Restoration of the age related allowance

zygurat789

Thrugelmir wrote: »

My grandfather died at 66 and my grandmother at 64. (in the 60's). We live now in a vastly different age where the toll on health is a fraction of what it was. My grandparents had more in common with the Vikings than a generation 50 years on.

And your age would be?

zygurat789

margaretclare wrote: »

Thanks very much for the tongue-in-cheek response! I was responding to someone else who talked about Tesco mince.

.

No you were not.
The point was this basic food had increased by a % much greater than any index.
I used to buy it at £1.25 (equiv) you say it now costs £1.60 an increase of 35p or 28%.
Most basic foods have increased, some more dramatically over the last couple of years. This will affect those on lower incomes more than those with higher disposable incomes ie pensioners etc

rpc

mirabelle wrote: »

In view of some members comments on Petitions having no effect, I think it may be worth mentioning again that this is a Petition set up on the Government Site for the purpose of bringing public interest to the House for Debate if the numbers of Petitioners reach 100,000.

Erm, no. The petition means it is considered for a debate in the House by the Backbench Business Committee. They can then choose to propose it for debate or can it.

As this is already subject to a debate (Finance Bill) then why would they debate it again?

mirabelle

56,155 - keep going.

Thrugelmir

zygurat789 wrote: »

And your age would be?

My father was in the army during the prime of his life. My mother is some 25 years younger.

margaretclare

zygurat789 wrote: »

No you were not.
The point was this basic food had increased by a % much greater than any index.
I used to buy it at £1.25 (equiv) you say it now costs £1.60 an increase of 35p or 28%.
Most basic foods have increased, some more dramatically over the last couple of years. This will affect those on lower incomes more than those with higher disposable incomes ie pensioners etc

So it was you who made the point about Tesco mince and used it as an exemplar. It was to you that I was responding.

We have Tesco lean steak mince in the freezer, that's 250g at £1.90. I must point out however that not all beef mince is the same.

Older people need quality more than quantity, given that we're no longer rushing about, running for a bus to work and then doing an energetic job all day. We therefore need less of the energy-giving foods but we do need high-quality nutrients.

Waitrose have a reputation of not being a particularly cheap supermarket, not as cheap as Tesco. We were there yesterday and there was certainly a preponderance of the older generations doing their shopping there, so that should tell you something. We get some things in Tesco but not all. For quality, we go to Waitrose, and that has taken DH some doing, because for a long time he was wedded to Tesco and pooh-poohed Waitrose. He's now come round to the view that he doesn't mind spending money if he can get the quality. Neither of us would ever shop purely on cheapness. We prefer to know what we're eating, what we're putting into our bodies. 'You are what you eat'. At the same time, it's not expensive to make good simple meals at home. I'm about to make some soup for lunch which is very easy. One large onion, 3 large carrots, a handful of red lentils and 2 stock cubes. Simple and cheap, with a couple of slices of wholemeal bread. DH also uses the much-argued-about mince to make beefburgers according to his Grandmother's recipe. Beef mince, an egg, a chopped onion, a handful of matzos meal. Simple and cheap.

zygurat789

margaretclare wrote: »

So it was you who made the point about Tesco mince and used it as an exemplar. It was to you that I was responding.

We have Tesco lean steak mince in the freezer, that's 250g at £1.90. I must point out however that not all beef mince is the same.

Older people need quality more than quantity, given that we're no longer rushing about, running for a bus to work and then doing an energetic job all day. We therefore need less of the energy-giving foods but we do need high-quality nutrients.

Waitrose have a reputation of not being a particularly cheap supermarket, not as cheap as Tesco. We were there yesterday and there was certainly a preponderance of the older generations doing their shopping there, so that should tell you something. We get some things in Tesco but not all. For quality, we go to Waitrose, and that has taken DH some doing, because for a long time he was wedded to Tesco and pooh-poohed Waitrose. He's now come round to the view that he doesn't mind spending money if he can get the quality. Neither of us would ever shop purely on cheapness. We prefer to know what we're eating, what we're putting into our bodies. 'You are what you eat'. At the same time, it's not expensive to make good simple meals at home. I'm about to make some soup for lunch which is very easy. One large onion, 3 large carrots, a handful of red lentils and 2 stock cubes. Simple and cheap, with a couple of slices of wholemeal bread. DH also uses the much-argued-about mince to make beefburgers according to his Grandmother's recipe. Beef mince, an egg, a chopped onion, a handful of matzos meal. Simple and cheap.

After I posted I went to Tescos, it is, as of last night, £2.00 per 250grs,
You were saying it was £1.60 per 250grs. I was trying to show that pensioners costs were rising faster than the index (CPI of course, the one on which the pension will be calculated next year) You seemed to be saying this was not the case, well I think that 25% increase in a basic food, against a 5% increase in the CPI proves definitively the often made point and justifies the age allowances existence. But then I'm not a millionaire chancellor. Oh by the way how does a millionaire not have a taxable income of over £150000 without tax avoidance?

margaretclare

zygurat789 wrote: »

After I posted I went to Tescos, it is, as of last night, £2.00 per 250grs,
You were saying it was £1.60 per 250grs. I was trying to show that pensioners costs were rising faster than the index (CPI of course, the one on which the pension will be calculated next year) You seemed to be saying this was not the case, well I think that 25% increase in a basic food, against a 5% increase in the CPI proves definitively the often made point and justifies the age allowances existence. But then I'm not a millionaire chancellor. Oh by the way how does a millionaire not have a taxable income of over £150000 without tax avoidance?

No, I said that the lean steak mince we have in the freezer at this minute, bought recently, is labelled at 250g for £1.90. I also said that not all beef mince is alike. Some of it, I wouldn't touch with the proverbial barge-pole, because I wouldn't trust the quality. Chicken meat is said to be another staple. We don't buy that from Tesco because the last time DH was there he couldn't find any free-range organic chicken, either whole or in pieces, and we don't buy any other kind. Like I said, quality not quantity. I wouldn't be at all surprised if what we buy and eat is different from other people's, but that's because we care about what we eat.

I can't comment on what millionaires do or what any politician does, come to that. I do know that I'm often in the situation of having to help one of the young ones in my family, my eldest GD who works full-time, lives in a council flat and often has 'too much month left at the end of the money'. I've often sent her money for food for herself and her dog. Oh, and if older people are so poor, how come so many of them are still able to afford to smoke? That's not a cheap pastime by any means.

I don't know about the 'index' because, as I said, we're very selective in what we buy to eat and I'd like to know exactly what we are ' typically' supposed to buy to fall in line with 'the average'. I fight shy of such descriptions as 'the average' or 'the index'. I know only too well how the individual can fall outside of any typical or average.

I think a basic starting-point of £10K to start paying tax is fair for everybody, the low-paid and everyone else up the scale and that, I believe, is what is being aimed at.

zygurat789

margaretclare wrote: »

No, I said that the lean steak mince we have in the freezer at this minute, bought recently, is labelled at 250g for £1.90. I also said that not all beef mince is alike. Some of it, I wouldn't touch with the proverbial barge-pole, because I wouldn't trust the quality. Chicken meat is said to be another staple. We don't buy that from Tesco because the last time DH was there he couldn't find any free-range organic chicken, either whole or in pieces, and we don't buy any other kind. Like I said, quality not quantity. I wouldn't be at all surprised if what we buy and eat is different from other people's, but that's because we care about what we eat.

I can't comment on what millionaires do or what any politician does, come to that. I do know that I'm often in the situation of having to help one of the young ones in my family, my eldest GD who works full-time, lives in a council flat and often has 'too much month left at the end of the money'. I've often sent her money for food for herself and her dog. Oh, and if older people are so poor, how come so many of them are still able to afford to smoke? That's not a cheap pastime by any means.

I don't know about the 'index' because, as I said, we're very selective in what we buy to eat and I'd like to know exactly what we are ' typically' supposed to buy to fall in line with 'the average'. I fight shy of such descriptions as 'the average' or 'the index'. I know only too well how the individual can fall outside of any typical or average.

I think a basic starting-point of £10K to start paying tax is fair for everybody, the low-paid and everyone else up the scale and that, I believe, is what is being aimed at.

See your post No 48. £1.60, therefore 25% increase. Extra lean 5% fat!!
Good enough for you?
I had a daughter like this. When we stopped giving her money she improved.
Typical generalisation, how many? These poor people are drug addicts hooked on an drug far more addictive than many class As, your attitude is not nice.
Posting on here you really ought to know about the CPI it governs the increases in your pensions.
Again you miss the point, it is not the level of the allowance which most benefits from but the increase which does nothing for those who's income is below it and therefore, by improving the lot of others whose income is higher disadvantages them. It's all about differentials.
The point about reputed millionaires was that one stood up one 21 March and said, very publicly, that it was immoral to avoid paying income tax and has subsequently said he pays at less 50%. I just couldn't reconcile those two statements.

RichandJ

Er, perhaps because you pay IT on income, not net or gross worth.

Maybe that will help in reconciling Osborne's statements.

If his only income was his Chancellors salary then he wouldn't pay 50%.