General Chat

Not just pensions taxable so are other benefits like Carers Allowance ... give with one hand take with the other!

http://www.direct.gov.uk

Just to get this on the front page again. :-)

Thank you Robert for suggesting that I am young. I do receive over £200 and I always felt that the personal allowance of £10500 for someone over 65 seemed a little unfair, not on me, I think its brilliant. But for younger people struggling to work full time and bring up a family to have a much lower personal allowance than a 65 year old doesn't seem right. My biggest financial outlay is paying for gas and electricity. Unlike younger couples struggling to bring up a family,payout for a mortgage, run a couple of cars in order to get to a job miles away feeding and clothing their children and being stung for tax. As an oap I have more disposable income because I no longer drive 50 miles a day, don't have to have a wardrobe of clothes, don't have to go on holiday as life at the moment is one long holiday, don't even eat as much as I did when I was working. Whilst there are a lot of pensioners on the breadline my question now is how many are receiving less than £200 as they would be signing for something that didn't affect them. As I receive over £200 I just don't want to appear greedy.jl

Janet, I cannot disagree with anything you have said, it just seems strange to me that they give tax concessions to the rich at the expense of pensioners.
I am of an age where I qualify for an extra 25p (less tax) on my pension and I feel this could be done away with.

Lucky you Janet if your biggest outgoing is for fuel.
There are tens of thousands of pensioners who have to pay rent, or have still got mortagages. Try paying those out of 200 pounds per week, or very often less.

I do consider myself lucky, not rich, there is a difference and like everyone else there are other outgoings such as rates,telephone, broadband etc..

Looking at the 2013-2014 personal tax it has been raised for everyone including the now under 65's to £9205, a difference of £1295 from the present £10,500. Dividing that by 5 giving the extra tax payable( 20p in the pound) compared with the now over 65's is £259 cash in hand. As oaps we get a £200 cash fuel allowance making a difference of £59 compared with much younger people. We get a bonus of £10 at Christmas giving us a difference of £49. Together with free bus passes which save as much as the local bus service charge, which is more than any £49. Together with concessions for many things that the younger people don't get.
I take on board what you have said Robert regarding the concessions to the rich-jl

Janet, I have just been out to treat myself to a Greggs pasty before the VAT goes on!!!

Lol,Robert. I sometimes treat myself, on a Sunday of all days, because I walk passed one of their shop in the town and get the aroma of a pasty. If there is a queue, that means I have to do without. No queue, means I have to go and buy.-jl


Edit: Will have to practice that Barnsley War Cry 'Ow Much??!!!