MSE News: George Osborne to make £10bn welfare cuts

KxMx

topaziem wrote: »

It may surprise you to learn that the 'pensioners' HAVE contributed in their working lives to others who claimed benefits. Are you suggesting that those that have contributed maybe for 40 odd years should not now expect to be compensated by way of a sensible pension?

Because if you do, I presume you would be very happy in years to come after you have paid tax and national insurance for say 49 years (16 - 65) that the government tell you that there is no money left in the pot to pay for your retirement? "Surely you have also made private provision for a pension as well as pay your dues to the government?" "If not well that is your fault isn't it?"

I think anyone who suggests pensioners have not made a contribution is daft.

But I get annoyed how they not only get a pension but a bus pass, WFA, are exempt from most benefit cutbacks (local councils needing to find 10% of CTB are not touching them) etc without any means testing or limits.

Of course pensioners who are poor need those things and should get them, but those who are not poor should not get them full stop.

They set the CB limit at 40k so why not say any pensioner who gets over 50/60k (to recognise their many years of contributions) won't get WFA or a bus pass?

I'll never forget the news show a few years ago where serious suggestions were made that pensioners affected by falling interest rates on savings should get Pension Credit! If that interest was supplementing their income then it must have been a fair whack of capital!

PaulF81

KxMx wrote: »

I think anyone who suggests pensioners have not made a contribution is daft.

But I get annoyed how they not only get a pension but a bus pass, WFA, are exempt from most benefit cutbacks (local councils needing to find 10% of CTB are not touching them) etc without any means testing or limits.

Of course pensioners who are poor need those things and should get them, but those who are not poor should not get them full stop.

They set the CB limit at 40k so why not say any pensioner who gets over 50/60k (to recognise their many years of contributions) won't get WFA or a bus pass?

I'll never forget the news show a few years ago where serious suggestions were made that pensioners affected by falling interest rates on savings should get Pension Credit! If that interest was supplementing their income then it must have been a fair whack of capital!

We wouldn't have a deficit and a 1 trillion debt if it wasn't true.

Look at who receives the bulk of treatment from the NHS, how much the NHs budget is and compare that against average salaries over the years and you can prove it pretty easily.

KxMx

Can you be so sure your generation won't take out more than you put in?

clemmatis

ams13 wrote: »

Hence the pension age changes we have now.
Not good news for me but necessary.
I expect today's pensioners have paid more than future generations will.
They grew up in times of get on and make do rations and a world war.

I am just too old for the pension age changes, and am one of the oldest baby boomers. Most people older than me will have lived through at least part of the war, and I grew up with food and clothes rationing.

The problem with pension ages -- and some other measures -- at a time of high unemployment is that older people who carry on working will take up jobs needed by younger people.

cheghead

All very well making under 25's stay at home. Trouble is when the female has 1 or more kids and living at parents home and claiming benefit. That means you'll be living next to 'noise from hell' in most houses. I know because that's what happened to us. We were so glad to see them finally leave and get their own place even if she is claiming hb.:j

Suddenly your private house that you pay for seems no better than part of a council estate. Being woken up at 5am by noisy kids and rubbish starting to appear in the back garden was no joke.

I agree something has to be done but this is yet another ill-thought out excercise from the Tories.

KxMx

I notice PaulF81 hasn't answered my question...

And cheghead isn't it narrow-minded to think only council house/hb tenants behave in that way?

fusionblue

The under 30s (ish): the real forgotten majority.
Little chance of jobs of employment, no assistance with housing, and burdens from studying suddenly jump (which leads back to not being able to find a job!).

And the other problems?

Let them deal with it in 20/30 years.

It makes voting feel like a real worthwhile exercise.

cheghead

And cheghead isn't it narrow-minded to think only council house/hb tenants behave in that way?[/QUOTE]

No:rotfl:

Dave_save

Irrespective of whether you think benefits need to be cut, you can guarantee one thing. Next year, the richest people in the UK WILL be paying even less tax than they do now, even after all the hype about tax avoidance/evasion/whatever. Our George has his priorities right. He wants less income from his buddies, while reducing the benefits to people, who, in the main, are on benefits because of the actions of his buddies.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Murphymycat wrote: »

How are people expected to get to the shops to make use of these vouchers? When I last looked local buses didn't offer free transport for the unemployed. Not everyone either lives close to the shops or is physically capable of walking long distances.

Many on benefit don't seem to have a problem getting to the bookies, off-licence or ciggy shop.

PaulF81 wrote: »

Taking into account how long the NHS has OAPs living now, they didn't pay enough into the system.

My Dad died at the age of 56, so never lived to get his pension. The only benefit he ever received in his life was three months on the sick and he worked from the age of 14 in addition to two years in the British Army during the war. He paid too much into the system for what he received.