Off Topic This heating allowance thing

[cracket]

Losing the WFA won’t bother me too much, but stopping my 25% discount on council tax will. If it goes ahead as rumoured.

Could get worse if they mess with the bus passes as that's worth a canny bit to many without transport. Anyway back to the council tax here's a video link Sept 11th from the guy on the tele . Keep up the payments it doesn't sound good at all.

Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) / X

Martin Lewis on X: "Warning: Miss one month’s council tax payment & it could ask you to pay the whole year bill within weeks. Council tax debt collection is far worse than finance firms. It’s destructive especially for those with mental health issues. My speech at @MMHPI campaign launch https://t.co/yAQNMfbAKU" / X

 

[Pure River Slut]

I don't think there is a perfect solution to any of this and every government has a fine balancing act to perform with regard to benefits versus taxation. A civilised society takes care of its weakest. It is the moral duty of everyone who can to contribute to that society through paying taxes. It is immoral to take from the pot if you don't need it. I think if you've worked hard all your life, consistently paid into the system, you're entitled to something at the end of it. Its immoral to punish people who have worked hard but never been wealthy. It's also counterproductive, and contrary to what we're told, (as well as being immoral to some extent) to punish success. The problem is that people don't fit neatly into 'deserving' and 'undeserving' boxes and so some people who do need help don't get it and some people who don't need help do. So, to some extent, I have sympathy with the government (any government) who have to make decisions such as this. Its not easy.

Having said all that, I can't help but feel that taking away the winter fuel allowance is a somewhat performative act. I've seen several commentators say that Labour's plan is to make the first couple of years hard whilst blaming the Tories and then, when things seem to improve, towards the end of their first term, they'll be seen as having improved things, putting them in prime position to win the next election. I don't know how much of that is true but, if it is true, it is a ploy designed to keep them in power. Which makes it completely contrary to Keir Starmer's promise that he would put country first, party second.

I agree with most of that as I always do. Put simply there is enough money around to look after your neighbour. Some need more because they have less and some need more through health or complex needs and some can’t earn as much because they don’t have the capacity to do so. Either way they need that help or it bites out arse elsewhere financially and it’s just right. Tough thing to get right in a world where people hate sharing.

It has crossed my mind that they are showing they are ‘economically strong’. Like Osborn having his picture taken with scissors. I bloody well hope not but can’t be ruled out in modern politics. I’m trying to think they are genuine for now or I’ll go mental about it.

 

[rooch 3]

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/r6exkRyJWofffjVh/?mibextid=WC7FNe

 

[master-simpson]

My view. Many pensioners don’t need it or should be means tested as should child benefit. There is a myth created that all are poor old granny who can’t switch the heating on. Many have decent money, don’t have big outlay and rich offspring. Save money for those who need it. Children don’t vote but some need food. They exist but it’s bonkers everyone gets it. I’d do the same for child benefit and the state pension. However the cliff edge is too low for me. A sliding scale would make more sense.

There are also things a few people should wake up to. PPE fraud, Sunak donating 100k charitable donation to a fee paying school instead of causes of poverty, Sunaks wife and other MP’s tax dodging, donors donating to political parties for influence instead of poverty, lost income through an ideological Brexit deal under the pretence of ‘taking back control,. Significantly the Tories tax handouts in the last few months when it couldn’t be afforded to try and retain as much power as possible and leave the next party unable to help people. They think that’s clever. It’s immoral. They are evil.

I think this policy needs adjustment. I also think some of you are thick or short sighted not seeing the big picture. Tax the rich. It’s the right place to get the money from. Get the owner of the Daily Mail to pay the tax percentage we do. It won’t make any difference to the lives of some taxing them. Will they then start to say ‘cold granny’ is undeserving cos of her lifestyle choices, or is that only thrown at younger families?

Child benefit is means tested.

Bart

 

[FellTop]

Labour on the backfoot about previous impact assessments. Painted a grim picture. Govts dont often publish these things, so this is not a crtiticism from me. It is up to them to make the judgement call. It all just feels to me like a policy that is going to echo around Labour for winters to come. They could have made a much better choice imo.

 

[Fentonpell]

Child benefit is means tested.

Bart

Only if earnings are over £60,000 I believe.

 

[Gordon Armstrong]

. . . . when it would become taxable (not means tested)

 

[123Daveyboy]

The WFA debate has got me to looking at the state of the state pension, if i had been born a couple of weeks premature i would be worse off about £50 a week. As it is i was born May 1951 reaching pension age May 2016 thus getting the 2016 new pension. Obviously if they are doing this there must be a cut off date, but unlucky for anyone born a couple of weeks before me.Is this fair.

 

[Pure River Slut]

Child benefit is means tested.

Bart

It isn’t like

 

[FellTop]

Labour on the backfoot about previous impact assessments. Painted a grim picture. Govts dont often publish these things, so this is not a crtiticism from me. It is up to them to make the judgement call. It all just feels to me like a policy that is going to echo around Labour for winters to come. They could have made a much better choice imo.

Seems they havent even done an impact assessment. I just cant get my head around that. Just dived in head first it seems.

 

[rooch 3]

Seems they havent even done an impact assessment. I just cant get my head around that. Just dived in head first it seems.

They don’t need it, do they, so why should they worry.

 

[123Daveyboy]

Seems they havent even done an impact assessment. I just cant get my head around that. Just dived in head first it seems.

Yes, quite a lot more elderly hospitalised this coming winter I would imagine, give yourself a pat on the back Starmer no fecker else will.

 

[John Wick]

I usually keep away from anything political as I find the average person on the street,who disagrees with the next person on the streets political opinion can end up no different to the childish behaviour that can be seen in the house of commons between both benches.

However, the pension debate. I earn a particular sum each month that exceeds a threshold whereby I'm not entitled to receive any form of "Top up" or universal credit, no matter how much tax and NI I have paid into the system since my work life begun when I left school in 2000, I accept that, and have no complaints. I'm not well off by any means, but again I accept I'm not "entitled" to any other monies other than what I earn. My point, a threshold could be put in place for whom needs it more (pensioners). People with healthy private pension funds would exceed a threshold set and from what I've read and heard, some have said "they don't need it". Now, what that threshold is isn't for me to calculate, but if some pensioners are having to choose between heating and eating and others are just chucking it on the pile, it's clear where the pivot is.
There will always be some that cheat the system to get every penny, ie 100k savings in a family members bank account, but that's always going to happen.

Now I'm not one of these that want to punish the well off, but on the same token, thoes that aren't well off could argue they're getting punished. Just some, like I have said above will have accept they're above a threshold.

It's not about "this one shouldn't get this because but this one should", it's about common sense. Not that common though. That's my 2 pennies worth.