Rachel Reeves Funding Review

This £22bn relates to pledges that were not included in budgeting in this financial year... Not the circa £18bn flagged as being underfunded over the lifetime of the parliament. This is very much new information and has been clarified by the OBR and I believe Paul Johnson of the IFS.

 

They were always going to say its worse than we thought' it buys them more time before people starting judging them.

 

No idea which are and which aren't tbh. I've never claimed any.

Nearest thing we got was asking for some support when my partner was receiving treatment for cancer and couldn't work. She was refused on the basis that my earnings were too much. This was 2005 and if you had split my salary in two which they didn't take into account, it was quite acceptable to be asked to live on 8k each per year. Was tough times and built up quite a bit of debt. What made it even tougher was watching the don't want to work but receiving every benefit they apply for mob in the local pub every night.

 

How come the black hole is always £20bn? Same in 2010.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/165250/More-huge-tax-rises-to-plug-20bn-black-hole-in-Budget

 

Reminder that 1 in 4 pensioners lives in a household with assets of over £1m.

 

My mum gets by on state pension and around 300 quid a month widows pension from my dad's old employment. She lives from day to day on what I would consider to be poverty levels of income. Several thousand pounds less than the minimum wage pays for a full time job. Buy she has a bit of money in savings which she touches only when needed for big items - it's her lifetime savings. This money means she is not entitled to any benefits.

The loss of the winter fuel payment will hurt. Yes, I know, the answer will be that she has savings and should spend them. In her eyes, that money has to last her remaining life.

I can see the point in removing it from people who genuinely don't need it. Make high rate tax payers pay it back on their tax return. They genuinely don't need it. But I am not of the opinion that not being entitled to benefits means you don't need it.

 

Think they gave it to all elderly , as filling in forms and applying online stops a lot

think that’s the reason they didn’t means test it before . Old people save but are not always rich

 

They already know which pensioners get Pension Credit so no need to apply for the additional Winter Fuel Allowance.

 

If she spends the money and has no savings would that be a gateway to more income from benefits? Not suggesting she should or casting any judgement, it's a genuine question as I have no idea what is available beyond the state pension. Just seems that if she could be more comfortable without the savings then that could be something worth looking at.

 

Not surprised, add granny to kid Starver

 

So pension credits........my Mrs (49) and now self employed needs 3 years to get full pension, is it worth her paying to make those up and will the minimal amount of difference that'll make to her pension be made up in credits anyway? Don't actually know how this stuff works as been fortunate enough to have never needed or been eligible to claim owt.

 

There are pensioners who are millionaires who would get it under present rules, DSL. So I guess it's where you draw the line? I'd love it to include your Mum, but we need to shed a few at the top if we are going to pay for hospitals and schools don't we?

 

Even Ken Clarke commented on how absured this heating benefit was for his mansion.

 

I read summat that a million pensioners were £50 a month above poverty levels, so if they're losing £200, they are now £150 below it?
Why does it have to be all or nothing?
Couldn't it be a sliding scale of benefit?
Or will these pensioners be on credits anyway, so won't actually miss out?

 

So you think us that would pay more towards society. Are politically motivated to that end. The thing is. a true society would care for those more needy, regardless of party politics. Not all are so blinkered. I voted for labour to tackle the issues. And if it means paying more and I can afford it. so be it. But by the same token I'd hit those at the top harder. Conservatives will never do that.

 

No, they would still get it.

 

I'm 68, I have the full state pension as does my wife, I also have 2 occupational pensions and as a result I don't get pension credit. I also pay tax on my pensions. I can afford my energy bills and do not expect other tax payers to subsidise me. There are many people in my position and I'm sure they will feel the same as me. Those in need should be helped, the rest of us shouldn't.

 

If you had read the other replies to the post that you commented on you would have actually learned something rather than continuing in ignorance.....

 

Cap on social care costs also axed

 

It’s always difficult when they do things like this, where they draw the line etc. But there must be something better in this computerised age that would let them cut out the ones who really don’t need it ( or the pension for that matter) . As always this will be really tough to take for the ones not on credit but very near the limit, often being punished for having tried to save some extra for retirement.