Well that's all right then

[klondike]

Labour bows to winter fuel fury and will save key benefit for pensioners

Sir Keir Starmer will quell pensioners' anger over the axing of the winter fuel payment by protecting other benefits at the Budget, it is understood.

Rachel Reeves is expected to ensure older people continue receiving free prescriptions and bus travel following concerns that scrapping these could form part of Labour's next attack on pensioners.

This follows the Government's decision to axe the up to £300 winter fuel allowance from around 10 million older people.

Speaking to reporters on the way to a Commonwealth summit in Samoa, Sir Keir said: "I'm not going to pre-empt that but we do want to make sure that pensioners are properly protected, of course we do."

MPs, campaigners and pensioners have demanded that his government U-turns on its decision to axe the winter fuel cash without warning in a bid to fill a Treasury blackhole.


https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1966307/labour-budget-winter-fuel-pensioners

"Sir Keir Starmer will quell pensioners' anger"
Well he hasn't quelled mine. Why should I stop being angry about him deducting what I always considered to be just part of the pension? Why should not cancelling the bus pass or free prescritions appease me?
IMO it's akin to them promising to not the pull the toenails of all pensioners. Complete and utter arseholes.

[Scrumpy]

Bloody disgusting..  Keep our  Free  bus pass and Free prescriptions !!!.. Goodie, goodie..

It seems to me that the biggest benefit claimers are the politicians themselves..
  I bet he hasn't taken away any of their 'perks'...

[JBR]

He just doesn't know what to do, does he?

Admittedly, the useless Tories have let things slide over their 14 years.  Unfortunately, the dim lefties don't really know where to turn to try and restore things to how they were.
Letting criminals out of jail to make room for people who object to his rules.
Removing financial help for the old people.
I could go on...

[Raven]

I've given up grousing about the Starmer/Reeves Gang, nothing they do surprises me anymore.

[GrannyMac]

Just sit on the buses keeping warm and popping pills! 🙄

[JBR]

Just sit on the buses keeping warm and popping pills! 🙄

Oh, I think their next trick is to take away our bus passes.  I think that's the only free thing I get.

[klondike]

The bus pass costs them nothing. For large swathes of the day most passengers are pensioners. If they stopped or only substantially stopped travelling the bus companies would have their hands out for a subsidy.

They'd get one too. We all know that mostly empty double deck diesel buses running every 10 or 15 minutes in towns is really really green. Oddly even twice a day isn't considered green for the boondocks.

[Mups]

Bloody disgusting..  Keep our  Free  bus pass and Free prescriptions !!!.. Goodie, goodie..

It seems to me that the biggest benefit claimers are the politicians themselves..
  I bet he hasn't taken away any of their 'perks'...

Exactly.  Well said, JBR.   

If he wants to get more money in,  he should be getting it from the idle rich,  like taking away their expense sheets for a start,   not hitting  the pensioners.

Useless piece of work that man.

[JBR]

Exactly.  Well said, JBR. 

If he wants to get more money in,  he should be getting it from the idle rich,  like taking away their expense sheets for a start,  not hitting  the pensioners.

Useless piece of work that man.

Thanks, but I think that was Scrumps.

I'm not an idle rich, but I have to confess that I am an idle poor.

[GrannyMac]

My oldest grandchild will be going to university next year, the second one two years after, although he may look at the apprenticeship route.  Their parents, in their fifties, are fairly high earners, so will have to pay the full whack of tuition and accommodation.  Any student loans will be minimal. They are saving into their pensions, and are unlikely to ever rely on the state.  Lots of families like them, who started from very ordinary beginnings like ours, but took advantage of opportunities, and worked their nuts off.  This government may not be too kind to them. 

[JBR]

My oldest grandchild will be going to university next year, the second one two years after, although he may look at the apprenticeship route.  Their parents, in their fifties, are fairly high earners, so will have to pay the full whack of tuition and accommodation.  Any student loans will be minimal. They are saving into their pensions, and are unlikely to ever rely on the state.  Lots of families like them, who started from very ordinary beginnings like ours, but took advantage of opportunities, and worked their nuts off.  This government may not be too kind to them.

My opinion regarding university qualifications is that one must be very careful about which specific course to follow.  Many have little or no value when a good job is sought, hence the number of degree-holding shelf-stackers today.  Science, engineering and mathematical courses are, I believe, the most useful when looking for a good, well-paying profession afterwards.  Advise him to do a bit of research beforehand.

What I believe many should do, certainly rather than paying for a particularly worthless university course, is to look for an apprenticeship.  We seem to be a little short of experienced people who offer their skills in the sort of work that most people need in their homes these days.  A newly qualified ex-apprentice would, of course, have to advertise and push himself to gain customers initially, but such people are very much in demand these days.  Worth considering.

[Mups]

Thanks, but I think that was Scrumps.

I'm not an idle rich, but I have to confess that I am an idle poor.

Whoops.   My apologies to you Sir,  and to Scrumps as well.

Put it down to my age. 

[klondike]

I think we probably all have similar problems. For instance I've never been older than I am right now.

[Ashy]

The bus pass costs them nothing. For large swathes of the day most passengers are pensioners. If they stopped or only substantially stopped travelling the bus companies would have their hands out for a subsidy.

I may be wrong but the county councils contract-out most inter-urban bus routes to bus companies. Part of the deal. worth a lot of money, is the bus pass issue. Take away the bus pass and the bus companies will lose a lot of their subsidy. I'm not sure where town bus routes lie in the subsidy chain but I'm fairly sure they don't pay for themselves either.

[GrannyMac]

My opinion regarding university qualifications is that one must be very careful about which specific course to follow.  Many have little or no value when a good job is sought, hence the number of degree-holding shelf-stackers today.  Science, engineering and mathematical courses are, I believe, the most useful when looking for a good, well-paying profession afterwards.  Advise him to do a bit of research beforehand.

What I believe many should do, certainly rather than paying for a particularly worthless university course, is to look for an apprenticeship.  We seem to be a little short of experienced people who offer their skills in the sort of work that most people need in their homes these days.  A newly qualified ex-apprentice would, of course, have to advertise and push himself to gain customers initially, but such people are very much in demand these days.  Worth considering.

She's doing maths, further maths, and two sciences at A level. She's a bright girl, her GCSEs were nearly all 9s and she goes to a selective 6th form college in your county.  Her younger brother will also be looking at those subjects, he's in his GCSE year.  He has already talked about apprenticeships, depends on results and what's on offer.