Making the news today....

[Stubby]

Did I hear correctly the new chancellor is scrapping the winter fuel payment for us pensioners ? Or have I got that wrong ?

[Johnsond]

11 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Did I hear correctly the new chancellor is scrapping the winter fuel payment for us pensioners ? Or have I got that wrong ?

No you have got it right. 

Time to stock up on the logs 

[Steven P]

29 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Did I hear correctly the new chancellor is scrapping the winter fuel payment for us pensioners ? Or have I got that wrong ?

 

If you get pension credits you will be OK, otherwise yes, dropping it.

[peds]

1 hour ago, Steven P said:

 

If you get pension credits you will be OK, otherwise yes, dropping it.

I'm not well-versed enough with the system, but does it essentially try and weight the scales more towards those with naff all?

So my granny and grandma, both long since dead, wouldn't qualify thanks to their relatively-generous RAF pensions?

It sucks for anyone losing out on something they were previously entitled to, of course. 

[Steven P]

Yes, weighting it towards those who need it the most. I think those at the cut off point will lose out, earn £100 a year less and you get it, £100 more and you don't type of thing which is a good argument for a lot of benefits reducing on a sliding scale.

[peds]

Yeah, sliding scale would definitely be the key here.

 

Of course, insulating everyone's home, free of charge if they can't afford it, subsidised if appropriate, and mandated if necessary, should be given a huge priority before just shoving bundles of cash up everyone's chimney.

[Steven P]

Yes, better insulated houses would be a bonus - working from the bottom upwards for subsidies I think (the most benefits first), maybe in the form of interest free loans for everyone. Something to be said for replacing older housing in towns to meet more modern standards and requirements.

 

Could be a winter fuel + insulation combined with the same assessment?

 

I'm bitter here because when the last scheme came out I'd just upgraded the loft insulation (couple of hundred ££), and then was told couldn't do underfloor insulation on the scheme (not enough access space by a couple of ") so did that myself (another couple of hundred ££)... but both jobs easily done with limited DIY skills.

[Johnsond]

Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary jailed for at least 28 years for directing terrorist organisation

APPLE.NEWS

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Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years for...

Absolutely great news, long since overdue. 

[peds]

Quite right, what a scum bag.

 

43 minutes ago, Steven P said:

Something to be said for replacing older housing in towns to meet more modern standards and requirements.

 

Sadly needed in a lot of cases, it'd be a shame to get rid of a lot of historic housing, but it makes far more sense in the long run. Our original plan was to keep the tiny cottage on the site we've built on and just put a big extension out the back, but there would be absolutely no hope to bring it up to standard in our budget. Tear it down and start again. 

 

The digger driver who knocked it down said it was probably around 200 years old, it still had the original turf roof on it underneath the slightly more recent corrugated metal one. I've kept a few of the old beams, studded with square nails as they are, and stashed them away somewhere. Hopefully they'll get a final resting place one day. 

[Steven P]

That was one of the big blocks in Glasgow - loads of old city centre office buildings, that could be converted to flats.. but too expensive to retain the fronts so have sat rotting for many years. I guess the same all over, clever architects could make cities and towns interesting to look at but rarely do, build houses that will be valued in 100 years time