Rachel Reeves has announced that winter fuel payments will only be paid to those on Pension Credit.nsion Credit

We should do what Denmark do and provide accommodation for MPs to stay in when they are in London. We should not be paying for second homes for MPs that they can keep when they leave parliament. No wonder they’re keen on house prices rising, just think of the profit made when they sell the second homes that we paid for.

Hogg seems rather a fitting name...

Callistemon213

^So what should they do - where should they get the money from to fill the black holes?^

Where's MaizieD?

I wish they’d find the money to fill the pot holes, never mind the black holes.

I am signing every petition I can find in support of reinstating the WFA for pensioners on lower incomes.

maddyone

Callistemon213

So what should they do - where should they get the money from to fill the black holes?

Where's MaizieD?

I wish they’d find the money to fill the pot holes, never mind the black holes.

😂😂😂

We have been ou on a couple of roads recently which have been resurfaced 😮
It is something of wonder and a joy to drive on for the few short miles out of the thousands of miles of broken up surfaces, potholes and badly patched areas where drains are left a foot lower than the road surface.

MissAdventure

Everything will have a cut off point.
What's the answer to that, though?
If its changed, different people will have the same problem.

Yes true

maddyone

I find it interesting that MPs receive a winter heating allowance. Why? Oh yes, that would be to heat the second home bought and paid for by the tax payer. I don’t know the amount but it was mooted upthread that it is in the region of £3000+. It’s interesting that Reeves left that in place.

MPs do not claim tax payers money for buying the second Parliamentary home.

‘The second-home allowance will be scrapped, meaning MPs will only be allowed to claim for rented properties. There will be a two-year transition period, after which Ipsa will claw back any capital gains on properties during that period. MPs will be expected to rent only one-bedroom flats up to the cost of £1,450 a month.’ The Guardian March 2010 from the IPS report into MPs expenses.
May I respectfully suggest that the report is read.
I’m reminded of the WW11 saying ‘ idle talk costs lives’

We all knew taxes had to rise despite the pre election denial.
The WFP was a bit of a shock , very unfair to so many.

One thing I'm sure will also get cancelled is free Prescriptions when you hit 60.
If you have to wait for your SP until 67, the assumption is your working?
So I reckon that will be her easy target next?

x.com/lucylocket1700/status/1818624572477816842?s=48&t=DkhdQ2XfYrlsnpbIttCU3w

Hypocrites.

J52

maddyone

I find it interesting that MPs receive a winter heating allowance. Why? Oh yes, that would be to heat the second home bought and paid for by the tax payer. I don’t know the amount but it was mooted upthread that it is in the region of £3000+. It’s interesting that Reeves left that in place.

MPs do not claim tax payers money for buying the second Parliamentary home.

‘The second-home allowance will be scrapped, meaning MPs will only be allowed to claim for rented properties. There will be a two-year transition period, after which Ipsa will claw back any capital gains on properties during that period. MPs will be expected to rent only one-bedroom flats up to the cost of £1,450 a month.’ The Guardian March 2010 from the IPS report into MPs expenses.
May I respectfully suggest that the report is read.
I’m reminded of the WW11 saying ‘ idle talk costs lives’

That was made perfectly clear in my post.

Although I do now notice a typo, should have typed 2010, not 20010.
Perhaps that was misleading, sorry.

Also in my post:

That has now been stopped of course.

Apologies Callistemon213. I’d lose Just a Minute for repetition!

If tax payer funded second homes have been stopped - good!

MissAdventure

Mps have always claimed expenses.

Of course they have. It's the sort of job where they need to have staff, premises, travel costs etc paid, or they wouldn't be able to serve your constituents. Those living in Westminster or somewhere that allows for a to walk to work might not need to claim so much; but MPs in Northumberland or Cornwall (or anywhere far from London) have to split their time between the HoC and their constituencies, and travel costs money. RR represents Leeds West, which is not a few stops on the tube from Parliament.

Also, the number of letters/emails that MPs get means that they need to employ people to ensure that correspondence is answered, and security considerations mean that they can't run surgeries from a room in their house. Foreign travel is also necessary to attend meetings with dignitaries.

Expenses, if available for scrutiny, are not extra payments on top of salaries - they are to cover the expense of the job if you are split between two cities. I would love to see Parliament travel the country, with maybe three months in Leeds, the next three in Penzance and so on, to stop the London-centric nature of it all.

There is a story in the press now saying that Kemi Badenoch wanted a taxpayer-funded flight to go on holiday. That sort of thing needs to be stamped out, but legitimate expenses are a different matter.

Doodledog The Badenoch story is in the gift of the Guardian. It seems the Guardian is using the same technique which worked against Dominic Raab. Gutter press stuff.

J52

Apologies Callistemon213. I’d lose Just a Minute for repetition!

😁

And it took me more than a minute to type, copy and paste so I lost too.

I'd win the typos competition.

Doodledog

MissAdventure

Mps have always claimed expenses.

Of course they have. It's the sort of job where they need to have staff, premises, travel costs etc paid, or they wouldn't be able to serve your constituents. Those living in Westminster or somewhere that allows for a to walk to work might not need to claim so much; but MPs in Northumberland or Cornwall (or anywhere far from London) have to split their time between the HoC and their constituencies, and travel costs money. RR represents Leeds West, which is not a few stops on the tube from Parliament.

Also, the number of letters/emails that MPs get means that they need to employ people to ensure that correspondence is answered, and security considerations mean that they can't run surgeries from a room in their house. Foreign travel is also necessary to attend meetings with dignitaries.

Expenses, if available for scrutiny, are not extra payments on top of salaries - they are to cover the expense of the job if you are split between two cities. I would love to see Parliament travel the country, with maybe three months in Leeds, the next three in Penzance and so on, to stop the London-centric nature of it all.

There is a story in the press now saying that Kemi Badenoch wanted a taxpayer-funded flight to go on holiday. That sort of thing needs to be stamped out, but legitimate expenses are a different matter.

Yes, and recently she has been investigated (yet to report) for bullying her staff.

And Jacqui Wotsit claimed for her husband's porn films!!

Sago

x.com/lucylocket1700/status/1818624572477816842?s=48&t=DkhdQ2XfYrlsnpbIttCU3w

Hypocrites.

Yes I agree Sago what a hypocrite Starmer is and that Reeves pair of liars.

LABOUR THE NASTY PARTY

Sparklefizz

And Jacqui Wotsit claimed for her husband's porn films!!

Jacqueline Smith now sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Smith of Malvern, and has been appointed as Education Minister in Sir Starmer’s Cabinet

Sparklefizz

And Jacqui Wotsit claimed for her husband's porn films!!

I know quite dreadful!! But she had the grace to resign.

Whitewavemark2

Sparklefizz

And Jacqui Wotsit claimed for her husband's porn films!!

I know quite dreadful!! But she had the grace to resign.

More than happy to take up her new position…

Apologies, I was way out of date. According to ISPA MPs are now entitled to choose between hotel accommodation up to £190 per night, rented accommodation which must be registered and approved by IPSA and the rent is then paid, or buying accommodation for which associated costs including energy, utilities, internet and council tax will be paid. There are limits on amounts re rental costs. The date of the document I looked at was April 2022 and so amounts have probably been amended since then.
Obviously MPs need an accommodation budget if their constituency is outside London, and I’m very pleased to hear that they can no longer buy a house at the tax payer’s expense. That is progress.

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2

Sparklefizz

And Jacqui Wotsit claimed for her husband's porn films!!

I know quite dreadful!! But she had the grace to resign.

More than happy to take up her new position…

I know she's from Malvern originally but I wonder what the good folk of Malvern thought and now think of her elevation in status?