so is "Call me David" finally showing his Thatcherite traits?

[Bobbisox]

On Sky News this morning, his Chancellor, George Osborne was said to have ducked and dived in a Q and A session regarding child benefit and winter fuel payments, it is thought that the latter will now only be paid to the 66+ pensioners and not 60 as it is now, the child benefits will be reduced for the 2/3/4 child or more, which tbh cant be a bad thing, this may or may not stop the young girls going on to mass produce often with a different father each time.
It appears the elderly and the young are always the soft targets, why not the fat cats and the MPs contribute to the austerity cuts we are about to have? and catch up with the Tax evaders who don't pay a penny in revenue here....because the old and young don't shout so it's an easy option?

[TheTruthHere]

The poor will suffer the most, those with kids will be looked after and the ones that earn over K25 will not go cold this winter.

http://www.moneyweek....ax-than-cleaners.aspx

[Bobbisox]

daffy I am all for that too so why the refusal to means test do you think?

[Sqad]

bobbi....I explained that in my post above.....the Unions and the lefties would object.

[Bobbisox]

I suppose they would sqad although I have to say very few Unions have any clout now do they?

[Sqad]

bobbi..WHAT?.....Unison, Unite........BAA dispute, BA cabin dispute.....and just you wait until the Unions taste the cuts in the Public Sector.......!!!

[TheTruthHere]

Don't forget last winter, the old folk freezing to death

http://www.walletpop....illions-in-benefits/2

[Bobbisox]

it certainly didn't do the miners any good sqad in the 70s against Mrs Thatcher

[Sqad]

bobbi.... no it didn´t, but the miners were on a loser from the start and they were not totally united, as I think that the Nott´s miners wouldn´t support the strike.

[Bobbisox]

in this economic climate sqad, I doubt many people would unite in a showdown with the Government, they are too frightened to lose their jobs

[TheTruthHere]

Taken from the mail last year

Britain has a higher proportion of pensioners living below the poverty line than Romania, figures show.

The elderly in this country are among the poorest in Europe, according to a breakdown by charities.

Only in Estonia, Latvia and Cyprus are the aged more likely to be among the poorest in society.

The comparisons, based on EU figures, follow a decade in which pensioners have been slipping down the league table of wealth in Britain.

[Sqad]

thetruth......interesting.

[Bobbisox]

TTH, I have said I am amongs the lucky pensioners who have a private pension although I have worked dammed hard like others to get it, my point from the beginning is how DC has quickly backtracked and how he is going for the most vulnerable in our society

[Xaviour]

if it was from any other newspaper than the mail i might even believe that. daffy im in total agreement with you its a farse.

[anotheoldgit]

/// So is "Call me David" finally showing his Thatcherite traits? ///

I think we all agree cuts have to be made, well making the winter fuel payment only to 66+ pensioners, seems quite acceptable, there are many people who are still working way past 65, and I can't see any pre 66s huddled around a single flame to try and keep warm.

Regarding the Child Benefit, I think this should be paid for the first two only, to have more that is a personal decision, if you can't afford to have them, then don't.

[Xaviour]

http://www.youtube.co...7B&playnext=1&index=9 am example of big business getting a billion a year its ridiculous

[Bobbisox]

wont that be a means test the AOG

[jackthehat]

The 'most vulnerable' are those dependent upon the state for their income. The government is committed to reducing the impact of the wefare burden on the public purse.

Everyone is going to be, to a greater or lesser extent, guilty of nimby-ism; we all agree that cuts have to made as long as it's 'other' folks who have to bite the bullet.

I think it entirely fair that those better-off pensioners should not receive the Winter Fuel Payment as is removing Child-Benefit from top-rate tax-payers.

[Sqad]

JTH...exactly.

[Bobbisox]

and I am sure you are right jth but they can't do that without means testing which they say they will not do

[jackthehat]

IDS wants to avoid a 'complicated' means-test...........these can become as unweildy, ineffective and costly to implement as the problems they seek to eradicate.