Restoration of the age related allowance

teajug

What should be done is tax based on income therefore if pensioner income over £50k should not gat tax releive or any of the other benefits that pensioners get at present.

Why should pensioners with an income over the higher tax rate pay the same as pensioners with income below £10k that is just not right.

Gov knows what pensioners income is so why cannot they stop giving out fuel allowance for them to heat swimming pool or go on a cruise and free bus passes even MP use them if they are pensioners.

If the can do it for children allowance then why not do it for pensioners with earnings over £50k.

zygurat789

teajug wrote: »

What should be done is tax based on income therefore if pensioner income over £50k should not gat tax releive or any of the other benefits that pensioners get at present.
Why should pensioners with an income over the higher tax rate pay the same as pensioners with income below £10k that is just not right.

Gov knows what pensioners income is so why cannot they stop giving out fuel allowance for them to heat swimming pool or go on a cruise and free bus passes even MP use them if they are pensioners.

If the can do it for children allowance then why not do it for pensioners with earnings over £50k.

Actually the figure is just over £30K

zygurat789

mystic_trev wrote: »

Stop moaning, we're all in it together

Tell that to the teachers, tanker drivers, police, london transport drivers etc, etc, etc, etc

chris_m

teajug wrote: »

What should be done is tax based on income therefore if pensioner income over £50k should not gat tax releive

You mean like happens at present?
The age-related extra tax allowance is gradually removed for people aged over 65 with incomes between 24K and 29K and all of the tax allowance is gradually reduced/removed for everybody with an income exceeding 100K.

zygurat789

margaretclare wrote: »

Sigh.

Yes, I am well aware that the index is an 'average'. I learned what an 'average' is a very long time ago.

However, the whole problem with an average - as I learned at the same time - is that it does not take individuals into account . The mass media would love to see all of us in the later stages of life as poor creatures, having to choose between eating and heating (that's a lovely soundbite!) without taking into account that there are people whose personal circumstances differ widely and that the 'average' may be skewed either to the upper end or the lower end of the scale.

We are about the middle of the national income scale including all age-groups, and that IMHO is the best place to be. The situation would, however, change radically if there were to be only one of us rather than two. The poorest people in the land are older women on their own, who either made no pensions provision for themselves or depended on someone else to do it for them. These are mostly below the level of tax and therefore, the present petition will be irrelevant and unhelpful to them.

Yes, I do understand the nature of addiction, having come into contact with many addicts over time, but I also know that addiction can be beaten.

Mirabelle, I respect what you're trying to do, and I have nothing further to add to this topic.

This article, in yesterday's 'Independent', made about the best sense I've seen so far. http://www.independent.co.uk/money/tax/julian-knight-granny-tax-trick-will-prove-to-be-a-dead-rabbit-7584348.html

This affects people whose income is from 18% below the national minimum wage. How can that be "in the middle"?

Nice to see you agree especially the article but why do you have to
express yourself in such a contrary way

teajug

zygurat789 wrote: »

Actually the figure is just over £30K

I do not understand this as I pay tax on my small income and it is no where like 30K it is more like 13K where am I going wrong.

Pensioners that earning over 50k should not be given free bus passes and fuel allowance as they do not need it, instead it should go towards disabled people with less than wealthy pensioners

Rupert_Bear

teajug wrote: »

I do not understand this as I pay tax on my small income and it is no where like 30K it is more like 13K where am I going wrong.

Pensioners that earning over 50k should not be given free bus passes and fuel allowance as they do not need it, instead it should go towards disabled people with less than wealthy pensioners

I have a bus pass because it does not cost anything to issue and I never used it because i have a car, byke and legs. I will continue to take the fuel allowance and it does not go towards somones Christmas presents but keeps us in coal for the winter.

hugheskevi

Pensioners that earning over 50k should not be given free bus passes and fuel allowance as they do not need it, instead it should go towards disabled people with less than wealthy pensioners

Universal benefits cost very little to administer, means-tested benefits cost a lot more - unless you want to cut corners as has been done for the means-testing of Child Benefit, then you create a whole lot more issues about fairness.

There are so few pensioners with an income over £50,000 that means-testing it at that level would create administrative expenses that would eat up most of the savings from not paying it.

That is a significant consideration at a time when all Govt. Depts. are cutting back staff - either Depts have to reallocate resources, or negotiate extra from Treasury, incurring a whole new set of negotiating costs

margaretclare

Re mince: just been to the local monthly farmers' market and bought a pound of best steak mince for £2.96. Lots of older people there. It's convenient for them, they don't have to walk far, they like being able to buy things by the pound, they like the individuality and the personal approach of small local entrepreneurs and producers. Why go to Tesco - too big, too impersonal and not particularly good quality.

mystic_trev

zygurat789 wrote: »

Tell that to the teachers, tanker drivers, police, london transport drivers etc, etc, etc, etc

Those you mention already have very generous Defined benefit Pension arrangements, unlike these. So stuff 'em I say.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/9188690/Private-sector-workers-need-to-save-10-times-as-much-to-get-a-public-sector-pension.html