The Labour Government

[Vic]

The increase in pensions has been determined by wage growth in the past two years, so it’s a bit silly to suggest that pensioners have done far better than workers recently.

It's not at all silly. 2023 increase was based on inflation (higher than wage growth) and the next two years was based on wage growth (higher than inflation). Do you really not understand how the triple lock works?

 

[hilts]

No, far from it. But when someone comes on moaning about how he's personally worse off because of Starmer and is asked in what way, it's fair enough to expect an answer as to how that is the case. If they said it's because my taxes have gone up and stated how, then fine. But just to make scathing statements on a public forum without the ability to back up the claim just makes them a moaning gobshite.

Not really, even if he couldn't give you a reason making one up or just saying he is concerned about others isn't difficult.

 

[hilts]

Not quite what I said!

Hence general musings, I couldn't be arsed finding and quoting the posts, least you havent denied your general stance on the matter.
The work people are putting in to claim they agreed with Keir in principle no matter how many times he changes his mind is hilarious. Like a politician dying on their arse when called out.

Adults eh?

 

[hampshireblue]

My rates bill has increased by over £300.00 this year. My water bill by around £80.00, gas and electric by about £120.00. My Food bill (conservatively) by £300.00, forgetting TV Licences, Insurances and all the other add on's we have such as general day to day expenses (car fuel, repairs etc...).

Excluding the latter elements my basic, unavoidable living costs have increased by at least £700.00 this year.

At the end of this Parliament I am assured I (in the average) will be £500.00 better off.... I am if I am lucky going to get an increase of around £500-£600 this year on my income - £500 better off in 4 years time - really? And whilst I don't consider myself to be "well off" but at least I don't have a mortgage to pay any more or any rent to pay, my heart goes out to those poor people who do.

To say on average we will ALL be £500 better off at the end of this parliament is quite literally "for the birds".

Found it:

So: your council tax went up by £300? You've either got a very big house, they've got it wrong or you are mistaken. A Band D went up by £150 or 7%. You apparently are double this.

On the other stuff, I'm not sure the government, of whatever persuasion, is actually responsible for the prices that privately owned companies charge. Whilst it is annoying when prices rise, I think you're directing your ire in the wrong direction. Rising prices are nothing new and bearing in mind the previous government was in power when 11% inflation became embedded in the economy, any further prices rises were always going to be painful. Many companies are charging higher prices as things like higher minimum wage kicks in. But that's a good thing that people are getting paid more for working. Having a well-paid workforce should be the aim of all governments. This will inevitably lead to a degree of higher prices. Maybe this is one effect of having a locally sourced but higher paid labour market, but that's what the likes of Reform want.

I don't know if you're a pensioner or not, but if you are, then that is going up by £470 this year if you get the full pension. So only £30 to go for you to be £500 "better off".

Reading your last para, I get the impression that you actually expect to be £500 better off over and above your normal spending-so effectively the govt saying "here Joe, have £500 to put in your savings or put on black or red". Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, you may have taken it a little too literally. How you choose to spend any increase in income is up to you.

I just became "better off" by £250 by renegotiating my Sky bill down. I also became another £100 better off by using less gas and electric. Go and turn those lights off and the thermostat down a degree. I can also save another £500 by getting in the car to go shopping in Tesco rather than walking 200 yds to Waitrose (every little helps). Oh, and my car insurance renewal just FELL by £40!!

By the end of this parliament we will hopefully have seen increases to the tax thresholds which once again will put money into people's pockets.

The long and short of it though is that you're blaming the government for rising prices in and open and free economy and that may not necessarily be the right target for your anger.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Your teacher friend is misinformed or maybe you misheard him? How it works is children receive either DLA (or CDP depending on their circumstances), they do not receive PIP.

At 16 years old they stop receiving their DLA and then have to apply for PIP. One of the arguments is that as they move towards adulthood they may become capable of managing their conditions themselves and so their needs and any allowances might change. The PIP process as has been discussed in other threads is pretty onerous and requires a variety of medical evidence. .

The data is sketchy but there's more evidence of young people losing out in the PIP transition than there is of parents looking to use PIP to get a new benefit. Disability charities like SCOPE are challenging the current process. I don't doubt there's the occasional person trying it on but I would suggest if your friend is characterising this as a major issue for the school then either they have a very unusual school or they're misrepresenting the situation. It could just be frustration at other pressures schools are under like the current SEN crises or the fact that social care funding cuts means schools have been left to be the front line of child social services but without the resources to do it.

Fair enough but PIP or DLA or whatever the point remains the same does it not. The teacher is senior and experienced and she was 100% sure this was a growing problem. Parents are putting pressure on schools to falsely diagnose their children so they can claim money.

 

[BigJoe#1]

Found it:

So: your council tax went up by £300? You've either got a very big house, they've got it wrong or you are mistaken. A Band D went up by £150 or 7%. You apparently are double this.

On the other stuff, I'm not sure the government, of whatever persuasion, is actually responsible for the prices that privately owned companies charge. Whilst it is annoying when prices rise, I think you're directing your ire in the wrong direction. Rising prices are nothing new and bearing in mind the previous government was in power when 11% inflation became embedded in the economy, any further prices rises were always going to be painful. Many companies are charging higher prices as things like higher minimum wage kicks in. But that's a good thing that people are getting paid more for working. Having a well-paid workforce should be the aim of all governments. This will inevitably lead to a degree of higher prices. Maybe this is one effect of having a locally sourced but higher paid labour market, but that's what the likes of Reform want.

I don't know if you're a pensioner or not, but if you are, then that is going up by £470 this year if you get the full pension. So only £30 to go for you to be £500 "better off".

Reading your last para, I get the impression that you actually expect to be £500 better off over and above your normal spending-so effectively the govt saying "here Joe, have £500 to put in your savings or put on black or red". Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, you may have taken it a little too literally. How you choose to spend any increase in income is up to you.

I just became "better off" by £250 by renegotiating my Sky bill down. I also became another £100 better off by using less gas and electric. Go and turn those lights off and the thermostat down a degree. I can also save another £500 by getting in the car to go shopping in Tesco rather than walking 200 yds to Waitrose (every little helps). Oh, and my car insurance renewal just FELL by £40!!

By the end of this parliament we will hopefully have seen increases to the tax thresholds which once again will put money into people's pockets.

The long and short of it though is that you're blaming the government for rising prices in and open and free economy and that may not necessarily be the right target for your anger.

Glad you found it.

 

[hampshireblue]

Glad you found it.

I'm sure you'll digest it and reply shortly. TTFN

 

[Vic]

Found it:

So: your council tax went up by £300? You've either got a very big house, they've got it wrong or you are mistaken. A Band D went up by £150 or 7%. You apparently are double this.

On the other stuff, I'm not sure the government, of whatever persuasion, is actually responsible for the prices that privately owned companies charge. Whilst it is annoying when prices rise, I think you're directing your ire in the wrong direction. Rising prices are nothing new and bearing in mind the previous government was in power when 11% inflation became embedded in the economy, any further prices rises were always going to be painful. Many companies are charging higher prices as things like higher minimum wage kicks in. But that's a good thing that people are getting paid more for working. Having a well-paid workforce should be the aim of all governments. This will inevitably lead to a degree of higher prices. Maybe this is one effect of having a locally sourced but higher paid labour market, but that's what the likes of Reform want.

I don't know if you're a pensioner or not, but if you are, then that is going up by £470 this year if you get the full pension. So only £30 to go for you to be £500 "better off".

Reading your last para, I get the impression that you actually expect to be £500 better off over and above your normal spending-so effectively the govt saying "here Joe, have £500 to put in your savings or put on black or red". Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, you may have taken it a little too literally. How you choose to spend any increase in income is up to you.

I just became "better off" by £250 by renegotiating my Sky bill down. I also became another £100 better off by using less gas and electric. Go and turn those lights off and the thermostat down a degree. I can also save another £500 by getting in the car to go shopping in Tesco rather than walking 200 yds to Waitrose (every little helps). Oh, and my car insurance renewal just FELL by £40!!

By the end of this parliament we will hopefully have seen increases to the tax thresholds which once again will put money into people's pockets.

The long and short of it though is that you're blaming the government for rising prices in and open and free economy and that may not necessarily be the right target for your anger.

So BigJoe was blaming Labour for cost of living stuff mostly down to the previous Tory governments?

Colour me shocked.

 

[Brewster's millions]

It's not at all silly. 2023 increase was based on inflation (higher than wage growth) and the next two years was based on wage growth (higher than inflation). Do you really not understand how the triple lock works?

I understand perfectly, thanks very much.

You’ve had to go all the way back to something determined by the September 2022 inflation data to make some desperate but ultimately false point about how pensioners have recently done so much better than workers.

It’s just a good job you don’t make a fool of yourself with this weird obsession with pensioners.

 

[ganganvince]

It's not at all silly. 2023 increase was based on inflation (higher than wage growth) and the next two years was based on wage growth (higher than inflation). Do you really not understand how the triple lock works?

Triple lock was suspended 22/23

 

[metalblue]

I understand perfectly, thanks very much.

You’ve had to go all the way back to something determined by the September 2022 inflation data to make some desperate but ultimately false point about how pensioners have recently done so much better than workers.

It’s just a good job you don’t make a fool of yourself with this weird obsession with pensioners.

Wayne Rooney likes this post

 

[threespires]

Fair enough but PIP or DLA or whatever the point remains the same does it not. The teacher is senior and experienced and she was 100% sure this was a growing problem. Parents are putting pressure on schools to falsely diagnose their children so they can claim money.

Obviously I can't comment on your mates school but I'm a governor at two schools and we don't have this problem at either as if we did the SLTs would definitely be making us aware of it. I've also never really come across this in any data, educational journalism or regional training/meets ups. Not saying there aren't any chancers knocking about but it doesn't strike me as a widespread phenomenon from what I see. There's plenty of increasing issues with a minority of parents but that's not one that gets brought to our attention.

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

Obviously I can't comment on your mates school but I'm a governor at two schools and we don't have this problem at either as if we did the SLTs would definitely be making us aware of it. I've also never really come across this in any data, educational journalism or regional training/meets ups. Not saying there aren't any chancers knocking about but it doesn't strike me as a widespread phenomenon from what I see. There's plenty of increasing issues with a minority of parents but that's not one that gets brought to our attention.

It could be that CLB lives in an area full of dodgy people who need extra funding to pay for fixing the church roof by those 6 fingered Stokies?

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Obviously I can't comment on your mates school but I'm a governor at two schools and we don't have this problem at either as if we did the SLTs would definitely be making us aware of it. I've also never really come across this in any data, educational journalism or regional training/meets ups. Not saying there aren't any chancers knocking about but it doesn't strike me as a widespread phenomenon from what I see. There's plenty of increasing issues with a minority of parents but that's not one that

Well I haven't made it up, she was adamant and said it an increasing problem. I will add that she is now part of the LT at a school that teachers unruly kids so to speak.

 

[BigJoe#1]

So BigJoe was blaming Labour for cost of living stuff mostly down to the previous Tory governments?

Colour me shocked.

No... you know the Tories are going to fleece you, it's in their DNA - Labour are supposed to be different.

Why are they allowing Water Companies to increase their bills massively yet allow the CEO's and Directors to get huge bonises? Thats what the Tories do... not Labour, unless it's led by Starmer.

We ain't seen anything yet, just wait until the increased NIC's work their way into the price of goods... still you believe what you want to believe _ I won't be taken in by thoer lies and deceit.

 

[threespires]

Well I haven't made it up, she was adamant and said it an increasing problem. I will add that she is now part of the LT at a school that teachers unruly kids so to speak.

Wasn't suggesting you were. I did say unless she has an unusual school which, from your last sentence there, maybe she does?

Anyway you'll have to excuse me as I appear to have cracked a rib laughing at the rags :-)

 

[BigJoe#1]

I'm sure you'll digest it and reply shortly. TTFN

No, I'm not that stupid. If you don't believe me - fine, what I have said is fact.

Labour here Wales are responsible for the Council Tax at all levels, yes and I do have a nice home with very expensive unnecessary Council Tax for very littele services. Labour Nationally are responsible for the governance and direction of organisations such as OFWAT/OFGEM. As for everything else they will continually increase in price.

 

[Vic]

I understand perfectly, thanks very much.

You’ve had to go all the way back to something determined by the September 2022 inflation data to make some desperate but ultimately false point about how pensioners have recently done so much better than workers.

It’s just a good job you don’t make a fool of yourself with this weird obsession with pensioners.

All the way back? Three years to demonstrate how in any one year the pension can be determined by one of three criteria?

A weird obsession about pensioners when the topic is pensions?

Very strange stuff.

 

[Vic]

Triple lock was suspended 22/23

Who was the government then?

 

[mancityvstoke]

I understand perfectly, thanks very much.

You’ve had to go all the way back to something determined by the September 2022 inflation data to make some desperate but ultimately false point about how pensioners have recently done so much better than workers.

It’s just a good job you don’t make a fool of yourself with this weird obsession with pensioners.

Weirdos on here mate …. They’ve all got hard ons for pensioners on £12k a year [emoji23]

Sad fucks