A letter to Mr Cameron shared on facebook

Maybe I'm wrong nina but I have always thought there must be quite a few at the top end of the wealth scale on here, as well as quite a few who are struggling, and a lot somewhere in the middle. Who knows?

But I suppose if the present threshold is £325,000 for each individual there will be a lot of people who would like an increase, and may vote for the party that promises them one.

the poster in question re the inheritance tax, is known for liking a joke or two, plus from reading all her other posts over time I can tell that she has a social conscience and would likely not vote for a party for that reason only.Having said that, the inheritance tax threshold is low and hasn't kept up with prices in the SE at all, and if you have grown up children with problems, I can see it would be reassuring to know you can leave them the full amount of money ( I know someone in this position.)Yes, there may well be the odd millionaire or two on here, at least with this amount set in property, as if they live in London that could just be a three bed house.

we don't come anywhere near the tax allowance, so that isn't a question that bothers me.

we know a young couple in London, both have teaching jobs, and they would like a house with 2 bedrooms and a small garden. they are looking at prices around £900,000 that is for terrace or semi.That shows how easy it is to be a property millionaire.

The inheritance tax changes kick in before a million pounds - in fact it applies to estates UP TO a million pounds, not above that.

Inheritance Tax at the moment is paid if a person’s estate (their property, money and possessions) is worth more than £325,000 when they die. That can be transferred from one spouse to another, and the tax not paid until the second spouse dies.

The Conservatives promised a new £175,000 per person transferable allowance for married couples and civil partners when their main residence is passed down to children on death.

This would mean that – combined with the existing £325,000 nil-rate band each person has on death, two tparents would be able to pass on property worth up to £1 million free of inheritance tax. This is what the second parent to die could pass on.

The operative word here is "up to". It means that one divorced or separated parent can leave a house and savings worth £500K without it attracting inheritance tax. Without the change the threshold was £325K. house prices have risen so that there are plenty of family homes worth more than that without going to millionaire levels.

The rate of Inheritance Tax is 40% on anything above the threshold.

My mistake - the age thing. I didn't read the very bottom until after I had posted the topic so apologies if I misled anyone.
However housing, employment and food banks are major issues together with health and education.
I'm not a religious person but I'm very happy that someone made this sort of comment. I can just about live on my income but I feel so sad for those who are not able to. It worries me that our society is so unequal and I believe that governments need to care for all of their population especially the most needy who find, in many cases that it is difficult to help themselves.

Ah, so that was your addition re age.

I am hoping that if enough people talk about their concerns, in enough ways and areas, that things will filter through to those that make the actual decisions.
I have started a thread for anyone to voice concerns about conservatives in power for the next 5 years, if anyone is interested.

Oh, not another Tory-bashing thread! Just what we need...

Better get used to it Ana - and you like it really don't you?

Not as much as you do, GT!

I agree that housing is important Mcem, but I asked what it had to do with housing as it didn't appear to be mentioned in the OP.
I think the way out of poverty is house building. However, the Tory manifesto policy on housing does not mention social housing apart from selling them. That's no good to homeless people on the council waiting list.
A builder has put in for planning permission to build 150 houses on two fields behind the estate I live on. He had so much opposition on quite a few counts, that he decided to withdraw. He then put in amended plans, getting rid of two houses, but increasing the size of many of the houses, and doing away with affordable housing. He got even more objections the second time.

The writer of the letter referred to in the OP is a Minister in he United Reform Church. I know for a fact that that church is very concerned with the less-advantaged in society. They are very good at helping out people in need where they can. They are a lovely church. I have nothing against the letter except that I think it would be good if people put forward their own Ida's instead of just carping on about what the government is doing. The only reason I thought the letter was written by a younger person is because the original poster suggested it.

Tegan I did not "admit" anything. I have nothing to "admit". Your comment was stupid and sounded mean mind.

My "social conscience" is my business and I will do what I bloody well please with it.

V

Oops - finger slipped on keyboard.

Ideas. not Ida's

Mndd

minded

Sorry for mistakes. Feeling a bit cross

JBF Perhaps he could put forward his answers to the problems. Realistic ones.

Hopefully those we have elected a government that can put forward ideas that don't put mammon in the place of a god and doesn't think that "the economy" is just about money. - I live in hope.

Does anyone have a Facebook link to the original of this letter?

'Ok. I voted Tory mainly because of Cameron's promise to raise the Inheritance Tax threshold'
I apologise j; I read this and stupidly thought you'd written it because you meant it. Stupid and mean minded of me. Again I can only apologise for that .

I did mean it. Of course I did. It was a straight answer to Trisher's straight qustion, and she took it as such.

Don't bother to be sad on my behalf btw. You already have so many family troubles to feel down about. Thankfully I have none. I am truly blessed.

What I actually said was:-

"Ok. I voted Tory mainly because of Cameron's promise to raise the Inheritance Tax threshold. But also because I think they are on the right track with the economy, which I want sorted out before my grandkids come of age."

I can see no reason why that should have been read as a joke.

Another Internet prob is that all nuance is lost, and mistakes can be made.

I couldn't give a damn about the IT aspect, but the other part of your reason for voting Tory is, I think, why many people voted for them jingl.

The alternative would have been Labour reversing a lot of policies just for the sake of it, introducing their own populist measures to please their supporters and threatening what little economic recover Britain is experiencing at the moment.

Truly blessed?

recovery

Yes Ana, I think we all need a little recovery time.