The continuation of the first 100 days.

GrannyGravy13

I think this is the correct thread to post my thoughts on:-

I am already fed up to the gills of every Labour MP trotting out £22 billion black hole (how can a Country owe money to itself, is another story?)do they think the electorate is too stupid to realise that their policies are contributing to and making it bigger!

Climate Change oversees budget £12 billion, Train Drivers pay rises in the billions, but it’s ok to remove £1.4 billion from pensioners?

They lack in sense, but more than that, they lack in the caring humanity for their elderly.

David49

ronib

Nobody gets the NHS for free.

No it’s paid for by those of working age, we have long since used up what we paid in.

As we paid for those who came before. Should we not now be able to use it??

I think this is the correct thread to post my thoughts on:-

I am already fed up to the gills of every Labour MP trotting out £22 billion black hole (how can a Country owe money to itself, is another story?)do they think the electorate is too stupid to realise that their policies are contributing to and making it bigger!

Climate Change oversees budget £12 billion, Train Drivers pay rises in the billions, but it’s ok to remove £1.4 billion from pensioners?

The fatal motion put forward by Baroness Altmann on WFA failed in the House of Lords yesterday.

“The basic state pension is worth £900 more than it was a year ago and will go up again in April next year because of the triple lock, which we have committed to for the duration of this parliament,” she said.

This is beginning to sound like Harold Wilson repeating the myth about the pound in your pocket.

I suppose she must think that, if she repeats it often enough, millions will believe it and she might even begin to believe it herself.

Whitewavemark2

Wednesday

At her first Treasury questions, Reeves confirmed pensioners receiving housing benefit would automatically get any pension credit they are due. She has already extended the household support fund for the poorest households.
She repeatedly told MPs that increases to the basic state pension meant that people would be substantially better off than a year ago, adding that the government was committed to further increases in the coming years.
“The basic state pension is worth £900 more than it was a year ago and will go up again in April next year because of the triple lock, which we have committed to for the duration of this parliament,” she said.

Sorry, I’m a bit late to this thread - I found it when I was catching up with over a week’s worth of GN that had been emailed to me.

The above isn’t strictly true - if you get HB you do not automatically get PC, but if you are in receipt of PC, you ARE automatically entitled to HB.

We get HB to help pay for our mooring and boat licence, but we are just a little over the limit to be able to claim PC. We shall miss the fuel payment (unless it is reinstated) as it paid for all our winter fuel for the multi fuel stove which is our only form of heating on our boat.

David49 no I don’t think so - although the triple lock is worth more than the WFA - re comment at 8:43. No deals were struck to my knowledge.

It seems to me that part of price of the “Triple Lock” was loosing the WFA.

ronib

David49 older pensioners have been known to work and pay taxes at the higher rates.

I do and will until they nail me down, it’s what I get out of bed for.

ronib

Casdon the point I struggled to make was explained more coherently in one of the papers by the King’s Fund which you posted recently on social care.
It’s clearly a problem which is not going to disappear and has been kicked into the long grass for far too long. Social care needs to be improved if only to enable the NHS perform better.

It’s definitely not going to disappear, and there is no easy answer, so there isn’t going to be a rainbow on the horizon now the government has changed. I think the fact that nothing has changed has meant for decades that we’ve known the score, if we do need care we are going to be paying for it in future too. Whether that is through increased taxes for everybody, personal plans or whatever remains to be seen - but it won’t be free, it can’t be.

David49 older pensioners have been known to work and pay taxes at the higher rates.

Casdon the point I struggled to make was explained more coherently in one of the papers by the King’s Fund which you posted recently on social care.
It’s clearly a problem which is not going to disappear and has been kicked into the long grass for far too long. Social care needs to be improved if only to enable the NHS perform better.

ronib

David49 yes and no. Let’s think about those of us who do pay tax, subsidise care. Not my care as I don’t need it yet but - have you realised that being assessed for care and given a part payment towards it can leave a very small amount to pay for essential living?
Even wealthy people will find savings eroded as fees can be £38 per hour, double on Bank holidays- and after 10 years or so an asset rich pensioner can be quite poor. Given too that there’s no way of knowing how many years of life are left to you, it can become difficult to plan for the oldest age.
I hope pension credit assessment will allow for this.

Nothing has changed ronib,so I’m not sure what point you’re making here?

ronib

Nobody gets the NHS for free.

No it’s paid for by those of working age, we have long since used up what we paid in.

Nobody gets the NHS for free.

David49 yes and no. Let’s think about those of us who do pay tax, subsidise care. Not my care as I don’t need it yet but - have you realised that being assessed for care and given a part payment towards it can leave a very small amount to pay for essential living?
Even wealthy people will find savings eroded as fees can be £38 per hour, double on Bank holidays- and after 10 years or so an asset rich pensioner can be quite poor. Given too that there’s no way of knowing how many years of life are left to you, it can become difficult to plan for the oldest age.
I hope pension credit assessment will allow for this.

ronib

David49 I take it that you have no need for carers at the moment? I hope for your sake, it stays that way.

That’s always been, the system is you pay tax on all your income wherever it comes from, in addition we get the NHS for free. If you don’t have enough income you don’t pay tax, those of us that do pay tax subsidize your care.

Nothing has changed, I and others won't get WFA, we will wait for the budget, that will probably be the least of our worries.

David49 I take it that you have no need for carers at the moment? I hope for your sake, it stays that way.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Simple solution to this mess: compromise.

Take the WFA and just add it to the November pension payment as a taxable part of pension. Poorest won't be paying tax, others lose up to 45% depending on marginal tax rate. Hardly any implementation expense.

That’s what happens I receive my state pension and WFA, it’s added to my other income and they tax me on it. The other 55% or whatever that I’m left with I don’t need.

Simple solution to this mess: compromise.

Take the WFA and just add it to the November pension payment as a taxable part of pension. Poorest won't be paying tax, others lose up to 45% depending on marginal tax rate. Hardly any implementation expense.

Agreed David49. That would be the right thing to do in my opinion. Nobody wants to see people cold this winter, but there is more than one way to achieve that, and universal WFP is not the answer.

Casdon

There’s no question of the WFP not going through, that’s why it isn’t being discussed. What is there to say at the moment? We will have to wait for the budget to see if there is any mitigation for poorer pensioners, but in my view there is no chance at all that stopping the WFP will be rescinded.

Agreed there is going to be no U turn but it would make it easier if Pension Credit was relaxed to help those just above the threshold.

Starmer did look embattled on TV yesterday

There’s no question of the WFP not going through, that’s why it isn’t being discussed. What is there to say at the moment? We will have to wait for the budget to see if there is any mitigation for poorer pensioners, but in my view there is no chance at all that stopping the WFP will be rescinded.

Also the trade unions are against the government. Good. Some integrity in politics at last.

NanaTuesday it’s not today- the vote is tomorrow.
Don’t forget to email your mp. I am hoping that a lot of Labour MPs will abstain if they are not brave enough to vote against.