Poor Pensioners ... and comparisons

 Following on from my previous posts this argument came up, I kid you not!

'If the government are so keen to make more money, they shouldn't take it the pensioners but, instead, legalise cannabis and get the tax revenue from that'.

This is how crazy these distraction techniques are. On @LBC Matthew Wright, the presenter seemed not to object and allowed to flow the absolute fake news that the government is taking money from pensioners.

This is that time when we need to get real and work out what they are doing.

What do pensioners on Pension Credit actually get?

Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 (£945.32 Monthly) if you are single or if you have a partner it rises to £332.95 (£1442.78 Monthly) all those getting Pension Credit still get the fuel allowance.

Who does it affect?:

Pensioners who claim no other benefits which qualify, the qualifying benefits are:

- Income Support;
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Pension Credit; or
- Universal Credit (for example, through a joint claim with your partner).

So, a lot of pensioners will still qualify. What is the basic state pension:

Single person is £221.20 weekly and £958.53 monthly

Couple rate is £442.40 weekly and £1917.07 monthly.

Is this a poor pensioner?

We must also consider that many of those may well get some small private pension which increases their income though this may put them into the lower tax bracket forcing them to pay income tax on any amount over the basic rate (rarely much). Pensioners, even those still working, don't pay National Insurance contributions.

So, what is the problem?

Are these properties the same? Would the monthly outgoings of those living there be the same? No, of course not but, to many it is considered only right and proper that all pensioners, regardless of status and ability to pay, should get the same top up payments.

This is the problem. Just saying 'pensioners will not longer get the winter fuel payment' is just not accurate. Also, it's quoted as being £300. That is not true either, it is between £100-300.

Sure, some unfortunates will be left short but, very likely, only for this year. Like most of us, if we know what income we have, we live up to it. So, many will have taken the £100-300 into account when budgeting for winter. Many pundits argue that the problem is, they didn't get time to prepare.

Look, when my utility bills go up every damn time, I just get told that next month they are going up, on one occasion it was by £200 monthly, not yearly, monthly!

Pensioners cannot be immune from the cost of living.

I also strongly believe that only those on qualifying benefits should get payments for children. I think two is too low. I also believe it should be tweaked between those who kept having children after they went on benefits and those who, through no blame, found themselves with more than 2 kids needing benefits. One is an expectation that the state will pay for your choices, the other is the epitome of what the welfare state is for.