What are the biggest consumer finance issues for the election?

tartansand

In less than 2 years my employer will be able to fire me and leave me without any income.
Why? - because I'll pass the "65 years old" barrier.

I have worked my whole life and I'm lucky enough to enjoy my work.
I'm fit, healthy and good at what I do.
I don't want to stop work just to sit at home to vegetate and wonder what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.
I can't afford to stop either, no pension pot to speak of (not now anyway!) and my mortgage will still have over 3 years to run.

Yet the clock will tick once and I'll be officially "over the hill", have to stop working and paying taxes and turn to filling out endless forms to claim benefits and become completely dependent on the state - in other words, yet another burden on you all.

For those who want to retire earlier and have the money to be able to do it, good luck to you.
But there are thousands of people in my situation and we have absolutely NO control over over our future.

There is simply no reason for this law to be in place.
It's a common fallacy that age necessarily dictates ability, I see people half my age who are less capable, unable to adapt to change, continually late and have no interest in continuing learning.

All we ask for is the same rights as everyone else, to continue working until WE want to stop or we cannot fulfill our role
If a person is not capable of doing their job there are already procedures in place to address this; the same rules should apply to everyone regardless of age.

The only beneficiaries are those employers who use this as a very convenient way to "cull" their staff without having to justify their actions and avoid having to pay redundancies.
You, me and everyone else are the losers.

Repealing this law will cost absolutely nothing but will actually generate income from our taxes and spending.
NOT repealing it will simply continue to ADD to the financial burden we're all facing.

This is so obvious that there is absolutely no need for any Royal Commission or other panel of "important people" to pontificate this for years.

I don't want t be burden on you, I want to work, I want to pay taxes, I want to be able to spend money on things that generate employment for others - so do all the other thousands in my my position.

Help us Martin, ask the question..
Which party will promise to take this simple step and repeal this iniquitous law - right now - fast - immediately.

AngelBadger

Since every party seems to making a big deal of dealing with those awful benefit scroungers, once again targeting the needy, when are they going to do something about the £15 billion per year being lost in Tax Fraud?

http://www.cpag.org.uk/press/2010/090410.htm

swannee_D_3

paybacktime2008 wrote: »

Single parents who get paid maintenance have the same eligibility to tax credits as single parents who do not. Either maintenance payments are taken into the earnings equation or the CSA needs to sort it's act out. I am being penalised for the fact that my ex is an idiot!

Please don't blame any one else for your poor choice of partner!

one should choose your partners more carefully in future!

Cheatedvoter

Gordon Brown sold 400 tons of British gold bullion in a series of auctions between 1999 and 2002, when the price was at a 20-year low. The Bank of England, which has managed Britain’s gold reserves for more than 300 years, was never asked for its advice on whether Britain should sell the gold.
Several Asian countries including China are named by an insider as having bought the gold “on the cheap” from the Treasury. The Chinese may have made more than £1 billion from Brown’s botched sell-off. Brown sold our gold at an average price of average of $275 an ounce. The price today is $1156. His actions lost us a fortune. He also elected to annouce to the World that he would be auctioning the gold which shortend the price further

How can we trust him to look after and make any sensible decissions with the UK's finances?

Cheatedvoter

You have the right to manage, set up a RTM Company

PhillyMS

I am concerned about the increasing number of potholes on major roads throughout the country . What is the intention of the next government to deal with this dangerous problem.

Regards
Philly

moonrakerz

matchmade wrote: »

Can *anyone* provide an explanation of why petrol prices have gone up so hugely over the last few months? One supposed explanation is that the pound sterling has gone down, but the dollar or euro exchange rate has been much lower and the oil price per barrel insanely higher through 2008-09, and prices were no higher than now. If anything sterling has strengthened over the last six months, yet petrol prices just keep climbing.

Where have you been living ??

g8447117

financial services such a quick quid should be banned for the uk. With it's 2356% APR. How would that help anyone?

Prinzessilein

I would like to ask the leaders will do for those who are genuinely too ill to work. Currently we are being reviewed by non-medical personnel who can overrule medical decisions and who are paid bonuses for everyone they declare fit for work. Will the party leaders give a pledge to save money and immediately abolish ATOS ?

Similarly, Training Providers are a waste of money. They offer no viable training, they offer little help in getting people back into real jobs. Most people end up in 0-hour retail work or seasonal work for a couple of weeks and are back at the Training Provider who can then rake in more government money. Will the leaders give an undertaking to immediately shut down these institutions and instead use the money saved to provide real training opputunities and real jobs.

MSE_Martin

Ame1904 wrote: »

Just a note about financial education in schools. Economic Well-being classes are run in Upper schools/Secondary schools. This started for the current year 9 students, Personal well-being classes are also run which cover finances for year 10, these support any other financial studies that happen in the school. I believe these lessons take place in most schools now.

Sadly they don't financial education isn't compulsory and takes place in less than 40% of schools