"Is this Labour's first big mistake?" | James O'Brien on LBC
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- With winter fuel payments scrapped for ten million pensioners as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' cuts to fill a "black hole" in public finances, James O'Brien asks:
'Does this mark the first big misstep of Keir Starmer's government?'
Rachel Reeves said: "I'm making the difficult decision that those not in receipt of pension credit or certain other means-tested benefits will no longer receive the winter fuel payment from this year onwards.
"The Government will continue to provide winter fuel payments worth £200 for households receiving a pension credit of £300 to households in receipt of pension credit with someone over the age of 80.
"Let me be clear, this is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it the one that I expected to make, but these are the necessary and urgent decisions that I must make."
00:53 - James O'Brien believes 'the government have got this wrong'.
08:15 - Caller Lesley shares her mother Isabel's situation, explaining that she is 'pennies over the threshold'.
Listen to the full show on Global Player: app.af.globalp...
#jamesobrien #labour #ukpolitics #pension #LBC
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If there is short of money MPs need to stop using tax payers money to heat their homes they get 98,000 pounds a year pay WHY DO THEY NEED IT
@@brendaseward-k3q it’s the constituency home. It’s a work expense. Same as in any job.
They don't need it.its their perk.should be ashamed to take it.
@@danh5637what the same in any job.!I can't remember getting any expenses.
@@slimetimetv8517 if you’re doing things for your job. You get work expenses. If you spend petrol travelling to clients for instance you claim that back on your work expenses. It’s fairly standard. 🤷♂️
I agree 32k a year is more than enough
Money is only tight when the govt wants to withhold money from the public; it's never right when it's for the rich.
The UK has one of the smallest pension in Europe. Where’s all the money gone?
Remaining.
The UK also has a much lower NI rate than other countries and a favourable tax regime to encourage people to pay the tax savings in to private pensions. You reap what you sow.
Tax havens.coutts bank accounts.just asking the question that needs to be asked.
Oh and the rich usually don't pay their fair share
New arrivals& there hotels, that’s where
As a pensioner who has just lost winter fuel payment, and who fully supported this government being elected. What really upset me was that after just a week Racheal Reeves took it on herself to cancel this payment, she didnt even wait to see what these price rises would be. This policy was decided on, before even one ballot was cast.
I am in the same frame of mind and in the same situation. On hearing about this disastrous move, I immediately cancelled my membership of the party, and I hope thousands of others have done the same. Why did they not increase tax on capital gains and the outrageous bonuses paid to the greedy CEOs. Surely a measly 1% extra would have covered it? Instead they pick on the poor pensioners again. I will never vote for these turncoats again, the tory rabble did it often enough, without labour starting the same practises. She should be ashamed of herself.
Of course it was decided beforehand- that's called planning. It is correct to means test this subsidy. I too am a pensioner- if you need it you'll get it.
@@richardhowlett4097 really? Cancelled your membership like a whiny child- I don't believe you- if you were a member you've now lost any say in policy.
@@brianharris7243 I beg to differ, everyone has a different financial position. You say you are a pensioner, do you pay £600.00 a month rent!.
So you saying that the politicans lied ? 😮 i am shocked I tell you
I just want the prices set back to normal and the companies making stupidly big profits put straight and limited to what they can make us pay the fat cats,
THIS is the solution.
They won't tax themselves will they, they are all multi millionaires on the Labour front bench. They will smash pensioners instead. Taxing state pension, lump sums, and taking away the fuel payment. Whilst Starmer has organised himself a tax free pension.
Labour said they would control these price hikes, I wonder if these MP's will still be claiming for their 'SECOND HOMES'. Are Labour really the party of the working class, or just wolves in sheeps clothing.
Not how inflation works unfortunately
@@paulbird3235 They are claiming for their second homes, it's free electric and Gas too. Kerching!
As a card carrying member of the Labour party, I was shocked by this.
Goes against all the party stands for, if revenue is needed to be raised go after the rich not the poor.
Starmer needs to act on this,energy comps targeting the poor
The Labour party is supposed to stand for not having anyone be poor.
But you must know that this is not the Labour Party, but a party which first called itself ‘New Labour’, in 1997, Mrs Thatcher’s greatest achievement! 9:22
They said they was another li got to go
More fool you for actually being a member
The first mistake was people voting for them.
For whom should they have voted? Lol
Well you backed him, James. Starmer is your darling despite breaking every single pledge but you still backed him and now you're surprised he's breaking more?
Remember when ‘Warm banks’ used to be called ‘Libraries’ 🤔🤨
If money is so tight, increase the tax for the billionaires.
ye because they will stick around. how about stop giving money out for free. Scrap benefits and child allowance. reduce tax and more people will have more money.
@@keirmitchell5560If the billionaires and large corps aren't being taxed properly then you're giving them money for free. People and entities that ostensibly don't need it.
Why? Go work for your money!
@nitsujism that's the sort of thing the idle say. Tossed it off their whole life, never invested in an alarm clock.
@@limpethead That doesn't make it not true though. My statement holds with or without a welfare system or 'idle' whataboutery.
Big big mistake Tax the rich more!!!
Just have a smaller government.
We wouldn’t need to be taxed so much then.
Why? Because you're not rich and/or a benefits scrounger?
@@Ipdex What a berk. The rich have got so much richer over the last decade and the poor have become even poorer. That's why.
The truth is energy is overpriced as a direct result of government incompetence
The PREVIOUS government
More specifically remaining.
because the tories sold it off. and lets not forget this was done before anyone under 50 could vote!
@@richardgallagher4880 leaving the EU hiked our energy costs. remaining kept them lower.
@kanedNunable
🇺🇦remain x4 our gas price.
It cost us 400bn in the first 6months.
Why lie?
MPs get their entire fuel bill paid, all we want is a little help to pay the bills. People should be able to opt out if they feel they don't need the payment.
@Johncatto
Only if they have to have a second home to fulfil their duties. It is often cheaper than paying travelling and hotel costs.If they have this then they can't claim hotel costs when in Westminster. London MPs cannot claim.
Taking off pensioners on half the minimum wage & give it to themselves on 90k a year with expenses on top. These people have no moral compass.
I loose fuel allowance Even with it last winter I wore winter clothing in my flat I’m 72 and I’m over the ceiling with income I’m dreading this winter coming I’ve also got worsening health issues I’m a lifelong Labour Party member I’m gutted
Why punish the loyal people who voted labour back in power
As an aside What about Dido Harding £37billion
Along with Lady Moan £280million etc etc Clawing that back would make a start in making savings in the countries deficits
It's your fault we're in this mess.
@@richardgallagher4880 No it is not, it's corrupt tory governments who created these problems. Everything they did was to make the wealthy filthy rich and the workers poorer. They succeeded and achieved their goal.
@@richardgallagher4880 🤡🤡🤡
@@richardgallagher4880 Why??? And this remark is horrible.
@annepoitrineau5650
You don't know what it is that you thinks horrible?
If your £5 over the threshold then pay them £5 less on their winter payment don’t deny them any payment at all
@@leewooler8033 now that's too sensible for politicians to have thought about.they might even have thought about raising the threshholds.oh no that's too sensible as well.
The level is set to low. I get the basic pension of £168 per week ,my small works pension takes me above the level for pension credit or any other help. I worked and paid all dues the government took out my weekly wage, plus I paid into my works pension scheme. I'm 78 years old suffer ill health and absolutely disgusted that we are being treated like this by a government that is supposed to represent/treat every British citizen equally. Shame on this Labour government,every Labour MP in Westminster, for allowing this to happen. Are they all to scared to speak out or do they agree with this , that's a question I'd really like publicly answered.
The problem is, you can't justify NOT scrapping the two child benefit limit, but keep giving handouts to pensioners.
Pensioners have had their entire life to save for the situation of them getting old. A baby is just born so doesn't even have that opportunity.
Everyone's going to have to pay for this mess finally that's been kicked down the road. I think the free £300 is going to be peanuts compared to how much working people are going to have to pay and, hopefully, how much the wealthiest who got us in this problem will pay.
But we should be glad someone is finally addressing the issues, not just pleading ignorant and more tax cuts etc.
@@jackperry2821 That's assuming people were paid enough to be able to save for the future. I went to work to earn enough money to be able to go to work the next week. Wages were low and there were no pension schemes for workers in the jobs that I did. I was happy that deductions from my wages were to pay for national health insurance for the NHS and my pension. The trouble is that over the years, several governments have cut pensions a few times, rather than hit the higher earners with a small rise in tax. The tories lied, so why can't labour raise tax?
@@richardhowlett4097 No they have had a life of paying sky high taxes to receive the lowest pension in the western world.
@@jackperry2821 well let's see how much you save for your retirement as you go through life paying your taxes and household bills see how you fair on a pension .hope you save as much as you hoped .life often throws curveballs your way.and you may need to dig into savings as travel down that long winding path.
@@stuartregan1627 we are paying more tax now than ever
@slimetime I will, I’m not against the heating help, but if we can’t pay for a extra child, we can’t pay for people who had all their life to save.
It’s a big shock as the tories have been cotton wooling pensioners as their the biggest voter base, but that time has ended.
Take the energy allowance away for MP's second houses, Why should they receive this benifit when there on a minimum of £85000 a year + a lot more for minister. Not to mention the 2nd & 3rd jobs MP's have, 12 million pensioners will have there revenge on Starmer & Labour. Wait & see.
A couple with 2 children can earn £120000 and receive over£40 a week in child benefits , a pensioner whose income is above £215 a week loses the winter fuel benefit, something not right there😮😮😮😮
And we had the same old helpful message from that absolute shill Martin Lewis…
“Hello I’m Martin Lewis. You’re being totally robbed yet again by people who are going to keep taking and taking until you have nothing left. But don’t worry because I’m delighted to let you know, I have a way to make it much easier for them to destroy your life… so listen carefully..”
It’s insane how so many people confuse this guy for somebody who’s trying to help us…
The couple's taxes are paying for the pensioner's pension
So where did the tax go to that today's pensioners paid all their working lives
@@kevinberrett to pensioners claiming their pension at the time? I'm 37 and probably won't even get a state pension. I agree they deserve a state pension after working and paying in all their lives but the fact is millions of pensioners don't need the payment (and millions do). Something needs to be done that meets everyone's needs
@@MattBooth Pensioners have already paid their taxes for decades to receive a livable pension. Not one half the minimum wage.
I am a pensioner! I have two work related pensions and receive nearly twice the average wage each year. I have no mortgage so, why should I get free public transport and a heating allowance when some young "working" people don't have enough to feed their children or pay rent. I have greedy friends who get new glasses each year just because they are free.
You are part of the few who receive extra pension. I bet you never once returned the winter fuel allowance you received though, did you? Even though you admit you never needed it you took it anyway. Hypocrisy stench.
@@cornishmaid9138
I give the fuel allowance to my local hospice, and I have never had a bus pass I buy my ticket for each journey, I also buy a TV licence.
Exactly, many of us share your sentiments
Thats 1 example in an entire country
Also pensioners in the UK as a demographic are the richest section of society. Admittedly in many cases this is due to the ridiculous profits we have made from property while youngsters can't even rent.
Thousands of pensioners cheered and clapped for Starmer at the Labour conferences, I wonder if they would now?😂
Same for Boris , same for truss, same for Cameron…… Uncle Nigel is no different
The Govt would rather send £11b abroad in so called aid while their own population freezes. Don’t forget this.
Don't blame the other - and old tactic on blaming immigrants , asylum seekers and foreigners.
@@IrfanAli-qp1gm this is not blaming them, its blaming a government that will spend those billions abroad to many countries that dont need it, they are not means tested instead of spending it in house to warm our pensioners.
Rachael Reeves has probably never had to worry about heating in her life.
I’m a pensioner and if I’m really honest, I don’t need that extra £300, but maybe the threshold for pension credits should be raised.
I'm in the same boat. I was a tory but voted reform this time. I remember when I had my daughter and was working on the oil rigs I didn't need child support but couldn't give it back. I'm a pensioner now and but don't receive the £300 anyways, but I also wouldn't;t need it and would have tried to return it. But - Labour will just use that money to give it to benefits scroungers and public sector workers - they're voting base. This will be the worst Govt we've had for decades.
@@Ipdex Really, what do you think of the last fourteen years? All hunky dory?
It's easy to do it on a sliding scale. They already do it with universal credit for people who work, the tech capability exists so there's no reason they can't.
Aa a Labour voter. I an honestly disappointed and disgusted with Labour. If they don't sort this out I don't think I could support them again. But will never vote Conservative.
Reform!
they won't sort it, they're in the pockets of the rich. I was a Labour voter too but refused to vote for this iteration, people were warned that they'd be just as bad as the tories....I voted Green at the last election and encourage you to do the same
It keeps people out of the hospital Scotland did a trial, paying for patience fuel bills and it kept them out of, hospital
I’m not a labour fan but I thought they were for the poor but let’s face it take it away and then the heating price goes up this is why Scotland calls them the red torys
When Starmer was asked 'Westminster or Davos', without hesitation he said Davos.
A truly wealthy country should be able to guarantee a minimum standard of living for everyone.
For that to be guaranteed at all times, then it must be for EVERYONE.
How about the MPs take a hit too, let them give up their second home allowances. And ffs tax the super rich.
The rich have already started leaving the UK. 3 of my very well off russian neighbours left this summer.
This is reality. I can’t get help so the £300 has gone. Now the cap has gone up so I’m hit by £500. Then I lost the extra payment from the conservatives so in two years I’m down £790 on a pension of £2400 over that three month winter period. I can’t do without any more food, so I have to go out and collect sticks from the woods for a fire. At 80 I’m worse off than my Nan was after the war years. It’s shocking.
This is an own goal by the Labour party which will come back to haunt them…one way or another.
With the fuel prices rises set to bounce upwards approaching £180 shortly Labour chose this time to remove this benefit for pensioners leaves a severe sour taste when the public is well aware that energy companies are, and there can be no doubt about this, gouging the customers for all they are worth making massively obscene profits and that this is actually being facilitated by the government is a double kick in the nuts for the public.
That these energy companies will then go on to take full advantage of offshores to engineer tax breaks only adds to the insult when you understand that had we remained in the EU they would be forced to pay their due taxes in the country they earned them, in this case the Uk because they are certainly not getting away with this in any of the EU countries.
Just send your energy bills to Baroness Moane
People often forget that means testing requires administrative costs in themselves. Sometimes the obsession with means testing means that money that could be given to someone who doesn't need it so much instead disappears into the bureaucracy.
10 million won’t vote labour next time
Most of them don't anyway.
800,000 households who are eligible do not claim pension credit. So the poorest of pensioners will suffer most.
Tax the rich.....
What do you want to bet thst it is the rich, who have accountants, who are claiming for this bennefit
@@AlejandroMonteagudo it was sent automatically to everyone receiving a state pension.
Isn't that kinda their fault? They should be claiming what they're entitled to
@@mah5262 fault and blame should not obscure reality.
@@gillbrown4077 Fault and blame are key factors of reality
The issue is simply that a full state pension is way below the National Living Wage! How can that be?
Labour should be ashamed of what they have done to pensioners shame on them absolutely disgusting and appalling 😢
Matt Hancock wants his pint holding.
There is a debate to be had on where you draw the line, but we have got to stop thinking that all pensioners are hard up and on the tipping point of poverty. I've met plenty of pensioners who take cruises or half a dozen holidays each year who do not need the winter fuel allowance.
And how many are on Universal Credit who shouldn't be? And in social housing but still holidaying throughout the year? The priorities are all wrong, as usual with the party of envy
No social housing and a large percentage of pensioners font have housing costs. Therefore, drop payments to the large amount that have financial stability and remove it for the rest. I won't go on about cutting back or don't buy the tv times etc. Just help those that done have the income to cover those bills, which is what is being done. The Tories have created this situation. Why is everyone so sore that Labour now has to make cuts on wealthier pensioners.
@@Tr1ckadyI would say it's because it's punching down instead of punching up at the real scroungers, big business's and corporations. Reeves claimed thousands in fuel costs, does she need that money, she earns enough to pay for it herself using the logic of pensioners who are to rich to get the winter fuel allowance that she is using herself. In simpler terms it's hypocrisy
The first people they gunned for were the elderly and disabled. Now if they'd decided to make their corporate mates pay more and the super wealthy and then realise they might need to cut some benefits at least they'd thought about it but no, straight for the most vulnerable.
Plenty? I struggle to pay the bus fare into town.
Simple Solution: Cost of shopping, rent, living has doubles. So, the wages and pensions need to be doibled ro keep!.
What is te point of having pay or pension increased if they do not kept up with RPI!..
Every pensioner who has a Labour MP should contact them them that if they stop the winter fuel paymemts then they have list their vote. Starmer woukd jave to take notice if his MPs had been bombarded with angry pensioners.
No one would take notice, once they are in they stay in and will never give up power by relenting to public pressure. They are glued to their seats and care not if you freeze your marbles off.
Don’t care but they will!!
Unfortunately I think Labour will be the final nail in the coffin for this country, I believe the poor will keep getting poorer and will be taxed even more. I unfortunately see know future here for anyone to get ahead and I will be leaving this country within the next year.
I would like to leave too I knew starmer was terrible news but even I didn’t realise it would nose dive this quick
How long have you been thinking about this?
I can not stand this man! He flip flops more than Starmer! He is playing the caring card
for this episode! What's the matter? Too many people stating how arrogant and bias he usually is, and downright rude & obnoxious!!!
The fact he asked "is this the only solution - and is it fair?" says it all. - If the Tories did this he would tell everyone how utterly disgraceful it is. As its Labour his narrative is along the lines of "needs must". So blindly obvious its embarrassing.
All this anger over 2bn. Just tax O’Brian more.
@johnrussell3961 I'm not sure you can tax virtue can you? If so, we'd be able to get plenty from his ilk!
O’Brien, his name is literally in front of you.. and as for taxing he’ll probably like it..
My dad is 5 pounds over the threshhold so cant claim pension credits. If he claimed PC he would get free council tax, free prescriptions glasses dental etc.. he is £5 over so pays for all of this in full and loses his winter fuel payment .. has already used his savings.. this is so wrong
I am 63a nd not in receipt of the SRP yet, but I don't pay for prescriptions, so how come your dad does?
Where is his income coming from? Can’t you draw down the capital by buying something “necessary”? Then his income can legally by reduced to below the cut-off.
@@violetlondon5497 The full state pension is over the threshold by about a fiver.
Either lower fuel bills at source from greedy energy giants. Or higher the pension credit cap limit. And drop politicians income. Bring it in line with someone who really work for a living. Or is that to difficult of a decision to make. Labour are becoming the voice of toryism.
What happened to all this free money they were gonna collect from billionaires?
Why don’t they stop the energy companies charging so much we need to take back the energy companies the benefits are going straight to the stock exchange i sympathise with the pensioners who will struggle but we’re all struggling paying bills it’s crucial we do something about the energy suppliers and the way they conduct their business and finance
That's set in legislation, Tory legislation.
if this was tories you’d be going mad , but no you make excuses !
I was always worried that having inherited the worst economic situation and gross financial mismanagement and dubious PPC contracts, Labour Party will immediately be blamed for all the mess, that Tories were responsible for creating over 14 years. Labour is just 7 weeks old, and they are expected to solve all this mess, by a quick wave of their magic wand. Let us give them time, please🙏
Oh for goodness sake they have various choices they can make, taxing the fuel companies massive profits or the billionaires who avoid paying their tax would be a better solution
@@firebyrd437 Introducing new taxes/benefits or changing existing taxes/benefits requires legislation via a Finance Bill, aka a Budget. Labour need a few months in office before they can gather all the information they need to produce a budget - just look what happened when Kwasi Kwarteng cocked it up. Means testing an existing benefit can be done immediately without needing legislation. The Chancellor needed to show the money markets that she was going to act on the fiscal mess Labour inherited. It is quite possible that the taxes you suggest will feature in the October budget, which might leave room to minimise the pain of means testing the winter fuel allowance. But as many people have commented elsewhere, plenty of pensioners don't actually need the allowance.
They supported the cl0sedown😂😂😂
They've also just lost 30trillion rejoining.
Cope harder.
@richardgallagher4880 who's just lost £30T to rejoin where?
@@firebyrd437 Why weren't you bleating on about this a couple of months ago?
Labour's biggest mistake? The biggest mistake was voting these muppets into power.
Yes you stick with reform.
@@spangoz1000they couldn't do any worse than the red torys
After 14 years of the torys it was inevitable
@@Guyfaulkes1605it just has !
Stop the MPs expenses and lower thier wage apparently minimum wage is livable. Prove it
All bennefits should be means tested. We can argue as to where that line is, but giving wealthy people free money simply because of age was tory pandering to scoping votes
Exactly.
Yup
other benefits are means tested btw. just not ones for pensioners
The cost of the means testing can often be higher than any savings from restricting it. It's one of the most compelling arguments for a UBI how much more efficiently the money would be spent.
I have voted Labour most of my life, never again, I like many other people are just over the limit to receive pension credit. I won’t be putting my heating on this winter as the greedy fuel companies are putting up fuel costs by 10% shortly. These politicians won’t be suffering will they? I’m disgusted with Labour and they will never get my vote again.
Sorry, but your outrage is over the top. I am a pensioner and losing this will be felt, but I CAN stand it, and also I want the 2kids benefit cap to be scrapped. A lot of pensioners can stand it. The big question is: will this only apply to pensioners who can stand it?
Its means tested, the rich pensioners dont need it and its sod all money anyway per household.
Yes, but there are pensioners who are entitled to pension credits and are not getting them. It is therefore essential that these pensioners get what is owed them by law.
Have you got old folks living with you are you taking there money away from them and letting them die in the cold 🥶🥶
Trust Labour no way
This is what happens when you elect a right-wing government.
The amount of the winter fuel payments is derisory given the rise in fuel prices, £200 doesn't touch it. I am a pensioner and I am "outraged" that the payment goes nowhere near touching the fuel charges for my (mortgage free 4 bedroom) house (Thanks LIz). This money should be targeted at all those who NEED it. £218.15 is way to low.
It would be better to have it on a sliding scale based on totality of income. I've cerebral palsy and circulatory problems my hands and feet are always cold.I worked and have a small occupational pension which just means I don't get pension credit as I'm £2 over the limit.
They can stop eating avocado toast and subscribing to Netflix first before they complain.
Brilliant comment 👏🏻
Oh, you are funny! You should be on the stage: sweeping it!
That comment was so gammony I'm having it with pineapple
Yeah because £215.88 per year (Netflix Premium subscription) saved is going to put a massive dent into a house deposit for this generation 😂😂😂
You should be on the stage,the next one out of town.
We should have a land tax on the rich.
Why? Jealousy?
@@Ipdex Its the most effective way to tax the rich.
@@Nemo59646 Starting with Charlie
Even tories didnt do this unbelievable
Could that be because they relied on the pensioners' vote?
They skipped the triple lock when inflation went into double figures going against their 2019 manifesto pledge.
So Pensioners' cold weather payment goes on slush money to appease rail workers and junior doctors etc
O,BRIEN YOU SHOULD GIVE YOUR WAGES BACK AS YOUR NOT WORTH IT,ETHICS YOU HAVE NO ETHICS
He’s all for Labour I was till found out the lies
The only mistake Labour made was forgetting that the elderly are more likely to vote than the younger generation, that’s just facts, look at Brexit, the elderly mostly voted leave and the younger people are paying the price for it.
And how many have voted Tory for year, after year, after year.......
And which way do they vote?
Well most still vote Tory
Labour are not making “mistakes” under Kier Starmer, he knows exactly what he does,
😂😂😂😂
@@veronicasavage1182 Are you Kamala Harris…!?! That was a great impression..!?
The irony of it. When you are old and shivering through winter nights with the heating off, remember the Conservatives had enough heart to keep the elderly warm. Labor does not. Class war takes precedence.
Cap energy prices, bring back nationalised power, rail, water, stop private health care contracts and fund the NHS.
Must be nice to live on a different planet.
Maybe nice to live on a planet where the tory media do not spout the proporganda that the tories always look after your interests instead of privatising in sight,which has devastated our infrastructure.
@@hughiemg2 it's easily done, especially after closing all tax loopholes and seizing assets of anyone trying to suddenly offshore money.
I have 2.3 million in the bank and I get the winter fuel allowance.... There is no system not to receive it. ... Madness !
Give it to charity if u dont need it.
That's very nice for you but there are millions who are poor even with a small occupational pension
@allykhan8594 how do you know they don't?
@@Wimblefish he was complaining he had too much, giving the Too much away will eliviate his problem.
@@allykhan8594 still costing the rest of us a fortune to give our money to people who are more wealthy than us!
I work in a casino, and a man who puts down 1-10k per day on roulette, somtimes 2k on just one spin, was complaining to me about labour taking away his £300 fuel allowance
There are lots of people who do not need it and means testing is fair, but maybe in need of a system where if you are £5 over, you get £5 less, if youre 250 over the threshold, you only get £50 as a way to balence it
Reeves was a lefty at Uni , one wonders if her time at the BOE turned her into an Osbourne economist
Rishi crashed the world, Liz crashed the UK.
Strange how this government are allowig these utility company's put up prices by over 9% (when inflation is suppose to be 2.5%) Yet on the other hand they think pesioners can afford to loose their fuel payment and pay the large price hike, stink's a bit "RICH" to me. 🤔😒😝......
This was discussed on Nicky Campbell too... Seemingly applying for Pension credit is a (are you ready for this) 243 question document... to be filled in on line... one man very IT savvy had to fit it in for his father and it took him 4 months to get the payments... what about Mrs Smith 86 who doesn't do the internet. She's frail, no family around her, She has the heat on in one room only... meanwhile RR and Starmer and their kids have to turn the heating DOWN!!!!!
Labour are sowing the seeds of discontent. What happened to the extra taxes energy companies making huge profits by price gouging were going to be made to pay ?
Cut the more than £3000 fuel allowance for MPs
First mistake?
Other mistakes???
The Labour Government have made a huge mistake by snatching the Winter Fuel Allowance from many vulnerable pensioners, most are not as wealthy or well off as many would have you believe. A large number of pensioners cannot apply for pension credit because their income can be over by a pound or two over the threshold. An answer would be to raise the threshold sensibly so that these pensioners do not fall through the net and not be punished for being old. No attempt has been made seemingly to undertake an impact assessment ignoring a high energy rise due this winter. Yes, I think this cruel action will damage Labour as it would the Tories if they were in power. You seem to think By-Elections won't make any difference as future people protest as they certainly will. But if their votes go to Reform, their larger presence could make it very uncomfortable for Kier Starmer. And once a Prime Minister flounders on the ropes it is hard to get off them. If there is a hard winter with a likelihood of significant cold-related deaths because of the cuts on Keir Starmer's policy, Labour may well not recover from the fury of the scandal.
I will not vote labour again! I’m not a pensioner but why punish people who need it???
Those on benefits will still get it. The rest have assets and can afford to downsize
@@mah5262you're not right there's a lot of people who only just above the threshold and you've got to understand that these people have put money into the system all their life when you get older you will feel the same🤔
@@Greengoblin-qk6kq "As of 2020, 79% of people aged 65 and older in England live in a home they own, with 74% owning outright and 4.6% paying off a mortgage"
Most of them could downsize if they have trouble making up a £200 difference, no?
Please do not forget what the tories did to everybody! It was much worse.
@@mah5262 So you want a person to move out of their family home because of a government policy? Some of those folk could have lived in their home all their lives.
Rishi Sunak suggested this and Keir Starmer blasted him for it. If the Tories had gone through with it James would be the first to call the heartless vultures lets be honest.
The easist way to deal with who gets benefits that they need is to give it to everybody and let taxes sort out the difference. That way nibody has to check and everybody who needs it gets it. And those who dont need it pay out way more tax anyway
Yes. A universal basic income which covers all necessities - housing, food and energy. Then, as you say, let taxes sort everything else out.
Wake up. If you are on pension credit you keep the winter fuel payments
I'm totally disgusted by the many comments made about pensioners, the majority are not wealthy and have worked all their lives to get the smallest pension in Europe. A small occupational pension taking you just above the threshold for pension credit means that this winter when price rises are factored in that even with the winter fuel allowance you would just break even on heating costs from last year. Train drivers on average will get a pay rise averaging £8,000, the basic state pension is £8,400 but pensioners are the greedy ones. I'm now in the position of having to apply to see if I can claim pension credit, something I really don't really want to do and I find that upsetting.
Its not right James...labour is said to be for the poorer people of the uk...not any more.. sad to say...😢
They never said in their manifesto they’d cut the winters fuel allowance for pensioners. Had they done so they would have lost the election. Not only would they have lost the gray vote, but also lost the votes of the families of pensioners.
So they were dishonest so they didn’t lose the election. Can you hear yourself?
'Ask us no questions, we'll tell you no lies' & 'do as we say, not as we do' plus 'don't look here, look over there' are the Labour mottos
Most things are not in a party's manifesto
They're liars and criminals. The starmer regime is a disgrace
So what was your alternative? Tories, Reform? Lets face it, Tories deserved to lose and Labour got the opportunity to govern with more prudence, honesty and dignity than Tories. I would rather have a sincere, honest and truthful government rather than a lying, cheating and bunch of greedy politicians, trying to grease their palms, in evry crooked deals and contracts.
The *BIG* mistake was made by the people who voted for Labour, who are now finding what a lovely, cuddly party they are.....
These are pensioners that are not claiming benefits so why should they need a handout? Also these are the same pensioners that own their own homes after buying them for a fiver and not only dragged us out of the EU but have have been voting Tory for 14 years - all while telling younger people struggling to live to simply "stop buying expensive coffees" if they want to buy a house. Maybe they should take their own advice now and start getting their shopping from Aldi rather than Waitrose. The ones who need help will get help, but the rest have had decades to feather their nests while they've been ruining things for the rest of us. I'm with Labour on this one (and I'm not even a big Starmer fan!)
Same here 👍
You seem to have created out of your imagination that ALL pensioners are equivalent. They are not. Many of us have brought up the next generation alone and have never been in a position to pay off a mortgage or ‘feather our nests’ as you so meanly think. I have never voted Tory (always Labour), voted Remain and after years of chronic illness have only my state pension to live on. It takes me a few pence over the line to qualify for Pension Credit. It would do you well to understand that many of us are struggling with all kinds of problems that you may well be unaware of. We have adult children who are struggling, grandchildren who we are unable to help - all these things. So please stop and think more broadly and with some kindness before you tar us all with some imagined wealth or political view. Other views are available.
@@consideredwhisperI'm totally disgusted by the many comments made about pensioners, the majority are not wealthy and have worked all their lives to get the smallest pension in Europe. A small occupational pension taking you just above the threshold for pension credit means that this winter when price rises are factored in that with the winter fuel allowance you would just break even on heating costs from last year. Train drivers on average will get a pay rise averaging £8,000, the basic state pension is £8,400 but pensioners are the greedy ones
That'll be too muchimigration.
Bet you're glad we saved 30trillion on brexit.
@@firebyrd437 Aren't most pensioners property owners? Surely they can downsise?
There's an incredibly simple solution to the problem of people receiving benefits that they don't need: taxation. Means testing is a tool of denying benefits to people who need them. Give the benefits to everybody, and if someone is above a certain threshold of net worth, or annual income, or whatever metric you want to use, tax it back out of them. It's far more important that people who need the benefit receive it than that people who don't need it don't.
Exactly it's means tested anyway with a thing called ...TAX
stakeholder economy!
This is one of the reason I left labour about 3 years ago,
nobody should be surprised by this, dont get me wrong i'm 100% glad we got rid of the Nazis but I knew i'd be getting a Tory-lite party, there was no alternative really. I voted Labour to get the Tories out but will be voting green at the locals to send a message
Slash VAT on utilities.
Maybe the pensioners should go stay in hotels with the refugees eh James
Would you be ok with that?
No. There needs to be something done to help those pensioners on the borderline but there's a huge amount of pensioners who don't need this money.
Stop wasting billions in ukraine and israel military support and look after us?
We're too far away from the next GE for anyone in Labour to care what people think about them.
Brutal brutal austerity back again. It's sad to see.
I suggest you don't understand the meaning of austerity.
I'm for universal benefits as it makes for a more cohesive society,even if it goes to the better off.
10 million pensioner's votes gone and how many more in their next move against their next moves
The rich need to be taxed and we need to use those taxes to end austerity and give universal benefits, no checks, everybody gets it. Benefit systems only pass the rich if u give then to them too