Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Still not enough for the average firefighter to actually retire. A friend is retiring this September and looking for work. He has an HGV licence from driving the tender.
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[Finance] Rachel Reeves to reveal £20bn shortfall left by Conservative Government
- Thread starter Bob!
- Start date
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,023
Winter fuel payments: 'I'll miss out by £2 a week'
Pensioners have told of their dismay about missing out on their winter fuel allowance under new rules.
www.bbc.co.uk
A perfect example of the point I was making.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
The Fire Service did win their case because the new pension scheme required fighters to be active right up to 67 with no back office work available.
Basically hoping that many would just be thrown out as unfit.
Too many stations are on retained service already.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Reading that the couple who get attendance allowance should qualify under the benefits rule, surely?Winter fuel payments: 'I'll miss out by £2 a week'
Pensioners have told of their dismay about missing out on their winter fuel allowance under new rules.www.bbc.co.uk
A perfect example of the point I was making.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,023
Attendance Allowance isn’t a pension benefit
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I thought I read it was any benefit. That article mentions carers.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,023
Only means-tested benefits and pension credits. They earn too much by a couple of quid to qualify for pension credits, and aren’t receiving any means-tested benefits. Attendance Allowance isn’t means tested.
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rachel-reeves-winter-fuel-payments-b2588710.html
Might not be as clear cut as Reeves makes out.
A U-turn on a U-turn on the cards?
Maybe she can quote the guy in her books.
Might not be as clear cut as Reeves makes out.
A U-turn on a U-turn on the cards?
Maybe she can quote the guy in her books.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
That’s a real shame. Maybe the ruling can be tweaked somehow.
The alternative is pensioners living in Spain etc still receive it, and lots like me don’t really need it.
I've met firefighters over the years who took their earlier fantastic pension as soon as they could, then took another job. One was during on a ski trip in 1999. How on earth could the public purse finance 30 year occupational pensions? Remember that the employee contributions are small post tax relief.
The bottom line that few ever talk about, is that we live so much longer than at the inception of the welfare state. Actuarially this blows conventions experienced for the second half out of the 20th century out of the water. The sums simply don't add up. The same applies to state pensions.
It's easy to demonstrate this. The 1992 firefighters pension scheme gave 2/3's final salary for 30 years service. Setting aside wage inflation.
Age 20 to 50 salary earned £28,500 x 30 = £855k.
Age 50 to 78 (average male life expectancy) £18,500 x 28 = £518k. Less employee contributions.
These gilt edged pensions weren't truly funded to take in account the fact that people live so much longer.
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- Aug 7, 2003
- 8,128
SKS said this in May. What’s changed since then? 
(PS - I’m no Tory)
(PS - I’m no Tory)
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,023
As I said, they should either means-test the winter fuel allowance or raise the cap. £11k is absolutely not enough to afford to live AND have heating.
Uh_huh_him
Well-known member
- Sep 28, 2011
- 12,397
Yeah irritating - but them's the breaks.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Actually this thread is going in circles. Five pages previously it was stated the allowance to expats was stopped in 2010.
My apologies.
I agree the cap is too low.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
SKS said this in May. What’s changed since then?
You’ll find this was answered on page 53 or 53 of the Labour Party thread.
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Bucket collection at each meeting of the HoP ?
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Was it not offered as a salary sacrifice into your pension?
schmunk
Why oh why oh why?
I needed the cash. Whilst I'm a relatively high earner, I am by no means wealthy and support 5 others.
It's not just current pensioners which lose this fuel allowance. It is those who will one day be pensioners as well. You and me.
It is obvious now it will be one tinkering tax rise after another.
They should have not ruled out raising income tax, VAT, NI.
One increase on one of those and done. Spread the load. Rather than targeting the unlucky ones who happen to be currently in the crosshairs.
It is obvious now it will be one tinkering tax rise after another.
They should have not ruled out raising income tax, VAT, NI.
One increase on one of those and done. Spread the load. Rather than targeting the unlucky ones who happen to be currently in the crosshairs.
Comfortable pensioners of any future generation don't need the winter fuel allowance.