This may be unpopular - but what about the squeezed middle?

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They are talking about raising taxes on the average person now. Which will really effect lower middle class families who are already feeling the pinch due to increases in cost of food, gas and electic, increasing childcare costs and rent or morgage increases. They are going to increase pensions and benefits with inflation but lots of middle class earners are not having their wages increased with inflation but will now have their taxes increased. What about help for the middle class, especially lower middle class and working class who earn slightly to much to qualify for any help but will now stuggle with all these increases.

The problem is everyone wants more help but no one wants to pay for it.

What are you classing as help as some people on combined family incomes of 100k do get some help?

Really? Who gets help on combined family incomes of 100K+? If you just mean families where someone has a disability (I think some of those benefits may not be contingent on household income?) then I think that is a red herring as they have quite different needs.

The desire sone express to reduce pensions is really just a form of bringing everyone down to a poverty level

It's not necessary , it's not a society I want - where the super rich get to keep their wealth and the middle class gets extinguished.

When I come to pension age, can I then get all the money I put in to the system, in the knowledge I would get my state pension - can I have that money back?

Or do we lower my NI contributions now and also return the money I put into the system so far?

@midgetastic do you know what the average inflation rate is in the EU? It’s 10.9 so higher than the UK. Brexit is not the driving force.

When I come to pension age, can I then get all the money I put in to the system, in the knowledge I would get my state pension - can I have that money back?

No because you are paying for the generations above you plus I'm sure you have benefited from certain things in your life eg education, healthcare.

I think the issue with the so-called squeezed middle is that they are net contributers currently. It won't take much - mortgage rate increases, a job loss etc and suddenly they can't afford their mortgage and become homeless. There really isn't much to rent and that which is available is more expensive than the equivalent property to purchase (this could change).
Therefore you have a family who now need state help - not just housing (which they probably won't get) but lots of other benefits too. This family then becomes net takers.
This does happen to many families every year due to misfortune - job loss, illness and other circumstances which can't be anticipated. But when this happens to many many families - there is a real issue as the state (the other taxpayers) could not support even 1.25 numbers currently being supported.
We also need to consider that the squeezed middle are spenders - when they have money, they would buy treats, have a coffee or a meal out, go to the cinema. These are no longer affordable to some but more concerningly, those that can still afford to do so are tightening their belts in anticipation of worse to come - so the knock on impact on anyone with a small business and anyone in leisure is tremendous.
When those small businesses fold, pubs and restaurants shut their doors etc - many more will lose their jobs and rely on state support.

My worry for this is its a real disincentive to save as you have no idea how well your pension will do so if its only going to hover around the state pension amount but you lose the state pension its tough.

Also, the public sector employees who want a pay rise should get one, but their gold plated pensions should be reduced by a similar amount.* Public sector pensions will also bankrupt us soon.*

I don't agree with mean testing the state pension, we all pay into it and it would need such a long lead time to prepare people to plan differently.

That said, as a civil service employee who gets the equivalent of 27% put into my pension every month (I know that's not actually what happens) I completely agree. My DH and I are laughing all the way to the bank in our 60s (if we choose to stay), but we have a family now, I would much prefer the money was more equally distributed across my career, it's no bloody good to me getting so much in my 70s, yes I want a good pension but it's stupid getting such a good pension after years of poor wages.

We need to rejoin the single market. Everyone claimed that their version of Brexit was the one that was voted for. Time to harmonise with EU regulation. That is what has killed the growth we had, and is the quickest way to boost growth now.

Or do we lower my NI contributions now and also return the money I put into the system so far?

I think that’s a valid point. I don’t know why they separate it out, why not just have tax. No separate NI. It would give a more accurate figure internationally of what the taxes are. It would make those who don’t need it feel less entitled to pension.

in NZ my rich Uncle gets his pension, he saves it. Saved $45,000 so far. Sitting on it. It’s disgusting.

@mast0650 a family with an income of 100k could qualify for child benefit, 30 free hours & tax free childcare. The last 2 a 200k income family could get. I don't have an issue with that though.

agree that if we want to have a decent nhs and basic education we need to means test state pensions. This is unlikely to happen though because pensioners vote in large numbers. So we will keep on giving large amounts of money to those who don’t need it (I could see it being abolished for future generations but too late for the nhs).

Why should the10% with half the wealth of the country not fund stuff ?

Imagine - they could be brought down to average levels and everyone else 90% could have twice what they have now

That's where we need to look - up lift

It's seems much better than leaving them alone and raising a teachers pension fund , bringing the 90% down to subsistence levels

( not sure but it might well include strong taxes on a 1.5 million house )

Also, the public sector employees who want a pay rise should get one, but their gold plated pensions should be reduced by a similar amount.

tbf a lot of the schemes are far less generous to newer entrants.

there is already that effect though with pension credit and other benefits.

agree that if we want to have a decent nhs and basic education we need to means test state pensions. This is unlikely to happen though because pensioners vote in large numbers. So we will keep on giving large amounts of money to those who don’t need it (I could see it being abolished for future generations but too late for the nhs).

it will happen by stealth, they are already looking at pushing it to 69 & life expectancy has actually decreased a bit.

They need to look at social care and the NHS. The NHS wasn't set up to look after people with multiple long term conditions , many people now live the last 10 years of their lives in very poor health requiring 24 hour care and support. This is going to get worse. There needs to be a plan of how this is going to be funded.

I remember when very young earning just over the threshold for any help, and we were worse off than someone on benefits.

I don’t haves problem with your post.

Absolutely I think my caters allowance should rise with inflation, £69 for a full week with no breaks was always ridiculous anyway and losing value during inflation is insulting- replacing me would cost over a thousand a week in care costs if I gave in, which with exhaustion and reducing services I feel sometimes is eventually inevitable- the chance to buy in a break would be heavenly and Jew things going. DH’s wages fees ha, there is no spare.

Equally other people struggling deserve help, I don’t buy into brandies in this stuff, two groups can need help without it being competition. The constant 52/48 divide in every single issue lately (it was in Boris standing yesterday) stops us all getting the help we need.

Undoubtedly we should raise inheritance tax

Most pensioners living in very expensive houses may not actually have much cash to pay stuff with and I still think it's cruel to force people to leave their homes by means testing the state pension that they paid into all their lives

And if you push more pensioners into poverty you will end up with more costs in health and social care