If the cap has increased I'm glad I took the Octopus fix when it was offered. I went by Money Saving Expert advice on whether to take a cap or not.

OHs £250 had arrived this morning, still waiting for mine.  I wish they'd stop saying all pensioners get £500 or £600.  Pensioner couples don't, it's per pensioner household. 

I do the same - regular monthly payments

I must be one of the unlucky 0.1% now as there is still not a sniff of it here.

I see the £10 Christmas Bonus is MAYBE going under review. We were just talking about it the other day and wondering why it's never gone up. I didn't realise it had been 51 years though. People are now starting to ask questions as to WHY.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67787666

All the extras should have either been bundled into the base pension or be subject to the annual increase.

Things have got tough for the young too thanks to successive governments not properly ensuring that social housing was kept in line with the population. I had my own house before I was 21 and my parents had to stand as guarantors on the mortgage. It was a local council mortgage too I think. Most youngsters these days can't even afford rental till they are older than that.

December 22, 2023, 01:51:18 PM
Still no sign of my winter cash yet either.

I was lucky I had my first wee flat when I was just 16. I'd just gone full time in a job I'd been doing since I was 14, after school and Saturdays.
I fought like mad with my mother most of my young life and was determind to get the hell out from under her thumb. I went looking and found this wee attic flat, more a room and kitchen, with a toilet out on the landing, BUT IT WAS MINE. The rent was £4 a week and the electric meter was 2 shilling bits, I only used a £1 a week. Didn't leave much for food, clothes ect but I was happy.
I'd got a yearly pass for the old swimming baths and was there several times a week, also in the next street was a Laundry that I used on a Sunday morning.....Happy Days.

Room and kitchen!  Better than a single end! I remember flats like those, with whole families in them.  Our first flat in the 60s was two rooms, a kitchen living room and a bedroom.  We had a loo, but no bath.  There were several families in similar flats, often with shared toilets on the 'pletties'(outside platforms).  

Quote from: klondike on December 22, 2023, 01:50:28 PMAll the extras should have either been bundled into the base pension or be subject to the annual increase.

Things have got tough for the young too thanks to successive governments not properly ensuring that social housing was kept in line with the population. I had my own house before I was 21 and my parents had to stand as guarantors on the mortgage. It was a local council mortgage too I think. Most youngsters these days can't even afford rental till they are older than that.

December 22, 2023, 01:51:18 PM
Still no sign of my winter cash yet either.

Strange you've had nothing.  Hope it turns up soon. 🤞🏼 

We tried to get a council mortgage (they were pushing them) on an old terrace house after we moved to Doncaster, we'd had a council flat in Scotland, always rented.  We were turned down because my OH was self employed.   Saved a bit more and got a mortgage for a new house that cost twice as much. 

Neither of my kids had mortgages til they were early thirties.  One worked all over the UK and abroad, before she settled back here, the other didn't find well paid employment til his mid 20's and was quite happy sharing rentals til he met his now wife.   They pooled their growing resources and a few years ago traded up to a big old house with lots of land.  They'll probably downsize to help the grandkids.

I agree about the lack of social housing, yet its only 20 or so years ago when lots of Northern councils had plenty.  Some were demolished, but the rise in population due to immigration, plus the increased numbers of single parent and single person households have all contributed to the shortage. 

Agggg Don't get me started on the sale of Council Houses. I couldn't understand why my daughter couldn't get her first mortgage for the rented flat she had. She was working in Insurance for Swinton and earned a good enough wage, Anyway the monthly payment on the mortgage was £75 a month less than she was paying in rent, yet the lender told her she didn't earn enough and couldn't afford the repayment.....WHAAAAT

I just checked back and it turned up at the end of November and I didn't spot it for some reason 

Quote from: klondike on December 23, 2023, 11:49:10 AMI just checked back and it turned up at the end of November and I didn't spot it for some reason 

REALLY Klondie, You need a wee bit more water in your whisky.

Quote from: GrannyMac on December 23, 2023, 11:03:07 AMRoom and kitchen!  Better than a single end! I remember flats like those, with whole families in them.  Our first flat in the 60s was two rooms, a kitchen living room and a bedroom.  We had a loo, but no bath.  There were several families in similar flats, often with shared toilets on the 'pletties'(outside platforms). 

Room & kitchen!!

I last heard that term used by my ex-wife when she described where she lived, as a young child, before her family moved into a new semi on 'the scheme'.

You're another member with a Scottish connection Phil, I hadn't realised.  My OH grew up on a scheme, nice when they moved there in the 50s, but by the late 60s it was rough.

Can't believe you've had your dosh and didn't notice klondike!  😳

I 'stayed' in a prefab in Cambuslang for a while.  The next place was a council house in Rutherglen.  The prefab had aluminium windows (I think) lots of condensation.