To want the Government to do more about the Cost of Living crisis?

[user365241987]

I just cannot see what the Government is doing to support the insane rise in CoL. Our income is higher than it has ever beautiful we just scrape by every month. It's so depressing. Don't qualify for any benefits. So tired of it. I have written to my MP. I can't understand why they don't increase the lowest tax threshold as that would at least help everyone at the lower end. I don't see any improvement ahead.

Good idea

I agree that although things might be a bit harder than they were for the previous generation, ultimately, we have never experienced consumerism as it currently is. Shops selling good quality essential items are going bust, whilst those selling alleys of tats seem to expand everywhere.

Just noticed yet another Costa driving through in my town. The latest new shop? TKMax.

I think non essential spending has become very normalised and most families are shocked at how much of their budget it represents when the bother to track all their spend on a budget app.

Oh look, another tax!

If you think it's as easy as that try it. It's taken years, a suicide attempt ( which nearly succeeded), begging for a psychiatric appointment, being told it would take too long to get one(!) waiting for a CPN to get to grips with thinking of a treatment, being given medication which had no effect, being crippled with OCD so that he can't get through 10 minutes without having to perform tasks in a particular way or start again. Oh and did I mention CPNs who have offered no treatment for that despite him attending regular appointments for years and begging for help?He says if he could have a chip put into his brain to stop it he would jump at the chance.
But yeah, make him feel worse than he already does. Listen to him saying it would have been better if he had never been born, or if he had succeeded in killing himself. I won't tell you how he tried to do it, because I don't want to upset anyone but trust me it was the worst day of my life, and that is saying something. And obviously peoplejust say they are ill, and get benefits.

Mine has gone up 40% and I used even less this time (had a note on my bill saying so and to "keep going"). I get billed every 6 months.

If we stopped housing benefit tomorrow what would happen? Is there enough demand from people who aren’t claiming benefits to fill every private landlords accommodation or would rents fall to meet what the tenants could afford to pay?

@ShanghaiDiva @XenoBitch I've written to my MP about mine it's awful.
We need to keep on at them that it's an issue water is getting forgotten with the talk of the other bills

Yes, we are in the same position: household reduced from four to two and water bill is higher!

So I refuse to accept an increase to my pension? Not sure how that would work. I have no intention of doing it anyway, like everyone else I need every penny to afford the increased cost of living.
I have to pay the same bills as everyone else and can't make extra money by finding a better job as MN so often suggests. I have arthritis and very poor mobility so can't get a part time job as people also suggest.
As it happens, I am content with my lot, just fed up of people blaming all pensioners for the woes of the world.

Water is annoying as you can't do anything about it apart from move house to change supplier (which is a nuts thing to do).
My DP moved into his flat about 2 years ago, and is still fighting Thames Water about being billed correctly. His latest bill was over £800. He lives alone in a small flat and is out for most of the day. No leaks... that has been checked.

My sister has no mortgage, they have at least £250k in the bank, her FIL died last year and they are due to receive about £400k. She has a private pension that gives her around £30k a year.

She gets a free bus due to her age, and now qualifies for her state pension (as well as free prescriptions and other over 65 benefits)

I think it’s awful, and I have said this too her .. we need to be supporting younger people. However if the government tries to do anything with pensions they get mauled.

Precisely! At least with electricity and gas I can switch suppliers.Earlier this year South West Water admitted to supplying water unfit for human consumption (Brixham parasite outbreak), at that time the CEO was awarded £860k in total pay. I would have thought supplying water that we can drink is the absolute minimum consumers can expect!

I remember when I first read on here that you pay for water in England!! I was horrified tbh! It’s very unfair!

Assume then you want the state pension to be means tested?

I don't think any water supplier has been free from some sort of scandal.

It is the one thing that can not be cut off. But they will chase you for the money still.

Good thinking it's not like they're doing anything else just now apart from twiddling their thumbs 🙄

But she's also paid national insurance in order to get that state pension, and she's put in her own money into a private pension as we all told to do. I would guess that she never uses the free bus pass, so she's not gaining anything from that 'perk'. Do you think she's not entitled to her state pension?

They haven't got any money after paying for all those who can't fully support themselves already. I take it you don't want them to increase taxation.

Most businesses don't pass on wage rises to staff unless by staff you mean those at the very top of the tree who always find money for a bonus!

My sister has no mortgage, they have at least £250k in the bank, her FIL died last year and they are due to receive about £400k. She has a private pension that gives her around £30k a year
She must have worked really hard for many years to get that sort of work pension. She must have earned a very good salary, and therefore pay many thousands in taxes through all those years.

Do you think she should now give her the state pension she paid for because of the sacrifices she made for years? And instead it should go to people who don't have her ambition or who are prepared to make the same sacrifices?

I live in Spain where the personal alllowance is about 4,500 € a year and the lower rate of tax is a lot higher than in the UK so you all aren’t being taxed that much compared to other countries. Our council tax is however lower, about a quarter of that in the UK. We pay for water too - doesn’t every country?? Everyone I know around the world is having a tough time with the cost of living. It’s just the way the world is - too many people and not enough resources.

You're just jealous.

People on benefits are also seeing their food and fuel costs rise and rise. They are not immune to the CoL, and many are not able to improve things by working more etc.
What would making them even more hard up achieve?

This. My first thought on reading your op question was “well I wish the government would stop causing the cost of living crisis”.

Governments of all colours have: privatised most of British public services; are still paying out huge daily to those privatised industries: created huge out-of-touch housing prices by encouraging buy to let, money laundering and financial deregulation: enabled low wages: and, as this pp says, allowed energy prices to rise.

Dont kid yourself, we have not been in such a poor economic time since Enclosure and the last Industrial Revolution, which these times in fact closely resemble. The elites are doing very well out of it and have no incentive to change. We would have to storm our own Bastille to stand a chance of seeing real change for the better in this corrupt hellhole now.