Taxpayers' Alliance: Cut pensioner benefits 'immediately'

michaels

princeofpounds wrote: »

What would you have them retract?

The idea of pushing through unpopular measures early in the electoral cycle may not be tasteful, but it is the real world. (Regardless of how old the section of the electorate concerned are)

Exactly, the point is that it makes no sense to do something sensible but unpopular close to an election so it won't happen. Thus the only way it might happen is at the start of a parliamentary term.

Surely this is about politicians telling the electorate the truth which I thought was all the rage nowadays?

Spidernick

michaels wrote: »

The BBC reported this in an even more biased way than normal.

Sorry, but can you please quote the 'biased' text in the article and how the report should have been worded differently. I've read the link in the OP and really cannot see anything biased in the report at all (either to the Left or the Right, but I'm assuming you mean the former). Saying that, this is invariably the case when people accuse the BBC of a Left-wing bias!

michaels

Spidernick wrote: »

Sorry, but can you please quote the 'biased' text in the article and how the report should have been worded differently. I've read the link in the OP and really cannot see anything biased in the report at all (either to the Left or the Right, but I'm assuming you mean the former). Saying that, this is invariably the case when people accuse the BBC of a Left-wing bias!

OK - I had assumed the proposal was that pensioner benefits should be means tested, for which there is a justifiable fairness argument, and the BBC didn't mention this choosing only to focus on the crass way in which the spokesperson presented it.

And turns out I am right - it was a proposal to take 'free' money away from rich pensioners so more can be spent on the NHS or reducing taxes for the less well off - I hope you all grasped this from the BBC piece which clearly mentions that this is what was being proposed...or not

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/explaining_our_position_on_pensioner_benefits

that by means testing pensioner benefits we can end the perverse situation whereby wealthy pensioners receive Winter Fuel Payments and potentially target money instead at those who genuinely need it – be they poorer pensioners or young people who are losing out.

Nick_C

The answer is quite simple really. We already have means testing for poorer pensioners - it's called Pension Credit. If someone qualifies for Pension Credit, give them the WFA, Christmas bonus, and free bus pass. Don't give it to wealthy pensioners.

Scrap the triple lock. Increasing pensions by the rate of inflation is enough. There is no justification for a real terms increase each year.

And while we are it, take away free prescriptions for the over 60s. Another meaningless benefit for people who may not need it.

Being over retirement age does not, in itself, mean you have special needs and deserve favourable treatment.

Sapphire

Nick_C wrote: »

The answer is quite simple really. We already have means testing for poorer pensioners - it's called Pension Credit. If someone qualifies for Pension Credit, give them the WFA, Christmas bonus, and free bus pass. Don't give it to wealthy pensioners.

And while we are it, take away free prescriptions for the over 60s. Another meaningless benefit for people who may not need it.

The 'poorer pensioners' you mention are on the breadline (I know this because I know some). They are barely able to make ends meet after a lifetime of hard work and paying taxes. Note that many not receiving pension credits but just receiving the state pension and perhaps a small extra pension are certainly not 'wealthy pensioners'. What you'd apparently like to do is to condemn often vulnerable elderly people to a shockingly poor existence – so that they are barely able to manage. How nice. Given the very low state pension given to people in this country, means testing should be at a higher level (say £30,000 p.a.) than just at basic state-pension level.

Free prescriptions should not be taken away from the over 60s – even much younger people who need to take a medicine regularly receive it free.

As for this statement: 'Being over retirement age does not, in itself, mean you have special needs and deserve favourable treatment,' I find it rather callous, given how many elderly people actually do need and deserve special treatment – something I'm sure you'll expect when you become old.

Elderly people are human beings and many are extremely vulnerable. It's a pity that such an uncaring attitude has developed towards them these days, especially given what many have had to go through in their lives, including real poverty and wars.

POPPYOSCAR

Nick_C wrote: »

The answer is quite simple really. We already have means testing for poorer pensioners - it's called Pension Credit. If someone qualifies for Pension Credit, give them the WFA, Christmas bonus, and free bus pass. Don't give it to wealthy pensioners.

Scrap the triple lock. Increasing pensions by the rate of inflation is enough. There is no justification for a real terms increase each year.

And while we are it, take away free prescriptions for the over 60s. Another meaningless benefit for people who may not need it.

Being over retirement age does not, in itself, mean you have special needs and deserve favourable treatment.

Just out of interest, how old are you?

patanne

If they stop free prescriptions for the over 60s we will actually end up paying more than the under 60s do. A regular prescription for the under 60s is for 2 months but once you hit 60 they will only prescribe one month at a time.

Generali

patanne wrote: »

If they stop free prescriptions for the over 60s we will actually end up paying more than the under 60s do. A regular prescription for the under 60s is for 2 months but once you hit 60 they will only prescribe one month at a time.

Heaven forbid that the cost of using the NHS in any way reflects the cost of provision.

ukcarper

Nick_C wrote: »

The answer is quite simple really. We already have means testing for poorer pensioners - it's called Pension Credit. If someone qualifies for Pension Credit, give them the WFA, Christmas bonus, and free bus pass. Don't give it to wealthy pensioners.

Scrap the triple lock. Increasing pensions by the rate of inflation is enough. There is no justification for a real terms increase each year.

And while we are it, take away free prescriptions for the over 60s. Another meaningless benefit for people who may not need it.

Being over retirement age does not, in itself, mean you have special needs and deserve favourable treatment.

Many pensioners who made some effort to provide for their own future are worse off than people who made no effort at all and doing as you suggest would make matters worse.

Mistermeaner

the answer is to cut the handouts to those who did not provision - doing the right things must pay