The budget today so......

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

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

Why not, nonnie!

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

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.

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!

It was a shamelessly vote catching budget.

Do you think so jingle?

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

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

I do like alliteration!

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

It seemed to be aimed only at the slightly better off older people. Whose votes they want to keep. Nothing for poorer people.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Just to digress slightly.
Does anyone remember 'buy broom besoms' by the Watersons?

Amended post:

Just to say that the tax relief on child care is going to help a lot of lower paid workers, although it is not going to be means tested.

Of course it was vote catching, that's what they all do at this stage of a parliament.

There was something for all tax payers, the allowance is going up by £500. Also petrol is not going up and neither is alcohol both of which affect most of us even if we don't have a car. Even a non driving, non tax paying teetotaller will gain from the fuel not going up as when it goes up it gets added onto everything we buy.

What the next government does at the beginning of its parliament will be far more telling.

Is that it. All that can be spoken of is the tax on beer and bingo.

It was a good budget then. Besides which there had been 'representation' by Labour and Conservative MP's in Parliament asking for the taxes to be looked at as jobs were being lost and the industry was suffering.

You may not like it on a personal level but the bigger picture is what is good for jobs and industry and finances of the country as a whole.

By the way what one person finds patronising another person won't. For example I could find the comment 'so that working people can enjoy the things 'they' like doing' patronising. Having said that I have said I find the Champagne Socialist the biggest hypocrite of all times so I suppose I am now calling myself patronising.

Oh I stand corrected. It seems that I will benefit from the budget afterall. The fuel in my car will not be going up (although not going down either so I do not think this actually counts as a benefit directly).

Perhaps I will take up Bingo.

How interesting to read all your comments.

I love Experigran's comment on wishing she smoked. I feel like that about PPI and CPP paying back for miss-selling. Sadly I worked out they weren't for me but I don't really understand why I mind that I am not getting any of the loot that is being handed out.

It looks as if there will be some limits to what you can do with your pension pot - no doubt we will see more in the weekend papers. I notice the announcement has wiped £5 billion off the shares of the 5 biggest annuity providers - it couldn't happen to a nicer group.

The child care allowance does seem to be a good move and may save some Grannies being completely worn out supporting children at work . I wish they had made it universal as everyone paying into NI should feel it is for them too.

Raising the personal allowance will now mean that pensioners getting the lower age allowance move at the same pace as those of working age and it is an actual increase for any pensioners born after April 1948.

Not a bad budget all round in my opinion and I don't really expect more than not bad

I heard that about the annuity providers Grace but I just checked Aviva's share price which was 465.2 on 4th March and is 490.6 today. Perhaps something happened to make it rise before Wednesday but as a shareholder I am not unhappy. I'm sure the annuity providers will come up with competitive alternatives.

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

That thought went through my head as well - maybe he should have removed VAT on flat caps and whippets while he's at it ...

I'm not Grace Nonnie I am Grace's Gran (not that I mind but I thought you might think I was someone else.

Interesting that the shares have gone back up. I am quite sure it will make them more competitive but they should have done it earlier.