Labour and Pensioners

[Mycatsmudge]

So Labour has declared they will not increase taxes and NI on working people, but they need to raise money for their manifesto promises such as free breakfast clubs, more teachers, dentists etc. To help pay for it all would it be a good idea if they remove the triple lock on state pensions and make pensioners pay NI?

Pensioners are a pretty broad demographic. Yes there are a lot of poor ones. But there are also a lot of rich ones too.

The solution is to tax the richer ones more and the poorer ones less.

The problem is often things like universal benefits. There is always a cry of "but it will cost more to means test!" and the issue of means testing is then never solved.

It should be solved and once it is solved that is it. Forever. And it shoudn't be costly either. We have the systems in place for taxation. So the government should use them and extend them rather than just hosing all pensioners down with money and then claiming it is the only thing they can do.

We means test child benefit now so why not other things?

We shouldn’t. Child benefit should be universal. It’s scandalous that it isn’t.

No they didn’t “literally” waltz into the foyer🙄 they walked into the foyer like most normal people.

So you base this on ONE couple in an Art gallery.
Have a look at the other thousands of pensioners.
Some might be wealthy, some might be poor and then there are those in the middle.
OP get back in your box and shut up until you know what you are talking about.

I completely agree , the equivalent in the past used to be.

Child benefit should be universal

They must have bought an incredibly exceptional house in the 80’s for that price inflation, they obviously bought an absolute bargain, my first house in the eighties was a 2 bed starter home which cost £50k and it’s only worth £200 max now, what type of house and where did your in-laws buy? Also you must be absolutely delighted seeing as you will inherit?

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow
My friend who is mid 70s has hypermobility and almost completely lost sight in one eye due to stroke (the day after a covid vaccine, so not necessarily life-style related). You'd not know of her disability (she doesn't let anything stop her enjoying a day out) unless it was a bad day and she had her stick, and the fact you might spot I always stand to her right and I describe steps up, steps down, uneven surfaces etc etc as we go) Unless we catch Elizabeth Line to certain stations only (minimal steps or a lift, she cannot safely do escalators other than a very good day) we avoid buses as invariably they start before we can get a seat, we generally treat ourselves to a black cab on the basis 2 of us makes it a bit cheaper and it helps the black cab economy (I worked in an affiliated industry in London and firmly believe they provide an invaluable service to London community above and well beyond an Uber/minicab).
Choosing to travel by black cab isn't always about flashing the cash but can be a necessity/lifeline to near normality.

My house bought in the 90’s for 40k is worth 250 now.

They must have bought the poshest house in the poshest area.

From a tax perspective NI is outdated, it doesn’t do what people think it does eg go into a separate special pot.

Confused about this - I thought it went into the National Insurance Fund which is used to fund non means tested benefits (like state pensions) as well as a portion being set aside as a contribution to the NHS?

What is the point of the NIF if national insurance payments are just going into the general Consolidated Fund?

I would prefer that corporation tax loopholes are closed. Companies should pay tax on their Uk turnover.
Pensioners feed the economy and also will need to fund care or support for their own futures.
Plus, I'd like to be one, one day

Agree
It’s also not just pensioners that are empty nesters.
What about all people without children.
Surely they have a far higher disposable income and are still able to work.

I know😏

I’m disabled too.

My point was that they had every right to be in a cab and pay pensioners discount.

My post was about the meanness of the statement about arriving in a black cab.

@Forfuckssaketheearthisnotflat Not unusual for inner London. Inner London was very different in the 80s. Similar story for my parents house also in inner London. An older colleague paid 100k for a house in Hackney in the late 90s, be well over 2m now. My old maisonette which now sells for 700k plus were 1k in the 40s.

my first house in the eighties was a 2 bed starter home which cost £50k and it’s only worth £200 max now

Thats quite low growth but obviously different parts of the country. I only got on the ladder 10 years ago and have seen more growth % wise.

Also you must be absolutely delighted seeing as you will inherit?

Who knows, taxes and care costs to consider and siblings of course. Anything will be for the grandchildren really.

What tune were they dancing to when they ‘literally waltzed into the foyer’

They must have bought the poshest house in the poshest area.

😆😆 nope

Guessing this must be London area and masses of work done aswell
My dh bought a flat in Tottenham for £57k in 1985, looking on Rightmove for similar they are now going for £350k max

And my parents and in-laws bought these houses on one salary 😱

Not masses of work either

So did they buy near the dome or somewhere that’s had a massive uplift in local infrastructure and gentrification because that uplift in unprecedented

In my geography lesson at primary the area I grew up in was referred to as a ghetto 😆 yes it was full of immigrants which my parents were and I did navigate criminal behaviour on my way to school but my childhood was pretty innocent.

@Kandalama Lambeth, my parents bought in Wandsworth but paid maybe 80k. I didn’t think that growth was highly unusual for inner London.

Sorry that should say my parents bought in Lambeth, in-laws in Wandsworth.

The system would continue, as it does with carers, unemployed, low earners, etc., just with no NIC paid. The system is in place, a small tweak to the software to zeroise NIC contributions, but all other aspects of the system continue.