ChaoticMusings

Date: Sep 3 5:21 PM, 2024

RE: Election coming

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
This whole winter fuel allowance is an example of how governments can fuck things up..

Winter fuel shouldn't be so expensive that people need help buying it.

This is a prime example of government breaking your legs, then giving you a wheel chair and expecting you to be grateful..

That being said, this Labour government is worried about too many social issues (words on Facebook and where people smoke), but is trying to be responsible on the economic front..

Spending has to be cut. I don't know enough about your budget to know where it should be, to actually make a difference..

The winter fuel payment has been paid to pensioners since 1997.

Many rely on it to keep warm, and some will die of hypothermia this winter, it's a disgrace that the Labour government, having promised to keep it, is stopping it for over 10 million pensioners.

Fuel bills here are astronomical, and set t to go up by 10%, water rates are rising by over 20%, so not only pensioners will be struggling under Labour, the 'working mans' party.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
This whole winter fuel allowance is an example of how governments can fuck things up..

Winter fuel shouldn't be so expensive that people need help buying it.

This is a prime example of government breaking your legs, then giving you a wheel chair and expecting you to be grateful..

That being said, this Labour government is worried about too many social issues (words on Facebook and where people smoke), but is trying to be responsible on the economic front..

Spending has to be cut. I don't know enough about your budget to know where it should be, to actually make a difference..
The winter fuel payment has been paid to pensioners since 1997.
Many rely on it to keep warm, and some will die of hypothermia this winter, it's a disgrace that the Labour government, having promised to keep it, is stopping it for over 10 million pensioners.
Fuel bills here are astronomical, and set t to go up by 10%, water rates are rising by over 20%, so not only pensioners will be struggling under Labour, the 'working mans' party.

My point is, it's your governments fault that fuel bills are astronomical. The fuel payment is a solution to a problem that shouldn't exist, hence my broken leg example..

It's how they create dependency.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
This whole winter fuel allowance is an example of how governments can fuck things up..

Winter fuel shouldn't be so expensive that people need help buying it.

This is a prime example of government breaking your legs, then giving you a wheel chair and expecting you to be grateful..

That being said, this Labour government is worried about too many social issues (words on Facebook and where people smoke), but is trying to be responsible on the economic front..

Spending has to be cut. I don't know enough about your budget to know where it should be, to actually make a difference..
The winter fuel payment has been paid to pensioners since 1997.
Many rely on it to keep warm, and some will die of hypothermia this winter, it's a disgrace that the Labour government, having promised to keep it, is stopping it for over 10 million pensioners.
Fuel bills here are astronomical, and set t to go up by 10%, water rates are rising by over 20%, so not only pensioners will be struggling under Labour, the 'working mans' party.
My point is, it's your governments fault that fuel bills are astronomical. The fuel payment is a solution to a problem that shouldn't exist, hence my broken leg example..

It's how they create dependency.

Yep, far better to be able to afford to pay your own bills than rely on handouts...which is what the winter fuel allowance is.

Of course the government is at fault, and it compounds the problem by paying a low state pension....we get less than 14 other countries, and that's comparing the full rate....millions of pensioners, especially the older ones, don't get anywhere near the advertised rate.

https://www.almondfinancial.co.uk/pension-breakeven-index-how-does-the-uk-state-pension-compare-to-the-rest-of-europe/

-- Edited by Syl on Wednesday 4th of September 2024 11:28:52 AM

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Watching Prime Minister's Questions today, Starmer was challenged multiple times about the decision to stop winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of taking the winter fuel payment away from the pensioners to give money to "highly paid train drivers".
Starmer will be capitulating to everyone who threatens to strike for more pay....wonder who he will be taking money off next?.

And I see the odious Diane Abbott has wormed her way back on the front bench.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Watching Prime Minister's Questions today, Starmer was challenged multiple times about the decision to stop winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of taking the winter fuel payment away from the pensioners to give money to "highly paid train drivers".
Starmer will be capitulating to everyone who threatens to strike for more pay....wonder who he will be taking money off next?.

And I see the odious Diane Abbott has wormed her way back on the front bench.

There is the crux.

Spending must be cut, yet it's political suicide when you do it, as whoever gets cut will scream bloody murder, and the opposition will use it to beat you around the head and neck.

It's why difficult, but necessary cuts never get made. It costs politicians positions of power.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Watching Prime Minister's Questions today, Starmer was challenged multiple times about the decision to stop winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of taking the winter fuel payment away from the pensioners to give money to "highly paid train drivers".
Starmer will be capitulating to everyone who threatens to strike for more pay....wonder who he will be taking money off next?.

And I see the odious Diane Abbott has wormed her way back on the front bench.
There is the crux.

Spending must be cut, yet it's political suicide when you do it, as whoever gets cut will scream bloody murder, and the opposition will use it to beat you around the head and neck.

It's why difficult, but necessary cuts never get made. It costs politicians positions of power.

We are spending in excess of £8 million a day housing migrants who should not legally be here...billions a year, whilst people who have paid into the system for 50 plus years have their houses taken from them when they need care in their old age.

I have seen in happen time and time again when my own mum was in a residential care home when she needed full time care near the end of her life.

Every government blames the previous one...it goes round in circles.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Watching Prime Minister's Questions today, Starmer was challenged multiple times about the decision to stop winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of taking the winter fuel payment away from the pensioners to give money to "highly paid train drivers".
Starmer will be capitulating to everyone who threatens to strike for more pay....wonder who he will be taking money off next?.

And I see the odious Diane Abbott has wormed her way back on the front bench.
There is the crux.

Spending must be cut, yet it's political suicide when you do it, as whoever gets cut will scream bloody murder, and the opposition will use it to beat you around the head and neck.

It's why difficult, but necessary cuts never get made. It costs politicians positions of power.
We are spending in excess of £8 million a day housing migrants who should not legally be here...billions a year, whilst people who have paid into the system for 50 plus years have their houses taken from them when they need care in their old age.
I have seen in happen time and time again when my own mum was in a residential care home when she needed full time care near the end of her life.
Every government blames the previous one...it goes round in circles.

I've done a little research.

This cut is means tested. The elderly poor still get their check..

King Charles probably won't get his anymore..

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Watching Prime Minister's Questions today, Starmer was challenged multiple times about the decision to stop winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of taking the winter fuel payment away from the pensioners to give money to "highly paid train drivers".
Starmer will be capitulating to everyone who threatens to strike for more pay....wonder who he will be taking money off next?.

And I see the odious Diane Abbott has wormed her way back on the front bench.
There is the crux.

Spending must be cut, yet it's political suicide when you do it, as whoever gets cut will scream bloody murder, and the opposition will use it to beat you around the head and neck.

It's why difficult, but necessary cuts never get made. It costs politicians positions of power.
We are spending in excess of £8 million a day housing migrants who should not legally be here...billions a year, whilst people who have paid into the system for 50 plus years have their houses taken from them when they need care in their old age.
I have seen in happen time and time again when my own mum was in a residential care home when she needed full time care near the end of her life.
Every government blames the previous one...it goes round in circles.

I've done a little research.

This cut is means tested. The elderly poor still get their check..

King Charles probably won't get his anymore..

Pensioners on pension credit will still get the winter fuel payment, they are the ones who are entitled to (and claim) benefits because they are almost penniless.

The ten million plus pensioners who won't get it may be just a few pounds above the cut-off point. Also millions of pensioners live off any savings they may have left, and the cost of living here could soon wipe them out once older people stop earning.

Obviously there are pensioners who don't need the money, so there should have always been a better way of paying out fuel allowance.

Perhaps if it was paid according to income, private pensions etc, or depending on which tax brand house you own ,it would be fairer.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

I have just checked on who gets pension credit, and how much pension credit will top income up to.

your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single

your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner

So if your income is any higher than this amount...you wouldn't get the fuel allowance.

Personally, my heating bills will be estimated around £150 a month and I live in an average sized house...that eats up a lot of the £219 a week a single person who would NOT be entitled to pension credit would get.

Last year here there were debates about what people (not only pensioners) should do....Heat or eat. Under this useless government, who in the 2 months they have been in have wreaked havoc, things will only get worse.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Watching Prime Minister's Questions today, Starmer was challenged multiple times about the decision to stop winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of taking the winter fuel payment away from the pensioners to give money to "highly paid train drivers".
Starmer will be capitulating to everyone who threatens to strike for more pay....wonder who he will be taking money off next?.

And I see the odious Diane Abbott has wormed her way back on the front bench.
There is the crux.

Spending must be cut, yet it's political suicide when you do it, as whoever gets cut will scream bloody murder, and the opposition will use it to beat you around the head and neck.

It's why difficult, but necessary cuts never get made. It costs politicians positions of power.
We are spending in excess of £8 million a day housing migrants who should not legally be here...billions a year, whilst people who have paid into the system for 50 plus years have their houses taken from them when they need care in their old age.
I have seen in happen time and time again when my own mum was in a residential care home when she needed full time care near the end of her life.
Every government blames the previous one...it goes round in circles.

I've done a little research.

This cut is means tested. The elderly poor still get their check..

King Charles probably won't get his anymore..
Pensioners on pension credit will still get the winter fuel payment, they are the ones who are entitled to (and claim) benefits because they are almost penniless.
The ten million plus pensioners who won't get it may be just a few pounds above the cut-off point. Also millions of pensioners live off any savings they may have left, and the cost of living here could soon wipe them out once older people stop earning.
Obviously there are pensioners who don't need the money, so there should have always been a better way of paying out fuel allowance.
Perhaps if it was paid according to income, private pensions etc, or depending on which tax brand house you own ,it would be fairer.

All of these programs need to be means tested..

While there are poor elderly people, the vast majority of wealth is held by older people.

If you have to cut spending to pay for the NHS, police and teachers, and because of previous overspending, you need to stop treating the wealthy elderly like they are destitute orphans.

A progressive system always has people that pay into something they never get to tap into.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

I imagine globally, old people do own the majority of wealth, I also believe a lot of pensioners in the UK will struggle without the heating allowance, so means testing would be a fairer way rather than deny the vast majority.

As things are now, the only means test is whether a person gets £219 total a week....could you live on that? I couldn't.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
I imagine globally, old people do own the majority of wealth, I also believe a lot of pensioners in the UK will struggle without the heating allowance, so means testing would be a fairer way rather than deny the vast majority.

As things are now, the only means test is whether a person gets £219 total a week....could you live on that? I couldn't.

No I couldnt.

What all of this shows is how important it is to be good stewards of money, and to stop using it to buy votes.

Because eventually difficult decisions will have to be made about the budget..

Consider yourself fortunate. You actually have politicians trying to make cuts now..

We just keep throwing it on the credit card and pretending it will never matter.

When we have to deal with our overspending it will be much worse than what you are going through.

Unfortunately for your country, our wanton disregard for any sort of restraint will impact you too..

That will likely be a problem for our grandkids though..

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
I imagine globally, old people do own the majority of wealth, I also believe a lot of pensioners in the UK will struggle without the heating allowance, so means testing would be a fairer way rather than deny the vast majority.

As things are now, the only means test is whether a person gets £219 total a week....could you live on that? I couldn't.

No I couldnt.

What all of this shows is how important it is to be good stewards of money, and to stop using it to buy votes.

Because eventually difficult decisions will have to be made about the budget..

Consider yourself fortunate. You actually have politicians trying to make cuts now..

We just keep throwing it on the credit card and pretending it will never matter.

When we have to deal with our overspending it will be much worse than what you are going through.

Unfortunately for your country, our wanton disregard for any sort of restraint will impact you too..

That will likely be a problem for our grandkids though..

Yes, our politicians are making cuts, and as Starmer pointed out, it's the ones with the broadest shoulders who will have to take the strain.

So, that'll be the pensioners who won't be able to heat their homes this winter.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
I imagine globally, old people do own the majority of wealth, I also believe a lot of pensioners in the UK will struggle without the heating allowance, so means testing would be a fairer way rather than deny the vast majority.

As things are now, the only means test is whether a person gets £219 total a week....could you live on that? I couldn't.

No I couldnt.

What all of this shows is how important it is to be good stewards of money, and to stop using it to buy votes.

Because eventually difficult decisions will have to be made about the budget..

Consider yourself fortunate. You actually have politicians trying to make cuts now..

We just keep throwing it on the credit card and pretending it will never matter.

When we have to deal with our overspending it will be much worse than what you are going through.

Unfortunately for your country, our wanton disregard for any sort of restraint will impact you too..

That will likely be a problem for our grandkids though..
Yes, our politicians are making cuts, and as Starmer pointed out, it's the ones with the broadest shoulders who will have to take the strain.
So, that'll be the pensioners who won't be able to heat their homes this winter.

I'm not going to disagree that maybe those aren't the best place to cut.

I just know that no matter where they cut, people will scream, because every program is sacrosanct to someone..

We have had smart politicians acknowledge this and suggest across the board cuts to these programs.

That way, everyone feels a little pain amd no one feels the brunt..

I think the problem is, you already passed spending increases in many areas that can't be undone..

I mean do you really want spending cuts to your police and NHS right now?

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

No, but the NHS and police need to manage more effectively with the money they get.

"The number of cops earning £50,000 or more at Greater Manchester Police has soared, according to the force's latest accounts.

Some 2,957 officers trousered £50,000 or more in the year to April compared to 2,339 the year before, a rise of 618 or 26 per cent. The rise was even more marked for the force's top earners, those earning more than £100,000. The latest accounts show that 28 police officers or civilian staff earned more than £100k last year, almost double the 15 top earners the year before."

Greater Manchester Police went 'back to basics', and the number of officers pocketing over £100k nearly doubled - Manchester Evening News

Labour need to make cuts because they are funded greatly by the unions, so they will be giving in to God knows how many unions when they threaten to strike...and they will.

And as mentioned...EIGHT MILLION A DAY is spent on housing and caring for immigrants who have no legal right to be here.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
No, but the NHS and police need to manage more effectively with the money they get.

"The number of cops earning £50,000 or more at Greater Manchester Police has soared, according to the force's latest accounts.

Some 2,957 officers trousered £50,000 or more in the year to April compared to 2,339 the year before, a rise of 618 or 26 per cent. The rise was even more marked for the force's top earners, those earning more than £100,000. The latest accounts show that 28 police officers or civilian staff earned more than £100k last year, almost double the 15 top earners the year before."

Greater Manchester Police went 'back to basics', and the number of officers pocketing over £100k nearly doubled - Manchester Evening News

Labour need to make cuts because they are funded greatly by the unions, so they will be giving in to God knows how many unions when they threaten to strike...and they will.
And as mentioned...EIGHT MILLION A DAY is spent on housing and caring for immigrants who have no legal right to be here.

Yes, we have cops getting fairly rich around here while screaming they need more funding..

It is often a case of blowing the taxpayers money on bullshit.

And don't get me started on public sector unions.

They are a scourge

If you need a union to protect you from the government, you need better government..

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

We need a fair leader but a strong one too.
I really couldn't stand Thatcher, but in retrospect, she had more balls than most of the PM's we have had since.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
We need a fair leader but a strong one too.
I really couldn't stand Thatcher, but in retrospect, she had more balls than most of the PM's we have had since.

Democracy is the best system we have, but it has its faults..

One is that it's very difficult to get elected and remain in power, doing the unpopular but important things.

It's sorta like being a mom, lol.

Imagine if the kids could vote you out for not giving them ice cream for breakfast like dad promised ..🤷

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
We need a fair leader but a strong one too.
I really couldn't stand Thatcher, but in retrospect, she had more balls than most of the PM's we have had since.
Democracy is the best system we have, but it has its faults..

One is that it's very difficult to get elected and remain in power, doing the unpopular but important things.

It's sorta like being a mom, lol.

Imagine if the kids could vote you out for not giving them ice cream for breakfast like dad promised ..🤷

Lol....I think I have been voted out by my own son quite a few times.