REALLY IMPORTANT - this is the beginning of the end for Attendance Allowance

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
The government is considering taking away benefits pensioners get such as the free bus pass, winter fuel allowance and ending the "triple lock" for state pensions which means that the state pension rises every year by the highest of price inflation, earnings growth or 2.5%.
 

Pickles53

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
2,474
0
Radcliffe on Trent
Really.Benefits for people of working age have been frozen,state pension's increased by half the rate of inflation.Dramatic cuts to tax credits.The bedroom tax,pensioners are exempt.Child benefit is means tested.Winter fuel allowance,free TV licences paid to all irrespective of income.Just a few facts.


True, and for one reason only....the higher % of older people who vote. Completely cynical. 'Triple lock' on the state pension means a higher annual increase than all other CPI-linked benefits.
 

notsogooddtr

Registered User
Jul 2, 2011
1,283
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True, and for one reason only....the higher % of older people who vote. Completely cynical. 'Triple lock' on the state pension means a higher annual increase than all other CPI-linked benefits.

Definitely cynical but for whatever reason the old have thus far been protected from the worst of the cuts.Social care budgets have been slashed across the board.All vulnerable people are suffering.I believe the needs of every vulnerable person should be met regardless of age.
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
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Really.Benefits for people of working age have been frozen,state pension's increased by half the rate of inflation.Dramatic cuts to tax credits.The bedroom tax,pensioners are exempt.Child benefit is means tested.Winter fuel allowance,free TV licences paid to all irrespective of income.Just a few facts.

For people who have paid into a system since they were 15 a winter fuel allowance (brought in because of pensioners dying from hypothermia) and a free tv licence, and a well deserved increase on a pension that just barely allows them to live just above the poverty line - it doesn't seem much really does it? and now that all of their savings and assets are being absorbed back into the pockets of the state (by subsidising LA care home placements) it begins to seem a paltry amount - these are people who have little chance of earning any more money and you begrudge them a pension increase (which incidentally is bridging the gap for those of us who have already paid into the system for 40 years but are tasked with working for another 6+ years to ease the burden on the State Welfare system. I begrudge them nothing and I don't think they should be subsidising LA costs either - a massive tax on individuals
 

notsogooddtr

Registered User
Jul 2, 2011
1,283
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I don't begrudge them anything.Just making a point that for whatever the reason the old have not borne the brunt of austerity cuts.
 

notsogooddtr

Registered User
Jul 2, 2011
1,283
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I try to maintain the same principles as my father
;95 years old,left school at 13,worked till he was 70,served in the army from 1939-1945.He believed implicitely that every person on the planet was of equal value irrespective of class,age,wealth,nationality or creed
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
0
It would be lovely if that were true but history and human nature tell us it is not so:)
 

Pickles53

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
2,474
0
Radcliffe on Trent
I don't begrudge them anything.Just making a point that for whatever the reason the old have not borne the brunt of austerity cuts.

Exactly, everyone is paying in (and those working and paying in now will get far less for their contributions for the previous generations and for fewer years thanks to the change in retirement ages). It's simply that the cuts have disproportionately hit working-age folk over the last few years. I do not dispute that some pensioners have a very hard time making ends meet, but it is no longer true that they are on average less wealthy than younger age groups. Otherwise where do Saga get their customers from? I'm embarrassed by being given a winter fuel allowance and would much rather it was doubled for those who really do need it.
 

notsogooddtr

Registered User
Jul 2, 2011
1,283
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I was addressing a factual inaccuracy is that the old are disproportionately targeted by welfare cuts.Welfare support should be on the basis of need not age.
 

2jays

Registered User
Jun 4, 2010
11,598
0
West Midlands
Who I worry about are the carers who are "unpaid" (apart from carers allowance) who cannot save towards their old age and may end up even more poverty stricken in old age....

I'm one of the "lucky" ones, we are financially comfortable, but I know people of my age group who are not so fortunate as me.




Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
0
Who I worry about are the carers who are "unpaid" (apart from carers allowance) who cannot save towards their old age and may end up even more poverty stricken in old age....

I'm one of the "lucky" ones, we are financially comfortable, but I know people of my age group who are not so fortunate as me.




Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

I agree with this too but I do know a lot of people over pension age who are really struggling just to make ends meet. The number of people using Saga (if Pickles is referring to the holidays) is minute and not a good indication - there will always be some people who are well off. Anyway the point of the post was not political and not intended to provoke an in depth discussion of the state of the Welfare State, just to highlight the fact that if people over 65 lose attendance allowance, which they will if this transfer goes through, then many of them will really struggle to live independently (and most of these will be in the middle brackets who fall thro the bottom end net). I don't want to see it disappear into the coffers of the LA so if you want it to stay as it is then please sign Age UKs petition (they have done a lot of research and have found that people will really suffer - fact)
 

chick1962

Registered User
Apr 3, 2014
11,282
0
near Folkestone
Who I worry about are the carers who are "unpaid" (apart from carers allowance) who cannot save towards their old age and may end up even more poverty stricken in old age....

I'm one of the "lucky" ones, we are financially comfortable, but I know people of my age group who are not so fortunate as me.




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I so agree with you 2jays as I am one of those people xx


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2jays

Registered User
Jun 4, 2010
11,598
0
West Midlands
Tried with new link but still got a message to say "unable to process action"

Maybe I've signed ageuk before???

I do know I've signed the one on the 38degrees one recently


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
0
Tried with new link but still got a message to say "unable to process action"

Maybe I've signed ageuk before???

I do know I've signed the one on the 38degrees one recently


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

Yes that is probs the reason, thank you for trying xxx
 

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