Council Tax reduction

wildwestfan

Fluffs123 wrote: »

Well I suppose it depends whether you think of the system as some kind of glorified deposit account.

Between us we have almost a century of contributions to the NI scheme. We also have paid into private pension schemes to ensure a reasonable income in retirement.

We have never been a burden on the state.

I wish it was like a deposit account and no one could take out more than they put in. See it works both ways. Pay in for 2 years and you can claim for 2 years. We paid in for ~ 45 years each so can claim for 45 years.

seven-day-weekend

I just do not see why people who have paid in for decades should then be penalised because they have managed to save some money, or accrue another pension as well as the State one, whereas someone who BY CHOICE has not paid in to anything can get the same or more.

Marisco

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I just do not see why people who have paid in for decades should then be penalised because they have managed to save some money, or accrue another pension as well as the State one, whereas someone who BY CHOICE has not paid in to anything can get the same or more.

I don't think state pensions should be means tested, but the "peripherals" certainly should i.e WFA, bus passes, and they should also be subject to the bedroom tax. We are pensioners that don't claim other benefits, and we would certainly lose WFA if it was means tested, nevertheless I still agree with means testing them.

HappyMJ

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Well what would you call a system whereby you were [STRIKE]asked[/STRIKE] told to pay a set amount of your wages for a set amount of time, on the promise and understanding, that at the end of this time, you would receive an income, that is about a quarter of the average wage?

And at the end of that time, usually about 40 years, you had to listen to people suggesting that if you were prudent, and managed to save some money, you shouldn't receive that pension?

Or, as in my case, your DH has Alzheimers, and is like a 75 year old toddler, but, because you were prudent, and have some savings, you have to pay £50 for 5 and a half hours attendance at a Day Centre, or close to £1,500 a week if they need permanent care? That's "fair", is it?

xx

Yes...there is no way the contributions you have made will be enough to cover all the costs of living in retirement @ £1,500 a week. You would have had to earn a very significant income to be a net contributor to the system so you use your own money until it runs out then you can get state provided care for free.

nannytone_2

i am not suggesting that pensioners are penalised, just that certain aspects of the brnefits they receive are means tested and that they too should have to share in the hardship that other benefit claimants are suffering.
i piad into the system for 30 years before i had to stop working. i face the next 15 years living hand to mouth until i reach pension age.
in the meantime, pensioners get winter fuel allowance and free bus passes. my father in law had a cash incime of £400 a week and received full housing and council tax benefit whilst living in a 2 bed property.
yet he was exempt from the HB reduction and the council tax vhanges.
yet someone with a weekly income of £200 and who is unable to downsize os being hot.
just doesnt make sense

seven-day-weekend

Marisco wrote: »

I don't think state pensions should be means tested, but the "peripherals" certainly should i.e WFA, bus passes, and they should also be subject to the bedroom tax. We are pensioners that don't claim other benefits, and we would certainly lose WFA if it was means tested, nevertheless I still agree with means testing them.

I agree that pensioners should not be exempt from the reduction in Housing Benefit.

I don't mind losing my WFA if necessary, but please don't touch my bus pass!

We too don't claim any extras, but I still don't see why those who have paid in for decades should not have more than those who haven't (unless it was beyond their control). Would you expect an insurance policy which you had paid into all your life to pay out, or would you expect the scheme administrators to say 'oh sorry, I know you've paid in alll your life but so-an-so hasn't,although they had the chance, so we are going to take some from you and give it to them'? I don't think so!

gravitytolls

portly1 wrote: »

What surprises me is that we didn't hear of that many tenants who rent privately when they suffered a reduction of the HB due to (a) number of bedrooms needed and (b) renting a property in a too expensive area.

But when it comes to HA & council tenants, they don't think that they should be treated the same as private tenants. Why?

Because there are very few mansions within the social housing sector.

The rules were applied to private housing to prevent abuse of the system... surely you recall the outrage about asylum seekers living in mansions costing millions in HB?:whistle:

wildwestfan

Marisco wrote: »

I don't think state pensions should be means tested, but the "peripherals" certainly should i.e WFA, bus passes, and they should also be subject to the bedroom tax. We are pensioners that don't claim other benefits, and we would certainly lose WFA if it was means tested, nevertheless I still agree with means testing them.

Thing is though that to means test these 'peripherals' will probably be just done the easy way and limited to those claiming pension credit.

My neighbour who has never worked has the equivalent of a £1200 a month income by the time you add in her full rent and council tax paid, plus optical, dental benefits and then she gets cold weather payments plus free TV licence as she is now 75.

We also would lose the WFA if means tested as I would expect. I do think government has to be careful as especially with the poor return from private pensions at the moment many more people will just not bother to save for retirement and become a greater burden when they retire.

seven-day-weekend

wildwestfan wrote: »

Thing is though that to means test these 'peripherals' will probably be just done the easy way and limited to those claiming pension credit.

My neighbour who has never worked has the equivalent of a £1200 a month income by the time you add in her full rent and council tax paid, plus optical, dental benefits and then she gets cold weather payments plus free TV licence as she is now 75.

We also would lose the WFA if means tested as I would expect. I do think government has to be careful as especially with the poor return from private pensions at the moment many more people will just not bother to save for retirement and become a greater burden when they retire.

Absolutely. Those who didn't pay in end up better off than those who did. That can't be right. Nor is it in the spirit of the Welfare State.

dodger1

nannytone wrote: »

i think you'll find the loudest shouters are the pensioners .... and that is why they arent being touched, regardless of how much money they have

As a pensioner you haven't heard me shouting. I've always said I'm very grateful for what I get as I think most pensioners are. What I find is that other people keep shouting for pensioner's rights without actually asking us what we think.