A letter to Mr Cameron shared on facebook

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

I agree we are all different which makes this site so interesting and of course there maybe a million pound property owner out there but I think they would be the exception. Sorry if I'm wrong.

I'm assuming that was 'tongue in cheek' nightowl

I don't think you'd find many million pound houses in my area of SE which is 50 miles outside London. My 3 bed semi with garden and garage is worth about £200,000.

Why would you assume it was a joke roses? I'm sure there must be quite a few gransnetters who have property worth a million, particularly if they live in the South East. We're all from different backgrounds and that's not a judgement, just a fact.

It certainly won't affect me.

I didnt. I got lost on that thread because of possible jokes, so I stopped reading it as I couldnt follow it.

As regards business.
I do think that the country needs to be run business like.
And then the conservatives need to have more knowledge of issues that affect poorer people, so they have more heart than some of them do.

So did I.

I had assumed that the inheritance tax thing on another thread was a joke.

Tegan. Because the "younger" bit seemed to be a bit of a headline.
And a bit integral to everything.
Now that we find that he is not that young, it brings trust issues into things.
Personally, and I am only speaking personally, if trust is in doubt right from the outset, it sets alarm bells ringing for me, and I then take what else is written with a big pinch of salt.
I read it, but with different eyes.
I realise that is not how lots of people do life, but that is how I personally do things.

Other than that good letter, except for the business part.

But ruined for me.

I have to admit that my response was due to another response from someone who admitted they had voted Conservative because they'd 'increased the inheritance tax considerably' and I felt that someone who chose their party from that perspective would at least read the contents of the letter and ponder on the implications for people poorer than themselves rather than the age of the writer and that makes me feel very sad.

DJ although that point is at a bit of a tangent, I do believe house building is relevant, quite apart from the obvious fact that houses are needed. A healthy construction industry provides employment, puts cash in the pockets of workers who, by spending, stimulate the economy. The direct and indirect tax- take increases. Would also provide huge numbers of apprenticeships.

In the 30's it was the national housebuilding programme that helped the country out of the great depression.

I like this letter as it expresses how so many people who are not London-based feel. It could be, that if it attracts enough publicity and the press cotton on, DC might just take up the challenge to show us he's a 'good bloke'.

Ayse I can only tell you that it definitely IS a fact in my part of the world and probably all of the UK that builders have to build a proportion of housing association houses along with even small developments.Some people have grumbled in my village about this, but I am all for it.We are a large village about to become even larger by 350 or more houses.It may depend on the attitude of district councils around the country.

Tegan, I read the letter first, before commenting, and I'm pretty sure everyone else on this thread did, as some of the speculation about the age of the writer referred to the content of the letter and the language used.

Ayse mentioned young people not being able to afford their own homes.
council house building has been on the up for the last five years, as has housing association houses in my area, which is a very good thing, and hopefully will continue.

Very little being built in the way of social housing. I understand that building companies are no longer obliged to include social housing in their developments and the only way councils can get more housing built is to give permission for private development.

Well, I did say it was written because he is a clergyman and it's part of the job to think about the poor.We know nothing about him though and his politics.He says'go to Newcastle and talk to people still living in poverty due to the demise of the coal industry' that was a long time ago and we have had several Labour governments since then . I don't think this is really a letter from somebody with no political axe to grind tbh.

Maybe that the houses being built are for sale, not for council housing?

Many councils lost too much money when they invested it, and still haven't managed to get it back, despite cuts. Maintenance of social housing is expensive, with so many not actually paying enough to cover their costs. So councils are loathe to build more in many areas.

What's house building got to do with it, roises?

Don't really care about the age of this person; whoever they are, they sum up exactly how I at this moment in time. Wouldn't it be better for people to read what has been written and try to understand why it was written rather than just ponder on the age of the writer . Why should they ask the question and give the answers; isn't that why we vote for MP's.