Pensions ,Prescriptions & Racheal Reeve’s

Yes Casdon. I miss WWM's quiet but detailed report of what was being done
- one might have agreed or disagreed with this or that, but it gave us a chance to discuss not speculate.

Wyllow3

Its actually a raft of measures if you read the detail.

Yes, there is a lot of good stuff going on, but peoples eyes are on the gossip balls, not the change balls.

And again.

One fifth

I have no idea why the fraction ⅕ appeared as brackets.

The winter fuel has never been a part of the state pension so cannot be considered income

Well, I do realise that!
I'm not daft.

That's why these extras are not incorporated into the SP so that they can be taken away again. First the TV licence, now the WFA.

Whether or not it was an unfair increase is irrelevant.

It was an increase and now we have a decrease.

In 1980 our small house cost £40,000 and at the time our income was ⅕th of that; the interest rate was 14% so that needs to be part of the equation too.

Its actually a raft of measures if you read the detail.

I think this measure, for example, is extremely positive

www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/19/domestic-abuse-specialists-to-be-embedded-in-999-control-rooms

"Domestic abuse specialists to be embedded in 999 control rooms
The measure – part of ‘Raneem’s Law’ – will speed up referral of domestic and sexual abuse victims to support services

That entirely depends on our viewpoints Freya5, and you can speak only for yourself. I’m looking forward to the Workers Rights Bill tomorrow.

Cossy

NotSpaghetti

I never understood why prescriptions are free at 60.
Why?

I too am not sure why the prescription charges weren’t altered in line with all pension changes, it didn’t make sense.

I’m simply going to wait for the budget now before making any judgements.

I’m not totally impressed thus far, but feel I still need to give this govt a fair chance and it would actually be good to hear some of the positives being out in place.

There are NO positives whatsoever. Sorry for shouting.

Allira

^Many younger people (check out Mumsnet) who have crippling mortgages, low wages and high childcare costs can see no reason why people of all income levels should get a benefit to pay their fuel bills, or why people of working age should get free prescriptions based purely on age when younger people have to pay for them.^

I can understand that point of view BUT the crux of the matter is that the WFA being taken away from the majority of pensioners means a reduction in income. How many other groups are having a reduction in their salaries or wages?
That is what is unfair.

Crippling mortgages? Oh yes, I remember those in the 1980s.

The winter fuel has never been a part of the state pension so cannot be considered income. How many other groups have had a rise in their incomes of 18.5% since 2023.

In 1983 the average house price was £25,500 and the average salary was £8,500, a factor of 3; in 2023 the average house price was £285,000 and the average salary was £35,000, a factor of 8. In addition until 2000 tax relief could be claimed on mortgage payments. There is no question which group had it hardest where house purchase is concerned.

I don't think Labour itself knows what it is going to do, and I believe some of these 'suggestions' are floated to test the reaction; the anger at the removal of the winter fuel allowance seems to have astonished them.
Having announced the £22 billion black hole which the Treasury will neither verify nor deny, they have to be seen to be doing something.
Most of this is speculation fed by Tory press scaremongering which is the alternative to Daily Mail speak,
Time for a more original defence.

I have a friend who has lived in Calpe, Spain for many years and will get the full WFA as the Government say they cannot means test ex-pats

Sarnia I’m not sure how your friend can get the WFA in Spain?

According to the Government website, and other reliable sources, Spain is one of the countries where British ex pats do not qualify for this benefit, because of the mild winters.

Most of this is speculation fed by Tory press scaremongering

I never understood why if you were still working when you got to pension age, you stopped paying NI. personally I, and my later hubby, would have been very happy to continued paying this until we stopped work.

Doodledog

theworriedwell

Doodledog

theworriedwell

Isn't putting money in your pension tax free? If so I'm not sure why it should come out tax free as well. Seems like a tax advantage to those who could afford to put money away so very different to the WFA.

Making free prescription age line up with SPA seems reasonable.

That's what I was asking unthread. If that's the case it seems fair enough.

I know it's all speculation, but it is still important to understand what motivates possible moves. Failure to understand that can lead to the sort of paranoia that makes people talk about 'attacks on pensioners'.

Sorry, I must have missed your post. Postman came to the door so maybe I skipped a few.

I agree with you that we do need to understand properly what is being proposed, if it is proposed. I don't think the media is always very clear about this and then you hear all the rumours which aren't always very factual.

I wasn't having a go, theworriedwell, I was saying that I agree .

I understand about leaking things to gauge reaction, but nothing has been announced, and even if things like paying for prescriptions came to pass they wouldn't be 'attacks on pensioners' - they would be levelling things up so that pensioners don't get special treatment just for being older. I think that when prescriptions became free at 60 people were comparatively 'older' then - my grandmother seemed like an old lady at 60, when these days 60 year olds are only slightly past their prime.

It can't be right that a young mum with something like asthma has to pay for inhalers and drugs to sort the chest infections that often go with the territory when she is also paying high housing costs, childcare and so on and the 60 year old sitting next to her at work gets them free, despite having a higher salary, a house that is paid for and no dependents. Removing that inequality would not be an 'attack on pensioners' - 60 year olds are not pensioners for another 6 or 7 years (and the 30 year old will have to work for even longer). It would be (if it happens) a removal of an advantage based simply on age - and why not? Nobody is suggesting that actual pensioners pay for prescriptions, are they? Although who knows - if we are expected to believe 'I heard', 'I saw' and 'they say' all the time, pretty much all possibilities will be taken as read.

The main difference between a young couple and retired couple Doodledog is that the young couple can work, change jobs, get promotion, move etc.

The options for many retired people are limited. We have all had the high mortgages, childcare costs, juggling work when we were young, fit and able.

Once retired if one had made what was thought as adequate provision for retirement and along comes a new Government changing the rules there is little scope to earn more money, move etc.

Sarnia

We will have to wait and see. Some of my friends are concerned that she may remove the 25% discount on council tax for sole occupancy homes.
Free prescriptions should come in line with retirement.
I have a friend who has lived in Calpe, Spain for many years and will get the full WFA as the Government say they cannot means test ex-pats. Not sure why but as she hardly bothers putting the heating on she will use it for Christmas presents, thanks very much!!!

I am not sure that your friend will get her WFA, according to Gov.uk
www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/if-you-live-abroad

If I have read it correctly?

Prescriptions are free after 60 because that was the retirement age for women some years ago. It was when I finally retired 4 years later in 2007.

kittylester

Uproars tend to wash over them though. As GG said upthread - they are hopeless at reading the room and getting what matters to the people who elected them.

I am a natural Tory voter but had great hopes for this new government. I am so disappointed in their performance already. I hope the budget restores my faith but I very much doubt it will.

I'm disappointed so far too, kittylester, having voted for them in the hopes and expectation of change for the better.

Early days? Well, it's not been a promising start so far.

Many younger people (check out Mumsnet) who have crippling mortgages, low wages and high childcare costs can see no reason why people of all income levels should get a benefit to pay their fuel bills, or why people of working age should get free prescriptions based purely on age when younger people have to pay for them.

I can understand that point of view BUT the crux of the matter is that the WFA being taken away from the majority of pensioners means a reduction in income. How many other groups are having a reduction in their salaries or wages?
That is what is unfair.

Crippling mortgages? Oh yes, I remember those in the 1980s.

NotSpaghetti

But they aren't generally so here in England Allira - though I know there are lots of "exceptions".

I know, it's an anomoly.

theworriedwell

Doodledog

theworriedwell

Isn't putting money in your pension tax free? If so I'm not sure why it should come out tax free as well. Seems like a tax advantage to those who could afford to put money away so very different to the WFA.

Making free prescription age line up with SPA seems reasonable.

That's what I was asking unthread. If that's the case it seems fair enough.

I know it's all speculation, but it is still important to understand what motivates possible moves. Failure to understand that can lead to the sort of paranoia that makes people talk about 'attacks on pensioners'.

Sorry, I must have missed your post. Postman came to the door so maybe I skipped a few.

I agree with you that we do need to understand properly what is being proposed, if it is proposed. I don't think the media is always very clear about this and then you hear all the rumours which aren't always very factual.

I wasn't having a go, theworriedwell, I was saying that I agree .

I understand about leaking things to gauge reaction, but nothing has been announced, and even if things like paying for prescriptions came to pass they wouldn't be 'attacks on pensioners' - they would be levelling things up so that pensioners don't get special treatment just for being older. I think that when prescriptions became free at 60 people were comparatively 'older' then - my grandmother seemed like an old lady at 60, when these days 60 year olds are only slightly past their prime.

It can't be right that a young mum with something like asthma has to pay for inhalers and drugs to sort the chest infections that often go with the territory when she is also paying high housing costs, childcare and so on and the 60 year old sitting next to her at work gets them free, despite having a higher salary, a house that is paid for and no dependents. Removing that inequality would not be an 'attack on pensioners' - 60 year olds are not pensioners for another 6 or 7 years (and the 30 year old will have to work for even longer). It would be (if it happens) a removal of an advantage based simply on age - and why not? Nobody is suggesting that actual pensioners pay for prescriptions, are they? Although who knows - if we are expected to believe 'I heard', 'I saw' and 'they say' all the time, pretty much all possibilities will be taken as read.

Some of my friends are concerned that she may remove the 25% discount on council tax for sole occupancy homes

What information has this speculation been based on?

See Telegraph report 22nd September

uk.news.yahoo.com/rachel-reeves-won-t-scrap-154942874.html

kittylester

Uproars tend to wash over them though. As GG said upthread - they are hopeless at reading the room and getting what matters to the people who elected them.

I am a natural Tory voter but had great hopes for this new government. I am so disappointed in their performance already. I hope the budget restores my faith but I very much doubt it will.

My feelings too.
To see the same snouts in the trough was on unthinkable but I don’t see any upward movement in our economy, in confidence in the £ or even confidence in our handling of international affairs.
Nobody could expect miracles in 12 (?) weeks but it’s all downhill from what I read.

Doodledog

theworriedwell

Isn't putting money in your pension tax free? If so I'm not sure why it should come out tax free as well. Seems like a tax advantage to those who could afford to put money away so very different to the WFA.

Making free prescription age line up with SPA seems reasonable.

That's what I was asking unthread. If that's the case it seems fair enough.

I know it's all speculation, but it is still important to understand what motivates possible moves. Failure to understand that can lead to the sort of paranoia that makes people talk about 'attacks on pensioners'.

Sorry, I must have missed your post. Postman came to the door so maybe I skipped a few.

I agree with you that we do need to understand properly what is being proposed, if it is proposed. I don't think the media is always very clear about this and then you hear all the rumours which aren't always very factual.

theworriedwell

Isn't putting money in your pension tax free? If so I'm not sure why it should come out tax free as well. Seems like a tax advantage to those who could afford to put money away so very different to the WFA.

Making free prescription age line up with SPA seems reasonable.

That's what I was asking unthread. If that's the case it seems fair enough.

I know it's all speculation, but it is still important to understand what motivates possible moves. Failure to understand that can lead to the sort of paranoia that makes people talk about 'attacks on pensioners'.