To want a budget which puts young people and families first

[HFJ]

In advance of an upcoming budget that will likely hammer working people (again, despite the rhetoric), I’m consoling myself by imagining my own budget. You’ll notice a theme. This is because I believe young people and families are the future, deserve to have hope, aspirations and goals. Please feel free to contribute.

1. The first 5 years of young people’s full time earnings to be tax and NI free. This would enable all to save for a house deposit, rather than only the few who inherit. Imagine the incentive to work hard!
2. No increases to any tax that primarily affects working age people, including fuel tax (because working people need fuel to go to work)
3. No stamp duty for young people and those with children under 18. This enables them a fairer chance of buying property rather than have to compete unfairly with cash buyers
4. Complete removal of the pension tax free cash allowance. This is because 100s of 1000s are poised to take their 25% lump sum and plough this into the property market (tbf I think the gov has got wind of this, hence the landlord tax changes)
5. instead of massive increases to NHS budget (which does not really benefit the young or families), a £10 charge to see the doctor, so people start to take ownership for their health
6. Removal of the free prescription for over 60s. Instead, use this money to bring back the school nurse and perhaps even school dentist visits

Any other ideas?

I taje it you are young and have a family. Hope your home budgetting is better than your 'pie in tge sky' national tax changes. Which don't add up economically.

Sorry this really made me laugh 😆

As an old person coming up to state pension age I would like a budget which puts old people first.

😆

One which recognises the length of time they have been working and paying taxes and National Insurance.

What does the above mean? Abolish pension credit?

Removal of the free prescription for over 60s. Instead, use this money to bring back the school nurse and perhaps even school dentist visits

Only if it's removed for children and pregnant women too. It should be means-tested, i.e, only available to people in receipt of certain benefits, whether parent or pensioner.

Pregnancy weakens teeth though & treating dc should result in less problems as you age. Every adult was a child once so I don’t understand why they begrudge children getting free schooling or dental care?

Sure. Go ahead and means test children. I think you'll find they don't have much income on the whole!

Because they're selfish arseholes? Who would have had free schooling / prescriptions / child benefit/ the option of free university.

It’s so regressive!

Too true. One of my teeth broke three months after my son was born.

That's why I used the word 'parent' ....

Pension changes are complex and need to be well thought through- if you tax people twice they will simply save in other ways (ISA for example) which buggers the big pension providers - who are huge investors, for example Thames Water is part owned by the university pension scheme. Collapsing the pension industry is a terrible idea and that's the risk you run.

In terms of inheritance tax - you need people to save so they can pay for their own elderly care. If you make inheritance tax punitive people with something to leave will give it away years in advance, with the potential for the state to then be liable for their care.

a budget which puts young people and families first

You speak like a politician - the above statement means nothing in real terms and similar to 'levelling-up' 'the left behind' 'strivers' 'the squeezed middle', etc.

It's just a way of sowing division and resentment, of which we have enough as it is.

In terms of inheritance tax - you need people to save so they can pay for their own elderly care. If you make inheritance tax punitive people with something to leave will give it away years in advance,

Thats not really true as most people don’t even qualify for IHT plus the majority of it is tied up in housing hence why the average age people inherit is quite old.

And plenty of people still don’t want to pay for their care.

But this already happens. People have little things that need looking into and put it off as there is a six week wait for a non urgent appointment.

So people either don't bother or book it and forget

I’m really bad at going to the doctors because it’s such a faff, I would pay £10 if it made the service better. I have gone private for dental because that way I can actually get a convenient appointment!

Yes, as it would be for a high number of pensioners. Have you missed the part where alot of pensioners can either heat the house or eat but carnt do both, and many struggle to do even that. So no they carnt afford the annual certificate.

Hmm, but what about people like my husband who lost both his parents when he was 18 and a few months (doing his A levels)? Should he not have been allowed to stay on in their family home? You can't make blanket rules that will work for everyone, it's a "best fit" scenario.

Houses you own but don't live in are included in the assessment

I’d like a budget that doesn’t squeeze the middle.

@TigerRag again I’m aware of that.

No one will get what they want , there just isn't enough money to go around . Those working or have worked are having to prop up those who've never worked and id like that inequality resolved .

Have you missed the part where alot of pensioners can either heat the house or eat but carnt do both, and many struggle to do even that. So no they carnt afford the annual certificate.

Im sure some can’t but plenty can although of course they will resent paying for it.

@HFJ
You will be old yourself too, you know. Not one of the ‘special ones’ thinking you can produce children you can’t afford and have the state pay.

It was the same when I was 24 which was 26 years ago.

I had no option to stay at home so I had to share a flat with 3 others. It cost me well over half my wages too. Thats fairly standard and has been for at least 2 generations.