The budget today so......

Galen Love the word besom, not something you hear much these days! We have a besom in the shed

I do like alliteration!

Perhaps Jingle is an avid bingo playing! beer swilling besom?

Do you think so jingle?

I don't think there was anything in it that would catch my vote.

It was a shamelessly vote catching budget.

Yes, me too, nonnie (cynical I mean). They are all the same when it comes to vote winning.
However, some do manage to make more of a hash of the economy than others. My MIL, who never had much money, always managed to see the wider picture rather than as it only applied to her. She always said it took at least two terms of a conservative government to put right the disaster labour always made of the economy!

rose because I am cynical! They won't do anything to alienate us because we vote! Any cuts to pensioners 'benefits' will come at the beginning of the next parliament. Next year's budget will be more vote catching. No, not bashing this government, they are all the same.

Why not, nonnie!

Is there still a free tv licence for over 75s or did that get taken away?

For all those 'boomer bashers'. Don't forget all those who have a mortgage have benefit from low interest rates whilst pensioners who have savings lost out.

At least this budget has done a little for savers.

No, bus passes etc won't go until there is a new government!

Some of the comments on here do strike me as rather naive. Whatever government we had at this stage in the election cycle would be doing whatever they could in the budget to gain votes. Its the system! Doesn't matter what colour they are.

It seems that cutting the tax on bingo is bad as is keeping down the price of beer. And if they had kept them the same or put them up? Yes, that would have been bad too. Shall we just bash them whatever they do?

Yes mollie65 I fully expect the bus pass and fuel allowance to go next year and then we will be on a level playing field now that we have lost the personal allowance differential.

I am sure the 'boomer bashers' will see this as an unfair 'give to the pensioners' budget when the changes will not affect those 'already retired' and in receipt of a small annuity. it is clearly aimed 'as a pensioners budget' at those with large pension pots who are not yet retired and will no doubt invest in a 'portfolio' of property - making a bad situation for the younger generation forced to rent even worse
set one age group against another
and don't forget we have lost the differential in personal allowance for over 65s - that might silence some of our critics though - only the bus pass and winter fuel allowance to go now.

Would you believe it, he reduced the tax on bingo and beer so that working people can enjoy the things they like doing. How patronising can he possibly get?

Wonder if the introduction of this Pensioner Bond might encourage banks to raise the measley interest on ISAs to compete?

Granny23 I quite agree. It may be a good idea to increase ISAs to £15,000 a year and also premium bonds have been raised an extra £10,000 this year and the same next year so that eventually one will be able to save £50,000 with them. As you say, nice if one has the money but few of us in our age group will manage that.

Yes the papers are saying it is aimed at the "grey vote" - I'd overlooked the tax relief on Bingo. That's the sop to the working class females? How patronising is that?
And the relief on inheritance tax for members of the public services who die in the course of their duties - well that is really going to cost him a fortune isn't it. Family homes where there is a spouse left behind are exempt from the tax anyway. How many emergency services staff have significant wealth outside that? And it does not seem to include soldiers - or were they previously exempt? Sounds like he is being kind though doesn't it
Who will be happy? - independent financial advisors ("wealth management" experts as some style themselves) will be rubbing their hands with glee because they will get a lot more work advising about these changed investment possibilities. They will have cracked open the bubbly last night.
Those selling annuities will have been contemplating the loss of a high lucrative income stream.
I think another consequence will be that people with fairly large pension pots will get into buy to let. Why wouldn't they. Pension pot of £500k invested in a new apartment and rented out. You get the income stream and you retain an asset that you can leave to your heirs, whereas annuities die with you. This in turn could push more first time buyers out of the property market because it will push up demand.
I'd worry that some people will cash in their pension pot and use some of it to shore up the prospects of the next generation - or get pressured to do this by unscrupulous middle aged kids. (judging by some of the hair raising stories that you hear on GN)
Personally I have a very small private pension pot and I would be better off cashing this in and paying that amount off the mortgage asap. Because it is not ever going to generate enough income to make a difference to my standard of living.

What's in it for me? Absolutely nothing. My miniscule annuity was purchased 7 years ago, I do not have a spare £10,000 to invest in bonds, or ISAs, I don't pay tax as my income is already under the tax threshold. I don't drink beer, or play Bingo but, unlike Experigran I do smoke so will have to attempt to cut down again.

I don't see how the '£2,000 per child' child care credits will be of any benefit to us or the DDs as all three DGC are now at school, there are no after school clubs so it will still be us picking them up from school and feeding and entertaining them (on an unpaid basis) until their parents get home.

I think this is probably a good budget for those on middle incomes who are approaching retirement age but nothing in it for the lower paid or those already drawing small pensions.

Another illusion to make us think we were better off under New Labour.

It would have helped if Gordon Brown hadn't sold off all your gold reserves as well against the advice of the BoE.

Makes you wonder how these politicians get their jobs doesn't it ...

Let's remember Blair & his cabinet were new Labour. My dad was also a pre new Labour supporter. He would not have been impressed either .

I preferred the old and still do.

I wish I had more financial acumen. I probably would be better off if I could have understood about the ins and outs of investments etc.

I was brought up by a staunch Labour father. Had he still been here in the days of the millionaire Labour rich boys Blair, Mandelson, and others and those fiddling their expenses he would have considered them an absolute disgrace to the party.

If I am one of 'you 2' I 'd like to point out that my criticism was very specific. Gordon Brown most definitely 'accessed'pension funds, thereby c*****g up the retirement planning of many savers. I did not lay the blame entirely on him over banking failure, people taking on mortgages and credit card debt way beyond their means, nor did I ever see him as some financial satan. Of course huge numbers of individuals were reckless and irresponsible and contributed to the chaos. However he was chancellor and I do resent that one specific action of his.
I'd like to add that today's changes to savings rules will go some way to redressing the balance for savers but I am not sufficiently impressed that I'll vote tory - however I am one of those who became so disappointed and disillusioned by the whole Blair fiasco that I won't vote labour either!

It had better be don't you 4 remember the banking crisis.

I agree with every word that you say rosequartz re PFI's. We will never manage to pay off the debts there.

PFIs. John Major started them but they became vastly more profilic under G Brown. Like a nice new shiny hospital? Well, you can have one on the never-never. Have whatever you want, pay this year, next year, some time, never. Roll up the debts, who cares if it makes you feel good. Another part of the price we are all paying.

JessM

You had better make it "Oh good God. don't you 'three' remember the banking crisis" I will be happy to be in agreement with the other two posters you disagree with.

Brown did raid pensions, yes there was a banking crisis but alongside the crisis was the fact the UK government had run up such a massive deficit due to prolific spending.

The latter point being the biggest problem this government and the next will have to deal with to get the economy back on track, if it ever will. All three major parties are in agreement that has to be done, pity the schools and hospitals with financial nooses around the necks because of Labours policies I say.