Heating allowance

[John Brown]

-3 here today, seen some very unhappy brass monkeys all speaking soprano :shock: :shock: :shock:

A smug 20°C today, but before you get too envious, we have had a nasty outbreak of mosquitoes. Not just a few - clouds of the things. Insane hordes f blood-sucking mayhem. We are all counting lumps and comparing extensive texts written in Braille on various body parts.

Desperate for some cold to kill them all off. If you could organise a swap...

We favour swops round these parts.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

-3 here today, seen some very unhappy brass monkeys all speaking soprano :shock: :shock: :shock:

A smug 20°C today, but before you get too envious, we have had a nasty outbreak of mosquitoes. Not just a few - clouds of the things. Insane hordes f blood-sucking mayhem. We are all counting lumps and comparing extensive texts written in Braille on various body parts.

Desperate for some cold to kill them all off. If you could organise a swap...

We favour swops round these parts.

"And soo sir launcelot rode on the one syde and she on the other / he had not ryden but a whyle / but the knyghte badde sir Launcelot torne hym and loke behynde hym // and there wyth was the knyghte and the lady on one syde / & sodenly he swapped of his ladyes hede"

Each to their owne.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I hope you are not looking for sympathy...

Well, when you put it like that...

 

[RogerS]

-3 here today, seen some very unhappy brass monkeys all speaking soprano :shock: :shock: :shock:

-3 ? -3? Bluddy luxury. When I were kid, we 'ad ta break ice off nose afore we could breath.

 

[Rich C]

Yup. S.A.D got temporarily banned; managed a trip out in the novelty of direct sunlight 8) .

What I wouldn't have given though to be on the Fiacaill Ridge,

on the way to the top of Cairn Gorm, crackin' ascent in this dry, clear weather. Then down the Goat Track to the car park. Today, it might just have been clear of snow.

Sam

That looks pretty ace, a little envious.

 

[SammyQ]

Amazing views down into the 'Larig Ru' too. Sorry about phonetic Gaelic...

Sam

 

[Rich C]

Makes me a little sad I have up winter climbing.

 

[SammyQ]

I'm 63 and havent made it to Scotland for 4 years now, so I know how you feel.
I'm hoping to make it back soon, now I live on the mainland and a mate (ex-Snowdon Mountain Rescue) and I have a long-established yen to do the Aonach Eagach before our hips seize up...

Sam

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I too was surprised to receive an unrequested £200 to keep me warm - even though for the last two years we have spent three winter months somewhere the temparature during the day rarely falls below 15 C.

It would be far better to increase the taxable state pension to cover the heating allowance. Those on low incomes would continue to get the full benefit as they don't pay tax. Taxpayers would pay at whatever their top rate of tax is.

Fairer and no need for means testing bureaucracies.

 

[John Brown]

I think you only get one winter fuel allowance per household, though.

 

[MikeJhn]

Six years later and the it's stopped now, no more heating allowance for OAP's, but The UK government spent approximately 7.2 billion British pounds on foreign economic aid in 2023/24, compared with five billion pounds in the previous financial year.

 

[TRITON]

Thee tories knew that their votership of pension age that has been their 'reliable' voter is rapidly dying off, and once the pensioner is not big enough to make a huge difference in their voter tally books, bang goes the triple lock and bang goes every other little incentive they've given them.
The tories are happy because Labour were the party that was going to fall on, so the last memory of the benefits the tories give them because Labour took one away, will be of the party that implemented it, and it wasnt going to be them.
tl:rd Tories would have done the same thing sooner or later.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

• UK aid will drop sharply from £15.3bn (0.58% of GNI) in 2023 to £13.7bn (0.5% of GNI) in 2024, with a slight increase to £14.3bn in 2025 (0.5% of GNI). Departmental ODA allocations given in the Autumn Budget will be at £13.3bn for 2024/25 and £13.7bn in 2025/26.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Thee tories knew that their votership of pension age that has been their 'reliable' voter is rapidly dying off, and once the pensioner is not big enough to make a huge difference in their voter tally books, bang goes the triple lock and bang goes every other little incentive they've given them.

The pensioners dying off will be replaced by new pensioners - folk don't suddenly stop aging.

In 10 years time all those currently aged ~57-67 will become pensioners. Simple demographic make it very likely there will be a greater proportion of the population as pensioners. Precise estimates vary due to reliance on projected birth rates, immigration etc.

Political success will increasingly rely upon keeping pensioners reasonably content, whilst ensuring the working population continue to pay taxes to keep oldies in the manner to which they are accustomed. A recipe for future tensions!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... the working population continue to pay taxes to keep oldies ...

It was ever thus. It's always been a Ponzi.

 

[TRITON]

The pensioners dying off will be replaced by new pensioners - folk don't suddenly stop aging.

Obviously not, but these new pensioners haven't been in receipt of the allowance, so the lament for something they've never had is negligible.

Im just saying its a hell of a win for the tories, handed to them on a silver platter by Labour, who thus far are doing everything they can wrong. It's almost like Stramer is as politically astute as a field mouse.

 

[RobinBHM]

... the working population continue to pay taxes to keep oldies ...

It was ever thus. It's always been a Ponzi.

it’s crazy that todays pensioners get their state pension from todays tax receipts…..people might not like it but working age migrants help keep up the ratio of working to retired, but that’s rather means it never ends.

I believe the public sector index linked pensions are going to cause a huge headache in years to come

 

[Phil Pascoe]

They're causing a huge headache now.

 

[woodieallen]

Thee tories knew that their votership of pension age that has been their 'reliable' voter is rapidly dying off, and once the pensioner is not big enough to make a huge difference in their voter tally books, bang goes the triple lock and bang goes every other little incentive they've given them.
The tories are happy because Labour were the party that was going to fall on, so the last memory of the benefits the tories give them because Labour took one away, will be of the party that implemented it, and it wasnt going to be them.
tl:rd Tories would have done the same thing sooner or later.

Here we go again.

 

[woodieallen]

it’s crazy that todays pensioners get their state pension from todays tax receipts…..people might not like it but working age migrants help keep up the ratio of working to retired, but that’s rather means it never ends.

I believe the public sector index linked pensions are going to cause a huge headache in years to come

Well, the work-shy benefit scroungers do their bit to help, of course.