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

Refusing to vote will work in the the tories' favour - we need MORE people to vote, especially the elderly.

Is the under the table community for those of us who are not sure what all the fuss is about? If so, move over.

kitty well said, can I come in under the table too, I've lost a bit of weight so I think I won't squash anyone.

All you grey voters out there, I suggest we refuse to vote in the next General Election. They might take notice of us then.

Well, it's getting crowded here under the table, so what can we do? I don't think they will take any notice of letters to our MPs.

Maybe we should take to the streets and demonstrate!

I have just been watching Osborne waffling his way through his raid on pensioners.
does he think that we are all fools. Freezing the tax allowances is a method of increasing the cost of living for pensioners. He has totally ignored the fact that inflation is currently running at between 3% & 4%.
His claim that he has just given the largest pension increase in history is total nonsense. The increase was generated by the RPI last September. This increase would have been more if he had not changed the method of calculating the annual cost of living %age rise.
As for saying that by cutting the top rate of 50% to 45% will increase the amount of tax collected fivefold because these top earners will not use the tax
avoidance methods they are currently employing is sheer arrogance.
Bear in mind that a person earning £1,000,000 will now be better off by
£42,500 or £817 per week. Just imagine that we are "all in this together"
or is just that some are more in it than others?
Bring on the next election.

Oh, I've just noticed that new pensioners will lose £197 a year, less than £4 a week. Am I missing something?

That last statistic mentioned by Annobel seems shocking to me. They are losing more in a week than we are losing in a year.

It's not just pensioners who are being fleeced. The coalition leadership is shouting about how the raising of the tax threshold will give 'hard-working families' an improved income:

'The winners are over 20m basic rate taxpayers who will be £220 better off because of what we have just announced in the Budget today'. (Nick Clegg, who else?)

The crafty move was that they announced tax credit changes before yesterday's budget. According to the Child Poverty Action Group:

'A couple with children, one working 20 hours on minimum wage will
lose £74.34 a week'. (cpag.org.uk)

The tax on pensioners is rightly causing a storm - it seems incredible that Osborne thinks he can get away with it. Pleased to see the National Pensioners Convention kicking up a stink, but what's happened to Age UK? They're absolutely muted, calling it a disappointment for pensioners. Are they kidding?

jacey writing to our MP is a start, we should be seen to be fighting back.

Just seen Geraldene to be interviewed on Sky V at 8.30am.

Perhaps the reason we are so cross (?) is that the rich have been given back what would seem to be £10,000 +per annum due to their drop in taxation?

Life isn't fair ...but this was so insensitive to so many across all age ranges.

However ...we've all done a lot on here (and seemingly other forums) to raise the present air temperature!! But what are we ...as a group ...actually going to do to be more pro-active in this matter. I think only one person has made a proactive suggestion ...writing to our MPs!! Well it is a start.

Any other ideas?

Like lots of people nearing retirement I have been looking at my income. Retiring in October next year I will be paying £260 more income tax than I expected. Bad enough but look at a pensioner retiring from next year with combined pensions of £9,205. This group will suffer a marginal tax rate of 100%. The Chancellor will take back a pound for every pound of cost of living increase. Pensioners at this level are likely to have their pensions frozen for life. Courtesy of the Chancellor.
Millionaires 45% tax, pensioners 100% tax. Shame on you George Osborne

There seem so to be so many online interpretations of the pension changes, it's difficult to form a clear view.
My understanding is that the changes will not be taking anything away from what pensioners already have. In fact, with rises in personal allowances and increased pension rates, many pensioners will be better off.
I think the changes to age related allowance will mean additional money that would have been expected, will no longer be available. So no reduction in what is received, just no increase via that route.

On another point, the taxes and NI contributions we paid throughout our working lives, were to fund the pensioners and unemployed etc at that time, it wasn't set aside for us to access now. Equally, the taxes and NI contributions now paid by our sons and daughters is where the money is coming from to pay our pensions and benefits.

What's the reason why older people should have higher personal tax allowances in the first place? Just asking?

Presumably that was directed at kitty ?
It is a valid question kitty as are all questions.
I don't know but I am guessing it is the "squeezed pensioner" that is affected by this current move. Not the ones that are paying no tax and not the ones who have such big pensions they are not going to notice.

Obviously you arent affected? And yes, it is scary that we are up against a rock and a hard place, because who are we going to turn to ....LABOUR????!

I think the point is that it is the contrast between the richest getting a tax break and the pensioners (and others) losing out that is so appalling.

I think they'll find us floating off elsewhere if they don't do some rapid repair work!

I agree it was a sneaky bit of patronising to imply that it was kind to pensioners to let 'em off filling in a self assessment form. Cheap shot.
What I am intrigued by is why both sides are always banging on about "hard working families" and the "squeezed middle". Yes I know the middle income people with kids are finding it hard, but are they the floating voters? Is that it? Are we too unfloating for our own good?

On the subject of being a stay at home Mum, I am 63 with 5 children and, when I claimed my pension, I was given credit for staying at home until my last child was 16 (I think) It is called something like 'Home responsibility' My state pension is actually higher than my husband's although he has worked since he qualified in 1967!

I'm going under the table too, with the chairs pulled in, as it seems to me that we 'greys' can't expect the rest of the country to suffer from cutbacks and not ourselves. The loss of the age allowance will only affect those with more money anyway. The new flat rate pension means that there will be no means testing to get Pension Credit (in all its forms). What I didn't see mentioned is the extra benefits which come with Pension Credit (free dental treatment, eye checks etc) Are they to disappear, I wonder?

My name is kitty and I'm a Tory voter (apart from a brief flirtation with the SDP and they sold out)!

Ref Grany Tax :Osbourne, if he continues in this vain, will lose out along with Cameron. We ALL have the power to change their attitudes

Anagram at the risk of causing more unrest on here can I say I agree with you? I also worked while my children were small (for financial reasons) and I chose to pay a 'full stamp' as I thought this would be to my advantage in later years. I now feel I was conned and want a refund!!

This is an argument that has been going on for years! It has no resolution! I agree it is unfair , but no one will ever resolve it!
You would do better to try to get better allowances for OAPs than to argue on that theme!