's an election in 3 years.

I have just listened to George Osborne on Sky News and he said why should "middle class" pensioners be on a higher personal allowance than working people. Apart from all the other obvious arguments to this statement no one seems to be reinforcing the fact that this higher age related personal allowance could only be claimed by pensioners on an income of less than £25,400 per annum. Since when has "middle class" been defined by an income of between £9,200 and £25,400. My personal income is well below the top limit and I believe it to be widely acknowledged as being on the poverty line.

A second point is the "complicated" self assessment form. There is nothing complicated at all about the form and if you do have problems filling it in HMRC will do it over the phone - very simple. Are they are trying to say that people at our stage of life are imbeciles. If we are then god help the House of Lords.

Since the government came into power there has been a constant barrage against the "baby boomers" and how life was so good for us. Let me tell you that being born after the war we had to live through austerity measures far worse than anything young people are experiencing today. We are now expected after suffering for the first 2 decades of our lives to be penalised at the end of our lives and vilified by privileged millionaire politicians.

My previous remarks referred to Newgranlin's comments.

Exactly my sentiments. We older people are getting towards the end of our lives and often at this time wants/needs decrease. My father had a small pension but always had more money than he knew what to do with. On the other hand, there is a high proportion of children living in poverty in this country. They have the whole of their lives before them and therefore need to be given the best start possible.

Mr Osborne will learn at the next election that older taxpayers are very well aware of the difference between a small increase in pension that may not continue and a tax allowance that was a right. It is a degree of discrimination and an infuriating level of condescension to suggest that older people could not understand the tax allowance available.

Putting my head above the parapet, I agree with amelianne. The state pension has increased in the last two years - significantly more than the 75p insult made by Labour, so even with the change to tax allowances, we will be slightly better off. I have only recently retired, but find I have more disposable income than before - it costs money to go to work. I know a huge number of pensioners and none of them seem to be struggling - quite the reverse - and this includes my Mum who only has a state pension. As grandparents, we should realise that the young parents with children need the help more. Now heading back under the parapet.

Is it not also the case that those poorest pensioners at the moment - those receiving Pension Credit in addition to their Retiirement Pension,
will be even more worse off.

At the moment as I understand it, they would get a maximum off £137.35 RP + PC. In April that becomes £142.65 and by April 2013, would probably be close to £147.

With the new flat-rate all-in pension set at £140, coming in in 2013/14. Those pensioners receiving RP + PC, face a £7 cut, to £140. About £350 a year.

I strongly suspect that by then, the Winter Fuel Allowance will also have been done away with or as the government will put it, be included in this new flat-rate £140 pension. That's another £250 gone. With the previous £350, it makes a £600 cut.

So how does this make pensioners better off?

Sorry Carol I aint voting labour after the last lot! (ducks back under table)

As long as they are still getting the obscene expenses, I don't think they give a monkeys about us.