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The winter gin allowance was paid into my account today I did see in our local paper that was asking those who did not need it to donate it to somebody who did. I replied with two words one of them being off.

Gin always seems to keep me nice and cosy

Got my letter in the same post as the invoice for 1000 litres oil - OUCH!!!

Bit wet here but still warmish, I might get a lump of coal to use as a door stop to keep the house aired.

Not yet.

I have two words for you ACE, "Means Test."

Quote from: Nigel B on November 21, 2012, 22:49:37
I have two words for you ACE, "Means Test."

In this day and age where they are talking of restricting claiments to £500 a week. I have no worries of losing my perks. I've paid my dues, so no concience.

Whoops nearly forgot, I am still paying my dues, taxing a pension, it's not really on is it.

With you all the way Ace - having paid all my taxes etc. for the last fifty odd years I will accept any help going that will enable me to lead a more comfortable & health life for (hopefully) a good few more years yet.

Quote from: ACE on November 22, 2012, 08:06:03

Quote from: Nigel B on November 21, 2012, 22:49:37
I have two words for you ACE, "Means Test."

In this day and age where they are talking of restricting claiments to £500 a week. I have no worries of losing my perks. I've paid my dues, so no concience.

Whoops nearly forgot, I am still paying my dues, taxing a pension, it's not really on is it.

I don't doubt you've paid you dues ACE, but then so have we all.
Fact is, and who you want to blame for it is up to you, but we as a country are skint and can't afford to give money away to people that don't need it, be they MP's, Abu Hamza's, ex-prisoners, multi-childbirth addicts or even the eldery.
If I wanted any kind of payout, and I don't because I'm disabled without benefits, I would be means-tested to see if I needed it to live on and I wouldn't get it if I didn't.
Now, without trying to be insulting, why shouldn't oap's who've lived, what are fast becoming, the 'glory years' for social security and welfare payments.

Come on Ace.   Reply to the above.  I am lost for words.   Like you my husband and I paid lot of tax and being self-employed only got a basic state pension.  I am also still paying tax.   

The way I see it is those that earned more payed more tax and still do. So the more you paid in, the more you should be able to take out. They should be working out  the amount of the winter fuel allowance you are entitled to by how much you have paid in. After all, the lower paid are used to scrimping and saving. Why should I lower my standard of living because some people could not get off their backsides to properly plan their retirements. The amount is not much, my wifes deductions are double  that amount  in just one month. As it is p.a.y.e. she cannot salt it away in a tax haven.


In real terms it has gone down in value, last year I could get a big bottle of Gordons for £12, this year it has gone up to £15. That's nearly half a gallon less.

lets have your views on the  COLD WEATHER  PAYMENT ALLOWANCE

If you are feeling cold Jim, throw another Eon salesman on the fire

Well said ACE  ( to them)

Quote from: ACE on November 22, 2012, 12:00:34
The way I see it is those that earned more payed more tax and still do. So the more you paid in, the more you should be able to take out.

So that's how it works eh? 
And here was silly old me, thinking for all those years that those who were able paid what they were able, all things being relative. Then those that had less and/or weren't able, would be treated equally as well.

QuoteThey should be working out  the amount of the winter fuel allowance you are entitled to by how much you have paid in.

Well, to be fair to yourself and whoever else chipped in, I hadn't realised there even was a 'Winter Booze for the Terminally Greedy' fund I should have been paying in to. Was it a 'tick the box' option on your Tax forms?

Ooh! Tax!... Who mentioned the self-employed?.... I have yet to meet a single self-employed person that tells the honest truth to the taxman... and I've known a fair few.
Some self-employed people though, are worth multi or even hundreds of millions of squids. How about if they all take out their proportion? They would empty the distillery.

QuoteAfter all, the lower paid are used to scrimping and saving. Why should I lower my standard of living because some people could not get off their backsides to properly plan their retirements. . The amount is not much, my wifes deductions are double  that amount  in just one month. As it is p.a.y.e. she cannot salt it away in a tax haven.

But, but, but..... If you are saying you have properly planned your retirement? So why should you need the payment?

What is wrong with means testing winter fuel allowance? Its already coming for child allowance, isn't it?
The Tax-man is not your bank manager. Some folks seem to have them the wrong way around.

You do seem to hold a lot of resentment for a poor old boy who gets £200 every year,less than £4 a week. But just really think about it. It's peanuts, it's not really a lot. 3 months time they will have taken it all back with income tax on a pension which is not really a fortune when compared with what they pay back to people in tax credits. They can earn much more than my pension yet get their tax back. Or child allowance providing you earn less than £60,000, ten times more than the state pension. The people that use it for heating pay 5% vat so they only get £10 of that back, but if I did happen to spend it on gin  taxed at £8 a bottle they get £120 back. I bet I know who they prefer giving it to. I do also have to pay the power companies, but I have budgeted for that, because the government could stop the allowance anytime if they needed the money for more pressing needs, like bailing out a bank.

Lets face it, apart from all my jesting about gin which nobody in their right mind really believes, the power companies are laughing all the way to the bank and £200 goes nowhere.

Quotethe power companies are laughing all the way to the bank and £200 goes nowhere.

Exactly - my bill for oil was £626 & I will need another delivery by March!!

I must admit to having been gobsmacked when this was put in place by Blair's lot.   Many pensioners don't need it. Many pensioners need substantially more.

It is probably cheaper to pay it to everyone than to do all the paperwork for means testing.  There are lots of  people who need it but would not claim.   It stops old people having to worry about being cold.   A lot of people find doing means testing very difficult.
I had to fill in a tax return for my OH I found it very difficult.   

What bugs me is that people who spent all their money and so have no savings get more pension than those who were more careful and saved for a rainy day.   The fat cats do not seem worried about tax avoidance schemes, so I will not loose any sleep about the fuel allowance and a bus pass.  And what about the people who go into shops and pay for washing machines etc with wads of cash?

I only got £100 last year.  When she in the fluffy slippers gets her 'gin allowance', yours Ace will be halved.









 

Quote from: ACE on November 23, 2012, 18:02:10
You do seem to hold a lot of resentment for a poor old boy who gets £200 every year,less than £4 a week.

No-Wuh! I hold no resemblance ACE.
In fact, I think the shines out of your        

   :almost:..... 








Haha! It Worked! 

Who's a happy bunny then? :)
So much better with smilies....
Cheers ACE! 




They are serious issues though, but right now I'm still trying to find a way of packing these very naughty word Peas into fifteen-or-twenties for the seed-friken-swap to be honest..
The d**n floor is full of 'em!