Should I vote Conservative

Although the television programmes are saying the Conservatives will not end the triple lock on pensions the Sun on-line is saying:

MAY'S TAX LOCK AXE Theresa May vows to end the triple lock on pensions and scrap Tories’ tax lock in her Conservative election manifesto
PrimeMinister set to scrap a system that has seen OAPs’ cash shoot up for seven years

This could change overnight of course [https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3588313/theresa-may-pension-triple-lock-taxes-conservative-manifesto/ but it is currently here]]

If you are planning to vote Conservative, please listen to this doctor talking about the privatisation of the NHS.

voxpoliticalonline.com/2017/05/17/planning-to-vote-tory-how-will-you-justify-your-support-for-destroying-the-nhs/

I hope it makes you change your mind.

Winter Fuel Allowance:

Pensioners currently receive between£100 and £300 a year to help pay for heating bills.
^But the Tories will today announce plans to means-test the benefit so it is only given to the least-well off. The money saved will be transferred directly to health and social care.^*

*This from the Huffington post but also mentioned elsewhere.

If it is to means tested and given only to the least-well off I assume they will do something like put the level of eligibility for Pension Credit up from £159.35 per week to £163.20 and include it in that way or they could decide not to change it of course and just pay those already on Pension Credit the amount as they have always done.

The savings from this are to go into Social Care so not joining up the NHS and Care by the sound of it.

I have just read that loads of Tory voters are switching to Labour having read the NUT website about education cuts.

schoolcuts.org.uk/#!/

I hope it's true.
Of course, they can switch to Libdem if it's a better option in that constituency.

More elderly people will have to pay for their own social care in the home as the means testing level will now include the value of the home even if you are living in it but you will not have to sell it until you (and you partner if appropriate)die. You will be allowed to pass £100,000 of the value on - it is currently £23,000.

Apparently only some of the manifesto has been released so the Sun is assuming the triple lock will go as an 'expected' promise not one that has yet been released.

I think we assume people know these things but some are only just beginning to understand just what these cuts are doing Jen.

£2.8 billion not being taken up in pension credit.
Cost of winter fuel allowance between two and three billion.

It seems a bit mean to take it away. I hope all those pensioners who could get some credit apply, if May gets in and does it.

A lot of people really don't want to be bothered with politics and just take a superficial interest based on headlines and soundbites, without realising that these are often inaccurate and sometimes downright untrue.

It isn't clear who it will be taken from Jen. I just assumed that it will be only those on Pension Credit will get it as it is to be means-tested and only for 'the least well off'. We will know more tomorrow I suppose.

I think this is true FarNorth as the Conservatives passed it to the papers and it was diss-embargoed while I was watching a news programme. As I say, we will know a bit more tomorrow but the devil, will no doubt, be in the detail.

Night Jen

Astounding things in the Tory manifesto. For the Tories, taking money from pensioners (apart from the poorest, as in bedroom tax) has been a holy cow.
Making people pay for care in their own homes!!! (more will end in hospitals inevitably). Pay after you die scheme to fund it.
Ending triple lock.
Taking away winter fuel allowance.
Taking free school meals for infants away.
Making it harder for businesses to recruit immigrants not going to be popular with business people either.
They would appear to be so confident of their position that they can afford to alienate a large slab of traditional Tory voters.

From the BBC News Web site:

Social care: the winners and losers
Under the Tories' plans, winter fuel payments for all pensioners will come to an end with assistance limited to the least well-off through a means-testing system.

Theresa May will reject a cap on overall care costs, recommended by an independent commission three years ago, but say no family should see their assets depleted below £100,000 from paying care bills, an increase on the current £23,250 figure.

For the first time, the cost of someone's home will be taken into account in the assessment of domiciliary care, as well as residential care, needs and whether they should qualify for state support.

Great news! Now let's hope Labour makes it very clear to OAPs just how this manifesto will impact on them. If voters didn't care about cuts to their children's or grandchildren's education, or the disintegration of the NHS, perhaps this will get through to them when their parents have nought left to leave them.

Ending the triple lock for pensioners still seems to be rumour rather than fact although the DM and many other right-wing supporting papers seem to think it will go.

The release last night confirms new measures on immigration which includes making firms pay more to hire migrants.

The manifesto will also include a commitment to end universal free school lunches for infants although the chatter is about free breakfasts - a saving that is said to go into the schools budget (all a bit woolly so far)

I am quite exceedingly cross with the BBC that they keep saying the richest pensioners will loose the Winter Fuel Allowance whereas it appears it is actually to disappear completely and the "least well-off will be given assistance through a means-testing system".

There are huge numbers of pensioners who are by no means rich - who are just above the current Pension Credit levels but well below the personal tax allowance level. They will find it more difficult without the WFA and they are far from rich.

Yup this will affect the just about managing pensioners.

Small state well on track. Individualism reigns supreme.

Unfortunately, Labour, headed by Corbyn is not a credible opposition, which is what we need.

You may not find it credible Luckylegs and I realise many on social media of all sorts live in a filter bubble which continues to tell them what they believe (hopefully we see both sides on GN)but everybody does not believe this.

We shall see, won't we.

Will this be shouted down immediately ( very likely) but from what I can see so far
( although need to see the actual manifesto) it's completely sensible to end the £100 fuel allowance and give it to those who really need it.Ditto school meals.Plenty of people can afford dinner money for their children and those who can't already have free meals.
The subject of social care has been needing an overhaul, with so may older people in the population it's never been got to grips with, home owners will receive care but the value of their house ( bar £100,000) will be added into their savings when it comes to paying.The debt can be paid after death.I would want to see the fine details on this ( what happens to your DH/partner who still needs to live somewhere etc.) On the triple lock there is no news as yet, I would expect it to go on until 2020, and then change, but have to see.
Social care has always been a hot potato for governments, but I think we could all
see this coming.

I have only heard what has been on the radio. I fully support the winter fuel ending for the wealthy and free school meals regardless of income.

My knowledge on payment of care in the home is little, in my family care is provided by family

I agree that winter fuel allowance should be scrapped for the wealthier pensioners. My DH got winter fuel allowance for the first time last year and (whilst we are by no means rich) we both work and we felt so guilty. We decided to give it to DS and DiL as they really struggle with high fuel costs and get no help whatsoever.

I do have experience of care in the home as my late grandma had carers for the last few years of her life. Mind you, they only popped in for 10-20 minutes 3 times a day and would in no way make up for the care that I provided by seeing her every day, being on call 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, hospital visits, doctors, shopping, cleaning etc.

gilly have you any thoughts about Tory policy on migrant labour and training?

oh annie it would be lovely to have family close by who could help. Agree, it's the best form of support and care if there is a loving, local family who are able to. It's a problem for many though, a down side of a mobile workforce. No easy answer to this one. Any proposal is bound to leave some feeling they are being disadvantaged. I don't object to the proposals for WFA but I do object to some of the language being used to describe those who do not qualify for pension credit. Wealthy is an inaccurate description for many.