Potus ???

[Johnsond]

53 minutes ago, peds said:

"Our winter fuel payment goes into the holiday kitty"

1 day ago

George Sandeman & Nabiha Ahmed

BBC News

 

 

Pensioner Jon Harvey, a retired police officer, is among those pensioners who say they do not need the winter fuel payment

“The money is just for the holiday kitty,” says Jon Harvey of the £300 he was given every winter to help with heating bills. “I could also use it to go out for a nice meal.”

The 80-year-old, like all pensioners in England and Wales, was given the winter fuel payment (WFP) automatically – until this week when the new Labour government voted to change the rules.

Now only pensioners who qualify for certain benefits will receive it, an estimated 1.5 million people. Last winter 10.8 million people got the payment.

Jon, a retired police officer, tells us “it’s about time” the rules changed as “there are people who need it more than me”.

The policy, launched by the last Labour government in 1997, costs nearly £2bn per year but Sir Keir Starmer hopes the changes will save taxpayers £1.5bn.

The prime minister says it could help plug the £22bn "black hole" he says exists in the national finances - but the Tories and charities fear it could leave some over-65s cold this winter.

Beyond the political fray, the argument is nuanced - so the BBC spoke to pensioners to hear the full range of views. Some told us they rely on the payment for heating, while others said they spend the money on things like holidays, restaurants or their grandchildren.

 

Pensioner Olwen Jones standing on a beach with sailing boats in the bay behind her, says she gives her WFP to charity

Olwen Jones says she has been given the WFP for the last four years and gives it to charity

Olwen Jones, 70, has been receiving the payment for the last four years since retiring from her job in IT.

“I thought about giving it to my brother the last time I was given the payment, except he started getting it himself. Now, I give the money to charity,” she says.

The payment acts as a bonus to the bank balance for Nick Plowright. “My mother, who died back in 2019, was also receiving it for many years. When she did, she'd tell us to give it to the grandchildren,” the 68-year-old explains.

He adds: “The government needs to make the means testing rigorous, right minded and focused on helping those most in need. Above all, stop paying it to the millions who very obviously do not need it, like me.”

 

Edit:

Whoops, sorry, forgot to add a screenshot of the link!

The tosser gene is strong it would seem. You want me to show you the link you couldn’t open and your team mate messed up on. Join LI Peds, solve the ongoing issue that’s causing you so much anguish. I’m sure the vast intellect and knowledge on all subjects you possess would be of huge benefit to the other members. 

[GarethM]

10 minutes ago, sime42 said:

Why it's so hard for US workers to ask for time off

WWW.BBC.COM

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US workers want more holiday – yet they still don’t take all of their paid leave. What’s keeping them at their desks?

It was best described as a country founded by Protestant or Quaker Christians types in a documentary.

 

If you're not working, sleeping or praying you'll burn in hell.

 

It's an engrained mindset that generally those who do well career wise have taught out of them, as a country they lack our history and reason for having so many bank holidays.

[Steven P]

Read this morning that reducing taxes on overtime won't affect those who do 2 or more jobs, since each is paying normal time and no overtime. Some employers can't give overtime so their employees get 2nd jobs to make ends meet, generally the lowest paid, tax breaks won't help them.

 

True that the Americans can see taking paid time off as a weakness and at the discretion of their employer.

[GarethM]

13 minutes ago, Steven P said:

Read this morning that reducing taxes on overtime won't affect those who do 2 or more jobs, since each is paying normal time and no overtime. Some employers can't give overtime so their employees get 2nd jobs to make ends meet, generally the lowest paid, tax breaks won't help them.

 

True that the Americans can see taking paid time off as a weakness and at the discretion of their employer.

I'm not sure about their tax system, i.was under the assumption most people had to submit their own tax thing in the USA every year, as they don't have a simplistic PAYE.

 

Sure it's the no taxation without representation argument.

 

The IRS already has all your income tax data – so why do Americans still have to file their taxes?

THECONVERSATION.COM

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A tax expert explains why the US continues to use such a complex and costly income tax system.

 

 

Edited September 15 by GarethM

[Mark J]

6 hours ago, Johnsond said:

Rubbish Mark pure and utter crap. 

Last time I looked 13% or thereabouts in the UK are self employed. Many employed people I know value the 1.5 and 2.0 overtime rates on jobs big time, none of these  I’d call morons. By all means price a job but you telling me you’ve never got it wrong and had to work on a bit.

Perhaps. But in this forum I reckon, and I'm more than happy to proven wrong, that more than 13% of the users are self employed. 

[Johnsond]

3 minutes ago, Mark J said:

Perhaps. But in this forum I reckon, and I'm more than happy to proven wrong, that more than 13% of the users are self employed. 

😂😂 That will be those movable goalposts 

[GarethM]

5 minutes ago, Mark J said:

Perhaps. But in this forum I reckon, and I'm more than happy to proven wrong, that more than 13% of the users are self employed. 

What are you trying to prove, self employed=no overtime, it's just time.

 

Those on low pay do rely on it tho, especially when it comes to paying for holidays or Christmas etc.

Edited September 15 by GarethM

[Mark J]

17 minutes ago, GarethM said:

What are you trying to prove, self employed=no overtime, it's just time.

 

Those on low pay do rely on it tho, especially when it comes to paying for holidays or Christmas etc.

I'm not trying to prove anything. I just reckon that people who hope for overtime should get better paid jobs. 

[GarethM]

4 minutes ago, Mark J said:

I'm not trying to prove anything. I just reckon that people who hope for overtime should get better paid jobs. 

Sadly the world can't all be in management positions.

 

There are also plenty of those that just can't do much better than minimum wage.

[Johnsond]

FBI investigating second attempted assassination of Trump; suspect in custody

APPLE.NEWS

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One person is in custody after shots were fired near former President Donald Trump and an...

🤷‍♂️Strange as it seems it’s not the gun toting far right MAGA types who are resorting to the bullet. Yet another miss Peds 🤷‍♂️