If £200 a year on fuel bills. Is the difference between them dying or living. The issue is not really that £200.
The issue is one of 2 very clear things.
1st to few pensioners entitled to pension benefits not claiming.
Something the government is trying to solve. But 50 years of media negativity towards benefits claimants has a lot to do with that. Many of these people grew old under constant negativity towards needing welfare.
2nd, the level pension benefits are paid out at is far too low.
While, it truly bothers me that labour has not insisted on resolving that issue at the same time as means testing a benefit that clearly goes to people who are not in need. £200 a year is not nearly enough to make a huge difference here. Given the numbers. 4 to 6k a year of extra income before these benefits are capped is more the number. Especially when you consider for those renting. Housing benefit is linked to the same means test. The last few years of rent rises will outweigh that 200 a year hugely.
Can I ‘yes, and’ that with the point that simply giving more money to poor people is now pretty well established to be good for both them and the economy
Simply giving money requires convincing voters. Or 5 years from now. Everyone will vote the arseholes again.
This is the main issue. Cobvincing voters to actually support a plan.
The left as a whole is far to devided. Even the slightedt disagreement seems to split tjhe vote. Where as stopping the left is all it takes to pull the right together.
Unfortunatly under fptp such splits are unelectable. And with such splits. Any other voting system aint gonna happen.
It’s an issue. All I can say is that change has to come from within, and for me that means being more willing to “march with” lefties I don’t always agree with, as long as there’s something important we do agree about. If someone’s a bit tank-ish, I’ll gladly shake their hand when it comes to voting for proportional representation, for example.
be honest with yourselves.
If £200 a year on fuel bills. Is the difference between them dying or living. The issue is not really that £200.
The issue is one of 2 very clear things.
1st to few pensioners entitled to pension benefits not claiming.
Something the government is trying to solve. But 50 years of media negativity towards benefits claimants has a lot to do with that. Many of these people grew old under constant negativity towards needing welfare.
2nd, the level pension benefits are paid out at is far too low.
While, it truly bothers me that labour has not insisted on resolving that issue at the same time as means testing a benefit that clearly goes to people who are not in need. £200 a year is not nearly enough to make a huge difference here. Given the numbers. 4 to 6k a year of extra income before these benefits are capped is more the number. Especially when you consider for those renting. Housing benefit is linked to the same means test. The last few years of rent rises will outweigh that 200 a year hugely.
Can I ‘yes, and’ that with the point that simply giving more money to poor people is now pretty well established to be good for both them and the economy
Agreed.
Unfortunatly politics is not that simple.
Simply giving money requires convincing voters. Or 5 years from now. Everyone will vote the arseholes again.
This is the main issue. Cobvincing voters to actually support a plan.
The left as a whole is far to devided. Even the slightedt disagreement seems to split tjhe vote. Where as stopping the left is all it takes to pull the right together.
Unfortunatly under fptp such splits are unelectable. And with such splits. Any other voting system aint gonna happen.
It’s an issue. All I can say is that change has to come from within, and for me that means being more willing to “march with” lefties I don’t always agree with, as long as there’s something important we do agree about. If someone’s a bit tank-ish, I’ll gladly shake their hand when it comes to voting for proportional representation, for example.
Nods. Sounds lime a logical approch.
May start that myself. Just difficult with my disability. To get to.most marches.