State pensions should be slashed

jamesd

It isn't dependent at all on current or future tax payers. It's dependent on current and future National Insurance payers, a different group. Those over state pension age and most children pay tax but not NI.

It is almost completely a pay as it goes scheme, with current revenue used to pay current bills and only the surplus going into the National Insurance Fund. The money on deposit can hardly reduce the government debt, since it is a government debt. So are the future obligations, viewed properly. It's a different account and not simply part of the Consolidated Fund.

mumf

nashly wrote: »

Kill em all

I have been following your thread. Are you sure your user name is spelt correctly? It should read Nasty-not nashly!

nashly

mumf wrote: »

I have been following your thread. Are you sure your user name is spelt correctly? It should read Nasty-not nashly!

Well I thank you most Kindly :A

bilbo51

BobQ wrote: »

That would be my fault, but I was speaking of compulsory termination!:)

Ready when you are Bob.


You can have first go.

somethingcorporate

Dippypud wrote: »

Getting food out of a food bank is limited to 3 times PER YEAR and can only be referred by care professionals such as social workers or police officers.

Whilst that may be the case AT PRESENT if it was seen as a reasonable alternative to handing out cash the system could quite easily be changed. Alternative is using food vouchers as I suggested in my post.

I am postulating ideas here that could replace handing out vast amounts of cash I am not suggesting they would slot perfectly in to the existing systems.

CLAPTON

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Whilst that may be the case AT PRESENT if it was seen as a reasonable alternative to handing out cash the system could quite easily be changed. Alternative is using food vouchers as I suggested in my post.

I am postulating ideas here that could replace handing out vast amounts of cash I am not suggesting they would slot perfectly in to the existing systems.

why do you think food banks would material change the cost of supporting pensioners?

margaretclare

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Whilst that may be the case AT PRESENT if it was seen as a reasonable alternative to handing out cash the system could quite easily be changed. Alternative is using food vouchers as I suggested in my post.

I am postulating ideas here that could replace handing out vast amounts of cash I am not suggesting they would slot perfectly in to the existing systems.

But pensioners cannot live on food banks alone! What do you suggest they should do about all the other expenses of living - heating/lighting, water, everything else?

The biggest expense out of our budget is council tax. The next one down from that is electricity and gas.

Tancred

nashly wrote: »

down to unemployment benefit rates as state pensions are the biggest drain on this country by far, as the government states that a single or couple can live on unemployment benefit then why can't pensioners who don't have to spend money looking for work and probably eat less than younger people live on the same rates ?

It would save the UK from a catastrophe that the pension bill will cause.

This has to win first prize as the most moronic statement I've seen on the MSE forums. :rotfl:

Unemployment benefit has never been intended as something to 'live on' my bird brained friend. It is meant as a temporary safety net to prevent those unemployed from going into destitution. The state pension, on the other hand, has been earned throughout the life of the worker through his contributions and is an entitlement. What I do believe is that wealthy pensioners should pay more tax, but the state pension needs to be guaranteed and safeguarded - forever.

Tancred

nashly wrote: »

I think you need to re look at your figures, government spending purely on pensions alone is higher than health welfare or defence, in 2014 it will be 144 billion pounds.

So what? If it needs to be spent, so be it - it must be spent. Cutting the state pension when it's already one of the lowest in Europe would be immoral and frankly insane. Much better would be to remove final salary pensions from the public sector and offset the state pension against the final salary pension for those already receiving it.

Tancred

nashly wrote: »

Why can't a single person pension be £70 per week, if non pensioners are meant to be able to survive on unemployment benefits then pensioners should not be a special case and they should stop shafting the rest of us.

Because you can't live on £70 a week, you prat. As I said before, unemployment benefit is designed as a stop gap, not a long term income.

Please buy yourself some brain cells.