It is billions, not millions.
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[Politics] Would YOU be happy to pay more income tax so OAPs could keep their fuel payments?
- Thread starter Guinness Boy
- Start date
tigertim68
Well-known member
- Sep 3, 2012
- 2,624
If the government didn’t give away money to people who Have never contributed anything to this country, or who have never worked , and all the sicknotes there would be enough to give pensioners their winter fuel allowance
I would say there are plenty of pensioners who have never contributed anything to this country
A quick look in Wisbech the other night on 24 hs in Police Custody was an example
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
I'm happy to pay more tax, but not for this. There are so many false narratives about this. Pensioners who really need it, should get the help - no question. But it has to be means-tested. What I don't like is that there's none of his controversy over all the shit the young have had to put up with - university fees, ridiculously high interest rates on Student Loans, sky high property prices etc.
I heard some thicko banging on about how the pensioners deserve the payment as they fought wars for us. Well my Dad is 80 next month... so was born in 1944. He wasn't even 1 year old when WWII ended, and he certainly didn't fight in the Falkands.
I heard some thicko banging on about how the pensioners deserve the payment as they fought wars for us. Well my Dad is 80 next month... so was born in 1944. He wasn't even 1 year old when WWII ended, and he certainly didn't fight in the Falkands.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
That seems to be a common narrative at the moment. National Service finished in 1960, so he wouldn’t have done that either.
99% of pensioners haven’t seen active service in any conflict.
There are some who are a pound or two a week above the Pension Credit limit who will struggle which is why I think the State pension should be higher, and energy prices lower, so no need for the WFA.
Slightly off topic but if youngsters are that hard done by with University fees and high interest rates on student loans why are there record numbers of young people year on year going to university?
According to the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the percentage of 18-year-olds in England entering full-time higher education courses has steadily increased over the past two decades. In 2022, this figure reached 37.5%, representing the second-highest level on record.
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KZNSeagull
Well-known member
No. There are loads of other ways that the government could raise £22bn. Wealth inequality in this country is the highest it has ever been apparently so there is a clue where it could come from. This would give the government the chance to implement a proper means testing system that could be used for many aspects of government spending including benefits, pensions and the NHS. Means testing has to be the way forward, they just need a proper way of doing it rather than using a benefit that people have to apply for that has a very low, cliff edge cut off.
Pensioners on £12k a year should not be filling this black hole, those with assets in the millions should be.
Pensioners on £12k a year should not be filling this black hole, those with assets in the millions should be.
Would it really cost as much as 2% for all of us, on all bands? I'm amazed that's how much the WFP cost.
The issue is that a lot of pensioners don't need it and can easily afford to go without it, whereas there are many more people who are scraping by, who can't afford 2% on the basic rate of tax.
Prefer the government didn’t cave to all the demands to pay increases as soon as they came to power.
That didn’t help the deficit
That didn’t help the deficit
Washie
Well-known member
Because they're told by employers, society, school, government, boomers that Uni is the only way to get a good job or else we'll end up at Macdonalds (pay higher than some roles that require a degree).
Hear hear! As a pensioner who will be losing the winter fuel tax, I'm fully in favour of raising income tax by a penny or two in the pound, not to re-fund the fuel allowance for me, but to help mend all the things in the country that need to be mended.
And I do pay tax, so I'm not just asking for other people to pay more tax! (the state pension is not taxable, but it does use up virtually all of the tax-free allowance; I top it up with a couple of small work pensions, which are taxed)
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Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,327
I'd like to see the government being more proactive in trying to trace those pensioners who qualify for Pension Credit but who don't claim it for whatever reason. The government seems to know the total number who qualify, but not the individuals. How does that work?
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
National Insurance numbers.I'd like to see the government being more proactive in trying to trace those pensioners who qualify for Pension Credit but who don't claim it for whatever reason. The government seems to know the total number who qualify, but not the individuals. How does that work?
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,015
maybe if the £22bn was geninue, and not a political construction. there are also other, better, targets before income tax, notably pensions tax relief.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,327
Must be a bit more to it than that shirley else they could apply it automatically?
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I agree, and also raising the tax threshold. The £300 is £5 a week so could be covered that way.
- Aug 7, 2003
- 8,087
It would be interesting if everyone had a lifetime balance sheet showing direct taxes / NI paid and “cash benefits” received. A totally no blame exercise as there are those that cannot work and deserve all the help they can get, but I think this might open some people’s eyes.
stewart12
Well-known member
- Jan 16, 2019
- 1,920
Quite simply a huge amount of potential careers require degrees and opportunities for apprenticeships etc have diminished. Plenty of the more vocational degrees could be apprenticeships but aren't
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Benefits have to be claimed so the claimant can be checked.