Socially Acceptable Living Standard

[Richard Quartermaine]

What a great thread! I liked and thank all who have posted to it, contented or otherwise.

I have photos of my members of my family going back to my great grandparents. I look at these and think how different was their world in each generation. How different is the world now to what my father left in 1968. I see my grandchildren become men (one in the Australian Army) in today's world and as I bounce my great-grandson, 77 years my junior, on my knee I wonder about the world he will mature into.

As long as there are the likes of you, shipmates, all will not be lost and whilst there will be greed and poverty, love and hate and many casualties along the way, I like to think that common sense will prevail.

Thanks again,
Richard Q

[Tony Morcom]

There still seem to be one or tow misconceptions about Benefits out there. As an example I wonder how many realise that Housing Benefit was taken away a couple of years ago and replaced with LHA (Local Housing Allowance) How much you get depends entirely where you live. As an example, because of my wife's disability, I have been unable to work for 5 years. We used to be entitled to full Housing Benefit which basically paid your entire rent. When it changed we are currently £145 per month worse off. In other words there is a shortfall of £145 between what we have to pay and what we receive. Rents have risen dramatically over the past 2 years now that the world and his wife cant get a foot on the property ladder. So this was the first benefit to be trashed by the government of the day. Now thanks to ATOS cutting our DLA to mid rate from high rate, we also get penalised on the carer's side of Income Support. Another £90 per week reduction. Believe me when I say its no bed of roses living on benefits! The only advantage is that we get a brand new car every 3 years, insurance and service + breakdown coverage all paid. That's wonderful IF you can afford the petrol to run the damn thing!! Don't get me wrong I am not moaning, its a way of life, but I often think that some people think its a life of luxury.

[Captain Kong]

The Governments always target people who have worked hard and saved, I have done that and am very happy with what I have, except for my Islamic Neighbours, It all happened so fast that they were in my once lovely avenue while I was away on a five month trip to OZ,
I have lived here for almost 50 years, a lovely spot, surrounded by trees and a lake at the side. beautiful. Everyone who bought when they were built in 1937, stayed here until they died. Only 16 homes, beautiful tended gardens with pride in the Avenue, Everyone friendly and helpful. When I moved in in 1963 I thought this was it, I am here for life.
I went away for a five month trip and four of then died and their kids sold the houses cheap for a quick sale to get rid, the Islamics, moved in, The House prices suddenly dropped. The value of my house has fallen by £100,000, if I sell I cannot buy another one similar. Then others died off and more of Them moved in.
The Avenue is now a Slum, the once beautiful gardens are piled up with rubbish, hedges overgrown 15 feet high and over the side walks. fences down. they dress like the Taliban and the women have the full monty Niquabs and burkhas
every house has two cars, each one is better than mine, and no one works. Taliban do not do gardens and flowers.
Dont say sell up and get out , there is no place to go,
There four families left, and we are all p155ed off.
So it OK for Gulliver who lives in a Worcestershire country town to say you should not whinge and whine about it. These people came in like a Tsunami and took over, we never had a chance to get out before they took over.
Apart from all that I am happy with my lot, I can go overseas for two of three months at a time anytime I want to
on my annual cruises. That is my escape. Also we go away on alternative weekends to the coast near Blackpool,
So apart from the Taliban I am very happy. We eat well, she is an excellent cook, I have a well stocked wine locker of several cases , with regular deliveries, and several other bottles of Whisky, Gin and Rum. We entertain quite often and so have a good social life,
BUT it is the Pigs who have moved in to destroy my little piece of heaven. They do not belong.
Cheers
Brian.

[Gulliver]

This question regarding the using of your assets to pay for Nursing Care has once again reared it’s head.I think (hope) it may not affect the majority of us for many years to come.

Local authorities can use your assets to pay for care,and they do not have to put you in the best one available.I know of one family who’s father was taken into care ,his house being sold to fund the care. He died just two years later and it was discovered that the cost of his care by the council amounted to about a £100 a week,over those two years,yet the council had taken enough of his assets to fund his stay for at least 16 years ! All money into the local authority coffers-and a shame for his family who obviously didn’t receive a penny from the sale.
Not that I think that a family should expect their inheritance to take precedence over their parents nursing care needs…..
On a positive note we should remember also that most people don't go into care homes. And when they do most people are not there for years on end.

Two years ago I transferred ownership of my home to a family member
.Now,the law states It is against the law to transfer ownership of an asset to another person specifically to avoid paying your care home fees. The law states that if you’ve transferred an asset to another person within the six months before you get a place in a care home, your local council can make you pay your care home fees.
It would be fairly hard to prove that you specifically did that to avoid paying care home fees !, a solicitor friend has informed me.
Which I didn’t of course!
Some councils allegedly say they can claim back your nursing home fees if you have transferred ownership of your property asset within the last seven
Years. Once again I'm hoping time will be on my side regarding this 'seven' years.As usual though,local authorities are way out of kilter with each other and say and charge what they like.
At the moment ,the way it stands is that myself and partner are ‘tenants in common’ of the property and the surviving spouse has right to live in the property until deceased. The house can not be sold to fund nursing home costs whilst someone is living in it.. It is in any case now the property of my (much)younger family member,who I imagine would sell it off then or keep it as would be his right.

Not that I anticipate going into a nursing home- yet-I would think that I would be able to pay for a decent standard of nursing care out of my pensions here at home. Perhaps,like many of us,I would rather die in my home paying for my care rather than in a crappy nursing home chosen by an uncaring money-grabbing local authority.


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[John Cassels]

Tony , a brand new free car + insurance every 3 years ? , you have to be pulling my leg , no country can provide or afford that .

[John Pruden]

he's not john i have one new Nissan qashqai+2 under the mobility scheme saves any travel expenses and getting around it saves you being housebound but you have to be disabled and with today's grillings you get of the DWP its trouble free motoring.but it is a need not a luxury.jp

[Captain Kong]

The law on this care home business is very discriminatery,
Now take my old mate Dave, we went to school together from nursery days in the 30s. We both had the same education and chances in life, I chose to go to sea, Dave just ponced about sometimes in work and sometimes not,
He was happy in what he was doing, he got married and got himself a Council house. I got married and bought my house which at the time was very expensive near 50 years ago. I was always short of money due to a large mortgage.
Dave always had a few bob for ale money and cigs. And so the years rolled on. I paid some of my wages into a pension fund, again reducing my spending money. Dave always and still does have four overseas holidays a year, He has been on benefits for years, due to his unemployment, the occaisional odd job on the side. So his Council house was free, Once he is on benefit, that opens the door to many other benefits. He lives the good life.
Five years ago the Council built some lovely two bedroom bungalows in a real nice area. He gets the first one completed, a lovely home. He does not pay rent or Council Tax. His wife has started with emphysemia due to smoking fags all her life. So he now gets paid carers allowance and a Car on motobility. the two of them still go on overseas holidays.
I have to pay my own Council Tax of £1450 a year out of my pension. I cannot claim for one penny of benefit, because I worked and saved and bought with my own money a MN Pension.
Now when I have to go into a care home and sit in the chair next to Dave while we are both nodding and smelling of urine like the rest of them, Dave will still have the last laugh. He will be staying there for free, I will have to sell my house and pay for the same as him.
So why am I and everyone else who has paid their way through life being discriminated against.
It does not pay to save up, it does not pay to buy a pension, it does not pay to work. It does pay to be a bum.
I still have a pint now and again with Dave , when I can afford it.
Cheers
Brian.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates Hi Gulliver you are right to do this I am also doing it The seven year rule is the only draw-back ?one of my sons will be my land-lord I will gift him my house all legal and within the law also no stamp duty to pay or C.G Tax, but a land reg fee to pay, I hope many more people will get wise and copy this, I dont want any of my money going to non british firms who pay very little u.K. tax!!! {loophole} or pay out for very good side line for many non british doctors. and business people .Care homes in the U.K can be owned and run by anyone ????650 old people have died in care homes in the last five years due to poor care by poor staff over 80 % of the inmates have serious heatlh issues but the staff in many homes are not trained to look after them takes' to much time you get the sack for that {basic care only} plenty of cases in the public domain to prove this !!! but the greedy owners want cheap workers with no skill to max the profit so any probelm s' from the council a back hander or just sell to on some one else, or closed down and open elsewhere. Happens all the time

[John Pruden]

louis i want to go out the same way i came in no teeth bald head and skint{MAY AS WELL GO NOW}JP

[Jim Brady]

Tony,I know about the supposed ceiling on the amount of weekly rent allowance and yet there is not a ceiling on the amount the goverment pay out for asylum seekers,some of them were living in places costing £1.000 pw or claiming on a couple of homes because of the size of the family.This Country is very good at claiming people are not ill and only swinging the lead which takes me to Spike Milligans headstone and epitaph which reads "I told you I was ill"
Regarding Captain Kong's27# Nye Bevan said of the NHS "From cradle to grave" this may be true for some but not for all so it is no wonder that people that conducted themselves in the manner in which Brian did are not amused.
Regards.
Jim.B.