| Winter fuel allowance 16:24 - Jul 29 with 13510 views | raynor94 |
For Pensioners, is going to means tested, oh well ill have to invest in a few blankets
I don't remember this in the Labour manifesto |  |
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| Winter fuel allowance on 22:18 - Jan 17 with 1035 views | Boundy |
| Winter fuel allowance on 17:44 - Sep 10 by Whiterockin |
Maybe local pensioners who have lost their WFA and will struggle should visit their local surgery and ask their MP wtf they were thinking about. I firmly believe if MPs, many new to the job realised that they would get a rough ride from their constituents, they would think more carefully before making stupid decisions. |
Carolyn Harris (Swansea East and Neath)
Stephen Kinnock (Aberafan Maesteg)
Nia Griffith (Llanelli)
Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) None of which are new to the job and should be ashamed of their support for the vote. |  |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| Winter fuel allowance on 10:59 - Jan 18 with 955 views | Dr_Winston |
| Winter fuel allowance on 22:14 - Jan 17 by majorraglan |
We’re not in a great place, current lot are leaving a lot to be desired and the last lot are proving that they were a shambles in government and a shambles in opposition. Our politicians are poor. |
There's not a single benefit issued by the British Treasury that should not be means tested to one extent or another. It's a system that's been wide open to abuse for decades. For example, I know for a fact that until fairly recently people were receiving tax credits even though they had more than £100,000 in the bank because only income was considered, not assets or savings.
The argument should be about what level that means testing is set at. There are plenty of pensioners out there who simply don't need an extra £250 a year. There are plenty who do who have now lost it. Likewise State Pension, Universal Credit and yes, even disability benefits. We simply can't afford to keep paying out to those who don't need it. |  |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Winter fuel allowance on 15:45 - Jan 18 with 887 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Winter fuel allowance on 10:59 - Jan 18 by Dr_Winston |
There's not a single benefit issued by the British Treasury that should not be means tested to one extent or another. It's a system that's been wide open to abuse for decades. For example, I know for a fact that until fairly recently people were receiving tax credits even though they had more than £100,000 in the bank because only income was considered, not assets or savings.
The argument should be about what level that means testing is set at. There are plenty of pensioners out there who simply don't need an extra £250 a year. There are plenty who do who have now lost it. Likewise State Pension, Universal Credit and yes, even disability benefits. We simply can't afford to keep paying out to those who don't need it. |
I largely agree but with the caveat that the state pension should remain until the put a proper transition plan in place because very many people, even with occupational pensions, rely on it so if they are going to start withdrawing it, they need to set the bar quite high and then make sure everybody is paying into a private pension.
We have already een looking at starting a pension fund for our 16 year old son, the sooner he starts one the better.
Maybe then, in time, the state pension will not be needed except for the very few. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 17:04 - Jan 18 with 865 views | Dr_Winston |
| Winter fuel allowance on 15:45 - Jan 18 by SullutaCreturned |
I largely agree but with the caveat that the state pension should remain until the put a proper transition plan in place because very many people, even with occupational pensions, rely on it so if they are going to start withdrawing it, they need to set the bar quite high and then make sure everybody is paying into a private pension.
We have already een looking at starting a pension fund for our 16 year old son, the sooner he starts one the better.
Maybe then, in time, the state pension will not be needed except for the very few. |
Completely agree with your first paragraph. They need to pick a decent income level before they start phasing it out. Certainly a higher bar than they set for WFA at least. | |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Winter fuel allowance on 17:15 - Jan 18 with 846 views | majorraglan |
| Winter fuel allowance on 10:59 - Jan 18 by Dr_Winston |
There's not a single benefit issued by the British Treasury that should not be means tested to one extent or another. It's a system that's been wide open to abuse for decades. For example, I know for a fact that until fairly recently people were receiving tax credits even though they had more than £100,000 in the bank because only income was considered, not assets or savings.
The argument should be about what level that means testing is set at. There are plenty of pensioners out there who simply don't need an extra £250 a year. There are plenty who do who have now lost it. Likewise State Pension, Universal Credit and yes, even disability benefits. We simply can't afford to keep paying out to those who don't need it. |
Some good points, but there’s a danger that some people will just think @@@@ it, spend thei4 money or blow their cash knowing the state will pick up the tab when they get older, for example care home fees whereas if they put money by and save they won’t get anything.
There needs to be an incentive to encourage people to save for the future and a “forfeit” for not taking responsibility, but how we get there I don’t know. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 19:00 - Jan 18 with 804 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Winter fuel allowance on 17:15 - Jan 18 by majorraglan |
Some good points, but there’s a danger that some people will just think @@@@ it, spend thei4 money or blow their cash knowing the state will pick up the tab when they get older, for example care home fees whereas if they put money by and save they won’t get anything.
There needs to be an incentive to encourage people to save for the future and a “forfeit” for not taking responsibility, but how we get there I don’t know. |
The only real forfeit is leaving people with absolutely nothing but that won't happen.
The only real option for me is to force people to save, even tjhose on benfits by taking 10% of their money and putting it into a pension pot. That is the change there needs to be, the state pension needs to have it's own pension fund. Regulated by the government and opoen to everyone from birth. Then if your parents are minded to, they can start putting money in your pension pot and by the time you are 18 you could already have a decent start.
There coukld be an advantage in that, the retirement age could come down? Imagine a pension fund that is state run and tax free. A fund that, when you are 18 and have the control, you can put as much as you want into with it having an online account so you can keep track of your donations. You get an annual statement and it's your responsibility to keep the information safe (in case of any problems) and then at the stated age, you retire with a proper pension. Maybe they'd need to have a "National bank" that ran this new pension fund, one that uses the money to provide realtively cheap mortgages ( a fixed interest rate of 4%) with all profits going into the pension fund. Obviously minus the running costs and taxes.
Does any of that make sense? | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 20:10 - Jan 18 with 791 views | Dr_Winston |
| Winter fuel allowance on 19:00 - Jan 18 by SullutaCreturned |
The only real forfeit is leaving people with absolutely nothing but that won't happen.
The only real option for me is to force people to save, even tjhose on benfits by taking 10% of their money and putting it into a pension pot. That is the change there needs to be, the state pension needs to have it's own pension fund. Regulated by the government and opoen to everyone from birth. Then if your parents are minded to, they can start putting money in your pension pot and by the time you are 18 you could already have a decent start.
There coukld be an advantage in that, the retirement age could come down? Imagine a pension fund that is state run and tax free. A fund that, when you are 18 and have the control, you can put as much as you want into with it having an online account so you can keep track of your donations. You get an annual statement and it's your responsibility to keep the information safe (in case of any problems) and then at the stated age, you retire with a proper pension. Maybe they'd need to have a "National bank" that ran this new pension fund, one that uses the money to provide realtively cheap mortgages ( a fixed interest rate of 4%) with all profits going into the pension fund. Obviously minus the running costs and taxes.
Does any of that make sense? |
Perfect sense. It's certainly something worth considering.
The current system is unsustainable in its current form. People are living longer, birth rates are dropping, and continuing to import population to make the difference is just kicking the can down the road, and potentially making the situation worse when the migrants reach retirement age. | |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Winter fuel allowance on 03:43 - Jan 19 with 736 views | AnotherJohn |
| Winter fuel allowance on 19:00 - Jan 18 by SullutaCreturned |
The only real forfeit is leaving people with absolutely nothing but that won't happen.
The only real option for me is to force people to save, even tjhose on benfits by taking 10% of their money and putting it into a pension pot. That is the change there needs to be, the state pension needs to have it's own pension fund. Regulated by the government and opoen to everyone from birth. Then if your parents are minded to, they can start putting money in your pension pot and by the time you are 18 you could already have a decent start.
There coukld be an advantage in that, the retirement age could come down? Imagine a pension fund that is state run and tax free. A fund that, when you are 18 and have the control, you can put as much as you want into with it having an online account so you can keep track of your donations. You get an annual statement and it's your responsibility to keep the information safe (in case of any problems) and then at the stated age, you retire with a proper pension. Maybe they'd need to have a "National bank" that ran this new pension fund, one that uses the money to provide realtively cheap mortgages ( a fixed interest rate of 4%) with all profits going into the pension fund. Obviously minus the running costs and taxes.
Does any of that make sense? |
Moving to a genuine pension fund would in a way resurrect the original Beveridge vision of a welfare state based on a Bismarckian social insurance model. If the fund is financed by employment-based contributions related to income rather than tax funding, there can still be a redistributive principle, but the pension would clearly be an entitlement rather than a benefit. Ironically (for Welsh people), we would then be moving away from what Nye Bevan preferred and getting closer to certain current European arrangements. I suppose you could say that central state-administered, tax-funded pensions work well enough when people follow the rules and a majority work through most of their adult lives, but start to creak when too many opt for a benefits-funded, non-work lifestyle or game the system. [Post edited 19 Jan 12:35]
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| Winter fuel allowance on 15:28 - Jan 19 with 680 views | controversial_jack |
The current pensions on offer since the demise of final salary ones are rubbish, not really worth having. The state pension is also insufficient, but that would mean further taxes to fund it and that wouldn't go down well. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 16:26 - Jan 19 with 659 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Winter fuel allowance on 03:43 - Jan 19 by AnotherJohn |
Moving to a genuine pension fund would in a way resurrect the original Beveridge vision of a welfare state based on a Bismarckian social insurance model. If the fund is financed by employment-based contributions related to income rather than tax funding, there can still be a redistributive principle, but the pension would clearly be an entitlement rather than a benefit. Ironically (for Welsh people), we would then be moving away from what Nye Bevan preferred and getting closer to certain current European arrangements. I suppose you could say that central state-administered, tax-funded pensions work well enough when people follow the rules and a majority work through most of their adult lives, but start to creak when too many opt for a benefits-funded, non-work lifestyle or game the system. [Post edited 19 Jan 12:35]
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You can take steps to make working more attractive though. Tell people who live on benefits their pension will reflect their lesser contributions and they won't be entitled to any other benefits to top up their income.
I know it might not be a popukar idea but isn't it time to play hardball with persistent scroungers?
Again, and I hope obviously, not all on benefits are scroungers so we need a very good system to weedle out those who are and so make sure those who are on benefits for good reasons can still get help.
It's a difficult call and I wouldn't like to be the one making it but hand in hand with htis we need to crack dpwn on tax avoiders and evaders too.
We shouldn't just target one end of cheating. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 21:30 - Jan 19 with 593 views | majorraglan |
| Winter fuel allowance on 16:26 - Jan 19 by SullutaCreturned |
You can take steps to make working more attractive though. Tell people who live on benefits their pension will reflect their lesser contributions and they won't be entitled to any other benefits to top up their income.
I know it might not be a popukar idea but isn't it time to play hardball with persistent scroungers?
Again, and I hope obviously, not all on benefits are scroungers so we need a very good system to weedle out those who are and so make sure those who are on benefits for good reasons can still get help.
It's a difficult call and I wouldn't like to be the one making it but hand in hand with htis we need to crack dpwn on tax avoiders and evaders too.
We shouldn't just target one end of cheating. |
You need to stand for public office because there some good ideas there.
I’d also make it compulsory for people who are receiving most benefits to work for them, not 1 day a week but the full 37.5 hours like everyone else, whether it’s working in a charity shop, picking litter on the side of the road, off the beach etc etc. There are also SOME people on sickness benefits who could now work, the advent of home working opens up a whole new raft of opportunities. I’d put a time limit on benefits, for example first 6 months look for work and retrain, next 6 months same again but more focus. After 12 months proper review, more intense support compulsory work alongside training and after 2 years compulsory wrk for the dole. No work…. No money.
People who are unable to work would be supported, but there’d be proper scrutiny. [Post edited 19 Jan 21:31]
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| Winter fuel allowance on 21:39 - Jan 19 with 581 views | Dr_Winston |
| Winter fuel allowance on 21:30 - Jan 19 by majorraglan |
You need to stand for public office because there some good ideas there.
I’d also make it compulsory for people who are receiving most benefits to work for them, not 1 day a week but the full 37.5 hours like everyone else, whether it’s working in a charity shop, picking litter on the side of the road, off the beach etc etc. There are also SOME people on sickness benefits who could now work, the advent of home working opens up a whole new raft of opportunities. I’d put a time limit on benefits, for example first 6 months look for work and retrain, next 6 months same again but more focus. After 12 months proper review, more intense support compulsory work alongside training and after 2 years compulsory wrk for the dole. No work…. No money.
People who are unable to work would be supported, but there’d be proper scrutiny. [Post edited 19 Jan 21:31]
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I'm not averse to the idea of workfare, but how much work people would do must depend on what they receive. Someone getting the basic £393 per month of UC can't really be expected to work full time as well as look for work in their spare time. At NMW rates for a 21 yr old that works out at 34 hours a month to "earn" their benefit.
Obviously someone receiving more could reasonably be expected to do more hours. | |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Winter fuel allowance on 15:35 - Jan 20 with 479 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Winter fuel allowance on 21:30 - Jan 19 by majorraglan |
You need to stand for public office because there some good ideas there.
I’d also make it compulsory for people who are receiving most benefits to work for them, not 1 day a week but the full 37.5 hours like everyone else, whether it’s working in a charity shop, picking litter on the side of the road, off the beach etc etc. There are also SOME people on sickness benefits who could now work, the advent of home working opens up a whole new raft of opportunities. I’d put a time limit on benefits, for example first 6 months look for work and retrain, next 6 months same again but more focus. After 12 months proper review, more intense support compulsory work alongside training and after 2 years compulsory wrk for the dole. No work…. No money.
People who are unable to work would be supported, but there’d be proper scrutiny. [Post edited 19 Jan 21:31]
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Plenty on here have better ideas than myself. Besides, I don't think I'm well suited to public office. I like a quiet life. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 19:21 - Jan 20 with 429 views | Luther27 |
| Winter fuel allowance on 16:26 - Jan 19 by SullutaCreturned |
You can take steps to make working more attractive though. Tell people who live on benefits their pension will reflect their lesser contributions and they won't be entitled to any other benefits to top up their income.
I know it might not be a popukar idea but isn't it time to play hardball with persistent scroungers?
Again, and I hope obviously, not all on benefits are scroungers so we need a very good system to weedle out those who are and so make sure those who are on benefits for good reasons can still get help.
It's a difficult call and I wouldn't like to be the one making it but hand in hand with htis we need to crack dpwn on tax avoiders and evaders too.
We shouldn't just target one end of cheating. |
I’d vote for you! | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 20:28 - Jan 20 with 405 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Winter fuel allowance on 19:21 - Jan 20 by Luther27 |
I’d vote for you! |
Really?
My next idea, stop foreign aid and spend the whole lot payimng down our national debt until that debt is scleared.
What do people make of that? Probably a bit radical for some. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 20:55 - Jan 20 with 392 views | majorraglan |
| Winter fuel allowance on 20:28 - Jan 20 by SullutaCreturned |
Really?
My next idea, stop foreign aid and spend the whole lot payimng down our national debt until that debt is scleared.
What do people make of that? Probably a bit radical for some. |
I wouldn’t stop it because it does some great work in some parts of the world, but I’d certainly trim it and have a really good look at where it’s being spent and on what.
It’s a really complicated issue because if we want to maintain our strategic alliances and be on good terms with other countries it means shelling out some bucks. The Chinese have the belt and road initiative and their investing in 150 countries across the globe, they are buying up influence, resources (the Chinese control 85% of rare earth metal reserves) and building infrastructure around the globe while the West is being left behind. The Americans have looked inwards for a long long time and have lost out in areas where they’ve always been top dog. Last time round Trump was more isolationist, but I think this time he may have a slightly different take on things and be more concerned with Chinese influence particularly in the Americas. There are now 2 Chinese controlled ports at either side of the Panama Canal and the Chinese are also building a $1bn bridge over the canal.
China’s saber rattling regarding Taiwan and its alignment with Putin could well threaten America’s strategic interests and interesting to see how things pan out. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 21:04 - Jan 20 with 378 views | Luther27 |
| Winter fuel allowance on 20:28 - Jan 20 by SullutaCreturned |
Really?
My next idea, stop foreign aid and spend the whole lot payimng down our national debt until that debt is scleared.
What do people make of that? Probably a bit radical for some. |
I see the benefit there as well especially for future generations who won’t be saddled with burgeoning debt issues. | | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 09:31 - Jan 21 with 290 views | Whiterockin |
| Winter fuel allowance on 15:35 - Jan 20 by SullutaCreturned |
Plenty on here have better ideas than myself. Besides, I don't think I'm well suited to public office. I like a quiet life. |
It wouldn't suit you Cat, I can't see you being open to bribes and corruption. |  | | |
| Winter fuel allowance on 17:26 - Jan 21 with 217 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Winter fuel allowance on 20:55 - Jan 20 by majorraglan |
I wouldn’t stop it because it does some great work in some parts of the world, but I’d certainly trim it and have a really good look at where it’s being spent and on what.
It’s a really complicated issue because if we want to maintain our strategic alliances and be on good terms with other countries it means shelling out some bucks. The Chinese have the belt and road initiative and their investing in 150 countries across the globe, they are buying up influence, resources (the Chinese control 85% of rare earth metal reserves) and building infrastructure around the globe while the West is being left behind. The Americans have looked inwards for a long long time and have lost out in areas where they’ve always been top dog. Last time round Trump was more isolationist, but I think this time he may have a slightly different take on things and be more concerned with Chinese influence particularly in the Americas. There are now 2 Chinese controlled ports at either side of the Panama Canal and the Chinese are also building a $1bn bridge over the canal.
China’s saber rattling regarding Taiwan and its alignment with Putin could well threaten America’s strategic interests and interesting to see how things pan out. |
I think it's too late to worry about China, they are in the ascendancy now and thry have risen too far to be easily stopped. | | | |
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