http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1535

fwor

I'm genuinely puzzled as to why you keep coming back.

You've already shown how well you understand the subject:

Meeper wrote:

"almost EVERY other item which utilises inflation is based around CPI"
"RPI, on the other hand, includes mortgage interest payments, property depreciation and council tax, almost none of which generally applies to pensioners."
"You get the debate with the 100,000 signatures"

You've demonstrated how clever you think you are:

Meeper wrote:

"We live in a capitalist society son, that's just the way it is. Yes, I inserted the word "son" specifically to be condescending there"

What else do you think you're achieving by coming back over and over again?

Meeper

Probably the same amount as you are achieving by continutally replying to my posts with pointless questions. Not much, but it's keeping me busy.

fwor

Meeper wrote: »

Not much, but it's keeping me busy.

Business a bit slack at the moment?

The thing about someone who has to have the last word is that they can be very useful if you want to stop a thread vanishing down the board and disappearing into obscurity.

I've been happy to string you along because it maintains visibility of a subject that I care about. 800+ views of the thread to date, and hopefully some of those viewers will be unaware of the harm that such an apparently small change will make - for example the fact that the average affected pensioner can expect to have at least a quarter of the value of their pension stripped from them by this change during their remaining years.

Now - perhaps you'd care to explain ~your~ reasons for continuing to publicise a petition that you don't even want to sign?

Meeper

In the hope that more people read and understand the futility of what you are trying to do. Feel free to post here in the future when the petition reaches 100,000 signatures and you can update us on what has (or hasn't) happened. I await with eager anticipation.

FATBALLZ

I think it's quite sneaky to put public and private pensions together. Private pension pots can be used to shop around for the best rate so probably aren't affected too much, as the rate reflects the potential payout, whatever basis is used to determine it. Public pensions are way too generous already so I'm quite happy for them to be devalued a little bit. Still way better than any pension I'll ever have.

fwor

Meeper wrote: »

Feel free to post here in the future when the petition reaches 100,000 signatures and you can update us on what has (or hasn't) happened. I await with eager anticipation.

Personally, I don't believe we have a chance of a reversal back to RPI.

However, with independent analysts such as Straight Statistics saying things like "The public will continue to pay for the confusion that enabled a cash-strapped government to take cover behind an index that is not fit for purpose", and the Royal Statistical Society publicly criticising the flaws in the use of the CPI to update pensions and benefits, I'm hoping that the government will be forced to consult on a ~better~ measure than CPI.

Perhaps the effort will ultimately prove to be futile. We'll find out in a while.

Edit: forgot to add the mandatory question: what is your opinion on the RSS's criticism of the use of the CPI?

Meeper

For every one group saying it's bad, there's another saying it's good. Try presenting a rounded argument instead of only looking at one side for a change.

jamesd

I expect that some of the criticisms of CPI will end up being created. Housing costs, say, are just waiting for some agreement on an EU standard way of measuring them.

fwor

Meeper wrote: »

Try presenting a rounded argument instead of only looking at one side for a change.

So - you expect me to present your side of the argument for you?

So far all you've put forward are baseless assertions, many of which (such as the one about property depreciation and council tax) don't stand up to a moment's scrutiny.

If you think there's another side to this argument, why don't ~you~ provide links to reports by qualified experts on the subjects of economics and statistics who are saying that CPI is a good and appropriate measure to use?

Interested_Taxpayer

fwor wrote: »

So - you expect me to present your side of the argument for you?

So far all you've put forward are baseless assertions, many of which (such as the one about property depreciation and council tax) don't stand up to a moment's scrutiny.

If you think there's another side to this argument, why don't ~you~ provide links to reports by qualified experts on the subjects of economics and statistics who are saying that CPI is a good and appropriate measure to use?

Spot on again fwor. Weeper has not put forward any supporting evidence which shows that the CPI is an appropriate measure for pensions.

Why is that one asks? Well because there is none.
Francis Maude, Danny Alexander, Steve Webb et al duck and dive whenever they are put on the spot about it (sadly not enough times in my view).

Weeper also says in one of his earlier replies "Yes, everyone has been robbed, everything is George Osborne's fault."
Well he is so right about that. Have a read of this.

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/09/cpi-rpi-lower-cut-chancellor

Oliver Twist is currently playing in the West End with George Osborne in the staring role as Fagan!!