Keir Starmer at it again..

[From Distant Shores]

Taking the winter fuel allowance away from people who need it is bad, paying it to people who don’t need it is ridiculous.

What upsets me is how come a bunch of highly paid people can’t come up with a workable scheme, in this day and age, that’s better than a simple black and white cutoff in determining who gets the subsidy and who doesn’t.

Also I read somewhere that you need to fill out a 30 page form to claim pension credit. That would seem to be designed to make it difficult for people to claim it.

 

[Del Woppio]

Also I read somewhere that you need to fill out a 30 page form to claim pension credit. That would seem to be designed to make it difficult for people to claim it.

280 questions apparently. The argument being that there's lots of things that can mean you're eligible, and they're what's covered in a phone application.

Tax codes seems so obvious to me. I'd rather the 'margin of error' be on the side of people that don't need it getting it, than people wh need it not getting it, if that word salad makes sense.

 

[Tony Towner]

Keir Starmer says he wants to “reset” Britain’s relationship with Europe. But two months into his premiership, the EU is starting to wonder whether he really means it.

EU officials and diplomats have told POLITICO they are increasingly doubtful that — beyond warm rhetoric — the new U.K. prime minister is all that keen on walking back on the Brexit breach with Europe.

Starmer’s swift rejection of EU priorities such as establishing a youth mobility scheme and rejoining the Erasmus exchange program has gone down badly in European capitals and is taking a toll on early optimism about the new British government.

Politically I don't think he can, at least not yet. Would be toxic after all his pre election rhetoric.

 

[Johnny75]

280 questions apparently. The argument being that there's lots of things that can mean you're eligible, and they're what's covered in a phone application.

Tax codes seems so obvious to me. I'd rather the 'margin of error' be on the side of people that don't need it getting it, than people wh need it not getting it, if that word salad makes sense.

It does and shows that the hard part seems to be reforming the civil service itself, particularly the tax system.

There doesn't appear to be an appetite for that though. I would think that's simpler than fudging the benefits system again.

 

[lemonjelly]

As far as I can make out, my statement is correct, if you are on less than £11400 a year, you will be entitled to pension credit and then you will be entitled to the winter fuel payment of £200 or £300, depending on your age. The fuel allowance is not means tested, but pension credit is, depending on how much below the threshold you are.. It is possible to be getting £11400 a year and no pension credit, If you are on less than that you will get pension credit and be entitled to the full fuel allowance, which is not means tested.
So my statement is correct. Someone can be getting one pence less than another person and gets means tested Pension credit, but will recieve the maximum amount of the fuel allowancevf his age allows him to get and be £200 or £300 better off, than the other person, who didn't qualify for state pension by one pence.
I agree with the rest of your post.

What is the winter fuel payment, how much is it worth and who can get it?

Plans to change winter fuel payments have highlighted the problem of unclaimed pensioner benefits.

www.bbc.com

someone one pence over the pension credit thresh-hold will stil get numerous other benefits (eg housing, council tax relief etc.
However, often if you get a person attendance allowance, as they are then classed as "disabled" where they originally didn't qualify for PC, now they get Att All, they would, and the Att All is not income for means tested benefits.

 

[leedswolf]

It does and shows that the hard part seems to be reforming the civil service itself, particularly the tax system.

There doesn't appear to be an appetite for that though. I would think that's simpler than fudging the benefits system again.

As in 'a dificult choice'?

 

[Walshes Wolves]

Lord Darzi was an excellent choice to lead an independent investigation into the performance of the NHS.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Hilarity.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1835259215687864564

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

you sound desperate, like you are trying too hard

 

[Dire Wolf]

 

[Johnny75]

For the sake of a little research Fisher is an avid Corbyite and standard bearer of large state and no privatisation.

I think the post above would be the very definition of confirmation bias.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

However, to be fair Johnny, Fisher is the messenger here not the message writer. I would be interested to know about the economists in the FT article.

 

[Dire Wolf]

For the sake of a little research Fisher is an avid Corbyite and standard bearer of large state and no privatisation.

I think the post above would be the very definition of confirmation bias.

Says the man looking to confirm his own bias...

 

[The Saturday Boy]

For the sake of a little research Fisher is an avid Corbyite and standard bearer of large state and no privatisation.

I think the post above would be the very definition of confirmation bias.

Large state and no privatisation is a legitimate economic position, you may not agree with it but that only confirms it's legitimacy.

 

[Johnny75]

Large state and no privatisation is a legitimate economic position,

Absolutely. I was just providing some information on Fisher who was posting something that confirmed his position.

Hence confirmation bias.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Irony overload.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

Absolutely. I was just providing some information on Fisher who was posting something that confirmed his position.

Hence confirmation bias.

The use, particularly your use, of the term confirmation bias is an attempt to de-legitimise discussion, or in your case, people who hold these opinions.

 

[Johnny75]

The use, particularly your use, of the term confirmation bias is an attempt to de-legitimise discussion, or in your case, people who hold these opinions.

It isn't but thanks for telling me what I do and why I do it.

It's not condescending at all. Honest.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

It isn't but thanks for telling me what I do and why I do it.

It's not condescending at all. Honest.

Just because you say it isn't, doesn't make it not.

Oh. And irony.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Labour's fiscal rules are stupid to anyone except those daft enough to think the state is a home or a corner shop.