Hannah Ingram-Moore -Victim or Villain?

Me too.
I had 'remembered him having a sudden heart attack, but have just realised it was Les Dennis' former comedy partner, Dustin Gee.

I used to get that lot mixed up back in the 80's.
Barrymore was another.

Not my cup of tea ☕

With respect, you haven’t got a fucking clue.

That isnt the two choices available.

I'd rather the money went towards Mars bars for NHS staff than some chancer's swimming pool!

It’s not gaslighting. The state pension is legally defined as a contributory benefit, see my reply post above.

Pensions absolutely are a benefit, qualification for which is based on NI contributions - in exactly the same way as other contribution based benefits, such as JSA and various incapacity benefits are paid. If you don’t have enough contributions for those then you don’t qualify. And it is not correct to say that you need 35 years of contributions to claim state pension. New state pension is payable at a reduced rate with less than 35 years of contributions, once you have paid NI for ten years or more.

State pension is defined as a state benefit, and is administered by DWP - use of the word ‘benefit’ for state pension has always been classified in law from the time of the1946 National Insurance Act, which applied from the inception of the National Insurance scheme and the term ‘contributory benefit’ forms the legislative framework of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992. Section 20 of that Act has the title ‘Descriptions of contributory benefits’. Contributory benefits under Part II of that Act are listed, including state pension. The introduction of the new State Pension from 6 April 2016 is also classified as a “benefit” under Section 1(1) of the Pensions Act 2014.

That certainly hasn’t been said by me.

Pensions are in the same pot as benefits, the never-ending stream of cash that apparently our national insurance covers so actually the problem is, the national insurance isn’t covering any of it, if truth be told.

It’s not covering the NHS, and it is covering the pensions. One could naturally conclude that the pot is not big enough.

Something is going to have to give.

YES One min posters are calling pensions a benefit the next they are saying if you dont pay your NI you wont get it, Gaslighting

Given the biggest benefits bill, we have is pensions. Yes.

Pensions aren't a benefit. They are contributory. You have to pay into it for 35 years or you don't get it. If people aren't happy with this, then I am quite happy to no longer pay this part of the NI I pay every month, for 35 years, and I'll pay it into a private pension.

It is not factually correct to think state pensions are a benefit. For example, I will not get my pension unless I carry on working for the next 8 years, paying NI, to reach 35 years. They are a pension that are paid to people who have contributed to them, many of whom contribute and don't make it to drawing it out, and their relatives receive nothing, unlike a private pension.

For the most part none of us knew this man and being old doesn't make you a Saint. The daughter went for it and created a capt. Moore industry and there is no way of knowing if dad was in on it.

Surely the issue with the Mars Bars is as follows:

1. This should have been transparent- that NHS charities cannot fund equipment or nurses or most staff. I agree it's fine to spend the money on wellbeing services but be transparent about that so people don't then feel like trust is a bit broken.
2. Mars bars have not in any way solved the nurse and dr retention crisis, because it's just a drop in the ocean compared with paying people properly and structuring their shifts so they can live normal lives. No-one wants to work in a broken down crappy service which exhausts them on every shift due to lack of equipment and even risk of Covid/death (many drs in London died).
3. Wellbeing stuff is notoriously difficult to prove that it has any good effect, and if anything can be perceived as patronising, here have a mars bar whilst we can't provide you with PPE or cleaners don't get masks.
4. Mars bars, cake and crappy processed food-ok in a crisis, but as per usual completely no joined up thinking about caring for the workforce properly, providing clean kitchen facilities, toilets, proper break facilities, high quality nutritious food. Heck, the NHS charges its staff to park if they can't find a free space!

There is so much wrong, and it's hard for the public to understand that what seems like a bit sum of money just got eaten up and probably had little tangible benefit. This point does in no way diminish what drs and nurses and cleaners and all NHS went through in the pandemic, I'm not surprised it broke so many and so many are still staggering on waiting to get out (or striking).

As I said earlier in the thread an NHS nurse I know and love ended up with PTSD after a year working in ITU. Some of the money paid for her to have counselling so thank you everyone who donated. Your money meant the world to her.

While he was traipsing up and down his garden many of us came on here and said "the NHS is not a charity" I knew it was for the staff so they could get some support from the public I had/have no objection to them getting pizzas massages tubs of Quality Street ............etc they went through hell............although obvs a pay rise would be better

Then why are those posters whinging that the NHS charity money was spent on mars bars and massages?

I cannot listen (or read an incredibly mean spirited thread) to people complain and begrudge a small treat for NHS staff during a massive world health crisis when that was what the money was for all along. It’s not my fault they can’t read. No one ever said the money was going else where. So yeah I do think they donated because people in the UK LOVE frothing at posh old people who wear war medals.

Absolutely agree with you, Nottslady. How short memories are - as Puffy says, Covid nearly broke a lot of people, so how NHS workers coped I cannot imagine.

If i knew it would go viral, I wouldn't subject my parents to it. But everyone is different. I think he managed to play up the hero stuff and play down the weird first marriage etc. Wasn't he also on a game-show? Unlike my parents who would hate attention, she probably knew he was up for it to be fair.

Absolutely disgraceful IMO. Complete scam artist.

Her Father seemed like a sweet and kind man, but he was vulnerable and she profiteered from the whole thing

How must your Grandparents feel/or felt knowing you begrudged them every penny of their pension. Did they know how much you resented them ?

Either:

Someone who has a background in PR and who is well aware of the potential for a "feel good" story to go viral and generate £££ for charity.

Or:

Someone who realises that this is just the sort of public interest story which will raise their own profile considerably.

I think that both are probably true here.

well to be fair, it appears to have paid off quite nicely.

Oh, complete villain. Or more precisely, she's fallen into a pit of her own greed.

Do you remember her during the height of lockdown 1? The absolute GLEE on her face during every interview, whilst her ancient, befuddled dad traipsed up and down the garden?
She absolutely could not believe her luck! She flogged that horse for absolutely every single penny it was worth.

Then in the next lockdown, she got offered a great holiday - providing dear old dad came along - which everyone said would kill him. And sure enough, it did.

I'm not even a tiny bit surprised it's all caught up with her. She's a prime example of why being a greedy, grabby bastard doesn't pay.

I know. Never misses even half a chance. 🙄

Not this again……………..

Isn’t it possible that rather than people handing over cash because ‘the Daily Mail tells them to’, they did so because they have enormous respect for what the NHS stands for, and how selfless the staff were during a time when resources were stretched to the limit and their own safety was hugely at risk as they looked after other peoples’ loved ones ? Isn’t it also possible that that same respect was extended to Captain Tom because in people recognised that had not been for him and the men of his generation, our reality would be a very different one ? Maybe people gave so generously because they were moved that a courageous old man who fought for his country and the freedoms we have today, at the age of 99, invoked that spirit again by actually getting off his arse and doing something to help.

Given the biggest benefits bill, we have is pensions. Yes.