HUNTERF I am at a loss to understand the logic of your statement. In 1977 I was paying income tax at 83% albeit only on earnings over £22400 (or thereabouts if my memory serves me correctly) I certainly do not feel that it would or in fact should entitle me to any kind of benefit over and above those received by anyone else no matter if they paid tax or not.
Taking your statement to the nth degree would see those with no need receiving all benefits and those with all the need receiving nothing. Sorry, am I missing something here, I pay taxes in order for society as a whole to benefit from a predetermined standard of living and that is right and proper (except of course perhaps in the pages of the Daily Mail).
The benefits in question are payable on reaching a certain age not on means or past earnings and as a consequence tax paid. There is obviously arguable reasoning that those same benefits perhaps should not be paid to those of substantial and independant means but collectively we are, I would suggest, generally average here (I have a bus pass and receive winter fuel allowance and free prescriptions should I ever need them). I am far too young for a free TV license but look forward to the day I can have one. However I do not have a £600K pa pension either and although I do draw a pension I still work and still pay tax on earnings and pension.
