Taxpayers' Alliance: Cut pensioners benefits now

[hyper]

We shouldn't get too excited about ideas at a "thinktank" stage.

It is their job to come up with ideas. Especially ideas that most people wouldn't even consider. Most will be ridiculous and get rejected at the first stage. But they are paid to think and therefore fulfilling that role.

 

Rather like an advertising agency throwing slogans at a manufacturer - only the best ideas get seriously considered.

 

Someone (a newspaper??) got hold of this story, sensationalised it and slanted it as the next definite cost saving initiative

[Annie Bynnol]

He's clearly not realised that as some pensioners die others come of pensionable age. In fact more come of pensionable age than die, hence the increased number of pensioners. These new pensioners will know they're worse off and would vote accordingly. The bloke is obviously thick as well as cynical.

 

Unfortunately the TPA is correct as there is "temporarily" a decrease in pensioners coming into the system- but on average they get a bigger pension.

 

The decrease in pensioners is due mainly to the number women who have seen their pensionable age rise up to 66+(men to the same age as well).

A plan first introduced by Thatcher's government, retained by labour and accelerated and extended by Cameron's.

 

The increase in cost of the pension has increased more rapidly as more women became entitled to a pension based on their own contribution rather than dependent on the contribution made by their spouse.

 

The new changes will increase the state pension (applicable to a man born on or after 6 April 1951 and a woman born on or after 6 April 1953) but will also save money by denying pensioners of many benefits that current pensioners are entitled to.

You must have 10 years of appropriate contributions* and the maximum applies tor those who have 35+ years contributions.

Amounts are to be announced this year.

 

* might be different for other classes of NI contributions other than of Class 1. more info

 

---------- Post added 08-10-2015 at 11:43 ----------

 

We shouldn't get too excited about ideas at a "thinktank" stage.

It is their job to come up with ideas. Especially ideas that most people wouldn't even consider. Most will be ridiculous and get rejected at the first stage. But they are paid to think and therefore fulfilling that role.

 

Rather like an advertising agency throwing slogans at a manufacturer - only the best ideas get seriously considered.

 

Someone (a newspaper??) got hold of this story, sensationalised it and slanted it as the next definite cost saving initiative

 

The Tax Payers Alliance is a Right Wing pressure group funded in part by billionaires representing those on the far right who promote a low pay, low tax and a low benefit society

 

They may claim to be a think tank but in effect they are a very influential pressure group who campaign for a "low tax society".

Formed (in their own words) by "a group of "libertarian" Conservatives...".

Paid for by business and the wealthy and UKIP sponsors.

They have nothing to do with ordinary people but would themselves benefit from draconian cuts in education, health and welfare spending and in legislation that protects working condition and legal protection of the vast majority of the country.

[El Cid]

haven't pensioners been putting into the system all their lives? surely the folk who haven't put anything in are the unemployed youth and schoolkids.

 

If you believe the Torie rhetoric, that we have scroungers amongst us, they do not disappear at retirement age.

[Hesther]

haven't pensioners been putting into the system all their lives? surely the folk who haven't put anything in are the unemployed youth and schoolkids.

 

 

Get 'em back up the chimneys and down the mines, eh?....and tax 'em to the hilt.

[Vague_Boy]

If you believe the Torie rhetoric, that we have scroungers amongst us

 

Are you saying that the millions who remained unemployed during the so-called growth years of the noughties were just... unlucky?

 

How FOUR MILLION adults have never worked in their lives

 

Clearly there are scroungers. That's been true of all eras and all generations.

 

Unfortunately the Tories don't really seem to be interested in targeting them, preferring to go after groups like the disabled instead.

[sgtkate]

Is this the same Taxpayer's Alliance that set up a 'charitable' arm so that they could funnel funds to the Taxpayer's Alliance without... paying tax?

 

And the same Taxpayer's Alliance that has a director who is a nom-dom for tax purposes so pays no income tax in the UK?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-director-tax

[alchemist]

And the same Taxpayer's Alliance that has a director who is a nom-dom for tax purposes so pays no income tax in the UK?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-director-tax

 

Are you implying perchance that a more accurate name would be the Non-taxpayers Alliance?

[apelike]

Are you saying that the millions who remained unemployed during the so-called growth years of the noughties were just... unlucky?

 

How FOUR MILLION adults have never worked in their lives

 

Clearly there are scroungers. That's been true of all eras and all generations.

 

Unfortunately the Tories don't really seem to be interested in targeting them, preferring to go after groups like the disabled instead.

 

Typical Mail antics with statistics. There is a big difference between people who have not worked and those who have not worked and claiming benefits.

 

The article initially states that that over 4 million adults have never worked in their lives, and tries to make out to the gullible readers that they are scroungers. But.. when you break it down the truth comes out.

 

It states that over 1 Million 16 and 17-year-olds have not worked but that age group also cant claim benefits as they are also not adults.

 

205,000 over 65s had never worked before becoming pensioners because most were mainly women looking after children.

 

Quote:

"But the worst affected group are young people, with more than a third aged between 18 and 24 having never done paid work."

 

Somehow I doubt they took into account those in further education such as going to university. Being jobless does not necessarily mean people are also claiming benefits, something the article fails to acknowledge. But then again what do you expect from the Daily Mail.

[TJC1]

The Taxpayers' Alliance says the government should cut pensioners benefits immediately as many of them will die before they get a chance to vote against them in the next election, whilst others will have forgotten which party cut them.

 

"Mr Wild said the Tories could not wait until a year before the next election to make the necessary cuts to the winter fuel allowance, free bus passes, the Christmas bonus and other pensioner benefits.

 

Mr Wild, who is research director of the think tank which campaigns for lower taxes and highlights examples of Government waste, said the cuts should be made "as soon as possible after an election for two reasons".

 

"The first of which will sound a little bit morbid - some of the people... won't be around to vote against you in the next election. So that's just a practical point, and the other point is they might have forgotten by then."

 

What a lovely chap.

 

Makes a good point. Should of cut pensioners benefits long ago.